Lawyers afraid to talk? No, it is not the punchline to a joke but, rather, the reality for more than you may think. Social anxiety expert Jonathan Berent, who has worked with more than 10,000 individuals, calls this fear of speaking “selective mutism.” In lawyers, he says it often shows up at networking events, in the courtroom, and even in the most casual encounters during meetings or around the office.
Originally published April 5, 2011Sign up for our free newsletter.