Practical Skills Required at a Law Firm

Introduction:

The biggest opportunities for lawyers and law students are no doubt in the commercial practice of law, be it in a law firm or corporate litigation. Many law students dream of getting a top law firm job but after all, there are thousands of law students and only so many law firms. Like any other career, a successful legal career is built on having the right skills. There are a number of key skills that law firms look for when selecting candidates, there are some who have it and some who don’t. The skills you need for your ideal career are something that you can work on and develop over time. As they say: practice makes a man perfect! These are a few important skills which a law firm look for in future lawyers:

1. Communication

To any successful lawyer communication skill, both oral and written are very important and it’s all up to you to show this at each and every stage and without this, you will struggle to carry out your duties effectively. You can expect daily interactions with numerous different colleagues and clients on the phone, in person or via email so the ability to adapt their communication style is vital.

Written ability is equally important as you’ll involve writing documents such as motions, briefs, letter to clients or drafting contracts and agreements for which you need to know the technical and legal language.[1] You must be able to convey information in a clear and concise manner. Excellent listening ability is also important when working with clients. Every client has a different situation, you need to listen carefully to the details and decide what action needs to be taken.[2]

You can use these following ways to improve your communication:

            1. Go for mock interviews, CV making session etc.

            2. Get involved in theater or debating society in your college.

            3. Take part in activities such as mooting, MUN and general public speaking which increases confidence and sociability.[3]

2. Commercial Awareness

Commercial awareness crops up everywhere and It basically means possessing knowledge of current affairs in local, national and world business, particularly any issues that impact a law firm and its clients. Law firms look for candidates who have a genuine interest in how businesses work and how this may affect the clients you will be working with. They will want to see your evidence of big picture so be prepared to be kept up with the current affairs in business as you can expect to be asked your views at the interview stage. Clients expect their lawyers to understand their business and the factors which might affect them in the short and long terms.[4]

You can improve your commercial awareness by:

1. By reading articles and opinions from a wide range of news resources.
2. keep track of developments across the business world: new deals, changing international legislation and emerging global markets.
3. Join industry forums and attend seminars.
4. Listening to the podcast and radio shows such as BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.

3. Research Skills

Lawyers will spend a lot of time digging around in archives and reading up on old cases. Research skills include reading and comprehending large volumes of complex information in a short time, understanding facts, figures, and charts, and analysing them before making any argument or matter can be used later.

Research skills should be honed early in a lawyer’s career. You must be proficient at statutory interpretation and learn proper legal citation. Researching legal concepts, case laws, judicial opinions, statutes, regulations, and other information are important. you can practice it by making a habit of summarizing important points of a large document or long news articles. This is extremely advantageous when caseloads increase which require more background details, legal document drafting, and prepare advice for clients.[5]

4. Teamwork

An essential part of any job is being capable of working as part of a team and working in the legal sector is no exception. Legal professionals don’t work in a vacuum. Even solo practitioners must rely on support staff and team up with co-counsel, experts, and vendors to deliver services. Teamwork is one of the easiest skill to demonstrate in your interview or CV. Teamwork skills include collaborating with others to reach common goals, as well as coordinating and sharing information and knowledge. Sometimes the work is so big in scale that you can’t work on it by yourself. Entire departments work on a single project or case as it’s important for a lawyer to draw all talent available and bring the best out of whoever they’re working with.[6]

How to develop this skill:

1. Attend meetings, conferences and team events.
2. Getting involved in teams and societies at school and university. This could be a sports team, drama club or choir or get involved with editing the University newspaper or join a debating society. you will gain valuable teamwork skills without even noticing it.

5. Drafting

Drafting includes legal memos, petitions, opinions, contracts or agreements. After graduating and joining a job the seniors assume that you already know how to draft. Some firms and lawyers expect you to do your drafting in different styles. Academic and legal writing are very different. You cannot write lengthy introductions or write philosophies as you to cut to the chase and talk about your issues which will affect your client and various other parties.[7]

6. Organisational Skills

After becoming a lawyer you are going to be very busy. You will be attending courts, researching case files, drafting contracts, meeting clients, networking with legal professionals, conferences to attend and new cases and law to keep up with. The ability to prioritise and remain focused among competing priorities is essential and that’s why organisational skills are so important. If you can show that you can arrange your time to juggle between different activities, this is a very positive sign to a law firm. It will show that you can maintain both paper and electronic files in a readable, easily accessible system, manage projects, keep track of deadlines, schedule meetings, and even organize events when needed. To demonstrate it you could mention how you helped organise any event, held a part-time job or membership of a society committee while studying.[8]

7. Creative Problem Solving

Creating a problem-solving is very crucial. Lawyers work in a very complex and dynamic world which often requires the best course of action which isn’t always the easiest or most obvious. you’ll frequently have to think outside the box to get the job done. Being creative allows a lawyer to be flexible and have a wide range of possible solutions. To outmanoeuvre opposing parties and secure a positive result for your client you’ll need to employ your creative thinking and problem-solving skills on an almost daily basis. You can develop this skill by taking part in competitions such as Moot Courts and MUN.[9]

8. Passion for the Firm

It is a very competitive field as being a lawyer is a very rewarding job with many perks. There are numerous law firms out there and law firms know it’s highly unlikely that you’re applying exclusively to them. Whilst you may be academically the best candidate, firms only want those people who are genuinely interested and excited, about working with them. To get your dream job you must demonstrate an eager work ethic and 100% commitment as employers are looking for candidates who will go above and beyond for their law firm. A ‘machine-gun’ approach to sending out your CV and applications may work for a select few, but for others, it is a laborious and time-wasting exercise that may not even bear fruit, therefore only apply to those firms you genuinely want to work for and can know inside out. Passion is best shown through sincerity and an application full of empty statements and declaration of ‘love for the firm’ can be easily seen through.[10] Show them that you understand exactly what they want and what they do and why you want to be a part of their firm.[11]

Conclusion

Develop all these skills, and you’ll be on your way to success in the legal profession. It might seem like a lot to master so think which of these skills need improvement. Is there something which needs immediate attention or long term planning? Make a plan and start working on it. you’ll find that proficiency in one area tends to lead to expertise in another.

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References:

[1] Kane, S. (2008, May 18). Top Legal Skills. Retrieved July 13, 2020, from The Balance Careers website: https://www.thebalancecareers.com/top-ten-legal-skills-2164595

[2] 8 Skills you need for a legal career | Law Absolute. (2019, July 17). Retrieved July 15, 2020, from www.lawabsolute.com website: http://www.lawabsolute.com/recruitment-news/article/8-skills-you-need-for-a-successful-legal-career

[3] Smith, J. (2020, June). 7 skills for a successful law career | Prospects.ac.uk. Retrieved July 14, 2020, from www.prospects.ac.uk website: https://www.prospects.ac.uk/jobs-and-work-experience/job-sectors/law-sector/7-skills-for-a-successful-law-career#:~:text=Strong%20oral%20and%20written%20communication

[4] Baker, K. (2016, January 4). Seven skills that will land you work experience at a law firm. The Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/law/2016/jan/04/seven-skills-that-will-land-you-work-experience-at-a-law-firm

[5] Mixon, B. (2020, July 15). 9 Skills Of A Successful Lawyer – AmazeLaw.com. Retrieved July 16, 2020, from amazelaw website: https://amazelaw.com/9-skills-successful-lawyer/#6_Creativity

[6] Shore, H. (2018, July 26). Lawyer Skills You Need & How to Develop Them. Retrieved July 14, 2020, from The Lawyer Portal website: https://www.thelawyerportal.com/blog/law-skills-develop/

[7] Ramanuj. (2015, August 9). 5 skills you need to get a top law firm job or become a top litigator. Retrieved July 13, 2020, from iPleaders website: https://blog.ipleaders.in/how-to-get-law-firm-job-or-become-a-good-litigator/

[8] McClure, L. (n.d.). 8 Skills For a Successful Legal Career | SkillsYouNeed. Retrieved July 15, 2020, from www.skillsyouneed.com website: https://www.skillsyouneed.com/rhubarb/successful-legal-career.html

[9] Gymer, S. (2019, November 18). 7 qualities every good lawyer should have. Retrieved July 14, 2020, from allaboutlaw.co.uk website: https://www.allaboutlaw.co.uk/stage/becoming-a-lawyer/7-qualities-every-good-lawyer-should-have

[10] Sitarz, L. (2018, March 28). 6 Skills Your Legal Assistant Should Possess. Retrieved July 15, 2020, from www.talentcor.com website: http://www.talentcor.com/blog/6-skills-your-legal-assistant-should-possess

[11] Seven skills that will land you work experience at a law firm. (n.d.). Retrieved July 14, 2020, from www.british-legal-centre.com website: https://www.british-legal-centre.com/part8-seven-skills-that-will-land-you-work-experience-at-a-law-firm