Eileen Doyle Crane, J.D.
Utah Valley University





http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMvARy0lBLE&fea
ture=player_detailpage
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGiFWuDM_xE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asaNVWwkFTg&fe
ature=results_video&playnext=1&list=PLE6BBF5F5F7FF9
878
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ky_IaBID42A&feat
ure=results_video&playnext=1&list=PLE6BBF5F5F7FF987
8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pRnE3cjWv8

Dr. Martin Seligman, PhD and Professor of
Psychology at University of Pennsylvania:




Optimists are far more successful the pessimists.
Pro athletes with positive attitudes beat the spread
more often, recover more quickly from set backs and
tend to see problems as temporary rather than
permanent.
Undergrad students with positive attitudes out
perform the pessimistic students with similar SAT’s.
http://adriandayton.com/2010/10/are-lawyers-less-likely-to-be-happy/





Pessimists do better at law
Study at University of Virginia Law School in 1990
with a variant of the optimism-pessimism test
Students were followed through three years of law
school
The pessimistic law students on average faired
better than their optimistic peers
Specifically, pessimists outperformed more
optimistic students on the traditional measures of
achievement, such as GPA and law journal success



Lawyers seem to be among the most depressed people in America:
In 1990, Johns Hopkins University studied major depressive disorder
("MDD") across 104 occupations.
While only about 3%-5% of the general population suffers from
MDD, the prevalence of MDD exceeds 10% in five occupations:
 1)Data-entry keyers, 2) computer equipment operators, 3) typists, 4)
pre-kindergarten and special education teachers, and 5) lawyers




Three occupations have statistically significant higher levels of MDD:
lawyers, pre-kindergarten and special education teachers, and
secretaries (when adjusted for age, gender, education levels)
Lawyers topped the list, suffering from MDD 3.6 times higher than
non-lawyers
Researchers do not know whether lawyers are depressed because
"persons at high risk for major depressive disorder" are attracted to
the legal profession or because practicing law "causes or precipitates
depression."
http://www.averyindex.com/happy_healthy_ethical.php


Multiple studies on mental health of lawyers:
Washington study found:





Elevated rates of anxiety, hostility, and paranoia among law
students and lawyers
Higher levels of anxiety, social alienation and isolation, obsessivecompulsiveness, paranoid ideation, interpersonal sensitivity, phobic
anxiety, and hostility in "alarming" rates among lawyers--rates
many times higher than the national norms
OCD in general population: 1.42%; OCD among 21% of male
lawyers and 15% of female lawyers
Generalized anxiety disorder: 4% of general population; 30% of
males and 20% of female lawyers
North Carolina study found:

Over 25% had experienced physical symptoms of extreme anxiety
(including trembling hands, racing hearts, clammy hands, and
faintness) at least three times per month during the past year

The Washington study:


18% of lawyers were "problem drinkers," a percentage
"almost twice the approximately 10 percent alcohol
abuse and/or dependency prevalence rates estimated for
adults in the United States."
The North Carolina study:
Almost 17% of lawyers admitted to drinking 3-5
alcoholic beverages every day.
 One conservative estimate--15% of lawyers are
alcoholics.


http://www.averyindex.com/happy_healthy_ethical.php

The Washington study found:
 26% of lawyers had used cocaine at least once, a
rate over twice that of the general population
 Only 1% of lawyers had "abused" cocaine, as
compared to 3% of adults generally
 One third of lawyers in Washington suffer from
depression, problem drinking, or cocaine abuse

http://www.averyindex.com/happy_healthy_ethical.php



Marriage is good for people
"The research on marriage is striking.
Married people:
Live longer
 Have a lower risk of a variety of physical and
psychological illnesses
 Higher levels of career satisfaction
 True for people generally and true for lawyers
 Increases happiness and satisfaction with life
 North Carolina study identified unmarried lawyers
as one of three categories of lawyers least satisfied
with their lives.


Divorce is bad for people,











Both physically and psychologically
For women, economically
Divorced people die younger than either those who never marry or those who stay
married.
The impact of getting divorced on life expectancy is "only slightly less harmful . . .
than smoking a pack or more of cigarettes per day.“
Divorced people suffer from cancer, cardiovascular disease, infectious diseases,
respiratory illnesses, digestive system illnesses, and other acute conditions more
frequently than do single, married, or widowed people.
Divorced people are far more likely to abuse alcohol or become alcoholic than
those who have never been divorced.
Psychologically, divorce is devastating: "Of all the social variables relating to the
incidence of psychiatric disorders, or psychopathology, in the population, none
appears to be more crucial than marital status."
The separated and divorced suffer from psychiatric illness (such as depression and
schizophrenia) far more than do the single, married, and widowed.
Men who are divorced or separated are admitted to hospitals for treatment of
psychiatric disorders 21 times more frequently than married men.
The suicide rate of those who are divorced is almost triple the rate of those who are
married, and significantly higher than the rates of those who have never married
or been widowed.
http://www.averyindex.com/happy_healthy_ethical.php



Lawyers reportedly think about committing suicide and
commit suicide far more often than do non-lawyers
Death certificates of over 26,000 white male suicide victims
by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and
Health suggested that the suicide rate for white male
lawyers may be over twice that of other white males
The Washington study reported that lawyers are more
likely than the general population to experience suicidal
ideation



“…At much greater risk of not only acting upon their suicidal
ideation but of also being lethal during an attempt.
The North Carolina study found that 11% of lawyers had
experienced suicidal ideation at least once a month for the
past year.
http://www.averyindex.com/happy_healthy_ethical.php


Extremely limited information
Women attorneys who graduated from UC Davis
between 1969-1985 found:



Those who worked more than 45 hours per week while
pregnant suffered 3 times more miscarriages than those who
worked less than 35 hours per week
Working 45-hour weeks is not only common in the legal
profession, but in some sectors--particularly big firms--it is
almost considered part-time.
Substantial numbers of lawyers report suffering from:

Physical symptoms of depression and anxiety,
 Appetite loss, trembling hands, racing hearts, and the like. 59
 Do not exercise much
 Suffer from ulcers, coronary artery disease, and hypertension in
substantial numbers.






Becoming a lawyer is a guaranteed path to
financial success
As a lawyer, I can eradicate injustice and affect
societal change
I will make a great lawyer because I am good at
arguing
Litigators lead a thrilling, high-powered and
glamorous life
The work of a lawyer is intellectually
challenging
http://legalcareers.about.com/od/practicetips/a/lawyermyths.htm

Bad Reasons to Go to Law School










To make a lot of money
For the job security
Because your parents are lawyers
Because you can't figure out what to do for a living
Because lawyers seem to have really cool jobs when you see them on TV and in the movies
Because you got a good score on the LSAT
For the intellectual stimulation (if you're taking out student loans or paying your own way)
Because you're going to save the world
Because you think it would be fun to be a student again
Good Reasons to Go to Law School






Because you like to help other people
Because you're interested in a job that involves a legally complex topic, such as intellectual
property or tax
Because you've gotten a full scholarship, will graduate with no debt and have nothing better
to do for the next three years
For the intellectual stimulation (if you have a full scholarship)
Because you want to work in a job that requires a law degree
http://www.lawyers.com/our-blog/archives/162-Why-Do-People-Want-to-Go-to-LawSchool.html











Are you prepared to assume the financial burden of law
school?
Are you prepared to dedicate 3+ years to continuing your
education?
Do you perform well on tests in high pressure
environments?
Are you comfortable with public speaking?
Do you like words?
Do you have an analytical mind?
Can you be available 24/7?
Are you prepared to develop clients and new business?
Can you sacrifice work-life balance?
Are you prepared to dress the part?
http://legalcareers.about.com/od/legalcareerbasics/a/BecomingaLawyer.htm
"When work is a
pleasure, life is a joy!
When work is a duty, life
is slavery.“

Russian Playwright, Maxim Gorky






I knew nothing about criminal law and said as much to a California federal court judge who
wanted to appoint me to represent a woman facing forgery charges. I was a business and tax
attorney in court that day for a calendar call. The judge saw my name on a pleading and
appointed me.
The woman was about to plead guilty to 22 counts of forging signatures on Social Security
checks. Her hearing was scheduled for 2 p.m. The judge told me to educate myself and if I
needed more time, he could continue the case for a week.
I introduced myself to the defendant. She told me that she was guilty, and I asked her why she
had forged the checks. "Because he told me to" was her answer. The "he" turned out to be the
woman's husband, a Social Security recipient who was hospitalized in Texas. She handed me
a letter her husband had written directing her to sign the checks and deposit them in their
bank account.
Relying on what I learned in bills and notes class, I told her that an authorized signature
wasn't forgery. At the 2 p.m. hearing I moved to vacate the woman's plea, offering her
husband's letter as evidence. The government acquiesced and the case was dismissed.
It was at that precise moment of dismissal that I realized being a lawyer was about helping
people who needed help. And I felt that I had found my calling in life.
Jay Foonberg
Beverly Hills, Calif.


I love being a lawyer because when I stand up
before a jury and thank my clients for the
privilege of representing them (and I usually
feel pretty emotional whenever I say that, with
chills) I realize I am being trusted to pre sent
them, what they feel, what they believe. And I
take that very seriously.
Anthony Minchella
Middlebury, Conn.



What I like about being a lawyer: being selfemployed.
I feel so much more adult. No one writes me up
if I get caught in traffic and walk in the door 15
seconds late in my own office. I don't have to
ask if I can change my lunch time. I get to sit by
the window, and if I want vacation time I can
just plan it without having to ask the boss.
Diane Stamler Oraif
Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Best job in the world: I get paid to read, write,
think, talk and argue—all things I would do
anyway.


Rick Ball
Chicago
I love being a lawyer because I can make a
difference in someone's life. I help people live
debt-free. I've had clients tell me it's changed their
life for the better, that they can sleep at night and
stop fighting with their spouse about money. How
awesome is that?

Jeena Cho
San Francisco


Being a lawyer is the quintessential culmination of my
previous work experience at shoveling horse manure,
herding stubborn animals, sitting on my brains all day
as an over-the-road truck driver, and putting together
foolproof solutions as a software engineer—only to
discover a new and improved fool. The fun part about
being a lawyer is meeting other lawyers who have
suffered even more than I have.
Why do I love being a lawyer? Because, once in a
while, you get the opportunity to help someone who
desperately needs your help. It feels good to be that
person.

D.A. "Duke" Drouillard
Omaha, Neb.

I love the creativity involved with handling
virtually every case or matter. Law is a
thinking profession, not just a doing job.


Shell Bleiweiss
Chicago
I get to think through problems every day for
people I really like.

Lisa Babcock
East Lansing, Mich.
http://www.abajournal.com/magazine/article/why_i_love_being_a_lawyer/






When I was an assistant state's attorney in Cook County and first assigned to handle felonies, I
was given a dog of a case with stale evidence. The case involved a rape in a Chicago
neighborhood known for prostitution. For various reasons the police had not worked up the
case with the fervor of most serious criminal cases.
The victim claimed she had been raped by a taxicab driver who, after she got into his cab, drove
into an alley, pulled up next to the wall and locked the doors— which had no inside handles.
She claimed that he then slithered between bucket seats and, using a knife to threaten her,
sexually assaulted her.
This rape in question occurred in the mid-1980s, and taxicabs with bucket seats were rare at the
time. My trial partner and I investigated the case, and we found three men who witnessed the
victim walking away naked from the alley wrapped only in a trash bag. She was bruised, crying
and traumatized. We verified the taxi with bucket seats. At trial, we admitted into evidence a
knife that was found at the scene of the defendant's arrest.
As it turned out, one juror convinced the 11 others that my partner and I had not proven our
case because we had failed to provide fingerprints on the knife.
Feeling defeated, my partner and I turned to the victim with our sincerest apologies. But she
wasn't upset. She hugged us both and thanked us profusely for believing in her and for fighting
as hard as we had.
I knew then that I loved being a lawyer. I loved protecting people in a court of law. I loved the
feeling of accomplishment I get from helping others fight—win or lose.

Patricia Brown Holmes
Chicago


After successfully passing the bar exam, a young man opened his own law office. One day he
was sitting idle at his desk when his secretary announced that a Mr. Jones had arrived to see
him.
"Show him right in!" the lawyer replied.
As Mr. Jones was being ushered in the lawyer had an idea. He quickly picked up the phone
and shouted into it "...and you tell them that we won't accept less then fifty thousand dollars,
and don't even call me until you agree to that amount!"
Slamming the phone down he stood up and greeted Mr. Jones, "Good morning, Mr. Jones,
what can I do for you?"
"I'm from the telephone company, " Mr. Jones replied. "I'm here to connect that phone."
“You seem to be in some distress,” said the kindly judge to the witness. “Is anything the
matter?”


How do you get a group of lawyers to smile for a picture?


His lips are moving
What’s the difference between an attorney and a pit bull?


First he lies on one side, and then on the other
How can you tell when a lawyer is lying?


Just say “Fees!”
How does an attorney sleep?


“Well, your Honor,” said the witness, “I swore to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the
truth, but every time I try, some lawyer objects.”
Jewelry
What do you call 5000 dead lawyers at the bottom of the ocean?

A good start



http://www.stus.com/stuscartoon.php?name=Antitrust+Law&cartoon=bl
g5827
http://www.andertoons.com/cartoons/lawye
r/
http://www.mchumor.com/law_lawyer_carto
ons.html