There
is
an
understanding
among
legal
professionals,
and
the
general
population
at
large,
that
lawyers
are
rarely
selected
to
be
jurors.
Perhaps
this
is
because
attorneys
do
not
want
fellow
legal
professionals
to
apply
their
legal
training
and
experiences
to
legal
matters
by
serving
as
jurors
since
this
could
negatively
impact
a
case.
This
may
also
be
because
lawyers
do
not
always
meet
the
demographic
background
that
lawyers
want
of
jurors
who
will
be
deciding
their
case.
However,
lawyers
can
make
good
jurors
and
attorneys
should
be
more
open-minded
about
seating
fellow
lawyers
on
juries.
I
only
had
jury
duty
once
in
my
life.
I
was
very
excited
by
this
process,
and
I
hoped
that
I
would
be
selected
for
a
jury.
Most
people
hate
jury
duty
since
it
can
interrupt
their
lives
and
make
completing
work
and
personal
tasks
more
difficult.
However,
I
knew
that
my
job
would
be
fine
with
me
taking
time
off
to
serve
on
a
jury,
and
I
did
not
have
much
pressing
going
on
in
my
social
life,
so
I
was
really
gunning
to
get
on
a
jury
just
so
I
could
experience
this
part
of
the
legal
process.
I
was
selected
to
be
questioned
by
the
lawyers
and
the
judge
in
a
given
case,
and
I
was
seated
in
the
jury
box
by
the
judge.
I
was
super
excited
since
I
thought
this
would
mean
that
I
would
serve
as
a
juror!
Sadly,
one
of
the
lawyers
exercised
a
challenge
for
me,
and
I
was
excused
from
serving.
Given
all
that
I
had
heard
about
lawyers
rarely
being
selected
for
a
jury,
I
expected
that
this
might
happen,
but
it
was
unfortunate
for
me
not
to
be
selected
for
the
jury
nonetheless.
In
any
event,
lawyers
may
make
solid
jurors
for
a
number
of
reasons.
For
one,
lawyers
may
be
more
willing
to
base
their
decisions
on
the
law
and
the
facts
of
a
case
rather
than
factors
that
are
not
too
essential
to
a
matter.
It
is
possible
that
jurors
may
base
decisions
based
on
how
a
lawyer
presents
an
argument
rather
than
the
point
that
is
actually
being
made.
For
instance,
I
once
talked
to
a
lawyer
who
conducted
interviews
of
jurors
after
a
case
had
been
decided.
To
this
lawyer’s
dismay,
the
jurors
mentioned
what
the
lawyers
were
wearing
to
court
each
day
just
as
much
as
the
arguments
that
were
made
in
the
case,
and
it
seemed
as
if
jurors
were
not
basing
their
decisions
entirely
on
the
law
and
the
facts
of
the
case.
Of
course,
I
in
no
way
want
to
demean
those
jurors
without
legal
training
who
do
all
they
can
to
base
their
decisions
on
careful
consideration
of
the
evidence
that
is
presented
in
a
case.
Nevertheless,
lawyers
may
be
better
positioned
to
base
their
decisions
about
a
case
on
objective
evidence
rather
than
extraneous
factors.
Lawyers
might
also
make
good
jurors
since
attorneys
may
have
a
solid
ability
to
sense
the
credibility
of
witnesses.
Lawyers
routinely
need
to
question
witnesses,
whether
during
depositions,
court
hearings,
or
trials.
Because
of
their
background
examining
witnesses
many
lawyers
have
a
good
sense
of
whether
a
witness
is
telling
the
truth
or
fibbing.
One
important
function
of
a
jury
is
to
judge
the
credibility
of
witnesses,
and
jurors
bring
their
own
lived
experiences
to
bear
when
performing
this
task.
Many
people-facing
professionals
have
a
good
sense
of
whether
the
testimony
of
one
witness
should
be
considered
more
than
another.
Lawyers
are
particularly
trained
to
fulfill
this
function,
which
can
make
them
solid
resources
on
juries.
Moreover,
lawyers
may
have
more
respect
for
the
administration
of
justice
than
other
members
of
the
public.
Jury
duty
is
often
a
pain
in
the
butt,
and
most
people
try
as
hard
as
they
can
to
avoid
being
picked
for
a
jury.
This
resentment
at
being
selected
for
a
jury
and
having
to
put
life
on
hold
for
days
or
weeks
can
impact
how
a
juror
approaches
their
job.
Surely,
many
lawyers
who
serve
as
jurors
may
also
be
bitter
at
needing
to
sacrifice
their
time.
However,
lawyers
are
trained
—
beginning
in
law
school
and
continuing
throughout
their
careers
—
to
respect
the
judicial
system.
This
may
make
lawyers
who
serve
as
jurors
more
clear-eyed
about
the
task
at
hand
and
less
likely
to
let
extraneous
factors
impact
their
decision-making.
All
told,
I
doubt
I
will
be
picked
for
jury
service
anytime
soon
since
the
impression
that
lawyers
make
undesirable
jurors
is
deeply
entrenched.
However,
lawyers
can
make
solid
jurors
for
a
number
of
reasons,
and
attorneys
should
consider
picking
them
more
often
as
jurors
in
a
variety
of
circumstances.
Jordan
Rothman
is
a
partner
of
The
Rothman
Law
Firm,
a
full-service
New
York
and
New
Jersey
law
firm.
He
is
also
the
founder
of
Student
Debt
Diaries,
a
website
discussing
how
he
paid
off
his
student
loans.
You
can
reach
Jordan
through
email
at
jordan@rothmanlawyer.com.
Kathryn
Iffy
Chris