Five Skills Extraordinary Lawyers Possess

As a law student at California Desert Trial Academy College of Law, when you take a break from classes and studying, you may often find yourself daydreaming about what it will be like to become an attorney. You imagine yourself in court, kicking the other side all over the room with your legal prowess and knowledge of the law, not to mention overall charisma and brilliance. And while these are of course all some of the qualities that make up an exceptional lawyer, the reality is that attorneys must possess a wide range of skills to please their clients and the court:

• Analytical thinking – this is a vital skill for any attorney, or anyone with a job related to the law. You should also be able to demonstrate your skills in a courtroom or negotiation setting without letting your emotions get the best of you. Along with this, you should (upon graduating from law school and beginning to work in your field) possess excellent knowledge of the law and legal procedure.
• Oral communication skills – obviously these are critical in the courtroom as you must orate eloquently in front of both the judge and jury. There are many other capacities in which you will need to have great communication skills though, from negotiations to other forms of dispute resolution like mediations.
• Writing skills – you may enter school with strong writing skills overall but later realize there is a great deal of challenge in legal writing, as well as in writing so that those without a law degree (or an impending one) can understand what you are saying. Attorneys are often hired to do something as simple as writing a letter just to issue a legal threat, and in these instances especially the verbiage must be easy to read.
• Good business sense – this is important for attorneys who are hanging out their own shingle. You must learn to be a whiz at legal marketing, targeting your client base, purchasing the correct types of advertising, managing social media for yourself and your firm, and hiring a solid group of employees (to include receptionists, paralegals, and other attorneys). If you are working in a non-profit or governmental capacity, marketing strategies are probably the last thing on your list, and the clientele is probably not lacking in numbers.
• Interpersonal skills – although you may have days that will be exhausting, trying, and people-filled, if you have mastered strong interpersonal skills, you will have a much easier time building lasting social relationships with the people around you. Work on enjoying teamwork, being a good listener, motivating others and demonstrating empathy when necessary, as well as having lots and lots of … patience.

Our mission at CDTA College of Law is to educate, train, and develop extraordinary legal advocates. Your legal education will be comprised of bar-tested academic subjects, skills training, and values reinforcement. Upon completion of your four-year course of study you will be fully qualified to take and pass the California Bar examination. Call us today at (760) 342-0900 or find out more online here.