More than half of former U.S. presidents had a background in law before they entered the White House. Franklin Roosevelt and Thomas Jefferson were both lawyers; Barack Obama is a lawyer, as is Hilary Clinton. So why do so many lawyers make the crossover into politics and why do they make great politicians?
The Law vs. Business
Politics is not an easy game. It requires a certain set of skills that not everybody possesses. It could be argued that running the country is like running a business, but although businessmen do have many of the requisite skills, their primary interest is to make money rather than further society for the greater good.
You could argue that a businessman or woman would make a far better politician than a lawyer. However, businesses are founded on the principle of pleasing their shareholders and you can’t make commercial decisions when running a country. Society is populated with people not shareholders, and people can be adversely affected by the poor decisions made by politicians.
A lawyer’s job is to argue a position on behalf of his client. In many cases, a lawyer is arguing passionately for what he or she believes in. In a sense, this is also what a politician does. They take a stand on where they feel changes need to be made and argue with their fellow politicians to try and bring about these changes.
Politics and Ethics
Politics is founded on ethics and the law is an eminently principled profession. Yes, there are some bad apples in there and some lawyers are only in it for the money, but for the most part the law is based on a firm foundation of ethics, freedom and justice. The democratic process is rooted in law, which gives lawyers a good understanding of how the fabric of society is put together. Because they have a unique insight into how things work, they are well placed to serve the greater good rather than themselves.
Presenting a Reasoned Argument
Lawyers are usually highly skilled at presenting a reasoned argument in favor of their cause. Debating and public speaking are skills that all politicians need, since they are required to spend a lot of their time in the firing line, being grilled by their fellow politicians or the media. Lawyers are cool-headed and capable of remaining calm under pressure. It is part of the job, particularly when a criminal defense lawyer is in a courtroom scenario, so the cut and thrust of the political arena usually represents no great problem to them.
Politicians can also be a slippery bunch at times, especially when they have something unpalatable to slide past the electorate, or worse, a skeleton on the closet to hide. One thing lawyers excel at is a poker face. They can’t afford to put their emotions on show, especially when defending someone they might not feel sympathy for, so they make great politicians when things are going pear-shaped.
Whilst lawyers do make great politicians, it is always better when people from a wide range of different backgrounds enter the political arena, as this improves the quality of the government.