Lawyers’ Personality and Its Implications for Conflict Resolution and Mediation: Empirical Research of the MBTI Inventory Test among Law Students

The paper examines the personality type predispositions of law students, as indicated by the MBTI test results. Discussion reflects on their potential implications for practice of law when it comes to conflict resolution strategies, including the use of mediation. Drawing on American studies, the authors refer to the compatibility hypothesis, which states that personality type is correlated with occupational preferences, and attempt to test thesefindings in the Polish context. On the basis of empirical data concerning law students at the University of Warsaw, as well as results coming from other research, they discuss whether certain personality types are particularly predestinating for undertaking law studies and whether this differs in different countries, taking also into account the gender dimension. The discussion further reflects on how lawyers’ personality type may impact their approach to conflict and conflict resolution strategies. The analysis also refers to implications of personality types on practice of law, where lawyers can be either in the role of mediator or represent the parties. In this respect the paper links theory, research and practice in the field of dispute resolution and handling conflict.