Key Skills for New Attorneys

Litigation is hard. Being a jerk makes it harder. But since it takes two to tango in a courtroom, here are five things I teach our young lawyers about litigation soft skills: 1. In the beginning of a case, pick up the phone. Introduce yourself if you’ve never had a case together. Catch up if you have. By the way, this helps immensely with number two… 2. Ask what the other side needs. Let’s be honest, both sides would almost always rather a case settle vs. go to trial. What does the other side need to help you talk to your client and make that happen? Is it an expert report? To depose your client? To have their client be deposed and get a taste of what cross-examination might be like? To rattle some sabres so an adjuster can save some face? Good lawyers don’t hide the damn ball. 3. Send your discovery requests as a pdf and a word doc. You know you’re going to get asked the word version, just send it. Even if the lawyer doesn’t care, their paralegal appreciates it. This goes further than you’d think. 4. When the case is over, send the check (defense) and return the release plaintiff (promptly). If you can’t do this, let the other side know why. 5. Have coffee, lunch, or a beer after trials. Talk about your families, hobbies, and your next vacation; do not post mortem the case. There is power in broken bread. If you are both young, you might have cases for the next 40 years. Lawyers have long memories. Think about that before you fire off your snarky email or attach theirs as an exhibit to a motion.

In law school, everything feels high-stakes. Your GPA, your class rank, where you summered. It’s drilled into you that these things define your future. But here’s the truth: as a practicing lawyer—and later, as a law firm owner and partner—no one ever asked me where I went to school or what my rank was. What has mattered? Emotional intelligence Confidence Self-awareness Being a strong communicator and advocate Caring deeply about your clients and outcomes Being a lifelong learner Creating a personal brand Marketing yourself Generating business Understanding sales Simplifying complex legal issues so people can understand their rights Being resourceful—knowing how to figure things out, who to call, and how to get it done Grades matter, but the things that truly set great lawyers apart often aren’t taught in law school. Let’s talk about those skills more. #LawyerLife #LegalMarketing #EmotionalIntelligence #PersonalBranding #LawSchoolTruths #LeadershipInLaw #GrowthMindset #ResourcefulAF #RealWorldSkills #LegalBusiness

Yesterday, I spoke with the GC of a massive public company about what differentiates good in-house attorneys from great ones. "𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 in this job knows the law", he said. It's about what comes 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 that baseline. Specifically, it's about the ability to build relationships that drive business forward. 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞'𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝐢𝐭'𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐭 𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞. 𝐈𝐭'𝐬 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐬𝐨𝐟𝐭 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐫 𝐞𝐱𝐚𝐦 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐩 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐟𝐨𝐫. Soft skills as seemingly simple as clear communication and being personable. In-house, your law degree is just table stakes. The top performers are the ones who can blend legal expertise with people skills and business acumen.