Introverted Associates Should Be More Welcomed At Law Firms

The value of someone’s work product is rarely based on how introverted or extroverted they are.

Most people would agree that the legal industry is a relatively social profession. Attorneys regularly interact with clients, adversaries, court officers, and co-workers, and people who are outgoing may have an easier time navigating the social connections that are important to succeeding as a lawyer. However, this does not mean that introverted attorneys should face challenges advancing and succeeding at law firms, and introverted lawyers should be welcomed more at various shops.

Building social connections, and interacting with others, is often seen as a way to advance at law firms. People are naturally more likely to favor individuals with whom they have socialized since they thereafter know such people not only as co-workers in an office, but as friends who have a life outside of the office. Moreover, socializing is often an important element of business development. Clients are naturally more likely to trust someone if they have interacted with an attorney on a deeper, more personal level, and extroverted people may be more effective at forging the connections needed to develop a book of business.

However, introverted attorneys can be valued members of a team even if they do not wish to interact with co-workers or others as much as other attorneys. The value of someone’s work product is rarely based on how introverted or extroverted a person may be since court filings, oral arguments, and other important parts of the legal process do not depend on whether someone is extroverted or has people skills. Moreover, just because someone does not like to socialize as much or meet new folks does not mean that someone is less worthy of advancement or should be judged more harshly against more-extroverted associates.

Nevertheless, in my experience, introverted associates may face challenges at numerous law firms. Perhaps primarily, law firms may make hiring decisions based on who they like just as much as who can perform the best legal work. And who people like is often a function of who that person has socialized with or feels like they have a deeper, more personal bond with.

Earlier in my career, I worked at a law firm that had a summer associate class with a few outgoing summer associates and one summer associate who was far more introverted. The more introverted summer associate did not feel comfortable participating in the summer softball league, voluntary social outings, or other events that required this person to go outside of their shell. I am not completely sure how well this person did with assignments since I was not directly supervising them, so definitely take my observations with a grain of salt.

In any event, when it came time for the firm to make offers, they decided to give everyone an offer except for the introverted summer associate. The summer associate went to a top law school, and it seemed like they did fine work but was without a job offer after the summer program ended. The fact that this person did not interact as much with other people at the firm did not mean that this candidate would not have made a solid attorney at that shop, and firms should be more willing to give introverted associates a chance to succeed at firms.

More law firms should also alter their operations in order to realize the full potential of introverted associates. At some firms, especially larger law firms, it is common for attorneys on a team to have large brainstorming sessions to come up with ideas on tackling a problem. Such sessions can be extremely helpful since more heads are better than one, and the more people tackling a problem, the more creative the group generally becomes. I am an extroverted person, but from my own experience, introverted associates might be less likely to offer opinions in a large group of people. As such, law firms might be able to tap into more potential if they allow associates to offer advice in private settings so that introverted associates are more comfortable conveying opinions.

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Furthermore, law firms should recognize how mandatory social events can be extremely daunting to introverted associates. People who are introverted may not want to interact with their co-workers in a social setting and may feel anxious around the holiday season and other periods that are filled with mandatory work social events. Law firms should try to limit the amount of mandatory social events they host throughout the year and preferably make social events truly voluntary so introverted people can avoid any issues they have with attending such functions.

All told, the legal profession often requires people to interact with others, and as a result, extroverted people may be rewarded for the social and personal connections they are able to forge. However, introverted associates should be valued by law firms, and more shops should accommodate introverted associates and judge all associates by their work product rather than how extroverted or introverted they are.


Jordan Rothman is a partner of The Rothman Law Firm, a full-service New York and New Jersey law firm. He is also the founder of Student Debt Diaries, a website discussing how he paid off his student loans. You can reach Jordan through email at jordan@rothmanlawyer.com.

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