Study Shows Why Lawyers Are Smarter

[+ Lucky]

The Wall Street Journal today reports on a study that shows why lawyers are so smart:

 

"Going to law school can be a life-changing experience. But a new research paper says the very act of studying for the law school entrance exam actually alters your brain structure – and could make you smarter.

 

Intensive study for the Law School Admission Test reinforces circuits in the brain and can bridge the gap between the right and left hemispheres, according to researchers at the University of California, Berkeley Department of Psychology and U.C.’s Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, the National Law Journal reported.

Those changes can improve reasoning ability, and–perhaps–even increase your IQ score, the researchers said.

The research team performed brain scans on 24 college students and recent graduates, both before and after they spent 100 hours studying for the test over a three-month period. The researchers also scanned 23 young adults who didn’t study for the test. Among those who studied, the results showed increased connectivity between the frontal lobes of the brain, as well as between the frontal and parietal lobes, which are parts of the brain associated with reasoning and thinking."

 

Read more: http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2012/08/27/study-cramming-for-the-lsat-could-boost-your-iq/?KEYWORDS=LSAT

[bigvalboy]

The Wall Street Journal today reports on a study that shows why lawyers are so smart:

 

"Going to law school can be a life-changing experience. But a new research paper says the very act of studying for the law school entrance exam actually alters your brain structure – and could make you smarter.

 

Intensive study for the Law School Admission Test reinforces circuits in the brain and can bridge the gap between the right and left hemispheres, according to researchers at the University of California, Berkeley Department of Psychology and U.C.’s Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, the National Law Journal reported.

Those changes can improve reasoning ability, and–perhaps–even increase your IQ score, the researchers said.

The research team performed brain scans on 24 college students and recent graduates, both before and after they spent 100 hours studying for the test over a three-month period. The researchers also scanned 23 young adults who didn’t study for the test. Among those who studied, the results showed increased connectivity between the frontal lobes of the brain, as well as between the frontal and parietal lobes, which are parts of the brain associated with reasoning and thinking."

 

Read more: http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2012/08/27/study-cramming-for-the-lsat-could-boost-your-iq/?KEYWORDS=LSAT

 

Well there certainly is evidence to back up that study right here in the Forum...Of the lawyers that I know personally in my life, they do have an uncanny ability to properly reason and to analyze problems. In addition, it has been my personal observation that they also seem to remain more calm and level headed when discussions become heated. A quality that I admire, because I see that quality lacking in myself.

[Bosguy]

Not always.

 

Just got through dealing with a mortgage lawyer representing my ex concerning mutually owned property. She was, without a doubt, the stupidest lawyer (person) I have ever dealt with. Had not read any of the documentation prior to our meeting (which major issues pertaining to my rights were 100% wrong). Of course, I refused to sign anything which infuriated her and my ex. TS

 

 

Boston Bill

[+ Lucky]

I have to admit that I have known some dumb lawyers too. So, if going to law school made them smarter, how dumb were they to start with?

[bigvalboy]

Lucky, I tried to send you a PM, but your box is full and cannot accept any more until you clear some space.

[seeker630]

It would be interesting to see if the changes persisted after the preparation/testing period (e.g., a year later).

[+ Lucky]

Lucky, I tried to send you a PM, but your box is full and cannot accept any more until you clear some space.

 

Well! Usually I am notified when my box is full. But, I have deleted many messages about the escort Vincent_Michael to make room for newer news!

[+ WilliamM]

It makes a lot of sense. I enjoyed the constitutional law courses I took in college, but that was enough. Those courses were valuable in noticing when a lawyer friend slips into his/her cross-examination persona. If I do catch it almost immediately, it can be annoying (understatement of the month!).

[+ Lucky]

No doubt folks here would be surprised to learn this, but my friends used to complain that I cross-examined them as if they were witnesses! But so many people cannot get to the point without taking several detours, I found that asking a series of questions elicited their point much sooner. Of course, I don't so that anymore.

[Electra 225]

Some lawyers/attorneys may be smarter than the average bear and get more picnic baskets, but that does not make them nice people. In my experience, going back years, too many of them are more than willing to extend a helping hand UPWARDS, but treat staff, many of their clients, and many members of the public at large from all and varied stations of life in a crude and ill-mannered way. I think that too many of them mimic the "lawyers" on current television and in the movies (true of police and other public employees, too) and not like Perry Mason and the original Defenders (E.G. Marshall version). Just my two and a half cents.

[bigvalboy]

I realize that you did not say all attorneys Electra, but my experience with them has been the opposite. My current attorney is exceptionally kind to his staff. He takes the entire office on a skiing trip to Aspen once a year and is putting his secretary through Law School. He has done minor cases for me at no charge, and has given freely of his time and advice. He owns several apartment buildings and I know that he has offered at least one new attorney to his firm a free apartment until he gets on his feet. On one occasion in the middle of a case when I was stressed out, he offered his home in Laguna to me for the weekend so that I could just get away from it all. I don't think that this is something that people can generalize on. Like any profession, or industry, there are good and decent people and then there are.....

[+ nycman]

Actually I don't think the article says ANYTHING about lawyers

being smart or even smarter than anyone else. It just says that

people who are studying in preparation for their LSAT develop

increased connectivity between lobes of their brain. It only proves

the plasticity of the adult brain. It says nothing about lawyers.

 

You would most likely see the same thing in people studying the

designs of butterfly wings in Papua New Guinea.

 

Now if they could just figure out why lawyers are arrogant twits

who think a simple study about adult human brain plasticity somehow

proves that they are smarter than everyone else....THAT would be

interesting.....grin

[+ Charlie]

Actually I don't think the article says ANYTHING about lawyers

being smart or even smarter than anyone else. It just says that

people who are studying in preparation for their LSAT develop

increased connectivity between lobes of their brain. It only proves

the plasticity of the adult brain. It says nothing about lawyers.

 

Absolutely correct. The people studying for the LSAT are not, in fact, lawyers at all: they are students who hope to get into law school to become lawyers. What this study proves, if anything, is that the LSAT is a good exercise to strengthen certain areas of the brain. It doesn't tell us what the relationship is between increased brain strength and success on the test, or in law school. We don't even know how studying for the LSAT compares in lobe-connectivity effectiveness with studying for the GMAT or the GRE.

[+ Lucky]

Actually I don't think the article says ANYTHING about lawyers

being smart or even smarter than anyone else. It just says that

people who are studying in preparation for their LSAT develop

increased connectivity between lobes of their brain. It only proves

the plasticity of the adult brain. It says nothing about lawyers.

 

You would most likely see the same thing in people studying the

designs of butterfly wings in Papua New Guinea.

 

Now if they could just figure out why lawyers are arrogant twits

who think a simple study about adult human brain plasticity somehow

proves that they are smarter than everyone else....THAT would be

interesting.....grin

 

You know, I thought the article said just what my headline did, but I took another look when I saw this post. So then I went through the trash to find the print article that got me to post this, and sure enough, the article there is titled "Study shows why lawyers are so smart." So I guess we all have a bone to pick with the WSJ.

[sfguy]

The reason there are some really dumb lawyers out there is because there are some law schools that exist just to take people's money. As long as you're willing to pay, they don't care what you scored on the LSAT. Most of their students never pass the bar exam. How some laywers passed the bar exam is the question that really confuses me.

[rvwnsd]

...Now if they could just figure out why lawyers are arrogant twits

who think a simple study about adult human brain plasticity somehow

proves that they are smarter than everyone else....THAT would be

interesting.....grin

 

I am interested in seeing the results of that new study titled "Why Many Bloggers and Message Board Posters Generalize and Judge."

[+ FreshFluff]

Absolutely correct. The people studying for the LSAT are not, in fact, lawyers at all: they are students who hope to get into law school to become lawyers. What this study proves, if anything, is that the LSAT is a good exercise to strengthen certain areas of the brain. It doesn't tell us what the relationship is between increased brain strength and success on the test, or in law school. We don't even know how studying for the LSAT compares in lobe-connectivity effectiveness with studying for the GMAT or the GRE.

 

The GMAT contains a logic puzzle section (or it did when I took it), but the LSAT is considered the most difficult in that regard. I remember using LSAT questions when the GMAT practice problems weren't difficult enough. So if the UC profs' hypothesis is right, you should see a bigger increase in intelligence for law school grads than for business school grads.

 

I've read that petting and squeezing a fluffy little kitten is another way to increase intelligence, or at least lower blood pressure.

[+ purplekow]

i took the LSAT and on the logic portion, I found the questions pedestrian and quite easily done. I took the LSAT on a lark and as I recall I had a rather large party at my home the night before and slept only after I arrived at the test site. I must admit i did quite of bit of studying of GAMES magazine logic puzzles which were in general far more difficult than anything on the LSAT. Now this was about 20 years ago, so things may have changed. I know the scoring has. Perhaps the authors of this article should do a study on persons who do logic puzzles from GAMES Magazine, though I must admit, I am not sure GAMES is even published anymore.

[Samai139]

Thanks to nycman, charlie and lucky for their observations concerning the article's headline and its content. I wish you fellows were the "talking heads" on some television programmes, pointing out inconsistencies that can slip by many of us.

[gallahadesquire]

Not always.

 

Just got through dealing with a mortgage lawyer representing my ex concerning mutually owned property. She was, without a doubt, the stupidest lawyer (person) I have ever dealt with. Had not read any of the documentation prior to our meeting (which major issues pertaining to my rights were 100% wrong). Of course, I refused to sign anything which infuriated her and my ex. TS

 

 

Boston Bill

 

Just two words for you, my boy: Billable hours.