Personality Traits Every Lawyer Should Have
According to a 1993 study conducted by Larry Richard, the most prevalent personality types for lawyers are: While the least prevalent personality types are: 31 per cent of all lawyers surveyed are considered introverted, while 41 per cent of all lawyers prefer to approach problems through logic and live in a structured way.
I am not saying that a personality test can solve all your concerns. However, it may allow you to understand how to react and adjust to different situations and people based on your personality. Being a lawyer is not easy.
Intuitive lawyers prefer tasks and practices that allow them to think from a top-to-bottom viewpoint, and to think creatively, such as criminal, litigation and labour law. If you are finding it hard to approach a problem through an abstract-intuition view, try reaching out to a sensory-focused colleague for some insight?
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, itâs important to highlight listening as its own professional trait. Effective communication is a two-way street.
Young lawyers are expressing their frustrations with practicing the law, such as their discontent with their area of focus, not getting along with and understanding their colleagues, or not meshing with the firm culture.
Sensory lawyers prefer tasks and practices where they can achieve practical and tangible results, such as real estate, tax and general practice. Intuitive lawyers prefer tasks and practices that allow them to think from a top-to-bottom viewpoint, and to think creatively, such as criminal, litigation and labour law.
Thinkers like the intellectual side to law, whereas feelers like the opportunity to help people. Conflict at work occurs when thinkers engage with feelers robotically and with little emotion, and when thinkers want to make a quick and rational decision whereas a feeler wants a more personalized and steady approach .
Thinkers like to argue because they don't take conflict personally and view it objectively. Feeling lawyers are values based and arrive at a decision through personal and subjective means. Feelers avoid conflict as they take it personally and strive for balance and harmony instead.
Thinking v Feeling lawyers. The law is a thinking profession. Thinking lawyers are logical and detached, they stay away from having their personal preferences impact their decision and are by the book. Thinkers like to argue because they don't take conflict personally and view it objectively.
The majority of lawyers prefer introversion, so if an extravert associate engages with an introvert partner with too much banter and energy, it might be off-putting. Certain practices like labour law have a tendency to attract more extraverts, whereas tax and real-estate law attract more introverts.
Going along with the above, most lawyers make excellent lawyers because they are so gosh-darn pessimistic. They think of everything that could possibly go wrong and paper it. Rose-colored glasses are replaced with a âeverything will fall apart â mentality. 3. Anal-retentive.
A know-it-all vibe. Lawyers are in the business of selling services of being smart and knowledgeable about the law. While confidence is key in âsellingâ yourself as a lawyer, that confidence can very easily slip toward into an arrogant, smarmy âknow-it-allâ-ness that most people despise. 2. Pessimism.
Highly competitive. You donât get to law school by being a schmuck in school . Lawyers are highly competitive, and this high level of competitiveness drives them to do crazy things like go through the pains of applying and attending law school.
Lawyers handle a variety of legal tasks for their clients. They might represent individuals accused of a crime, a corporation facing a civil lawsuit, or prepare wills for a recently married couple. Some lawyers choose to specialize in a particular area, such as tax law or bankruptcy.
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.
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. They must also be good listeners, able to follow complex testimony or to understand and analyze what clients tell them.
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.
When presenting a case, lawyers must be able to read how jurors react to statements and testimony, and they need to read witnesses well enough to know whether the individualâs testimony is honest and unbiased.
The mere act of becoming a lawyer requires a great deal of commitment. The typical path is a bachelorâs degree, followed by law school, which lasts three years. The lawyer must then pass the state bar exam before being allowed to practice law.
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.
Rachel is good at what she does because she's a competent lawyer, but also because she has a strict moral code and unwavering loyalty to her firm and colleagues. She's always been there for anyone who needed assistance in a work-related matter or with a personal problem. ESFJs are often called the Provider personality specifically because of their genuine desire to do good and help others. So, it doesn't come as a surprise that Rachel decided to run a legal clinic with Mike.
In the Suits season seven finale we had to say goodbye to Meghan Markle and her character Rachel Zane. Rachel had only recently become a lawyer at then-Specter Litt, after working as a paralegal for several years.
Similarities between Harvey Specter and his mentor Jessica Pearson are glaringly obvious . Both ENTJs, ambition is their main driving force. Harvey's ability to read people and size up situations has worked in his favor time and time again. ENTJs easily perceive qualities in other people and find ways to put them to good use. Take Harvey and Louis, for example. Harvey may not admit it all that often, but heâs well aware of Louisâ qualities and knows when to put him in charge.
Jessica Pearson has been described as having an âoverbearing natureâ and âholier-than-thouâ attitude, which is why many people find it hard to work with her. Still, sheâs managed to gather a team of loyal colleagues and friends due to her excellent leadership skills and ability to motivate others.
ENTJs easily perceive qualities in other people and find ways to put them to good use. Take Harvey and Louis, for example. Harvey may not admit it all that often, but heâs well aware of Louisâ qualities and knows when to put him in charge.
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, itâs important to highlight listening as its own professional trait.
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 itâs 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.
Whether itâs 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.
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.
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.
The legal knowledge needed to be an effective corporate litigator is far different than the legal knowledge needed to help a California couple pursue a private adoption. Great lawyers know their area of practice. Some of this knowledge comes from experience. Some of it comes from education.
In too many cases, clients and witnesses will leave out important details. As a result, the attorney is set up for an unfortunate surprise down the road. Successful attorneys always maintain that healthy skepticism. If something sounds âwrongâ or âoffâ, they take the time to verify the information.
The blue or grey suit is your baseline suit, and works best as your dependable everyday work horse. The charcoal lawyer suit is your war suit. It exudes power, dominance and conviction. It is a statement that the time to prepare is over, and the time of reckoning is at hand.
Especially when interacting with the same jury or judge over many days. If you always wear your charcoal intimidation suit, it doesnât become so intimidating.
A corporate lawyer will be able to help you with issues related to the formation of your corporation, general corporate governance issues and corporate compliance issues.
The Social Security Disability system can be a particularly complex system in which to navigate. An attorney who specializes in Social Security Disability issues can help you with any step in the Social Security Disability process, including assisting you with eligibility issues, launching an appeal of a decision to deny you benefits and dealing with the reduction or termination of your benefits.
The estate planning lawyer specializes in wills and trusts, and can help you to draw up a will to pass on your assets. Among other estate planning legal services, this type of lawyer can help you set up a trust which will help take care of your childrenâs financial needs.
If youâve been injured while on the job, or have had to face the death of a loved one as a result of a workplace accident or occupational disease, a lawyer who specializes in workers compensation law can help you navigate the issues you face, such as the extent of the employerâs fault and the amount of benefits to which you are entitled.
Also known as an IP attorney, an intellectual property lawyer can advise you with regard to issues relating to intellectual property, such as copyrights, trademarks, patents, industrial design and trade secrets.
Employment Lawyer. Whether youâre a company thatâs having a problem with an employee, or an individual whoâs having problems with the company you work for, an employment lawyer can generally provide advice about legal issues which arise from an employment contract or within an employment relationship.
Doctors do occasionally make mistakes, and if youâre facing the consequences of a medical mistake such as a medical misdiagnosis or inaccurate treatment, a lawyer who specializes in medical malpractice issues can be particular helpful.