the research
THE BIG QUESTION
When I first began this internship, all I knew was that I wanted to learn more about what being a lawyer was like. There were many questions that ran through my head everyday I was there. How does this work? Why does this happen? What more can you do? How can I help if at all possible? There was so much for me to learn and it excited me.
One day, a few months into the internship, I was given the task of making sure the closed criminal cases had their billing files and were boxed away for future scanning. This task gave me the opportunity to learn more about the firm's past clients and the types of cases they have dealt with. It was on this day that I realized how real the world is and just how harsh it could be.
WARNING: The following can be triggering for some and I must recommend that only mature audiences read ahead.
I came upon a client who I will refer to as, "John". John was charged with many terrible things ranging from drug related charges to, what I found horrific and shocking, child molestation and incest. I remember re-reading the charges over and over because I could not believe them to be true. I had seen such things on T.V. shows and heard of them on the news, but never had they hit me so hard. It was this day that reality hit me and I realized how sheltered I was from what sadly does occur everyday all around the world. The client, "John" had abused his young biological daughter. His own flesh and blood. It was in this moment that my vision blurred and I felt the need to run to a bathroom and puke my guts out. I was not sure if I could continue going through this case file, but I will admit that curiosity got the best of me and so I continued reading on. I wanted to find a reason, an answer as to how this man could be so cruel. As I flipped through John's case, I came upon a typed out interview by the police and the daughter, and papers with outlines of a female body. The daughter spoke of all the cruel and harsh things she had had to endure, and had marked the outline to show where she was violated. The need to throw up came again and I could not take any more so I boxed the case away.
I was overwhelmed with emotions. I felt anger and confusion towards both the client and the firm. How could they have such a client and how could they defend such a man? I started to doubt myself and this career choice. It was very upsetting to me and I found myself needing answers.
Thus, sprung the idea of what my big question was. I had not formed it to a question right away because I was missing the correct wording. But one day, after interviewing Mr. James Hamilton (you can find the interview below), the criminal defense attorney at the Hamilton Law Firm, my question suddenly became very aware to me and I was ready to start researching.
how does emotional intelligence affect lawyers?
WHAT I ALREADY KNEW
By reading one single case, I was able to experience the cruelty that came with such a case. This made me think of the lawyers and how it must have affected them especially since they have to work one on one with clients. I used to see this career field as a place where emotions could not be shown, as they can affect a lawyer's ability to fairly represent their client. But after reading such a harsh case, I knew that there was no way reacting and feeling a certain type of way could be avoided. My reaction to just one case had me doubting if this career choice was something I could handle. I had to know what role emotions play in the life of a lawyer. Furthermore, I wanted to know how lawyers personally dealt with their emotions in such cases. So because of this, emotion became my main focus in my research.
THE RESEARCH
My research first began and was hugely inspired by my interview with Mr. James Hamilton. Below you will find the questions and responses of the interview. This interview gave me all that I needed to further my research in emotional intelligence. (Note: the responses are summarized)
Q: What do you remember about your first case?
R: Mr. Hamilton said that the main thing he remembers is nerves. He said that he was very nervous and he was trying his hardest to give it all he had and to make no mistakes.
Q: What was your hardest case?
R: Mr. Hamilton responded by saying that all of his hardest cases are child molestation cases. He said that they were hard because once the jury heard the charges against the client the mood changes and he could feel "heat beams" on him and the client. Mr. Hamilton went on to explain how from that moment it was not only the client that was hated but the lawyer too. But that of course does not discourage him. He said that "everyone needs to understand that they are people and everyone deserves their right to be represented".
Q: As a lawyer, do you think it is okay to let your emotions drive you?
R: Mr. Hamilton responded by saying that "you try not to but it's part of being human". He said that emotions clouded your judgment and make you lose your control in court.
Q: Does your work ever come home with you?
R: Mr. Hamilton said the one thing to do is to never take this type of job home with you. You do not want to burden your family. In this line of work, you see and hear harsh things, so never take those home with you. He said that you have to try and put all that evilness you see, away into a safe spot and to not let anyone see it.
During the interview, I was able to see just how important emotion was to a successful lawyer. When Mr. Hamilton spoke about why he was a criminal defense attorney, his passion was strongly conveyed. He stressed his belief in the Constitution and how he as a lawyer did his best to make sure it was followed. His passion towards law was very moving and inspiring. He helped me understand that no matter the crime, everyone deserved the right to be represented. When I asked him about emotions, his responses were as expected. Mr. Hamilton clearly explained that he believed emotions are a part of who we are as humans, we just have to not let them cloud our judgments. He also mentioned that having a sense of humor helped him and many other lawyers get through tough days and tough cases. The interview made it very clear to me that his passionate attitude towards law has kept him motivated, and made him the successful lawyer he is today. For my research, Mr. Hamilton was my primary source and my represented the positive outcome of how emotions affected a lawyer
WHAT HAPPENED NEXT?
After being inspired by Mr. Hamilton, I knew I needed to get a better understanding of what emotional intelligence is. According to the English Oxford Dictionary, emotional intelligence is the "capacity to be aware of, control, and express one's emotions, and to handle interpersonal relationships judiciously and empathetically.” The definition of emotional intelligence was very self explanatory to me and lead me to conducting an experiment of sorts at the firm.
I started paying closer attention to the lawyers and watched their reactions, and how they solved problems that arose everyday. One thing, I learned from my very first day at the firm is that every day brings in a new surprise. One day a client will be difficult, or miss a court date, or become hard to reach, or even create and introduce new problems, or maybe even a document will go missing. All of these things added to hard day at the firm.
It was through these situations that I was able to learn and add to my research. Whenever something goes wrong, everyone gathers up and assesses the situation, and try to find solutions together. This not only includes the lawyers at the firm but also the office managers, paralegals, other assistants, and even me. This made me realize just how important communication was for all of them. Everyone at the firm works together, whether they are a lawyer or an assistant. They bonded over their emotions that arose from problems that occurred, and this made them a more stronger united front.
Sometimes there are bad days with clients and sometimes the cases, whether they are civil or criminal, are difficult because of the strong emotions they bring out of people. I have seen the lawyers say they give up, but I have also seen them pick themselves up the next day and fight to give their clients the representation they need and deserve. It is through all these observations that I got to see firsthand on how emotions affected lawyers. Because of that, I have concluded that the emotions they show motivate them to not only do better but also help them communicate within their team, proving that their high emotional intelligence aids them to successfully do their job
MORE ON EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE...
Once I gathered enough research from my internship, I started to look up more information about emotional intelligence. In a recent article from the American Bar Association, Ronda Muir, a reliable source (see below) and author of “Beyond Smart: Lawyering with Emotional Intelligence", was interviewed on how emotional intelligence makes a better lawyer.
Ronda Muir, Esq., founder and Principal of Law People Management, Inc., is a leading authority on the application of behavioral science to the legal workplace. She draws from law, psychology and conflict resolution to offer business-savvy, psychologically sophisticated evaluations of, and real-world solutions to, the personal dynamics issues that are unique to law firms and law departments. Learn more about her at https://www.lawpeopleblog.com/about/
She stated that, “the emotionally intelligent have an accurate awareness of emotions in themselves and others, can tap into how those emotions feel and are able to understand and manage emotions so as to produce the desired results” (How). Muir also went on to say that,"Studies show that the emotionally intelligent out-perform in production and revenues than their less emotionally intelligent colleagues, and then, logically, they also get the most promotions and bonuses" and that "emotionally intelligent lawyers communicate better" (How). Because of my internship, I have been able to see the truths of Muir's words. While I do not know the financial standing of the Hamilton Law Firm, I do know that because they are all so emotionally aware, they do communicate better and they are more productive.
My research also led me to find that emotional intelligence is important not only in a law field, but in all career fields. An American Bar Association article written by Cedric Ashley states that, "Retention of employees, improved employee selection, better employee development, increased revenue, and increased market share are typical results reported in EQ (emotional intelligence) research" (Advertisement). Furthermore, Ashley adds that for lawyers who are emotionally intelligent "they are better at getting and keeping clients".
The last article I found really assisted me in concluding my research. This was an article written by Ronda Muir herself. In her article she brings up many different studies that were completed and showed the positive outcome of emotional intelligence in lawyers. She states that, "A significant American Management Association study found that the ability to "get along with people" was 'more vital than intelligence, decisiveness, knowledge, or job skills'..." proving the importance of emotional intelligence. This quote helped me finalize my last thoughts on emotional intelligence and reach my final conclusion on this topic.
CONCLUSION
My year long research has led me to conclude that emotional intelligence is important and that it does in fact affect lawyers. Before beginning my research, I truly believed that emotions needed to be suppressed in a career field such as law. But my research and internship has proved me wrong. There are negative effects to emotional intelligence, but the positive effects far outweigh the negative ones. It can affect lawyers negatively if they do not know how to control their emotions and act out because of them. But if their emotions are utilized and controlled, it helps communication and problem-solving increase dramatically in a workplace, specifically in a law career. Overall, I am very grateful to have participated in a year long internship at the Hamilton Law Firm because they truly have helped me decide the career path I want to take. And especially now that I know the importance of emotional intelligence, I can not wait to take on law school and practice law in the near future.
“(M)en decide far more problems by hate, or love, or lust, or rage, or sorrow, or joy, or hope, or fear, or illusion, or some other inward emotion, than by reality or authority or any legal standard, or judicial precedent, or statute.”—Cicero