what characteristics does a lawyer need

7 qualities every good lawyer should have

1. Good communication skills. Lawyers must be orally articulate, have good written communication skills and also be good listeners.
2. Judgement. The ability to draw reasonable, logical conclusions or assumptions from limited information is essential as a lawyer.
3. Analytical skills. ...
4. Research skills. ...
5. People skills. ...
6. Perseverance. ...
7. Creativity. ...

Full Answer

What are the qualities of a good lawyer?

• The winning percentage of the lawyer
• The fees of the lawyer. The best lawyers charge higher fees.
• The nature of the prosecution and defense techniques of the lawyer.
• The number of high-profile clients they have worked with.
• The ability of the lawyer to charm the media and the jury.

What personality traits does a lawyer need to have?

Five Traits of Great Lawyers

1. Compassion: One of the Many Qualities of a Lawyer. Compassion is an emotional response whereby one perceives another’s problem and authentically, genuinely wants to help resolve the problem.
2. Ability to Listen. Effective communication skills are essential to good lawyering. ...
3. Assertiveness, Not Aggressiveness. ...
4. Creativity. ...
5. Perseverance. ...

What are the personal characteristics of a lawyer?

Personality Traits Every Lawyer Should Have

• Communicative Skills. ...
• Enjoy Discussions with Good Arguments. ...
• Negotiation is One of Your Favorite Activities. ...
• Persuasion is A Skill that Never Fails. ...
• Create a Good Emotional Armor. ...
• Being able to lead an Excellent Organization. ...
• Persistence is another of the Great Virtues. ...
• Success will also depend on Patience. ...
• Responsibility. ...

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What are the pros and cons of being an attorney?

PROS of Becoming a Defense Attorney. Earning potential is excellent (top pay for lawyers was roughly $187,000 or more as of 2014)*. Can work for a variety of employers, including individuals, companies or the government as public defenders*. Position allows you to stand up to authority on a regular basis and fight for the common man**.

Argumentative

Much of your role as a lawyer involves making an argument on behalf of your client. Rather than giving in to what the other side of the courtroom is saying, you need to be the kind of person who is willing to argue for what you believe in.

Composed

While some of your court cases may be intense, you need to find ways to keep your emotions balanced when representing your client. Although it's important to show you are passionate about a case, you still need to keep your composure in the courtroom.

Communicative

Lawyers need to have strong written and verbal communication skills. Remember, you are the one who is a legal professional, meaning that you need to have the ability to communicate complicated legal concepts in simplified terms. Your communication skills can help you ensure your client and the jury understand what you are trying to tell them.

Compassionate

When working with individual clients, there may be a lot of emotions involved. Showing compassion can help your client feel better during uncertain times. It also shows that you genuinely care about their case.

Confident

When presenting your case to the jury, you need to show them that you are confident about your client's stance. Being a lawyer also requires public-speaking skills which require a great deal of confidence. You need to be able to eloquently present evidence and arguments for your client.

Creative

Sometimes finding evidence that is favorable for your client requires some creating thinking. Being a creative person is also helpful when determining what to say about a case. You need to look at a complicated situation and come up with arguments that help your client, which requires quite a bit of creativity.

Driven

Preparing your client's case can take a lot of time and effort. Lawyers need to stay driven throughout the entire process to ensure they are serving their clients to the best of their ability. This drive can help you look at a case in a new way and find better outcomes.

Oration

One of the most obvious qualities of a good lawyer is good speech and oration. As a lawyer, it is part of one’s job description to present a case orally in front of a judge in a court of law, Eloquence of speech thus forms an indispensable aspect of becoming a lawyer.

Drafting Skills

A good lawyer needs to possess excellent drafting skills. A lawyer should be able to articulate the matter appropriately, represent his/her client’s stance, and draft notices expressly outlining the reasons. The logic outlined in his/her draft needs to be coherent. This drafting skill is needed to complement the oration skills of the lawyer.

Research Skills

For a lawyer to present and win a case, it is essential that he/she knows how to do his/her research regarding the matters in the case. Research forms an integral part of one’s argument. A lawyer may be a great orator or a drafter, but without research, it is impossible to win a case.

Logical and Analytical Thinking

Logic forms the basis of any argument. So, the quality of logical and rational thinking, along with the ability to aptly analyze a situation, is present in a good lawyer. To connect the dots in a case and to form arguments in favour of his/her client, logic becomes an irreplaceable part of any legal argument.

Confidence

Another relevant skill that a lawyer should possess is confidence. A lawyer should appear confident while presenting a case and talking to a client. Confidence not only reassures the clients about the status of their case but also makes the arguments presented by the lawyer to be much more compelling.

Empathy

A good lawyer should be able to empathize with his/her clients. From empathy stems reliability. If a lawyer does not empathize with the plight of the clients, he/she will never get the client to rely upon him/her.

Creativity

A lawyer should be creative in his/her arguments for a case. Creativity is required not only for solving cases and identifying arguments but also for finding solutions to a potential problem. Thinking outside the box is an important means by which a lawyer can serve his/her client’s interests.

Communication Skills

Lawyers need to possess good oral communication skills in order to be effective in the courtroom and make convincing arguments to judges and juries. They must have good written communication skills because they might have to write a variety of documents, including legal case studies.

Sound Judgment

The ability to think critically is important for lawyers. They must be able to follow a chain of logic to identify potential trouble areas in their own arguments, and to spot weaknesses in the reasoning presented by their opposition or even their own clients.

Interpersonal Skills

Lawyers should be able to persuade clients to follow their advice or convince the opposition to negotiate a resolution. This requires the ability to read people and figure out the best approach to take when making your points.

Analytical Skills

Lawyers must absorb a great deal of information, both during law school and when preparing a case, then be able to organize and analyze the information in a logical manner. If more than one law or precedent applies to a situation, lawyers must evaluate which argument best advances their cause.

A Degree of Perseverance

The mere act of becoming a lawyer requires a great deal of commitment. The typical path is a bachelor’s degree, followed by law school, which lasts three years. The lawyer must then pass the state bar exam before being allowed to practice law.

1. Bachelor's Degree

Anyone who wants to pursue a law degree must first complete a bachelor's degree program (or its equivalent). The type of undergraduate degree is less important, but often reflects the practice area considered. For example, someone who wants to go into patent law might first pursue a bachelor's degree in engineering.

2. Law School

The next step is to graduate from or complete at least three years at a law school accredited by the American Bar Association, with slight variations from state to state.

3. State Bar Exam

No matter how well you did in law school, you cannot legally practice law in a given state without passing that state's bar examination. Many attorneys have passed bar exams in several states, meaning they can practice law in each of those states.

4. Character and Fitness Review

Since the practice of law is such a high stakes endeavor, involving the finances and in some cases the freedom of clients, each state bar requires applicants to undergo moral character and fitness reviews.

5. Oath

Prospective attorneys must take a legally binding oath that they will uphold the codes and the Constitution of the United States, as well as the laws and constitution of the licensing state.

6. License

Completion of the above requirements typically results in the individual receiving his or her law license from their state's supreme court or high-court equivalent (the Court of Appeals is New York's highest court, for example). However, please check with your state's bar association for the specific requirements for a law license.

What is Criminal Law?

Criminal law is the body of laws that pertain to crimes. Crimes are actions or behaviors prohibited by state or federal laws. Crimes are punishable by fines, probation, and/or imprisonment. Usually, crimes are categorized as misdemeanors or felonies.

What Do Criminal Lawyers Do?

Criminal cases usually involve a prosecutor, a defendant and a defense attorney. A criminal lawyer is also sometimes called a defense attorney. These lawyers can be hired by the defendant or appointed by the court to represent the defendant.

What Do Civil Lawyers Do?

Civil law is a broad term that encompasses many areas of law, encompassing virtually every non-criminal matter. Civil law usually involves private matters including litigation, or suing another individual, and transactions, such as business contracts.

What Do Family Lawyers Do?

Family law is law that involves family matters. These matters can include marriage, divorce, adoption, child support, custody and establishing parentage. In most cases, marriages do not require a lawyer but a prenuptial agreement should be reviewed by a lawyer.

What Do Probate and Estate Planning Lawyers Do?

Legal matters of probate include probating wills, guardianship, emancipation and conservatorship. Probating a will includes distributing property after a decedent, or individual who passed away, under court supervision.

Where Can I Find the Right Lawyer?

LegalMatch.com is a fast, free, and confidential online platform to help you find the right lawyer for your case. LegalMatch.com provides attorney-client matching services based on the type of case, type of lawyer needed, and your location.

What does a lawyer do?

Lawyers use their knowledge of the law and fair legal practices to provide quality legal advice to their clients. They advise them on the best course of action in both civil and criminal cases. Lawyers also interpret the law and various regulations for individuals and businesses.

Benefits of being a lawyer

No matter the type of lawyer you are, having this profession comes with several advantages. Understanding the benefits of this job can help you determine whether you want to pursue a career in this field. Here are 11 benefits that come from this profession:

Drawbacks of being a lawyer

While being a lawyer comes with several enticing advantages, you also need to consider the drawbacks of this profession. If these drawbacks don't outweigh the cons, this may be a suitable career for you. Here are the 11 disadvantages that may come from this profession: