What Are the Common Qualities of a Lawyer?

You can find more than 1.3 million lawyers in this country, each specializing in specific branches of law.

Different specialties separate attorneys into different categories, but that's not the only difference. All lawyers are not equal. Some are great at what they do, while others aren't as good.

Good ones have specific features and qualities that make them more successful in their jobs. What qualities of a lawyer make one a good one?

Here is a list of the qualities that lawyers possess that help them become successful.

Intelligence

Becoming a lawyer requires going to law school. Before getting into law school, you must complete a four-year college program and earn a degree. Next, you must take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT).

The LSAT test isn't simple. It's a test of logical thinking, and it requires intelligence. Therefore, a person must be intelligent to go to law school and be a successful lawyer.

You must be smart to learn and understand the law. Additionally, you need intelligence to win cases and settle matters. Therefore, one quality of a good lawyer is intelligence.

Great Communication Skills

Next, successful lawyers have great communication skills. Communicating is not only explaining the law to people. Instead, it's also listening to what people say and reading between the lines.

It's understanding what people are trying to say when they aren't sure of the legal terminology. Then, a lawyer must decipher the words to determine the best course of action.

Lawyers also need great communication skills in the courtroom as they converse with other attorneys, judges, and clients. In addition, they cross-examine witnesses and talk with prosecutors.

Organized

Another top quality of a lawyer is organizational skills. Lawyers must be organized, as they typically handle heavy caseloads.

A lawyer might have multiple cases occurring simultaneously, and they must be able to keep the facts straight for each one.

Many attorneys use various lawyer supplies, such as exhibit tabs, to stay organized. If you're operating as a lawyer and need to improve your organization, you can check out https://legalsupply.com/exhibit-tabs.

You might also need vinyl folders, file folders, and legal writing pads. Having the right supplies is one of the best ways to stay organized as an attorney.

You can also stay organized by spending enough time straightening out your documents. Lawyers must take notes to remember details and record these properly.

Critical Thinking

Attorney success is dependent on a lawyer's critical thinking skills. Critical thinking is one of the most valuable qualities of a lawyer.

Critical thinkers are excellent at evaluating the information they hear. They take the details and make connections. They aim to draw logical conclusions from the information they have, and they use this to build cases.

For example, an attorney will gather evidence about a case and then spend time analyzing it. The lawyer will know what to research and how to find facts to use in the court case.

Critical thinking skills are imperative for lawyers.

Persuasive

Another one of the top attorney qualities to look for is persuasion. A good lawyer is persuasive. Being persuasive is a valuable tool that lawyers use during court cases.

In fact, they need this quality when handling cases with juries. They must present the facts, evidence, and information to the jury in a way that persuades them to believe this information.

Persistent

A good lawyer is also persistent. Persistence is a trait that stops a person from giving up. Giving up too quickly is not a good quality during legal cases.

After all, if you give up quickly and without a fight, you're basically forfeiting.

As a result, successful lawyers possess persistence. They don't give up. Instead, they keep fighting, trying, digging, and searching.

As the saying goes, "persistence pays off." Persistent lawyers tend to get the best results for their clients. Therefore, good lawyers demonstrate this crucial quality.

Argumentative

Being argumentative isn't a great trait to have in life and relationships, but it's essential for attorneys. An argumentative person is good at countering things people say. They're good at rebuttals.

A lawyer must have these skills for success. For example, a lawyer will cross-examine witnesses in court battles. If the lawyer isn't argumentative, they may accept what the witnesses say without rebutting their testimonies.

As a result, lawyers might fail to get their points across to the jurors or judges.

Passionate

Passion is another common trait that successful attorneys demonstrate. A passionate lawyer cares about the job, clients, and cases, and passion is something you'll see when you initially meet with a lawyer.

A lawyer's passion comes through their personality, conversations, and advice.

Passion ignites people and interests people. It's energy that everyone around sees and understands, and it's a vital trait for success in the legal field.

Calm and Composed

Most of the traits listed so far symbolize energy and strong qualities, but the last trait is slightly different. Good lawyers need to be calm and composed. While this seems opposite to the other traits, it's extremely vital.

A calm and composed person doesn't get riled up easily or quickly. They don't spout words without thinking. They don't get angry or upset.

Instead, being calm and composed lets you state how you feel without spewing the wrong things or looking bad.

Find These Qualities of a Lawyer When Hiring One

Finding these qualities of a lawyer in the one you hire can help you with your legal battles and issues. If you need an attorney for any reason, you might want to interview a few lawyers before selecting one.

You need the right lawyer for the job, so take your time finding one and make sure they have these qualities.

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