If you are thinking about being a lawyer or if you are concerned because you don’t quite know if you have what it takes to go all the way then you have nothing to worry about. Being a lawyer does require a lot of work, but if you are willing to do your best and put the effort in then there is no reason why you can’t go out and achieve your dream.
You’re Good with People
When you are a lawyer, you will need to work with people on a daily basis. This includes clerks, judges and even other attorneys as well. You really do need to be a people person if you want to succeed here. Some lawyers may always have their clients’ best interest at heart but they are really only able to ensure this if they are able to settle or change the direction of a case before it reaches court. If you want to work as a divorce lawyer then you need to be able to handle a client’s divorce while also working fairly with each side. You need to put the work in to try and reach a fair settlement for both parties and this can be hard if you are emotionally involved in the case. People skills are again, crucial here and it can make a huge difference to your success as a lawyer or a consultant solicitor.
Debating & Persuading Others
It’s all about your speaking, presentation and debating skills. Undeniably, these skills are required than good-to-have. If you love yourself speak and you have the power to influence others, you’re going to love your new career as a lawyer. If you are able to persuade others then you will probably be a great lawyer. Being a lawyer isn’t about loving arguments and it isn’t about battling it out with other people as well. The main, solid trait of a good attorney is that they are able to convince and work with others to the point where they can see their side. You also need to have very good writing skills as well, as this can make a huge difference when you are trying to win a case.
Disciplined
Being a lawyer does require a ton of discipline. It doesn’t matter what type of law you want to get into or even whether or not you work at a law firm, because lawyers who are successful all know how to manage their deadlines and they also know how to handle a lot of different projects at any given time as well. When you are a new attorney you will be given some level of training but you will also have to handle a lot of things yourself as well. If you do not have good time management skills then this can make the whole thing even more difficult and it may also mean that you lose out on your billable hours as well. Sure, there are organisational things that you can do to try and make things easier for yourself in this instance, but at the end of the day, you have to have the discipline required to really sit down and get the job done. That usually means that you end up working way more hours than you originally wanted, but the end result is well worth it.