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Empirical Research on Attorney Attributes
| mind-boggling gold location | 05/20/18 |
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Date: May 20th, 2018 1:15 PM Author: mind-boggling gold location Elwork's work is consistent with Reich's findings that law students are internally insecure, awkward, and anxious.510 Law students may have a psychological need for security, esteem, and power in order to counteract these inner feelings." Elwork asserts that this psychological need can be met more effectively by addressing it directly, rather than through indirect means, such as workaholism and "success.""' Thus, workaholism does not efficiently meet the needs driving it, and it creates additional stress for the lawyer through increased workload, time pressures, and less available personal and relaxation time. Lawyers appear to be in artful at dealing with emotions generally (being Thinkers rather than Feelers),"' so instead of expressing their conflicting feelings or working through them with other people, they may resolve these uncomfortable feelings by channeling them into a drive for achievement. 14 Data suggest that law students similarly cope with uncomfortable feelings not by utilizing other people for social support, but instead by becoming more aggressive and ambitious, turning to workaholism and substance abuse, or becoming depressed."5
In 1996, Connie Beck extended the work of Benjamin and his colleagues on lawyer distress by investigating, among other things, possible lawyer traits contributing to the distress. 1' She verified the existence of increased hostility, anger, insecurity, feelings of inferiori- ty, and paranoia among lawyers as compared to the general popula- tion.517 She then focused on several traits: anger and hostility; tendency to abuse alcohol; and obsessive-compulsive tendencies as causally related to the lawyers' distress. Statistically, increased angerandhostilityamonglawyerswasmostrelatedtothedistress.
Beck asserted that anger and hostility, though possibly instrumental to a legal career, may have become so extreme in lawyers that it cannot be turned off at home.519 This may explain the high level of lawyer distress and low level of marital satisfaction among lawyers as compared to the general population discovered by Beck and her colleagues. She then noted that alcohol "releases anger and aggression" and that 70% of the attorneys she studied are likely to develop alcohol problems in their lifetime. 21 She also theorized that lawyers' anger may cover up their excessive insecurity, anxiety, and tension.5= In addition, she believed that lawyers' increased tendency towards obsessive-compulsiveness perhaps related to a need to control, which when frustrated by the unpredictable nature of law practice, became extreme and maladaptive.523
Other traits suggest the presence of a need for control among lawyers. Lawyers' demonstrated needs for dominance, leadership, the attention of others, and achievement, 524 their preference for Judg- ing which reflects a preference for certainty and closure,5" and their authoritarianism, competitiveness, and preference for active, initiative-taking behavior5 26 all may be part of a need to control events. This would be different than Chusmir's need for power over others, for which lawyers typically have only moderate needs, 27 yet it would be consistent with perfectionism and workaholism. 28 First, law school may frustrate this need for control, approval, certainty, and correctness (due to the uncertainty and unfamiliarity inherent in the program), thus creating anxiety and psychological problems in law students.512 Second, law practice may further frustrate this need, as the outcomes of cases and clients' actions are often uncontrollable and may have become even less predictable in recent years.510 Also, increased competition among lawyers may frustrate a need to control one's work. Consequently, these factors may cause a great deal of stress and discomfort for law students and attorneys. The stress is unlikely to be easily alleviated in attorneys, and it is likely to continue to create discomfort and distress for them.53' |