Lawyers
have existed since ancient times, developing rules in an attempt to maintain
peace and order in communities. Today, lawyers can be found all over the world.
What does it take to be successful in this demanding field? Some of the
qualities top lawyers have include:
Analytical Skills:
A
great lawyer has excellent analytical skills and is able to readily make sense
of a large volume of information.
Creativity:
A
great lawyer is creative and able to think of reasonable solutions when
problems and unique situations arise.
Research Skills:
Preparing
a legal strategy generally requires an extensive amount of research. Anyone
involved in the legal profession should have excellent research skills to be
able to find and comprehend pertinent information.
Interpersonal Skills:
Great
lawyers and paralegals have excellent interpersonal skills and can develop
trusting relationships with everyone they work with.
Logical
Thinking Ability:
A great lawyer is able to think logically and make reasonable
judgments and assumptions based on information presented.
Perseverance:
Those
working in the legal profession must have perseverance. Often, cases require
many hours of work with heavy research and lots of writing. A good lawyer or
legal assistant must be willing to put in the time it takes to get the job
done.
Public Speaking
Skills:
A
great lawyer has excellent public speaking skills and is comfortable addressing
a courtroom. They can also easily handle speaking in front of other groups.
Pursues Continuing
Education:
Great
lawyers stay on top of developments in the legal field and also pursue
continuing training. In fact, 48 states require lawyers to earn continuing
education credits annually.
Reading Comprehension
Skills:
Lawyers,
paralegals, and other legal professionals should have strong reading
comprehension skills to easily understand the complex information encountered
in legal research and documents.
Writing Skills:
A
great lawyer or legal assistant has excellent writing skills which are used in
preparing compelling arguments, briefs, motions, and other legal documents.