TV Lawyers: Not Suit-ed For The Real World
Legal office life is consistently glorified by the television industry.
Suits (via USA Network)
It’s not uncommon for someone to want to be a lawyer after watching “Suits.” The dramatic turns of events, the glamorous but fast-paced lifestyle. Who wouldn’t want to dress to perfection, looking like you just stepped off a runway, make a lot of money by flexing your intellect and wit, and then end your stressful day with expensive alcohol sipped from a crystal glass? I know I would!
Unfortunately, the TV lawyer is so far removed from the actual world of law that they might as well represent an entirely different profession. Cases are not usually solved with a heated deposition nor are they won in a single court session. They are sometimes dull, dragging on for years.
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I informally polled my LinkedIn followers for some of their favorite and least favorite things about TV lawyers. A repeated comment was how easy and glamorous they made working in law seem.
The lawyers breeze in, completely familiar with every intricacy of every element of the law, and find the loophole — or force one open through bold power plays against the opposing side. Then, 45 minutes later, they celebrate the solved case with a drink in the office.
One of my connections made particular mention of the after-hours, in-office drinking — in reality, that rarely (if ever) happens. Usually, lawyers will go home or to a restaurant, if they want a drink (if they even have the time!), then they’ll call it a day. And, let’s not even add the pandemic wrinkle.
Legal office life is consistently glorified by the television industry. Even the late nights and all-nighters seem to be somewhat enjoyable or even exciting. In real life, it is a very different story; you don’t order sushi and laugh the night away (definitely not on your average day)! Real law practice has a lot less drama, a lot less style (TV lawyers clean up well, but real lawyers can sometimes be a different story …), and a lot more “focused” work in solitude. Or perhaps it is just me and my job experiences.
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Two of the most fundamental elements of the law practice are usually overlooked entirely by movies and TV series: doc review and due diligence.
Document review often involves sorting through hundreds, if not thousands or more, of documents, finding what is relevant and laying aside what is not, as well as identifying what can be used to support (or even win) a case and what may be exploited by the opposition. It is quintessential to understanding the case in-depth, yet it requires that you are aware of the bigger picture and that you are able to assess the case holistically.
Due diligence is similarly complex and can be just as boring, requiring you to locate records, regulations, and reports that are associated with the case at hand. It is during this process that the lawyer can find “hidden gems” (to quote my LinkedIn network) that can totally reshape the way the case is handled. The process involves detailed documents holding pertinent information — some of which may be pivotal in negotiations.
Though the life of a lawyer is not as glamorous as it is portrayed on TV, it is the “focused” tasks (note how hard I am trying to avoid “boring” because that is in the eyes of the beholder!) — like doc review and due diligence — that provide an edge every time. They really provide the building blocks of your legal knowledge and experience. They are mission-critical.
If every case is won with a key document and every deal is won on the backs of many focused lawyers, why not provide the full disclosure and gratitude to these heroes often behind the scenes?!
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Olga V. Mack is the CEO of Parley Pro, a next-generation contract management company that has pioneered online negotiation technology. Olga embraces legal innovation and had dedicated her career to improving and shaping the future of law. She is convinced that the legal profession will emerge even stronger, more resilient, and more inclusive than before by embracing technology. Olga is also an award-winning general counsel, operations professional, startup advisor, public speaker, adjunct professor, and entrepreneur. She founded the Women Serve on Boards movement that advocates for women to participate on corporate boards of Fortune 500 companies. She authored Get on Board: Earning Your Ticket to a Corporate Board Seat and Fundamentals of Smart Contract Security. You can follow Olga on Twitter @olgavmack.
