Contrary to what most people think simply being good at arguing is just not going to cut it if you want to become a lawyer. There are a few characteristics that every lawyer must have if they hope to be successful in their careers.
Good interpersonal skills
The work delivered by a lawyer is predominantly client centred. In order to maintain a good professional relationship with your client you need to make your client comfortable in your presence. In the case of criminal lawsuits, they need to be able to be comfort table talking about their emotions as well. Estate planning lawyers need to be good at gently asking personal and sensitive questions so that you will not come across as offensive and inquisitive.
Reading between and beyond the lines
The most important duty of a lawyer is to help the client get what they want. This can sometimes be a problem, because people don’t always tell you the whole story. Sometimes this is because they are embarrassed and sometimes because they think it would be irrelevant. As a person well-versed in law you would have a better understanding of what is relevant and what is not, so should be able to gently guide your client through every discussion.
Being able to read body language will definitely be a plus. This way you will know if your client is lying or uncomfortable or holding back information. By understanding what your client needs you can build your case in way they will get exactly what they want.
A good memory and analytical skills
A lawyer needs to be able to absorb large amounts of details and analyse their relevance to the case at hand. Sometimes this needs to be done in a limited time frame. Imagine what would happen to you if the lawyer representing the other party throws in a piece of evidence that incriminates your client. If you are good you should be able to think of a way that you could, at least temporarily, save face.
Build a good argument
This is where all your knowledge and the years of training come in handy. Good arguing skills refer to the ability to process information rapidly and express your opinion in a manner that the audience understands. Ultimately your argument should be able to do your client justice.
Ask the right questions
It is important to be able to ask the right question from your clients as well as from the opposing party and witnesses in order to build a proper case. During delicate operations like conveyancing Melbourne Suburbs you need to ask the right questions to draft proper documents that will not have any loopholes that can be exploited at a later time.
Even during a trial you need to present your questions to the witness in such a way that you will get the answer you require. Of course, this must be done in accordance with accepted ethics.
These skills are just the tip of the ice berg. Most of them can be acquired with experience.
