Essential Legal Skills for Attorneys

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Legal positions demand a wide scope of tasks and responsibilities. Competent attorneys work as logical strategists who assess challenging situations and represent their client’s best interests. However, they also require the physical stamina to engage in passionate discussion and sometimes need to empathize with their client, even if they don’t always agree with them. In general, attorneys must adopt a variety of occupational skills to succeed.

Effective Communication

Attorneys must persuade their client and strongly advocate a specific cause. They must communicate information clearly and succeed in settling negotiations. Lawyers often need to file litigation paperwork, whether to establish a pleading or motion. Organized, concise prose that conforms to proper grammar and writing mechanics is also important. Good lawyers also listen to their clients, who may feel distressed and helpless during a legal proceeding that can come across as complicated and intimidating.

Logic and Research Skills

workers compensation attorney Oregon must look over their client’s compensation claim, their employer’s injury report and wage verification form and requests for a hearing. They must logically draw inferences and base their consultation on them. Attorneys must also research and interpret laws, rulings and regulations. A bankruptcy attorney with good research skills would be able to distinguish the difference between a Chapter 7 and Chapter 11 claim. Being able to interpret arguments and establish effective counterarguments if necessary is an understated, but essential aspect of the job.

Independence and Initiative

Attorneys who fail to take responsibility over their clients may be fired or disbarred. An effective lawyer will take their client’s side without fear of political influence. They will work to establish a solid argument aimed to achieve a calculated solution beneficial to the client, who often struggle to represent themselves. Attorneys to develop initiative so they don’t make incompetent decisions. They cannot afford to make careless mistakes that would damage their reputation.

The attorney must serve their clients without giving into unfavorable compromise. There are several skills attorneys need to succeed in the workplace. They must have good communication skills and make inferences from paperwork. Attorneys must also work independently and without influence.