Anonymous
Post 06/25/2025 08:35     Subject: Re:Why are lawyers so boring??
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:You must not know many trial attorneys because we are performers by nature. We have to be if we want to hold the attention of a jury.


Nah it's all tax and regulatory stuff. I like what I do... but most of these lawyers seem deeply, almost dangerously, depressed!


DP. Well that explains it. Tax and regulatory law isn’t fun stuff to most people. And those areas of law tend to attract people with a certain kind of personality. I’ve never met a tax attorney with a sense of humor.


Hi! Tax attorney with a sense of humor here. Wish I could provide you references but I can't. I love the deeply technical nature of tax law but I'm also a funny person who is good in front of a crowd. I will say, in your defense, that most of my colleagues are not the same.
Anonymous
Post 06/25/2025 08:33     Subject: Re:Why are lawyers so boring??
Anonymous wrote:You must not know many trial attorneys because we are performers by nature. We have to be if we want to hold the attention of a jury.


I'm a PP and I think this is right. I was a trial lawyer for the first 10 years of my career. There you are talking to normal people on a jury so if you're not engaging you're likely to lose even if you're right. Most lawyers aren't trial attorneys.
Anonymous
Post 06/25/2025 08:32     Subject: Re:Why are lawyers so boring??
I'm a lawyer who presents a lot on very technical issues (nothing like that you're describing though). I'm very funny and I always get complimented on that. I have other co-workers in my group who I can't stand listening to. Some people just aren't good at teaching/presenting. It takes a lot of work for me to both teach the technical material in a way that makes sense to people and also keep it light and humorous since my area of law isn't one anyone would ever think is funny.
Anonymous
Post 06/24/2025 22:02     Subject: Why are lawyers so boring??
Anonymous wrote:My job has a lot of legal compliance elements, and so I attend a lot of webinars and whatnot to stay up to date.

And without fail, the lawyer delivering the information has the dynamism of tofu. Flat affect, too many unexplained terms of art, just droning the content, often directly off the slides.

I know a ton of lawyers, and they are normal people. So why is it that when they get in front of an audience, any personality or humor just *poof* disappears? Is there a law school class about delivering the flattest presentation possible? I'm not even sleepy-- well rested and caffeinated!-- and having a hard time staying awake.


Presenting at these things doesn't usually pay. People put in very little prep time, and then read off the slides. A lot of (non trial) lawyers also are quite shy of public speaking.
Anonymous
Post 06/24/2025 22:01     Subject: Re:Why are lawyers so boring??
Anonymous wrote:I was going to say what PPs have said. Go talk to trial lawyer. They are a different breed. Corporate/compliance lawyers are the worst. Antisocial, awkward, risk adverse, use jargon all day. Trial lawyers know how to connect.


+1. Agree

Corporate litigators or criminal ones are awesome

Go deathrage debate team alums!!
Anonymous
Post 06/24/2025 21:57     Subject: Why are lawyers so boring??
Anonymous wrote:Lawyers in criminal practice are almost universally interesting people. The criminal element is always intriguing.


Whelp, criminal defense attorneys (ie can speak in court, unlike a lawyer) are a special kind of special. They put aside their morals and ethics (if they have any), and make a mockery of the cases police work, and courtroom all to get a criminal’s sentence lessened. They are addicted to that challenge.
Anonymous
Post 06/24/2025 21:55     Subject: Why are lawyers so boring??
They’re risk adverse and boring.

Who else would do three years of law school? Learn way more on the job at a big company and then exit to a client by age 25.
Anonymous
Post 06/24/2025 21:54     Subject: Why are lawyers so boring??
Anonymous wrote:It's a boring profession. Like attracts like.


This, unless a big time litigator/ orator/ writer most lawyers just deal with paper.
Anonymous
Post 06/24/2025 20:49     Subject: Why are lawyers so boring??
Anonymous wrote:My job has a lot of legal compliance elements, and so I attend a lot of webinars and whatnot to stay up to date.

And without fail, the lawyer delivering the information has the dynamism of tofu. Flat affect, too many unexplained terms of art, just droning the content, often directly off the slides.

I know a ton of lawyers, and they are normal people. So why is it that when they get in front of an audience, any personality or humor just *poof* disappears? Is there a law school class about delivering the flattest presentation possible? I'm not even sleepy-- well rested and caffeinated!-- and having a hard time staying awake.


It's not just lawyers. Sat in on a 45 min+ webinar and for the person who was trying to market their business, it was an unbelievably monotonous webinar without a break for 45 min. This person could have stopped every once in a while to take questions but nope, talked slide after slide hurried. At the end, when they asked if any questions, no one had one. Wonder how many even stayed on past 20min. It just seemed person was doing it as a favor to someone. How does one expect to attract new customers?
Anonymous
Post 06/24/2025 20:15     Subject: Why are lawyers so boring??
To be expected, the profession attracts many high function people on the spectrum.
Anonymous
Post 06/24/2025 19:57     Subject: Why are lawyers so boring??
I'm a lawyer and it's honestly worse when CLE hosts try to be funny or clever as it often ends up just very awkward.

I have met some charismatic law professors. The professor I learned wills from was also a priest and was generally a more fun class.
Anonymous
Post 06/24/2025 18:26     Subject: Why are lawyers so boring??
Anonymous wrote:Lawyers in criminal practice are almost universally interesting people. The criminal element is always intriguing.


Oh yes!
My friend does Divorce Law in Cali. That involve polys, trans relationships & everything else
Anonymous
Post 06/24/2025 17:17     Subject: Why are lawyers so boring??
Lawyers in criminal practice are almost universally interesting people. The criminal element is always intriguing.
Anonymous
Post 06/24/2025 17:15     Subject: Re:Why are lawyers so boring??
OP: You have to pay extra if you want to be entertained. It's in the ethics code.
Anonymous
Post 06/24/2025 17:12     Subject: Re:Why are lawyers so boring??
I was going to say what PPs have said. Go talk to trial lawyer. They are a different breed. Corporate/compliance lawyers are the worst. Antisocial, awkward, risk adverse, use jargon all day. Trial lawyers know how to connect.