Dwayne Allen Thomas

About

Dwayne Allen Thomas has been researching the social and psychological roots of success since 2013, when a spike in the New York Bar Exam pass rate convinced him that a significant number of students fail when they should pass. After receiving his J.D. from Brooklyn Law School, he applied to the University of Pennsylvania’s Master of Applied Positive Psychology program to explore this issue. Since then, Dwayne has used interdisciplinary research to explore topics from child development to race relations.

Dwayne has published articles in Positive Psychology News Daily, Law Practice Today, The New York Law Journal, and his personal blog, "Equal Results." He also helped edit Integrating Positive Psychology into Legal Education by R. Lisle Baker in the Southwestern Law Review. He works full time as an attorney in Brooklyn, NY.

Recent Posts

Learn First, Plan Later: Drafting a Useful Five-Year Plan

We're often advised to plan our careers before we know much about the field we're working in. There are several reasons we should step back before starting to plan.

When Is It OK to Stop Being Ambitious?

The rewards can't just be in retirement.

4 Uncommon Pieces of Useful Career Advice

How a bit of extra time in advance can help you choose a career you'll enjoy.

Choosing Death Over Life

Definitions of suicide both assume intent and deny agency. Can this paradox be reconciled?

The Battle Between Luck and Control

Why some people might perceive control in uncontrollable events.

Lives Filled with Luck Foster Success

How a series of random, seemingly inconsequential events can spark a second career, and why you might not notice it.

Reaching the Student, Not the Stereotype

What happens when both teacher and student believe in a negative stereotype about a group a student belongs to? A change in focus can go a long way.

How to Beat Any Test

Lessons learned from studying for two bar exams can help students study for tests at any level of education.

Why Relationships Rule Vaccination Rates

Why have a greater proportion of nursing home residents than nursing home staff received the COVID-19 vaccine? Part of the answer lies in who you have confidence in.

On Being an Ally: Empathy? Or…

A police shooting. A phone call. But was my friend calling to help me or him?