Being a really good lawyer is not as simple as many think. You will quickly figure out that this is difficult and the truth is that there are some qualities that you need to have. If you really want to succeed, here are some qualities you should always focus on. According to Jonathan Bunge, potential new US attorney, these qualities can be harnessed and constantly improved.
Really Good Communication Skills
Every single good lawyer has to be a goof communicator. He needs to have communication skills that are strong, he should be orally articulate and needs to be a very involved listener. You can only argue in a convincing matter as you are in the courtroom if you have proper public speaking skills. These communication skills are gained when you are constantly involved in activities like public speaking or mooting. A lawyer should always write concisely, persuasively and clearly. This is also something that can be taught.
Drawing Good Judgments
The best lawyers are the ones that can draw logical and reasonable assumptions or conclusions from information that is sometimes really limited. Thinking critically and anticipating various weakness areas that could appear in an argument will help out a lot in developing very good cases for the clients represented. At the same time, the lawyer has to see the potential weaknesses that appear in the argument of the opposition. Decisiveness is basically crucial.
Strong Analytical Skills
Law practice and studying will always involve taking in a lot of information. That information needs to be distilled and has to become something that is logical and manageable. There are so many cases when we are faced with multiple reasonable conclusions. In others there are many precedents that are applicable. The lawyer has to be able to evaluate what the best step is so that a proper choice is made during trial.
Really Strong Research Skills
One of the main reasons why the large law firms are successful is that they have many employees that work at researching information for the attorney that will present the case. Any lawyer needs to be able to research in an effective way and do it as fast as possible. This is vital for understanding clients, needs and building proper legal strategies. When you prepare the strategy you have to understand and find huge blocks of data. You then get to distil them and end up with something that is useful and simple.
Having People Skills
Contrary to popular belief, law is not at all abstract. Every single lawyer is going to work with people, will represent people and choices that are made are going to affect the lives of people. It is really important that you are persuasive, personable and that you can read people. You can thus judge reactions and how honest witnesses are. Having really strong people skills is important since it helps a lot in deciding on a really good approach that would lead towards a desired outcome. Without people skills a lot of information can be missed.