What makes a great lawyer? Is it intelligence, good people skills, effective writing? Five traits that make a lawyer stand above the rest.
Table of contents
- 1. Compassion: One of the Many Qualities of Successful Lawyers
- 2. Ability to Listen: Essential Communication Skills
- 3. Assertiveness, Not Aggressiveness: Key to Effective Legal Practice
- 4. Creativity in Complex Cases
- 5. Perseverance
- Five More Traits That Make You Even a Better Lawyer!
- 1. Technical Skills
- 2. Continuous Learning and Flexibility
- 3. Time Management and Organization
- 4. Client Relationships
- 5. Networking
What makes a great lawyer? Is it intelligence, good people skills, effective writing? Of course, we must have a certain level of intelligence and motivation, along with experience and opportunities. Attending law school is a crucial step for aspiring lawyers. Acquiring strong legal knowledge is essential for effective legal practice. But the truth is, the traits that transform a good lawyer into a great lawyer may not be the ones you think.
Here are five traits that make a lawyer — or any person — stand above the rest. Cultivating these traits provides the opportunity to really understand the issues and offer effective solutions.
1. Compassion: One of the Many Qualities of Successful Lawyers
Compassion is an emotional response whereby one perceives another’s problem and authentically, genuinely wants to help resolve the problem. This is part of what lawyers do: People come to us with their problems, or to avoid future problems, and we help resolve or avoid the issues, whichever the case may be. If you practice business law, tax law or in any area that is not particularly “emotional,” you may not think that compassion is important to your practice. But it is. The compassionate lawyer focuses on how others feel and is accepting of their perspective, whether or not he ultimately agrees with it. Successful attorneys use compassion to effectively understand and resolve client issues.
Compassion is the foundation for good people skills. Without compassion, you cannot put yourself in your client’s shoes or fully understand the issues your client faces. Without compassion, you cannot understand your adversary’s position, anticipate what she will do, and take pre-emptive steps to benefit your client. Without it, you cannot provide the best solutions.
2. Ability to Listen: Essential Communication Skills
Effective communication skills are essential to good lawyering. One of the most important aspects of communication is listening. Of course, what we say, how we say it and when we say it are important. But we can only do it right if we listen first. Listen to your clients. Listen to your adversaries, your colleagues, and the judges. As lawyers, we must take in much information, analyze and synthesize it, and exercise good judgment to provide advice to our clients. It starts with listening. Practicing law presents numerous challenges and rewards, making it a demanding yet fulfilling career for those who excel.
3. Assertiveness, Not Aggressiveness: Key to Effective Legal Practice
I often hear people say, “She’s not aggressive enough to be an effective lawyer.” That’s not right. You don’t need to be aggressive — though you must be assertive. Assertive lawyers state their opinions and make themselves heard while remaining respectful of others. Aggressive lawyers attack or ignore others’ opinions in favor of their own.
Much like those who lack compassion, overly aggressive lawyers cannot understand another’s position when it varies from their client’s position. That makes them ineffective at understanding the problem and thus incapable of providing an effective solution. Even more detrimental, overly aggressive lawyers act without respect for others. This damages interpersonal relationships, ultimately leading to an uncooperative environment that makes resolution or agreement impossible. A successful lawyer balances assertiveness with respect for others, ensuring effective communication and collaboration.
4. Creativity in Complex Cases
We need to be creative to find real solutions to the issues our clients face. Each matter is unique; each client must be handled differently, and each solution carefully crafted. While on the whole we lawyers are a rather risk-averse group, we must learn to think outside the box. The best way to create unique solutions is to approach each situation with compassionate listening, which enables you to really understand the issues and what the client and the adversary need. That level of understanding can lead to long-lasting solutions that work for all interested parties. Stalemates often arise when opposing counsel fails to approach the matter with compassionate listening and, instead, becomes unnecessarily aggressive. Don’t be that deal-breaker.
5. Perseverance
Success is achieved with perseverance. We must keep working, keep trying and keep going. We must be able to walk away when things are not working, take a break and come back fresh and ready to “fight,” negotiate, or whatever the matter requires.
Five More Traits That Make You Even a Better Lawyer!
1. Technical Skills
In today’s legal profession technical ability is key. A good lawyer needs to be able to use legal software, research tools and other technology to practice law effectively. Keeping up to date with the latest technology is essential for lawyers to be competitive and efficient.
Technical ability allows lawyers to manage their workload, communicate with clients and produce well reasoned legal documents. These can be developed through formal education, training and hands on experience. A good lawyer needs to be able to apply their technical ability to navigate the legal system and deliver high quality services.
2. Continuous Learning and Flexibility
The legal profession is always changing so continuous learning and flexibility are essential for good lawyers. Keeping up to date with changes in the law, tech and industry is key to being competitive and delivering good legal services.
A good lawyer must be able to think on their feet, be critical and solve complex problems. This flexibility helps with the ever changing legal landscape and building trust with clients and reputation. Continuous learning can be through formal education, training and practical experience.
3. Time Management and Organization
Time management and organization are the building blocks of a good legal career. Lawyers often have multiple cases and deadlines to manage so prioritising tasks and being productive is key. Good time management and organization skills allow lawyers to deliver high quality services, build trust with clients and reputation.
A good lawyer must balance work and personal life which means managing time. These skills can be developed through practice, training and experience. Using technology and other tools can also help you stay organised and manage time.
4. Client Relationships
Building client relationships is the foundation for good lawyers. Good communication, understanding client needs and emotional support are the key parts of a good lawyer client relationship. Trust, confidentiality and good services are the bedrock of those relationships.
Client relationships build a lawyer’s reputation, client loyalty and bring in new clients. Lawyers can develop these relationships through empathy, good communication and understanding the client’s needs. Managing client expectations, regular updates and open communication are key practices.
5. Networking
Networking is a key part of a good legal career. Building relationships with other professionals, clients and referrers can make a big difference to a lawyer’s success. Good communication, trust building and a good reputation are key to networking.
Networking helps lawyers build relationships with opposing counsel, judges and other lawyers. It’s key to being competitive, building a good reputation and a successful career. By investing in networking lawyers can grow their practice and long term success.
Now go out there and be one of those great lawyers!
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