Whether it is because of 24-hour cable news networks, social media or the “reality show” of the recent presidential election, and events since the election, politics is taking over. “Did you see what Sean Hannity said on Fox News last night?” or “Did you hear what Kellyanne Conway said to Anderson Cooper?” have replaced water cooler talk about television shows. Historically, TV shows were a safe topic at the office, while politics was taboo.
In 2017, however, it seems impossible to avoid, at minimum, being surrounded by political discussions in the office, particularly in law firms where passionate debate and expressing derision for faulty arguments are all in a day’s work. With politics being an inevitable topic of conversation, the question for attorneys, particularly younger attorneys who generally may feel the need to display deference to more senior attorneys, is how and when to express an opinion. Navigating the “dos” and “don’ts” of politics in the office (or even around the family holiday table) may be more difficult than navigating an initial interview. While being respectful is common sense, engaging in respectful political dialogue is more difficult.
