Another week, another comic lost. This time it was Joan Rivers, who died Thursday following complications from a minor medical procedure that left her in cardiac arrest. Rivers was 81.

Joan Rivers was a trailblazer, starting out as a female comic in an era where everyone else – except maybe Phyllis Diller – was a man. Because she had to wade through a lot on the road to stardom, Joan Rivers can offer some lessons for lawyers when it comes to perseverance and humor.

1. When Things Look Bad, Don’t Expect the Situation to Improve; You Need to Improve.

The life of a comic just starting out isn’t very glamorous; you’re always wondering when your next gig will be, where you’ll get your next paycheck.

2. Be Able to Make Fun of Yourself.

It’s no secret that Joan Rivers had a lot of plastic surgery over the years. Joan didn’t keep it a secret – and she didn’t sacrifice valuable comedy, either. Some of her best jokes were about her own plastic surgery, such as:

  • “I’ve had so much plastic surgery, when I die, they will donate my body to Tupperware.”
  • “I wish I had a twin so I could know what I’d look like without plastic surgery.”
  • “I was so ugly that they sent my picture to Ripley’s Believe It or Not and he sent it back and said, ‘I don’t believe it.’”

3. Sometimes You Have to Say What Everyone Else Is Thinking.

Joan Rivers was no stranger to controversy: She was criticized for her humor as well as her political statements. And that’s not even counting all of the things she said while hosting various award shows and fashion-critique shows. Through it all, Rivers was never afraid to say exactly what she thought, and also never afraid to tell her critics what she thought of them.

4. You’ve Got to Keep Up With the Times.

Even in her 80s, Rivers embraced the Internet and with it, the new ways she could connect to people: “Because I’m on the Internet so much, I can answer any question and keep up with these young, smart, talented comics,” she told the Boston Globe last year.

5. Yes, You May Have to Deal With Suicide.

Lawyers can develop emotional problems and deal with them in the wrong ways. Joan Rivers knew about this: After the spectacular failure of her 1986 late-night talk show – which resulted in her not only being disowned by her good friend, Johnny Carson, but blacklisted by his successors – her husband, who produced the talk show, killed himself.

Related Resources:

  • Joan Rivers, Comedy Pioneer and TV Host, Dies at 81 (NBC News)
  • The 50 Best Joan Rivers Jokes (Vulture)
  • 3 Lessons for Young Attorneys from Pharrell’s Hat (FindLaw’s Greedy Associates)
  • 5 Lessons for Young Attorneys from Ron Burgundy (FindLaw’s Greedy Associates)

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