7 Qualities to Look For in a Lawyer
Dec 03, 2013 · Consumers want a lawyer who is confident and realistic, but reality show fans want lawyers who are aggressive and attractive, according to a new survey.
Sep 28, 2010 · Let's start first with what clients want from a lawyer. To begin with clients want and need someone with whom they can talk openly. Clients need to be led into a mental place where confidence can grow enough to engage in verbal exchanges that need to take place. The "ice" can be very thick in an austere law office full of powerful images and items unfamiliar to …
Clients want to work with attorneys who not only understand how the law works in a particular case, they want you to understand how it will impact them in their industry.
Here are the top 5 qualities of a good lawyer: responsiveness, analytical skills, good research skills, speaking skills, and listening skills. 5. Analytical Skills – All lawyers should be able to look at any situation and analyze it from all points of view.
Before you meet with or call your lawyer, have the necessary documents with you and know exactly what you want to discuss.
Ability to communicate. If the lawyer speaks in legalese and doesn't bother to explain the terms he or she uses, you should look for someone else.
The lowest hourly fees may not indicate the best value in legal work because an inexperienced attorney may take twice as long to complete a project as an experienced one will. While there's no denying that lawyers are expensive, the good news is, there are more ways than ever to keep a lid on costs.
Attorneys charge anywhere from $50 to $1,000 or more per hour, depending on the location, size and prestige of the firm as well as the lawyer's reputation and experience. Shop around to get quotes from several firms before making a decision. However, beware of comparing one attorney with another on the basis of fees alone.
If you think one method will work better for you than another, don't hesitate to bring it up with the attorney; many will offer flexible arrangements to meet your needs.
Some entrepreneurs wait until something goes wrong to consult with an attorney, but in today's litigious society, that isn't the smartest idea.
So what differentiates a “lawyer” from a “good lawyer”? Here are the top 5 qualities of a good lawyer: responsiveness, analytical skills, good research skills, speaking skills, and listening skills.
2. Speaking Skills – All lawyers must be able to speak clearly and concisely. A lot of lawyers are comfortable in front of a large group of people, but they lack the ability to form a logical thought that gets his/her point across. Another aspect of speaking skills is to understand legal terminology.
If you can’t understand your lawyer, then neither can the jury. 1. Listening Skills – In order to properly understand the case, all lawyers must listen to their clients. Without listening skills, the lawyer will miss pertinent information.
5. Analytical Skills – All lawyers should be able to look at any situation and analyze it from all points of view. Criminal defense attorneys have to look at the case from the view of the prosecutor, and vice versa. All lawyers must be able to take in large amounts of information at a time, organize it, and understand it on the spot.
Responsiveness – This is a skill that not every lawyer has, which a lot of clients find out about quickly. All lawyers should respond to their clients, law partners, secretaries, and anyone else involved in a case.
A lawyer’s opinion does not stand up in court, so it must be backed with facts. That’s where the research and investigation comes in. All lawyers should know how to work with investigators, use online resources, research laws, regulations, and judicial opinions to back their case up.
Law schools will teach you some of the skills you need, but they can't teach character. In order to become a "good" lawyer, you have to naturally have certain qualities. Some of these qualities you've discovered within yourself in your time as a law student, but others may need to be worked on.
On a fundamental level, attorneys are communicators. They communicate with their clients, they communicate with other parties to the case, and they communicate with the court. Beyond that, lawyers communicate in a wide range of different ways.
Whether it’s by helping them through a difficult family law matter, protecting them against false charges, or securing fair financial compensation after an accident, attorneys advocate for people during some of the most challenging times in their life. Lawyers matter.
Finally, successful lawyers know how to persevere. The law is a tough field. There is no reason to sugar coat it; practicing law can be one of the most rewarding and meaningful careers out there, but it’s also a lot of work. As is true with any profession, success requires effort. There will be difficult days. You may be stuck dealing with a client who is making your life unnecessarily hard, an opposing counsel who is being rude for no reason, or a judge who rules the wrong way on a key procedural matter. You may simply be frustrated because you spilled hot coffee on your shirt that morning. It happens. What sets successful attorneys apart from ordinary attorneys is that they know how to persevere through the challenging times to get to the rewarding and meaningful moments that make it all worth it.
When you think about the job of an attorney, creativity may not be the first trait that comes to your mind. However, contrary to the popular conceptions of most people, successful attorneys are often highly creative people. The law is not purely a science. There is an art to effective legal practice. Remember, each client that an attorney deals with will have their own unique set of goals, objectives, and concerns. In some cases, ‘outside-the-box’ thinking can help craft a solution that the client may never even realize was possible. Successful lawyers know how to tailor their creativity to suit every situation. All cases should be approached with an open mind.
Whether it’s by helping them through a difficult family law matter, protect ing them against false charges , or securing fair financial compensation after an accident, attorneys advocate for people during some of the most challenging times in their life. Lawyers matter.
Willingness to Listen. One of the most underrated traits shared by almost every successful attorney is a strong ability and willingness to listen. Although strong listening is a part of overall communication skills, it’s important to highlight listening as its own professional trait.
A great lawyer knows how to get important ideas across in formal legal writing, in informal emails, in phone conversations, through discussions in official legal settings, and in private conversations.
Double-digit growth in recent years has produced healthy revenues and rising salaries. Associates in the nation’s largest law firms start at $150,000 to $180,000, and partners earn average salaries in excess of $1.2 million. Many non-lawyers also reap significant financial rewards in the legal profession.
Whether you are a lawyer representing a multinational corporate client, a paralegal assisting abused women to obtain restraining orders, or a law clerk researching a tax issue for a new business, the fundamental purpose of the legal professional is the help others resolve their legal problems.
Legal professionals who seek a career in litigation can specialize in criminal law, employment law, family law, products liability or dozens of other practice areas. Legal professionals who prefer a career in corporate law can specialize in tax law, mergers, and acquisitions, real estate, finance or another corporate practice area that satisfies their interests.
The globalization of the legal profession provides today’s legal professional with a worldview and the opportunity to serve international clients.
In the last several years, the legal profession has experienced staggering growth. A steady rise in profits and revenues expanded headcounts, and significant salary increases have provided plenty of job opportunities in a broad range of legal positions.
In a culture that views high pay, impressive schooling and societal power as hallmarks of success, the legal profession has long been regarded as a noble and elite profession . This image is further boosted by the portrayal of legal careers in the media as exciting, glamorous, fast-paced and desired. As a result, the legal profession has held its allure and careers in the law remain is one of the most sought-after professions in today’s job market.
Historically, the legal profession has weathered economic downturns quite well and should do so in the future, in part due to the growing geographic and practice diversification of many law firms. In fact, some practice areas such as litigation, bankruptcy, and reorganization, residential real estate foreclosures, and regulatory compliance will actually benefit from an economic slowdown. As a result, legal professionals should find plenty of job opportunities in any economic climate.