The law industry is a highly competitive field. To be successful there are a few essential skills you’ll require, alongside your law degree.These skills can be classified as ‘soft skills’ – they’re transferable which means they are important in many industries, but vital in legal fields.
The following skills can be found naturally in many people, but generally need refining, practising and augmenting in order for them to be used to their fullest potential.
The Friendly Lawyer
Within the legal profession you’ll need to work alongside a variety of clients from different cultures and societal backgrounds, and with colleagues and partners who may have varying perspectives and views.
If you are a barrister you’ll need to encourage close working relationships with clerks and other barristers, especially when working high-profile cases or vast workloads.
Working as part of a team is vital, and to do this effectively you’ll require the necessary ‘people skills’ to ensure you can work with people from any background and at all levels of the legal system or your firm.
The friendly lawyer should be able to:
• Actively listen – listening without judgement, interruption and with the intent of understanding, takes time and effort.
• Remain unbiased – understanding our own biases, how they were formed and why, can lead us to become more open and understanding
• Be approachable – a relaxed, open persona is vital in ensuring that clients and colleagues feel they can discuss issues with you
• Be trustworthy – this is essential when expecting clients to respect your judgement and in order to gain the confidence of others
• Be polite – manners cost nothing but often earn the respect of your team, staff and clients
You can improve your people skills by joining a team, volunteering in the community, or work part-time in a customer facing role.
Commercial Awareness
Commercial awareness is an important attribute for lawyers and will help in understanding current developments, local issues, global topics, and particular problems which relate to your area of expertise or your firm.
You’ll be expected to network with local people and businesses, so an understanding of commercial issues is vital for you to comprehend their problems and requirements.
Clients will want you to empathise with their problems (be they economic, societal or political) and be able to help them strategize long-term issues surrounding their company.
A pragmatic, logical business mind is a valuable asset in law.
Commercial awareness can be improved through;
• Reading specialist websites, social media posts and so on which are specific to your area of expertise or business law in general
• Work experience in a commercial environment
• Industry specific publications and forums can provide helpful insights
• Newspapers such as, The Financial Times or The Economist are worth browsing for information regarding current affairs and economic insights
• Take a gap year to help you understand the finer points of budget management, planning, and international perspectives
It is also advisable to consider professional development training courses that might offer specific tutoring linked to your required speciality, as commercial awareness will be expected from the outset and will usually form part of the interview process during an assessment day, so early preparation is vital.
Communication
Communication is, of course, one of the most valued skills of a lawyer.
Strong written and oral communication talents are required to perform even the most basic of legal tasks and without these you’ll struggle to progress in your chosen field.
In court, you’ll be expected to argue your client’s case and persuade a jury. You’ll need to draft letters in a clear concise way, negotiate and explain terms to clients, and use language which fits the context whether you’re in court, with a business client, or talking with colleagues and partners.
Written skills can be improved by writing for publications (either local newspapers, community pamphlets, or online blogs) while verbal skills can be refined through debating circles, law societies, drama clubs, and so on.
Resilience and Creative Problem Solving
As a lawyer you’ll be frequently expected to think outside the box and employ some creative solutions to problems while maintaining a resilient approach.
At times, you’ll need to follow the least used path in order to outmanoeuvre your opponents, using all your determination and drive to ensure you reach the peak first and secure the best deal or settlement for your client.
A good way to improve these skills is through use of soft skills courses, which offer specific training courses depending upon your needs. For example,
if you want to develop a career in financial law then consider taking a course which specialises in finance training as this will give beneficial insider information.
Work experience is another way of improving your resilience and problem solving abilities. Look for work that involves good time management, business skills, human resources or customer service as these areas are likely to offer more opportunity to refine your skills.
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