Practicing Law with ADHD
Practicing law with ADHD presents unique challenges that require creative solutions. The profession demands intense focus, meticulous organization, and the ability to juggle multiple deadlines—areas that can be particularly difficult for individuals with ADHD. Struggles with time management, sustained attention, and impulsivity may amplify the already high-pressure nature of legal work. However, with the right tools, such as time-blocking strategies, assistive technology, and strong support systems, many lawyers with ADHD turn their neurodivergence into a strength, bringing creativity, hyperfocus in areas of interest, and unique problem-solving approaches to their practice.
While there is no one size fits all approach that works for everyone, we offer the following list of information, tools and resources to support Arizona attorneys with ADHD.
- Time management and time tracking tools can enhance attorney productivity.
- Use organization, routines and consistency to stay focused.
- Leverage technology to help overcome distractions and impulsivity
Time Blindness and Hyperfocus
Many attorneys with ADHD experience both "time blindness" - difficulty in perceiving the passage of time, underestimating the amount of time it will take to complete a task - and "hyperfocus" - the intense absorption in a single task to the detriment of other work that needs to be done. Procrastination also contributes to missed deadlines.
Using a combination of analog and digital resources
Reading Recommendations
Attention Span - Gloria Mark, PhD
The Legal Brain: A Lawyer's Guide to Well-Being and Better Job Performance - Debra S. Austin