You’ve made it. You passed through every gate of the rigorous vetting process and you’re in. Your place in the legal fraternity is legitimate, but you feel like a fraud. Why? You have a university degree (maybe multiple), a practising certificate to prove you’re legally qualified, insured, and of fit and proper character, you’ve secured and retained work as a lawyer, and maybe even undertaken extra study to attain specialist accreditation. Despite all the evidence that you’ve got what it takes, you worry it’s all a fluke and it’s only a matter of time before you’re exposed. Even when you win a case, receive praise, or get promoted, your gut reaction is, “Who me?!” and suddenly, Imposter Syndrome strikes again!
Judge, jury, and executioner
Underestimating your abilities and feeling like you don’t deserve your role, your success, or your accomplishments is a niche form of self-doubt that affects a disproportionate number of high-achieving, perfectionist types among us. Some people contend that Imposter Syndrome is a by-product of low self-esteem. But, that’s not the whole story. The remarkable and utterly bizarre thing about it is despite how successful, well regarded, educated, experienced, praised, or supported you are, the doubt never loses its grip. And it’s often paralysing – we hold back, underperform, give up, or simply refuse to try, then relentlessly label ourselves as failures.
The legal profession is competitive, hierarchical, and highly pressured. And it’s part of the human condition to ponder where we sit as against our peers. A dose of comparison, reflection, and doubt can actually be helpful – a generous sprinkling of humility is a key driver for learning and development. It allows us to acknowledge what we don’t know, where we could improve, and most importantly, when to ask for help. And let’s face it, no one likes a know-it-all.
The legal fraternity is like an exclusive club, though – a distinct ‘in crowd’ defined by professional gatekeeping, closed-door networking, and self-regulation. But the fraternity isn’t a brotherhood. In these shark-infested waters, problems are a sign of weakness and stigma is like oxygen to Imposter Syndrome. One of the most prominent club rules is, “Don’t ask, don’t tell,” because if you’re exposed, you’re out.
Driven by this cultural conditioning, Imposter Syndrome thrives. When the self-doubt becomes all-consuming, you’re pushed right to the edge. So instead of shattering the illusion of belonging to the ‘superior few’, it’s most common to try suppressing the fear and anxiety by overworking or numbing your feelings with self-destructive habits. And Imposter Syndrome is the ultimate trickster. It exploits the internalised narrative, convincing you that the suffering, judgement, and sentence are deserved.
Winning the war
While there is no cure, per se, there are plenty of ways to outmanoeuvre Imposter Syndrome:
- Don’t let it sneak up on you. Cultivate a strong sense of awareness – when do you feel it most, does it only arise when comparing yourself to others, does it arise when things are going well? Study your enemy’s pattern so you’re prepared for any strike.
- Play to your strengths as a lawyer. Argue the facts and evidence to disprove the alleged fraud.
- Believe what others tell you. You know keeping up a façade takes a lot of effort, so don’t assume others are lying when they pay you a compliment or give positive, constructive feedback.
- Join the cheerleading squad. Learn to accept compliments without downplaying your accomplishments – for example, “Thank you! I worked really hard to build rapport with that client.”
- Become your own, humble cheerleader. Practise the good kind of self-talk. Mirror the kind, constructive language you would use if you were speaking to a friend or colleague experiencing similar feelings.
- Aim for progress, not perfection. Mistakes can, and will, happen. Learning to accept your mistakes without letting them define you, your worth, or your capabilities starves Imposter Syndrome of its oxygen.
- Normalise the phenomenon. As a named syndrome, it means the signs and symptoms are common and shared. Use the courage and drive that helps you on cases to identify safe, trusted supports and start to open up.
The winning strategy is to strike a balance between genuine belief in your capabilities and knowing when it’s commonplace, even expected, to feel a little out of your depth. Self-doubt creeping in when you’re faced with a complex set of facts in a new matter, appearing in court for the first time (or any time, really), or when you’re in the infancy of acquiring a new skill is all completely normal, even useful. We just have to be wary of the cultural conditioning of isolation and internalised narratives that feeds the beast. Sure, Imposter Syndrome may win a few battles. But if we can stop hiding away in shame and rebalance the scales with self-belief and humility, the so-called house of cards can withstand anything.
References
- Grenardo, D. A. (2022). The phantom menace to professional identity formation and law success: Imposter syndrome. University of Dayton Law Review, 47(3), Article 2. https://ecommons.udayton.edu/udlr/vol47/iss3/2/
- Law Institute of Victoria. (2024, September 19). What’s behind lawyers’ imposter syndrome? Law Institute Journal. https://www.liv.asn.au/web/law_institute_journal_and_news/web/lij/year/2024/09september/whats_behind_lawyers_imposter_syndrome.aspx
