I am an AuDHD, dyslexic and dyspraxic ex-lawyer who, earlier this year, left my role as an associate at a magic circle firm to pursue a new career in legal technology at Avvoka. Although I had a positive experience as a ‘fee-earner’, I ultimately realised the role’s expectations misaligned with the way my brain is wired.
Becoming a solicitor was perhaps the worst fit for my natural strengths (short of becoming a professional dancer), but I don’t regret it. My legal training brought me to where I am now, the happiest I’ve ever been in my career.
Whilst my own path led me away from private practice, I’ve seen that neurodivergent individuals can absolutely thrive in law and often make exceptional lawyers. Rather than revisiting the well-documented challenges of neuro-inclusion, I want to share the personal insights I wish I’d had before entering the profession.
These are my views based on my experience in BigLaw and don’t represent all neurodivergent experiences in the legal sector.
1. Masking may no longer be possible, or you may need to change your coping strategies
The jump from education to full-time legal work is huge. My neurodivergence went unnoticed at school and university because I got good grades - mainly through independent study and flexible routines that disappeared in private practice. Deadlines are fixed, every minute is recorded, and evenings and weekends are no longer always your own. Symptoms that never held me back academically soon affected me daily at work.
About ten months into my training contract, I realised I was no longer coping or masking it.
Becoming a lawyer under the assumption ‘no one will ever know I am neurodivergent’ might not work out in practice. Unmasking and disclosure are not always conscious choices; sometimes your coping strategies simply stop working. That was true for me, and, luckily, diagnosis and medication were life-changing, and disclosure brought tangible support (coaching, flexi-working, and assistive tech).
2. If you disclose, you must advocate for yourself
Neurodivergent brains bring unique strengths to any team, but from my experience, unfortunately, the way those initial disclosure conversations go can significantly influence colleagues’ perceptions and biases.
Framing your disclosure and subsequent request for reasonable adjustments as a ‘strengths-based’ conversation can help tackle initial bias. For example, I found senior colleagues would respond well when I explained it as:
- 'Broadly, neurotypical people tend to have less variation in degree between their strengths and weaknesses. In contrast, neurodivergent people often find they absolutely excel at some things, whilst other things that other people might find "easy" they struggle with.
- How this presents at work might mean that you notice me struggling with low-level, basic tasks that others find easy, such as […].
- However, I often outperform a neurotypical person on complex tasks such as […].
- To unlock me to my full potential and allow me to keep adding value, my working style preferences are […].'
It’s an unfortunate reality that too often the onus is on the individual repeatedly to disclose and outline their own working style preferences - especially during a training contract or apprenticeship when this happens again and again in each new ‘seat’ - but, given this reality, this framing can really help remind people why you are and will continue to be an incredible asset to the team.
3. Some people will get it - some won’t
Your day-to-day experience with a firm will, in no small part, be characterised by those you work with and for. Some supervisors just ‘get’ it, and either display innately inclusive behaviours or gladly adapt to your style and, either way, see how valuable you are from the outset. However, others may not.
If you’re considering qualifying in a specific practice area, take a good look at the team environment. Positive group dynamics that embrace difference and support their juniors can elevate your early-career experience, with the reverse also true. Know what you need to thrive and whether it’s achievable within your current firm. The support and encouragement I received as a lawyer shaped my experience in BigLaw, framing my ultimate career change as a ‘running towards’ decision, not a 'running away'.
4. Competency frameworks are often built in a neuro-‘normative’ way
Comparing the early careers websites of 30 of the biggest law firms in the UK, the three commonly listed attributes are: communication skills, attention to detail and analytical/problem-solving skills.
As a generalised example, if you have ADHD, you might outperform your cohort in communication and problem-solving skills but struggle with attention to detail. Similarly, if you’re autistic, it might present that you have analytical skills and a laser focus on specifics to match a senior associate, but struggle with after-work networking. How it (often) currently works is that to progress, you need to hit all of the competencies well, instead of some exceptionally and some below average.
As neurodivergence brings with it more exaggerated variation between strengths and struggles, it is worth having those conversations early on about what your law firm expects from you. Will you be able to progress and thrive doing what you do best, or will you always be striving unsuccessfully for ‘ok’ in areas that don’t fit your neurology? How ‘competency’ is defined and measured will shape how you can progress your career at that firm.
5. The ‘perfect day’ test
If you are a neurodivergent lawyer querying an exit from ‘fee-earning’, I suggest trying the ‘perfect day’ test. Imagine a day when you’re well-rested, not overwhelmed, working in a quiet space, and feeling productive. Does the work come easily? Does it excite your brain? Does it challenge you in fulfilling ways?
For me, the answer was no. Whilst I felt supported at work, loved my team, and enjoyed the science content and the business side of law, the black-and-white focus on details was simply not the right fit for me. I often felt I had to try harder to ‘get’ things that came naturally to colleagues, and I felt was not playing to my true strengths.
Remember, you can always switch firms, move in-house or change practice areas. If you like law but face cultural or working style issues, don’t give up on fee-earning. Instead, figure out what environment you need to thrive and whether it’s possible where you are or somewhere else.
6. Building a neurodiversity support network is essential
I wouldn’t have survived 3.5 years in law without fellow neurodivergent professionals. Finding people who can empathise makes all the difference.
If your firm has a neurodiversity network, get involved. Externally, there are various neurodivergent communities, the Legal Neurodiversity Network (for anyone working in the legal sector) and Neurodiversity in Law (for barristers). Attending in-person events and making friends who face similar challenges - particularly who were also early in their diagnostic journey - was instrumental in grounding me in the legal sector and has been a major contributing reason I have chosen to change careers within it and not out of it.
7. The legal landscape is changing
To any neurodivergent lawyer reading this: there’s reason for optimism. The profession is evolving fast. Automation is reducing low-level tasks like proofreading and formatting, and ‘attention to detail’ can now involve high-value, creative and cognitive work. New AI-driven tools are emerging almost daily that promise to reduce or remove barriers and positively enhance the day-to-day working experience of neurodivergent individuals.
As technology transforms law, neurodivergent thinkers (creative, lateral, original) will be crucial to the future of legal practice. If I were to enter the legal profession in 2031, rather than in 2021, I expect I would find it a much better fit for a neurodivergent mind.
JJ Thompson is co-lead for projects and campaigns at the Legal Neurodiversity Network, account executive at Avvoka, and former-magic circle solicitor
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