7 qualities every good lawyer should have
Five Traits of Great Lawyers
Personal Qualities Needed to Be a Lawyer
Part 2 Part 2 of 5: Learning Essential Skills
Oratory Skills
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.
Lawyers are responsible for the fate of their clients. A good lawyer is, therefore, essential to uphold the integrity of the legal system. To effectively make use of the laws in place and to ensure that justice is served in the shortest time possible, lawyers should have certain good qualities.
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. In the practice of law, drafting is as much important as speech.
Empathy is an essential quality for lawyers because, without it, the judicial machine will be reduced to a platform for money making solely.
A lawyer should be a patient listener. It is the inability to listen to his/her clients or opponents that cause lawyers to lose even the strongest of cases.
It is the lawyers who show the judges the path of justice, by presenting their case in a meticulous and truthful manner.
The profession of legal practice is one of the most highly regarded occupations in the world. The job description of a lawyer includes representing his/her clients in a court of law, in a particular case. In India, an individual can become a lawyer after clearing the All India Bar Examinations.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Some have an already developed enthusiasm for lifelong learning, but as noted by Deloitte, one of the keys to talent development is cultivating worker passion. In other words, people who are passionate about what they are doing are happier, more fulfilled, and they perform better.
Lawyers must be orally articulate, have good written communication skills and also be good listeners. In order to argue convincingly in the courtroom before juries and judges, good public speaking skills are essential. Communication and speaking skills can be developed during your studies by taking part in activities such as mooting or general public speaking.
But it’s not all about projection. To be able to analyse what clients tell them or follow a complex testimony, a lawyer must have good listening skills.
2) Judgement. The ability to draw reasonable, logical conclusions or assumptions from limited information is essential as a lawyer. You must also be able to consider these judgements critically, so that you can anticipate potential areas of weakness in your argument that must be fortified against.
Law is not an abstract practice. Irrelevant of how well someone does academically, at the end of the day lawyers work with people, on behalf of people, and the decisions that are made affect people's lives.
At times, there will be more than one reasonable conclusion, or more than one precedent applicable to resolving a situation. A lawyer must therefore have the evaluative skills in order to choose which is the most suitable.
The environment we are nurtured in has a significant impact on our futures. Therefore, as a lawyer, you shouldn’t be disappointed when some skills don’t come naturally. The field is vast and provides enough time and opportunity to develop essential skills.
A good lawyer must critically consider judgments and come to reasonable conclusions when dealing with a legal case. At the same time, a lawyer should notice weakness in an argument and use that to strengthen their stance. The better a lawyer judges each case, the more success he will have in legal courts and procedures.
To become a successful lawyer, you have to accept that your profession entirely deals with people. You will be expected to present good arguments as a legal practitioner. With the tips above, you should benefit your clients positively in their claims every time you are approached for a solution.
There are plenty of other qualities that make up a good lawyer. Being able to speak well in court, for example. Or perhaps something more specific, such as their astute analytical skills. Either way, you can discover these and more when you sit down with them in the interview.
So even though you have a lawyer you trust already, they probably wouldn’t be good in a personal injury case as a divorce lawyer. Every lawyer has a specialty, and stepping out of that specialty isn’t within your best interest. In fact, it could very well cause you to lose your case.
When you have your mind open to possibility, magic can happen. A lot of lawyers miss opportunities only because they are stuck to the routine and are conservative. This takes away from the chances you may have. You need to be open to opportunities that come on your way.
Creativity is the flavor of a legal career. Unless a lawyer displays creativity in problem-solving, even logic is powerless. It often happens that the best solutions are not the most obvious ones and you need to think outside of the box.
Lawyers should be good enough not only at speaking but also at listening. A lawyer that thinks about his mistress or a good cup of coffee during testimony and witness interrogation is not a good lawyer. It seems paradoxical, but good listening is even harder than good public speaking.
A law degree is not a passport to a successful legal career anymore. Lawyers should possess skills that will help them advance in the career ladder. Even if you don’t have the needed skills, practice and persistence are key to success. Your skills are something you can work on and develop over time. Here are 7 skills a lawyer should possess not only in order to advance on the career ladder but also to love what they do.
Sometimes lawyers lose that natural flavor of being oneself. This is a fault many lawyers commit when they try to be “the good lawyer.” The stereotypes and preconception guide lawyer’s behavior making him more like someone “who knows what is good and bad” and will never divert from that. Being natural is something that will make you a good lawyer even if a little odd.