The balancing act - The emotion work produced by attorneys in their everyday work life

Abstract

Based on observations and in-depth interviews, this article explores the emotion work produces by attorneys in their everyday work life, particularly in connection to client interactions. The attorney profession is demanding and multifaceted, and is often the subject of moral questioning, both from the public and from other legal professionals. The findings show that it is a balancing act to be genuinely involved in the client’s case while simultaneously maintaining a professional exterior. Further, there are different feeling and display rules in different regions. Meetings with clients at the office demand different types of emotion work than the trial situation. Therefore, different strategies are invoked depending on context. Attorneys are motivated through rewards of emotional energy, which is attained from professional credibility and/or emotional commonality with their clients.