At the outset, this article is not intended, nor could it ever be, an all-encompassing overview of the experience of neurodivergent lawyers. Neurodivergence, how it presents in individuals and is experienced by those who have it is acknowledged to be entirely variable and absolutely personal to each individual.
Prepared with the assistance of three lawyers who openly disclose their neurodivergence – each with ADHD, autism, or both – this article aims to shed light on the often-overlooked strengths of neurodivergent lawyers and the importance of empathy in the workplace.
Neurodivergence – which is an umbrella term for a host of neurodevelopmental conditions such as autism, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), dyslexia, and Tourette’s syndrome – is thought to be experienced by about 10-20% of the general population1.
There is minimal recent research into the prevalence of neurodivergence in lawyers. One US study on substance abuse in attorneys in 2016 noted 12.5 per cent of the study identified as having ADHD – compared with between 4-5 per cent of the general population who have ADHD – but that of those who reported drug use in the study, 74 per cent of those drugs were reported to be stimulant medication.2 More recently, a UK study estimated that as many as 48,000 out of 300,000 legal professionals ‘may’ be neurodiverse but more than 75 per cent of that cohort opted not to share their condition in the workplace, fearing discrimination.3
In a profession still learning how best to address mental health and wellbeing, it is worth asking how we can better support those who think and work differently. The question is increasingly one to which workplaces must be cognisant.
I spoke with three young lawyers, all women in their twenties who have openly disclosed their neurodivergence to their employers, to hear their perspectives and experiences firsthand. What follows hopes to highlight the strengths a neurodivergent perspective can add to the legal workplace, as well as areas for better understanding and empathy.
Focus
Having ADHD might be thought of as a difficulty with focus, and while it certainly can be for those who might find a task dull or mundane, ADHD can also be a significant strength in a legal environment. This can be for a number of reasons. If the task is novel or needs to be performed to a deadline, that is where ADHD lawyers thrive.
ADHD often also involves attention being paid to many different things at once – scattered focus in a sense, as well as an ability to absorb information incredibly quickly.
The three women I spoke to all reported being excellent in a crisis situation – largely because they can pay attention to various different things all at once. Racing thoughts, a common symptom in ADHD, can be a powerful advantage in law when channelled effectively.
Racing thinking enables rapid idea generation, quick issue spotting, and creative, associative thinking, allowing a lawyer to see multiple arguments and connections others might miss. This mental agility is invaluable in fast-paced environments, where adaptability or literally ‘thinking on your feet’ is essential.
Ultimately, ADHD in particular is not necessarily categorised as an inability to focus at all. It can, in fact, manifest as an ability to process a number of thoughts quickly and to address competing considerations in fast succession. That can be a huge advantage in fast paced legal environments and particularly in areas such as litigation where preparation for court is often a race against the clock.
Empathy and the human touch
All three women pointed out that the traditional view of autism is that autistic people have difficulty understanding emotions, or even that they lack empathy.
This is a complete simplification of autism and how autistic people experience the world.
Autistic people, and certainly the women I spoke to, describe the sense of feeling things ‘even more intensely’ than their neurotypical counterparts.
One of the women I spoke to noted that she spent most of her childhood ‘masking’4 and as a result she ‘spent (her) entire childhood predicting people’. In a sense, she noted, autistic people might in fact study humans and emotions more closely than their neurotypical colleagues.
Consequently, she pointed out that this is also a helpful skill when working in ‘trauma informed’ roles and when dealing with witnesses in serious criminal matters.
Rather than a lack of emotion, autism often involves a different emotional language. One of the women pointed out that autism can actually be a huge asset in terms of people able to compartmentalise and ‘sort through’ difficult situations and emotions.
Justice
Perhaps one of the reasons neurodivergent people end up in the law is the strong sense of fairness, respect for rules and justice which often forms part of the neurodivergent experience.5
One of the women I spoke with described it as almost ‘physically painful’ to witness unjust or unfair behaviour with another telling me she “gets a dopamine hit when I argue” in an advocacy context. This is not uncommon of the neurodivergent experience with one psychologist noting of the Autistic or ADHD experience:
People who have high justice sensitivity often make excellent advocates because they are driven to fight for change and address injustice whenever they see it, refusing to tolerate inequity, bigotry, and other justice issues. They educate others about justice issues and demand positive change in the world around them. They can point out unfairness and inequality, helping others advocate for themselves.6
Perhaps this can be explained by neurodivergent people being drawn to explicable rules and guidelines, with neurodivergent people often identifying that unspoken social conventions are difficult for them to follow but, as one of the women told me, the expectations in litigation are ‘extremely clear’.
A set of rules and guidelines is more comprehensible, and court processes are set out for them to follow, allowing a perfect combination of a love of justice being combined with clear rules to follow.
Thinking ‘outside the box’
The combination of ADHD’s rapid thinking and creative problem solving can be powerful assets for a lawyer and there is an increasing acknowledgement of the prevalence of neurodivergence amongst many high performing professionals.
A recent article in the Australian Financial Review noted that ‘divergent thinking skills; and ‘ability to generate spontaneous, free-flowing ideas and creative solutions to solve problems’ are a huge asset and that corporations such as KPMG and Allianz are either actively recruiting neurodivergent staff or, at least, are attempting to improve employment pathways for those with neurodivergence.7
In a corporate world increasing dealing with innovations like artificial intelligence, this ‘out of the box’ thinking can of course be a huge asset to a workplace – particularly in the legal profession, where complex problems often demand creative and timely solutions.
The Hard Stuff
Having outlined a number of the advantages of neurodivergence in the legal workplace, there is, of course, no getting around the fact that many office environments are not entirely geared towards those who might think differently.
Burnout in neurodivergent people often arises from the constant effort required to function in environments not designed for neurodivergent minds. The pressures of maintaining focus, regulating energy, and conforming to neurotypical norms can create a cycle of stress, fatigue, and self-criticism.
Over time, this sustained cognitive and emotional effort can result in profound burnout – not from lack of ability, but from the constant demand to operate in a way that feels unnatural. Open plan offices, fluorescent lights and long hours can present their challenges.
One of the women I spoke to mentioned the difficulties of listening to colleagues in open plan environments making general conversation and how frustrating that can be. Another mentioned the need to have earbuds in all day because the hum of fluorescent lights is triggering. The ability to wear ‘noise cancelling’ or ‘loop headphones’ can be invaluable, or to listen to music – ‘If it’s a noise I choose, that’s fine’.
Another woman, and one of my colleagues, found an 8.30am to 5.30pm workday a challenge noting that she is a ‘morning person’ and loves getting up at 5.30am and getting into the office early.
All of this can, and unfortunately, does often lead to neurodivergent people experiencing ‘burnout’ and overwhelm.
This is, of course, not the path to mental health and wellbeing and it is important for neurodivergent people experiencing burnout to rest and recharge. These are essential for someone with autism and/ADHD to continue to function and it is incumbent on employers to be mindful of these risks in the workplace.
Knowing more, doing better
Increasing awareness, as is often the case, is the starting position for knowing more and doing better in a mental health context.
Thankfully, ‘quiet spaces’ in the office, acceptance of noise cancelling headphones in open plan, flexibility in work arrangements and the ability to work from home are all increasingly common and very welcome for neurodivergent colleagues.
Open dialogues with staff, education and encouraging accepting workplaces which allow employees to utilise regulation tools like movement breaks or even singing in the office, as one of the women suggested to me, are all potential pathways.
If a workplace is ‘safe’ for everyone it allows better focus and better productivity. Allowing space for neurodivergent colleagues to have a voice is an excellent starting point to allow these voices to reach their full and best potential.
Ultimately, what our neurodivergent colleagues need, indeed what any colleague or human needs, is understanding and empathy.
But beyond that it is hoped that there is an increasing understanding that neurodivergence, while presenting challenges for those who have those conditions, is not a dis-ability per se.
The world of neurodivergence is a broad one and there is no doubt that our colleagues under that broad umbrella have so much to offer the profession – particularly if the rest of us learn better how to let them.
- World Economic Forum: Explainer: What is neurodivergence? Here’s what you need to know, 10 October 2022 ↩︎
- The Prevalence of Substance Use and Other Mental Health Concerns Among American Attorneys
Krill, Patrick R. JD, LLM; Johnson, Ryan MA; Albert, Linda MSSW
Journal of Addiction Medicine 10(1):p 46-52, January/February 2016. ↩︎ - How the legal profession can better support neurodiversity – Rebecca Root, Friday 29 November 2024, International Bar Association ↩︎
- ‘Masking’ is the term for conscious or unconscious efforts by an autistic person to suppress autistic traits and mimic neurotypical behaviour. Masking is mentally and physically exhausting and can lead to burnout and other negative mental health outcomes. ↩︎
- Justice Sensitivity Is Plaguing Autistic & ADHD Individuals—Here’s What to Know; By
Amy Marschall, PsyD Published on May 29, 2024 ↩︎ - Justice sensitivity is plaguing autistic & ADHD individuals—here’s what to know ↩︎
- Why firms such as KPMG want neurodivergent staff’ by Rachel Bloom, Australian Financial Review (paywalled), 1 September 2025. ↩︎
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