Lawyer Personalities as They Affect Communication Styles
The Typical Lawyer (ISTJ 17.8)
I. The typical lawyer is reserved, likes privacy, shies away from excitement, needs time to think about a problem or consider all the facts, likes to think through ideas alone. The typical lawyer is interested in concepts and impressions, wants to understand a situation before experiencing it.25% of general population is like this, while 59% of male lawyers are, and 51% of women lawyers. (I)
S. The most common lawyer personality configurations include the pattern for paying attention to the physical world rather than the intuition. They are interested in facts and data with low ambiguity. They are focused on the present and seek practical and tangible results. They are less interested in abstractions. They are likely to choose real estate law, tax and general practice.
They like to present information step-by-step. They want concrete examples and practical information. They remember facts. They get right to the point and jump to the bottom line. They may be abrupt and seem impatient. Some 70% of the population are like this, while only 43% of lawyers have this pattern.(S)
T. The typical lawyer clarifies with questions and can be blunt. The typical lawyer is concerned with objective truth and justice. The typical lawyer is detached, objective, and logical, wants structure, organization and detail, is analytic and critical, is thorough and concerned with process, and prefers a formalized approach to things. The typical lawyer needs to solve problems by collecting, organizing, evaluating data and needs to know the criteria by which things are judged. In the general population, 60% of males are like this while only 35% of females. Amongst lawyers, 81% of men are like this and 66% of women - almost double the percentage of women in the general population.(T)
J. The typical lawyer is a "cut to the chase" type who is always seeking closure. They are decisive, planned, orderly, and methodical. They need CONTROL. They want clear directions as to procedure to be take, they want clear guidelines, and they need routine. The typical lawyer needs to finish one project before tackling the next one.55% of the general population is like this while lawyers tote up: 61% male, 67% female.(J)
The Strongest Lawyer Personality Features (57/57/78/63)
The Specific Pattern Representation (INTJ 13.1)
I-57. The typical lawyer is reserved, likes privacy, shies away from excitement, likes to think through ideas alone, interested in concepts and impressions, needs time to think about a problem or consider all the facts, wants to understand a concept or situation before experiencing it. 25% of general population is like this, while 59% of male lawyers are, and 51% of women lawyers. (I)
N-57. This lawyer dislikes detail - wanting the big picture, notices meaning and relationships and enjoys dealing with abstractions. They focus on concepts, may ramble when talking, and sound aloof and detached. This lawyer absorbs information quickly, wants challenge and variety and is easily distracted, quickly bores with routine, wants new skills and problems to deal with, and prefers self-paced learning or problem solving. They will choose criminal, litigation and labor law. 30% of the general population is like this while 57% of all lawyers are like this (male:55/female:57) (N)
T-78. The typical lawyer clarifies with questions and can be blunt. The typical lawyer is concerned with objective truth and justice. The typical lawyer is detached, objective, and logical, wants structure, organization and detail, is analytic and critical, is thorough and concerned with process, and prefers a formalized approach to things. The typical lawyer needs to solve problems by collecting, organizing, evaluating data and needs to know the criteria by which things are judged. In the general population, 60% of males are like this while only 35% of females.
Amongst lawyers, 81% of men are like this and 66% of women - almost double the percentage of women in the general population.(T)
J-63. The typical lawyer is a "cut to the chase" type who is always seeking closure. They are decisive, planned, orderly, and methodical. They need CONTROL. They want clear directions as to procedure to be take, they want clear guidelines, and they need routine. The typical lawyer needs to finish one project before tackling the next one. 55% of the general population is like this while lawyers tote up: 61% male, 67% female.(J)
The Woman Lawyer (notF)
The typical woman lawyer differs from the average woman in a very special way: 65% of women fit the following profile while only 34% of women lawyers do:
The average woman's perspective on the world is personal, subjective and values-based. She responds to human values rather than cold logic. She avoids conflict and promotes harmony. The adversarial mentality is anathema to her. She takes comments, criticisms and conflict personally.
She is sensitive to the values of others and considers the affect of decisions on others and their values. She wants to know how actions or materials will affect others. She needs to feel appreciated as a person, not for her job performance. She works well in teams.
She likes to talk to people. She tends to be warm and friendly. She may overreact to feelings. She does not go directly to the point in conversation. She has difficulty saying no.
Summary prepared by Cheryl Stephens and based mainly on Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator analysis. Statistics taken from research conducted by Larry Richard of Altman Weil and published in the ABA Journal July 1993.
