William Shakespeare's famous quote dates from the 16th century and remains a widely held view in certain circles. Our recent  experience suggests that many board nominating committees seem to share this sentiment (figuratively, fortunately): being a  lawyer, or even having legal training, is often perceived to detract from a potential director's candidacy. We think it's time to  examine what's good and what's bad about lawyers sitting as directors on non-client boards. Published in Corporate  Governance, Federated Press, November 2014.