Skills to Be a Lawyer

• Lawyers need good communication skills. Jupiterimages/Comstock/Getty Images

  Prospective lawyers need to master their speaking skills, writing skills and analytical skills. These are skills that can be nurtured through schooling, as well as self-taught through reading and other life experiences. Whether achieved through curricular or extra-curricular activities, these three skills are essential for those aspiring to become a lawyer.

Speaking

• Communication skills are necessary for a good lawyer from the very beginning of a case. A prospective client seeks a lawyer that he would feel comfortable in hiring to take care of a legal matter. At this time, the client conducts an interview of sorts to figure out if the lawyer would be a good fit. The lawyer needs to use his speaking skills to convey that he has the knowledge to competently handle the client's case. In other words, he needs to convince the client of his competence to handle the matter. Then, the lawyer must explain to the client what he should expect from the representation and what steps he will take to handle the matter. The lawyer also needs to interview the client in such a way that elicits relevant details to build a strong case. If the case ever goes to trial, the lawyer needs to be able to speak loudly, clearly and effectively to convince the judge or jury to rule in his client's favor.

Writing

• In law school, prospective lawyers take at least three full semesters of legal research and writing. They also write briefs on cases. Law students don't "take" exams; they write exams. Most law school exams are written in the form of essays. This gives a prospective lawyer much needed practice in writing. A competent lawyer needs to know how to write concisely and persuasively. In practice, a lawyer will need to convince a judge and his staff to rule in his client's favor. Perhaps he has filed a motion for summary judgment with the court and wants the case dismissed. The lawyer would have a hard time convincing the court to grant the motion if he did not have a strong background in writing.

Analytical

• A lawyer also needs to have analytical skills. During law school, prospective lawyers learn how to brief cases, which involves designating the facts, issues and reasoning that the court will use in the deciding the issue. In practice, a lawyer will have a set of facts provided by the client. The lawyer needs to pick out his own issues and analyze them by trying to figure out the kind of legal reasoning the court will use to decide the case. During analysis, the lawyer needs to point out the law that applies to his client's particular case. Then he would need to write a persuasive memorandum or brief to convince the court that his client has a case that should be adjudicated.