Our data enables us to compare the characteristics of hired lawyers to those that were not selected for the role. Total intelligence, and verbal intelligence in particular, is found to play an important role in being hired by a law firm.Namely, the average hired lawyer applicant scores significantly higher in both numerical and verbal intelligence. The level of abstract reasoning is on average equal across the hired and non-hired applicants, indicating little proof of selection based on abstract intelligence alone.

Abstract intelligence enters the picture when we compare lawyer applicants to all applicants in all industries. In particular, lawyer applicants, hired or not, are found to score on average 15% higher in abstract intelligence than everyone else. This could be caused by a selection bias: those who pursue a legal career might inherently possess higher levels of abstract intelligence. In that case, the selection on abstract intelligence has already occurred upon entering law school!

Looking at the data, hired lawyers appear highly adaptable, mentally resilient, and overall better at managing stress, compared to applicants not hired. This seems trivial. Due to the nature of the legal profession, law firms will look for candidates that can excel under high pressure.

More interestingly, we find hired lawyers to be less assertive and proactive than non-hired lawyers. Additionally, lawyer applicants are in general less assertive than the average applicant across industries. The Hollywood image of bold and forceful lawyers seems to be quite far from the truth!

There are a couple explanations to the puzzling result. First, lawyers are often trained to be analytical, cautious, and precise in their language and actions, translating into a lower degree of assertiveness. Second, lawyers should have a service-oriented attitude. As a result, they may resolve disputes through negotiation and compromise rather than assertive confrontation.