1. Analytical
Lawyers are involved in the day-to-day analysis to be able to determine the fundamentals of issues, problems, and cases. Such has to be studied in great depth which is not just the interpretation of facts and motives but trying to gauge the real motives and reasons for crime. And there can be various facets to a single problem, which require careful interpretation. Only when such is done is an issue resolved, questions answered and broken ends mended.
2. Negotiation
As a lawyer, you will be expected to reconcile warring parties, find an amicable solution, or solution to a grievance. You will also have to negotiate your interests and opinions with the client, the court, other lawyers on the bench, and the adversaries. You are the facilitator, in both these instances, in search of common ground. Lawyers are known to be the best negotiators among all professionals. And diplomacy, tact, and sound knowledge make them so. Compromise is key to this.
3. Communication
In the court, at the office, any other job-related area, you have to be an excellent communicator. You are paid and revered for this skill, as this is what puts forth your knowledge in front of the world. You have to be able to put your thoughts into words that are clear and precise.
4. Synthesizing
You have to possess the skill to organize huge amounts of resources, materials, and knowledge. And in a logical, meaningful, and cogent fashion. This is essential because of the complexities that are inherent to law.
5. Counsel
Lawyers not only fight legal battles. They also counsel on legal matters to clients. Such sessions are typically concerned with legal advice – about laws, dictates, partnerships, legal decisions, etc; but boils down to personal life as well. Not all lawyers are good counselors, but with a little dedicated effort, you can be.
6. Logical
You have to think logically and practically. Only then can laws be interpreted in the right way and solutions be formulated. How a single law can be put to various uses and for different issues, depends on your logical thinking capability.
7. People Skills
You should be good at dealing with and handling people – clients, fellow lawyers, witnesses, suspects, etc. Most of the work of a lawyer is about communicating and conversing with people, negotiations, and extraction of facts and figures. To be among people, it is important to know how to win them over to meet the requirements of a case.
8. Time Management
To meet deadlines is foremost. Allotment of time to study and research, for the case in hand, for other professional activities and events, and for personal life is significant. The life of a lawyer is so busy that you will be unable to devote time to every engagement and activity unless you are an effective time manager.
9. Attentive
Attentive to even the minutest of details is needed to excel as a lawyer and solve the trickiest of issues. Details that others may have overlooked or not paid heed to if noticed by you will certainly upgrade your net value.
10. Ethics
Ethics is the founding stone. You have to decide what is it that you stand for, what is your ulterior objective, and where you will draw the line. Your popularity, reverence in the market, and value are dependent on your value system, and how you stand up for them.
