Harness the Skills of the Introverted Lawyer

The introverted lawyer: a paradox? Extroverted, gregarious, argumentative orators personify society’s idea of the effective American attorney. This paradigm—reinforced in media and entertainment—pervades legal education and practice. While professors, students, lawyers, and judges with a natural gift-of-gab thrive in an arena ruled by the Socratic question-and-answer method and verbal volley, quiet thinkers and writers can be overlooked. Introverted or otherwise interpersonally reserved (perhaps shy or socially anxious) law students and lawyers often strain to carve a niche in the legal world, though research indicates they offer impactful gifts to the profession, such as active listening, thoughtful analysis, contemplative writing, and natural empathy. As legal education and law practice adjust to changing law school enrollment trends and re-evaluate business models, this is an opportune juncture for the legal community to heed previously unheralded voices.

A mindful and formidable introvert movement is underway in this country. Transformative books like Susan Cain’s “Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking,” hit the market in 2012. Other authors like Sophia Dembling, Laurie Helgoe, Jennifer Kahnweiler, Arnie Kozak, and Marti Olsen Laney offer advice on how to navigate the extroverted business world as an introvert. While introversion and our adversarial legal system may seem incompatible at first blush, legal educators and lawyers have begun noting how this personality trait adds undersung value in relationship-building, problem-solving, and promoting legal writing excellence in the profession. In February 2016, the American Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Division and the ABA Journal presented a joint webinar addressing the pivotal role that introverts can play in the profession.