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Pessimistic Law Students More Successful, Study Finds

Posted Nov 9, 2007 6:18 AM CST
By Debra Cassens Weiss

Lawyers are often the exception to the rule. It’s no different, researchers are finding, in studies of optimists.

A study by Duke University researchers found that, on the whole, optimistic people do better in life, the Wall Street Journal reports (sub. req.). They work more hours, save more money, pay credit card bills more promptly, are less likely to smoke, and are more likely to remarry after divorce. (Those who were overly optimistic, however, didn’t make such good judgments.)

Martin Seligman of the University of Pennsylvania, who studies positive psychology, says most optimists do better in life than merited by their talents alone.

But with lawyers, the opposite is true.

Seligman's survey of law students at the University of Virginia found that pessimists got better grades, were more likely to make law review and got better job offers.

"In law," he told the newspaper, "pessimism is considered prudence."

Comments

1.

JWC
Nov 9, 2007 10:23 AM CST

This headline is misleading and the study summary is disappointing.  I understand how pessimistic law students might get good grades.  But to say without qualification that they are “more successful” and get “better job offers” is troubling.  I find it humorous that this article was released at the same time as the article headlined “Survey Reveals the Unhappiest Associates.”

2.

Fred
Nov 16, 2007 9:05 AM CST

I would try to be pessimistic, but with my luck, it probably wouldn’t work out anyway.  ;-)

3.

B shefrin
Nov 16, 2007 9:15 AM CST

The article is, indeed, misleading.  Even if pessimism leads law students to higher-paying positions, success as an advocate, counselor and revenue-generator is the true measure of “success.”  The first 3-years of law school and that first job offer don’t come close to scratching the surface of demonstrating an individual’s abilities as a practitioner.

4.

Jenny Isachombole
Nov 16, 2007 9:26 AM CST

This article is horrible.  Thanks for the one line at the end of the paragraph stating the title of the article.  Where is the research to back up this claim?

5.

anon
Nov 16, 2007 11:15 AM CST

moronic

6.

JWC
Nov 16, 2007 12:35 PM CST

Right you are B shefrin!  With a $160,000 salary and a 2,500+ billable requirement, very few of the law factory minions have the time or incentive to question the value of “an individual’s abilities as a practitioner.”  The attitude implied in this article is the same one causing so many people to hate lawyers.  Ugh…

7.

Kim in Spokane
Nov 16, 2007 1:33 PM CST

Am I doomed to mediocrity because I am an optimist?

I find this idea absolutely laughable.  I’m eternally optimistic, despite some of the hardships life has handed me.  I am no where near the top of my class, but because I am likeable and pleasant to be around, people are eager to help me in my job search.  I have good research and writing skills, and that certainly helps, but I know full well that my “people skills” are what will make me successful.

8.

JMW
Nov 16, 2007 1:51 PM CST

I think the study’s definition of “success” might be a little off. Pessimists probably don’t have many friends and their family probably hates them, not to mention co-workers. That doesn’t sound too “successful”  to me- not everything is about money and law review.

9.

Dave Shearon
Nov 16, 2007 5:05 PM CST

Dr. Seligman’s research found that students with a negative explanatory style earned more A’s and were more likely to make law review after controlling for college GPA and LSAT score.  This is a startling result because it is extremely rare to find individuals with a negative explanatory style outperforming those who are more positive.  But, as some of the commenters have pointed out, getting more A’s or making law review at UVA, is not the either the only or a guaranteed path to success and happiness as a lawyer.  The study is from the late 90’s; interesting that it is just now getting press!  See Learned Optimism for more depth on Dr. Seligman’s work.

Suzanne Segerstrom’s work, see Breaking Murphy’s Law, deals more with dispositional optimism and also reports on research with law students.

10.

Apachelino
Nov 17, 2007 6:58 PM CST

In other words, although Professor Seligman thinks I am successful, I disagree.

11.

Brad
Nov 18, 2007 1:46 PM CST

Optimist/pessimist is only one of many axes (plural of axis, not that wood-chopping tool) along which law students can be placed. This data may be true, but insufficient to give a law student any guidance about attitude adjustment. Personally, I’ll continue to be optimistic, even though, like Kim, I’m only around the middle of my class. The personal contacts I’ve made in the area I want to practice in, and the long-term friendships I’ve developed with fellow students, will, I believe, contribute a lot more to my success as an attorney than whether I can get myself over to full-blown Grinchhood.

12.

Carly
Nov 19, 2007 11:02 PM CST

I encourage you to read the full article in the Wall Street Journal.  It can be found here:

http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB119454102049486710-lMyQjAxMDE3OTA0OTUwNDkxWj.html

You’ll see that THAT article focuses more on the positives that come with being optimistic and is actually a scientific article about the discovery of areas of the brain that are responsible for an optimistic outlook.  This ABA blurb quotes the very end of the article, and is not reflective of the overall tone or message of the original study.

Of course, it is no surprise that a bunch of successful legal professionals reading the article would edit out all the information about being positive and focus on the negatives…that is, after all, what the article says us lawyers do, right?

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