<p>actually, what mickley0007 mentions raises another issue to consider – whether the shy person thinks he/she can survive law school. i think what mickey describes is largely a self-selecting phenomenon – the type of people usually attracted to the law are those people with the edge/sharpness mickley talks about – law school and practicing law may enhance that personality trait, but i really don’t think it will cause it to arise in someone for whom such a trait simply isn’t part of their make-up. </p>
<p>in law school, especially the first year, you will be called on and grilled by your professors, whether or not you volunteer. you will be surrounded by other students who tend to be people who like voicing their opinions. will your shyness make law school itself an unbearable process? </p>
<p>i think you have to carefully consider what you mean when you say you are shy and how that corresponds to what will be expected of you in law school and in practice. i’ve known very successful lawyers who were on the quiet side – but they weren’t shy about expressing themselves and standing behind their opinions.</p>
<p>lawyers have to be able to state their position and stand behind it – whether presenting it to a senior attorney, client, adversary or judge/arbiter. sometimes that can be done in writing – but even if you write the most brilliant memo/brief/letter someone may then question you about what you’ve stated – can you handle that and not be afraid to stand up for what you stated? the law is a business – getting and keeping clients is part of that business – it depends on the nature of the practice as to how involved you get to be in this. do you want a solo practice? if so, are you willing to market yourself to clients? larger firms may be more able to employ a lawyer who has little need to deal with clients – is that what you want? but even then, would your shyness keep you from asserting yourself with your own colleagues? only you can determine what will or will not likely be within your comfort zone and how far out of that comfort zone you are willing to push yourself.</p>