10 GIF-Characteristics That Describe Law Students
As a law student, you are working hard to acquire all the knowledge of the law, history, and procedure you need to excel at this demanding profession. But there are some skills that can’t be learned simply through studying. It takes some time to cultivate, practice and refine them. Here are the top 10 essential characteristics that you need to become a good lawyer.
1. Communication Skills
Your job is all about making effective arguments! To do that, you need excellent skills in speaking and writing. Don’t forget that you also need to be a good listener; attorneys have to carefully listen to all aspects of a case to make a convincing argument
2. Analytical Thinking
Attorneys must have the ability to analyze large amounts of information and come to logical conclusions about it. Often, there will be more than one possible conclusion, so you will need to evaluate all the options carefully.
3. Creativity
Often, lawyers need to come up with unique solutions to problems. They have to stay one step ahead of their opponents, and that requires some creative problem-solving skills as well as thinking “outside the box.”
4. Research Skills
To win your case, you will need to do research quickly and effectively to find out the relevant information. Good research helps you understand the needs of your clients and to formulate a legal strategy that makes sense for their cases.
5. The Ability to Get Along with People
Ultimately, being a lawyer is all about acting on people’s behalf. The best attorneys develop the ability to read people (such as jurors and witnesses) and to develop relationships of trust with those they work with.
6. Commitment to Continuing Education
The legal field, like everything else, is constantly changing. The best lawyers commit to staying informed of changing trends in order to better help their clients.
7. Good Judgment
Not only will you need to make reasonable conclusions based on limited knowledge, but you will also need to analyze these judgments carefully for potential weaknesses and to understand the weaknesses in your opponent’s arguments.
8. Strategic Thought
Great lawyers always work out strategies in the best interests of their clients. At times, that may mean putting aside their original goals to fight for what is in the client’s best interest.
9. Perseverance
Do you think it takes a long time and a lot of perseverance to get your law degree? That’s good practice for the profession, in which you will often have to spend many hours working on a case to be successful.
10. Accountability
As a lawyer, you will need to be accountable not only for your own actions, but for your clients’, your firm, and other people you work with. Begin taking on accountability and responsibility now, so to be prepared for your future career.
As you work hard to attain your law degree, don’t forget about working to develop these essential qualities. You won’t learn them in your coursework, but you can nurture them through sustained practice and efforts.