The experience of a legal career: Attorneys' impact on the system and the system's impact on attorneys

Abstract

Because attorneys are essential to a fair legal process, it is important to understand the experience of a legal career. This article first reviews research on the influence of attorneys on the legal system, focusing on the effect on the influence of trial attorneys on (a) juries, with a particular focus on attorney skill, behavior, trial decisions (i.e., joinder/severance, jury selection, opening arguments, witness selection, questioning style, cross-examination, objections, closing arguments), and characteristics (gender, race/ethnicity, attractiveness), and (b) clients. The article then reviews the limited research on the role and impact of attorneys outside the litigation context, followed by the influence of the legal system on attorneys, with a focus on attorney distress (prevalence, causes, and consequences). The review concludes with a discussion of the overall relationship between attorneys and the legal system.