Historically speaking, in certain countries such as China, both mathematics and law were crucial in forming the political elite. During the Ming Dynasty (from the 14th to 17th century), to pass the imperial examination and access the state bureaucracy, aspiring mandarins were not only assessed on their horse riding and archery skills, but also on mathematics and law. It’s curious to note that the ideal candidate was a perfect mix of lawyer, mathematician and soldier.
However, at present most law students don’t choose to study maths, except for some optional elective courses available in certain universities, and maths students don’t study law during their higher education. Consequently, we can see that since maths and law are considered two different branches of knowledge, today they are hardly studied within the same university program. Nevertheless, mathematics is fundamental to some areas of a lawyer’s job.
Even if modern lawyers are not required to learn maths, understanding numbers, formulae and statistics is very helpful in training the mind and developing logical thinking. In fact, rationality plays an important role when dealing with sensitive cases where it is very easy to become emotionally affected, or on those occasions where demonstrating mental clarity is required, such as during negotiations. Additionally, abstract thought is needed when formulating solid arguments to persuade jurors and judges in the courtroom. In fact, lawyers should structure their arguments as a mathematician structures a proof.
Mathematical skills are also necessary to improve one’s analytical thinking. Considering a lawyer’s job, being detail oriented can help to identify flaws in witness testimony or in an opponent’s argument, as well as during the review of contracts and documents, particularly when a lawyer is trying to make sure that an agreement is in the client’s best interests. Furthermore, a lawyer with a sharp analytical mind may be able to foresee potential issues before the contract is implemented by spotting unusual terms or ambiguous wording. Maths skills thus help develop an attention to detail, particularly useful since lawyers deal with a huge number of legal documents in which every single word is important and must be carefully considered and understood.
Besides the aforementioned, mathematical skills can also become extremely handy when dealing with the tax law. Although a lawyer usually hires a financial or accounting professional to assist in tax-related cases, being familiar with maths can help the attorney to be in control of the situation and suggest the best solution for the Client. In addition, even if accountants do most of the heavy lifting, attorneys need to have a basic understanding of the financial reports and other accounting documents that will be submitted to the authorities. Moreover, for lawyers that operate their own firm, math is needed to understand income, liabilities, cash flow, expenses and other basic concepts that are essential to run a company.
Accordingly, we can affirm that mathematical abilities can increase the management and administration skills of an attorney, making them able to deal not only with laws, but also with numbers.
Knowing the language of numbers can be the key for a lawyer’s success in running a profitable law firm. In fact, grasping a logical and analytical thinking can really make the difference during our daily routine, from organising our time more efficiently and keeping track of our activities in an organised manner, to finding rational solutions to complex problems and, consequently, maximising our revenues as a positive result of the way we operate.
DISCLAIMER
This article is intended solely for informational purposes and does not constitute legal advice. Although the information in this article was obtained from reliable official sources, no guarantee is made with regard to its accuracy and completeness. For more information please visit dandreapartners.com or WeChat: dandreapartners
