Lawyers don't have to be expert mathematicians; they don't even have to know calculus. However, all lawyers must have a solid understanding of complex mathematics, accounting, and algebra to meet the requirements of their job. In addition, getting a good score on the LSAT entrance exam requires a little mathematical understanding. Carl has twice as many cats.
How old is Sally? The blue train leaves the station heading south and goes 60 miles per hour. Simultaneously, a hummingbird flies north along a parallel track, traveling 27 miles per hour. Most of the lawyers I know joke that they went to law school to avoid mathematics. The truth is that every lawyer needs to understand rudimentary mathematics, and some need to master advanced mathematics.
Private practice lawyers must understand mathematics well enough to run a business. They should also be able to track and account for funds deposited in their clients' trust fund accounts. Attorneys must be able to add, subtract, multiply, and divide to calculate damages, pre-trial interest, and the time value of money. A racial discrimination case can compare the percentage of minority applicants hired to the percentage of majority applicants employed.
Similarly, a case of gender discrimination can contrast and quantify the salaries of men and women in a similar situation employed to perform the same work. Lawyers use expert witnesses to prove or defend claims involving complex mathematics, think economists, physicists, actuaries, etc. Judges must understand mathematics well enough to function as evidentiary guardians to avoid presenting “junk science” and confusing jurors. As you study the humanities, you'll learn to conduct research, think critically, and communicate clearly.
However, if you can't answer the word problems I included, study mathematics and statistics as well. Judge Smith, where is the adjoining county courthouse located? - Ted. According to research by Arden Rowell and Jessica Bregant, there is a very significant relationship between law students' mathematical abilities and the substance of their legal analysis, suggesting that legal analysis, and by extension, legal advice, may vary with a lawyer's native mathematical skills. Many lawyers believe that mathematics training improved their analytical skills, and there are some branches of legal practice that require lawyers to work with statistics, personal finance concepts, and accounting principles.
