Welcome Back Future Lawyer!
In my previous blog post I wrapped up our discussion of the U.S. legal system by breaking it down into 3 subsections: structure of state court systems, judges, and prosecutors. I hope that information was informative to all who wish to practice law in the United States. Now that my blog is coming to an end, I will conclude by sharing with you these 7 traits every lawyer should have!
1) Good Communication
To be a good lawyer, one must have good oral and written communication skills. In a courtroom setting, the ability to orally articulate your arguments well plays a huge role when trying to convince juries and judges. Lawyers must also be able to write clearly, persuasively and concisely, as they must produce a variety of legal documents.
At the same time, a good lawyer must always be a good listener. Some of the most challenging courtroom trials have been won by those who simply heard a small flaw in an opposing lawyer’s argument. Not to mention, a good lawyer must be able to analyze what their own client tells them.
2) Judgment
The ability to draw reasonable, logical conclusions or assumptions from limited information is essential as a lawyer. Being able to anticipate potential weak points in your argument ahead of time is a valuable skill that all lawyers should have. This will give you the opportunity to fortify those points to build a completely solid argument. In addition, decisiveness is also a key part of judgement. There will be a lot of important judgement calls to make and little time for sitting on the fence.
3) Analytical
If you want to be a good lawyer, expect to be presented with large quantities of information. You must know how to filter this information in order to reach a reasonable conclusion. Sometimes, you may find yourself reaching more than one conclusion or think more than one precedent applies. A good lawyer must therefore have the evaluative skills in order to choose which is the most suitable.
4) Research Skills
Quick research skills are an essential part of being a good lawyer. You must know how to make information you gathered from various sources, This will require you to look through a significant amount of information each time you prepare for a trial.
5) People Skills
While a lawyer’s academic standing is important in the general sense, it is wise to not overlook the need for a lawyer to have people skills. A good lawyer must know how to work with people and on behalf of people. At the end of the day, their job affect peoples’ lives. They must be personable, persuasive and able to read others. This allows them to gauge juror’s reactions and the honesty of witnesses. From there, they will decide what is the best approach to achieve the desired outcome.
6) Perseverance
Studying to become a lawyer takes a great deal of perseverance and commitment – and that’s before you even start working at a law firm! Although there are a lot of matters that need to be handled daily during cases, think of it as a character building process. When you have become familiar with this process, I am certain you will have developed the perseverance necessary to handle even the toughest of cases!
7) Creativity
On one hand, good lawyers are able to make logical arguments that display an in-depth analysis of the case. On the other hand, great lawyers also show this and add a touch of creativity. Sometimes the correct solution is not the one you initially thought of. Rather, it is the one that you thought it couldn’t be. Learn how think outside the box by applying a healthy degree of creativity.
Alas, I hope you leave this post feeling informed and inspired. As my blog comes to its official close, thank you for being a loyal reader. I hope all the information I presented throughout the semester helped to shape your decision of becoming a lawyer.
References:
DavidFlores. 