10 Qualities of a Successful Lawyer
You’ve probably heard the saying…
“Practice makes perfect,” right?
Well, this saying is particularly true when applied to the qualities you must possess for your ideal career path.
Once you have chosen your ideal career, you need to work on and develop the needed skills over time.
Think of it like this…
Law school takes time. It is not something that you can simply conquer in a day or even a few weeks.
The same applies to a true professional – a true professional is not created overnight, therefore it will take time and effort to mold yourself into the successful lawyer you would like to be.
photo by Okan Caliskan via Pixabay
A few qualities you should consider brushing up on if you desire to be a successful lawyer are:
- People skills
First and foremost, consider that your job will be spent dealing with people about 99 percent of the time. Whether it is discussing the case with a client, working with your colleagues, or in a trial in the courtroom with the judge, jury, and audience.
How good you did in school is ultimately irrelevant at the end of the day – what matters most is how you work with the people who have requested your help in decisions that will affect their lives.
You must be personable, persuasive, and possess the ability to read others. 2. Good communication skills
This skill goes hand-in-hand with people skills – part of having good people skills is being able to effectively communicate.
It is key that you are orally articulate, a good listener, and possess good written communication skills as well.
3. Research skills
As each case will vary based on client and scenario, it is vital to your success as a lawyer that you are able to quickly and effectively research the best legal strategies for your client’s case.
4. Analytical skills
Whether you are just beginning to study law or have actually begun practicing, you will continue to absorb large quantities of information to later be transformed into a logical and manageable tactic for your client.
Sometimes, there will be a case with more than one reasonable conclusion and you need to be able to evaluate what will be the most suitable solution.
5. Perseverance
From the day you begin law school, you will be faced with lots of material to learn and apply – this doesn’t change even when you start working. Lawyers are continuously presented with trying information, difficult cases, and important questions that all need to be addressed.
Perseverance and commitment are key from day one.
6. Judgment
Judgment is an essential skill needed for being a lawyer as the profession requires the ability to draw logical and reasonable assumptions or conclusions, even when limited information is available.
7. Creativity
You probably don’t think of law as being a creative profession, but it is. The best solutions are not always obvious; therefore, it requires time, research, and creativity to determine the best method.
8. Public speaking skills
Lawyers spend a lot of time in the quiet doing research and in the comfort of their own office speaking to clients, but they also spend a great majority of their time in the courtroom speaking in front of the judge, their client, the opposing party, the jury, and those watching the trial unfold.
Public speaking is vital to the credibility of a lawyer. As they are representing their client in a scenario that could have a great impact on their life, it is important that they appear trustworthy, knowledgeable and credible.
9. Writing skills
Writing skills are needed for preparing briefs, compelling arguments, motions, and various other legal documents used in this profession.
10. Willingness to pursue continuing education
Similar to how those in the medical field are continuously renewing their license, lawyers have to continue to pursue training. In fact, lawyers in 48 different states are required to earn continuing education credits annually.
Studying and continued training can be hard once you have gotten into the field, however, it is required to stay on top of the changing laws. With a little perseverance and determination, it’s possible.
Conclusion
There is no single quality that is necessarily more important than the others. A good lawyer comes from being a combination of these qualities and knowing how and when to apply each one.
To be successful, you must be patient, driven, and just generally well-rounded. While some of these qualities might come naturally, others could pose a bit of a challenge.
However, with practice – such as doodling for a creative exercise – you can achieve success in all these qualities and therefore be on your way to a successful lawyer.
Author: Brandon King
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