Pittsburgh – September 15, 2026 -- Lawyers score just 30% on resilience compared with 50% for the general public, a gap that has held steady since 1994, according to 30 years of data from Talogy's Caliper Profile assessment cited in a new American Bar Association book.
New ABA book credits 4.5 million Caliper assessments for resilience findings
Thin-Skinned: Why Lawyers Are So Low in Resilience and the New Science That Can Help, authored by legal psychology experts Dr. Larry Richard and Dr. D'Arcy Lyness, draws on a database of 4.5 million Caliper Profile assessments compiled by talent management firm Talogy. The book finds that nine out of 10 lawyers score in the bottom half of the resilience scale.
Traits that win cases also predict burnout, researchers find
"Law schools admit, firms hire and clients reward individuals who demonstrate high skepticism, high urgency, high self-reliance and an intolerance for error," said Dr. Larry Richard. "While those traits produce stronger legal documents and won cases, our research shows they also predict rumination, defensiveness, isolation and difficulty coping with criticism, stress and change."
Risk extends beyond law to safety-critical roles
The authors argue the same hiring-and-promotion dynamic applies to manufacturing safety leads, ICU charge nurses, compliance officers, federal investigators and public safety supervisors, where vigilance and precision under pressure are prioritized over resilience.
Talogy outlines three operational levers for employers
Using Caliper data, the book frames resilience as a measurable trait rather than a temporary mood, pointing to three actions for organizations: early detection of psychological risk factors before turnover or safety incidents occur; recognition that top individual performers are not automatically equipped for resilient leadership; and deployment of targeted, evidence-based development interventions.
"The Caliper Profile measures the innate personality traits and behavioral motivations that dictate how individuals process stress, setbacks, and criticism," said Nataliya Baytalskaya, Ph.D., Managing Research Scientist at Talogy. "Low resilience is not a barrier, it is a developmental opportunity."
Authors to discuss findings in live session September 30
Dr. Larry Richard and Dr. D'Arcy Lyness will join Talogy for a 30-minute LinkedIn Live conversation on September 30 at 12pm ET to discuss the science of resilience and its application to high-performing teams.