Five Popular Attorney Stereotypes: True or Untrue?
Five Popular Attorney Stereotypes: True or Untrue?
People love to make assumptions about attorneys: aggressive, workaholic, dishonest, etc. We’ve all heard the multitude of stereotypes surrounding this profession, and while a lot of it isn’t true, I think we all know a few attorneys who could fill these shoes. Below we explore five popular stereotypes, do you fit any of these? Or maybe you know someone who does?
1. The Ghost: This is the attorney that never seems to be in their office, or near a phone. They’re impossible to reach! To be fair, has anyone tried Morse code or smoke signal? Maybe that would do the trick. While this stereotype isn’t true about all attorneys, there are quite a few of them that can be elusive. I’m sure you can name at least two, we definitely can.
2. The Pitbull: That feisty attorney who storms into the courtroom, or any room, yelling “I object!” Yes, there are those attorneys who love to argue a point (let’s face it, most do) but, you can find people like that in almost any field. So, the question becomes: does becoming an attorney make you more aggressive, or do naturally aggressive people become attorneys? The jury is still out.
3. The TV Lawyer: Everyone knows someone like this, maybe not personally but we’ve all seen the ads. Their face is on the side of every bus, billboard, and park bench- but if you hire them for anything it’s never them that you work with. They usually have a team of associates and paralegals that run the show while they pose for headshots.
4. The 24/7 Lawyer: This attorney never goes home and bills constantly! You’ve probably found them sleeping in the office, multiple times. If this is you, we’re recommending a vacation- or a stiff drink. We will buy you the drink! Most attorneys are workaholics but eating every meal in your office is probably overdoing it, don’t you think?
5. The Ambulance Chaser: This attorney is obsessed with gaining new clients, no matter what. This, along with the TV lawyer, are stereotypes that are pretty heavily used in films and books. But, do you know anyone like this? Whipping out their business card at every event, movie, or dentist appointment? Networking is important, but this attorney takes it to the next level. They would be voted most likely to introduce themselves by their firm name, even at their kid’s Meet the Teacher Night.
At Engage we work with many attorneys and know first-hand that while some of these stereotypes are exaggerated, something that’s true and is shared amongst all of them is how hard attorneys work. In such a competitive field, it’s important for an attorney to stay driven which is why we try to accommodate our members with all the administrative task they don’t have time for.
If you enjoyed the attorney stereotypes, you likely would also enjoy our other humorous blog posts about lawyers:
Engage Workspace for Lawyers is an office space for lawyers built by lawyers. Unlike other coworking spaces, Engage charges a flat monthly rate for access to a full suite of resources and limits membership to a community of lawyers. If you are looking for law office space where you can focus on your practice and be surrounded by great colleagues, please contact us or book a tour.
© Elysium Consulting LLC dba Engage Workspace for Lawyers. 2018-2023. Represented by intellectual property law firm, Klemchuk PLLC.