Of course you have asked yourself “what does it mean to be a good lawyer?” But above all, “how can I become a better lawyer?”
Law is a charming profession. However, it is a profession that requires great responsibility, because if not it can become a real nightmare Law notes. Now, being a lawyer is something that has traditionally been well regarded, mainly by families where parents encouraged their children to study this career, since this could mean prestige and a promising future. In other cases, the strong influence of Hollywood cinema made the idea of this profession romantic and, thus, lawyers have always had the respect of society in general, even in stereotypes they highlight abilities such as energy, sense of ethics or glibness, which have also built that perception.
If you are a lawyer or are about to study this profession, it is likely that you have been attracted to cult film characters such as Wilfrid Roberts played by Charles Laughton in the film ‘Witness for the Prosecution’ (1957) or the film ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ ( 1962) where Atticus Finch, played by Gregory Peck , is the lawyer in charge of defending a black man who is accused of rape. After these classics, during the 80s actors like Paul Newman stood out playing a lawyer in the film ‘ The Verdict’ (1982), another great film, starring the famous actor Tom Hanks , is ‘Philadelphia’ (1993) where the Young lawyer Andrew is fired from a major law firm for contracting AIDS and he decides to sue the company for this unfair dismissal .
Although not everything is drama, there are also comedy films about lawyers like Jim Carrey and his character Fletcher Reede in ‘Liar, Liar’ (1997), a lawyer who is forced to reflect on the meaning of his profession.
Now, not everything ends here, movies abound but with the rise of digital platforms, series are not far behind, since characters like Saul Goodman starring Bob Odenkirk is Walter White ‘s unique lawyer in the famous American series ‘Breaking Bad’, which gained a lot of strength as a character and the prequel ‘ Better call Saul’ was made , as well as other famous series with the same theme, one of them ‘How to defend a murderer’ starring Viola Davis , who is the teacher of a group of law students, among others.
Obviously, reality transcends fiction and although these characters look very convincing and effective, the truth is that they are just an inspiration, since every day real lawyers fight and defend their clients until the end to win their cases, well Well, now let’s go to the key question: What are the characteristics of a lawyer?
Make a Difference
In the world of law, competition is often a fierce field. Well-qualified lawyers are plentiful and are looking for the best way to reach their clients. Both Madrid and Barcelona, two of the largest cities in Spain, are where there is a greater concentration of demand and supply of these services.
But this does not mean that this does not happen in small cities, since, in cases like Valladolid, a city of 300,000 inhabitants, it has at least 1,601 lawyers, which is why Dean Jesús Verdugo spoke about the disproportion of lawyers in the country compared to other European countries. For this reason, making a difference will take your profession to another level.
Legal Marketplaces
Just as we mentioned before, making a difference will make you stand out when it comes to reaching your clients, but knowing advocacy is not the only thing, it is also important to have knowledge in the world of marketing, which will allow you to sell yourself better, know where your customers and what is the best way to reach them. Although it is something additional, technology gives you many tools that will allow you to attract your clients online or legal marketplaces like this one, Melendos , which allow you to make it easier to search for clients through the web. Remember that the Internet is a boom and a market where people are increasingly turning to look for trusted specialists.
Of course we recommend Melendos , but the idea is that you analyze for yourself and check in more depth what the different legal marketplaces can offer you or you can also look at several websites that do a detailed study on the advantages and disadvantages of these .
In these links you can find some comparisons:
· Marketing for Lawyers: Digital 2g
· Legaltech Guide: Practical Law
One of the qualities that a good lawyer must have and one of the most important is to generate trust with his clients, but how is it achieved? According to some experts on the subject, they point out that with integrity. Because a lawyer must be honest with his clients and close to them to clearly and frankly explain the situation of their case and the possible solutions that he can choose. Obviously some cases can be successful, but others can simply be lost and, even so, the client gets the impression that the lawyer is trustworthy and this will make people speak well of your services, they may even recommend you word of mouth. mouth or on their social networks and most likely when they have another problem, they will not hesitate to contact you again.
Another issue that you should keep in mind is that too much responsibility falls on lawyers and it is in these important cases where you should be closer to your clients. Always bet on firm morality and ensure that the people who come to your office can see these qualities in you and apart from being a great professional, also a sincere friend who will look for the best way to help them solve their problems.
Discussion, persuasion and negotiation
Three fundamental skills that must not be missing to be a good lawyer are: arguing, persuading and negotiating.
The way of arguing is the basis of this job. At the moment when the two opposing versions of the case come into play, it is necessary to discuss which version may be the real one. In these cases is where the lawyer will be an excellent discussant and not only on legal issues, he will also be able to discuss current issues, whether they are topics of gastronomy, cinema or any other. It is about knowing and being able to express your opinions in a polite and coherent way, being able to discuss your point of view with another person without falling into stubbornness. Clearly, this does not mean that you have to agree.
Now, the second factor is persuasion. The lawyer’s job at this moment will be to convince his opponents, which is the other party to the trial, the jury, the judge, the court, etc., that his version of the facts is the most accurate. Here the lawyer’s ability to argue comes into play, since persuading requires solidity in speech and showing others that you have the correct logical development of your ideas. This is one of the innate skills of some lawyers, however it can also be acquired over time in practice. Well, the important thing is that you put this into practice, at all times and places, whether with your friends, at a family dinner, while reading the news or at the bar, testing your ability to persuade and thus, at the moment By going to trials you will have more security.
Lastly and not least, lawyers must be good negotiators because in many cases they must sit at the table and propose common interests to avoid going to court, for example in divorces or marital separations, even in labor disputes. , the lawyer must have the ability to bring together the parties to the case and propose a fair deal, but obviously always thinking about the benefit of his client. For this it can be helpful to have a friendly personality and also listen to the other versions.
Patience
Much of the lawyer’s job is dedicated to waiting. Lawyers must wait for a date to be set for an oral hearing, wait to receive the documentation they requested or wait for the resolution of the cases…Patience is an important quality that lawyers will need so as not to despair while waiting. It will also be important to know how to take advantage of the downtime to make the most of the work and dedicate yourself to better preparing the cases, writing the new documentation in the best way or reanalyzing a case to give it a new focus.
At times, lawyers’ workdays can exceed eight hours. It is a quite absorbing job, one of those where you carry your briefcase everywhere and where the cases will not leave your head until they are resolved.
However, and for your own health, one of the virtues of a lawyer is having the ability to disconnect from his or her work. Well, a burned-out professional is not going to perform in the best way and his work, prestige and perhaps even family life may be affected. For this reason, and although it may sound complicated, a good lawyer is capable of setting the limits of his work day and his personal life, and as much as possible try not to confuse them.
What we have told you previously must also be combined with the ability to have emotional strength. On the one hand, you should not despair when a case has not turned out as you wanted, much less reject or place barriers to clients who come to your office in situations that you would normally reject. In those moments, remember your professionalism and the mission that the job entails, helping the client even if you know that he is guilty. Leaving the emotional part aside and working for the good of this person who has trusted you is your mission.
Of course, you are able to give up certain cases, either because your ethics do not allow it or because there is not a good feeling between you and the client, or because it is simply impossible for you to empathize with that person. Of course, when you decide to accept a case, your passionate side cannot dominate you (whether you are in favor of the victim or the executioner) but you must commit to the person until the end of the legal consequences. Commitment is always highly valued regardless of the final conclusion of the case.
Great capacity for work and order
Other qualities that your clients most appreciate are having a great capacity for work and being organized. First of all it is the organization. What would you think if you came to a consultation with your doctor and he had all the papers messy and everywhere, it was even difficult for him to find your history? Well, a client will value order when he arrives at your office to make a good impression and have your documents organized and your desk clear.
Furthermore, as a lawyer, you will have to read many texts daily about your work. Although oral communication is essential, written communication is also essential for the lawyer. In your daily work you must be able to write different documents a day, writings, allegations, contracts or perhaps resources, so it is essential that among your qualities and virtues you write legibly and with structured ideas, as well as having the language appropriate legal basis that the case requires.
These are some of the characteristics that will help you be a natural worker. A tireless person, who can handle all the work that comes to his office (of course, keeping the measures and limits, so as not to exceed himself) and always has a big smile. Never downplay the power of willpower and optimism, as these can be what allows your clients to stay by your side.
Persist until you meet your goals
You probably already know that persistence is a virtue in almost all jobs. So, you should not give up at the first change but make an effort, always have that ability to see how to channel a case that is probably going down a bad path. Acquire the ability not to give up and look for a way to find alternatives. Put aside worries about failing or losing, if you are doing a good job you will not have to reproach yourself and surely your client will not either, since they will have seen that you have made an effort with perseverance for the common goal.
The job of a lawyer involves many setbacks, but it happens to everyone in their jobs, because perfection does not exist. However, the big difference is those people who have the ability to recover from their failures and, with the knowledge acquired, try again.
Lastly, enjoy what you do.
In general, this is advice for everyone but it includes the lawyer’s profession as well. Psychologists point out that this is the key to a good job, being happy in what you are doing. This may sound cliché but that does not mean that it is important and very true. When you enjoy, you live your vocation in a different way, knowing how to appreciate every moment. Thus, waiting will not be complicated but part of the process, defeats will be learning and cases won will be the perfect formula for your happiness.
As we have told you before, it is important that you stand out, since there is a lot of competition. Well, if you bring together all these qualities and others, such as having extensive knowledge in certain topics, or great experience in a specific topic, it will make it much easier for you to prosper as a lawyer even though there is competition.