Practice and Practical Skills

Practical Skills: An Introduction

The practical skills required of lawyers include the ability to research and analyze legal issues, write creatively and persuasively, think abstractly and strategically, negotiate and mediate disputes, and communicate effectively and professionally with clients and other legal professionals.  Further, lawyers are required to have strong organizational and time-management skills, in addition to the ability of working well under pressure and meeting deadlines.  These skills begin in law school and continue throughout a lawyer's career. 

The practical skills discussed in this guide are not a complete accounting of all the skills one needs as they prepare for employment.  But the information provided here does provide a useful overview of spheres that are pertinent when preparing for practice, such as navigating law school, legal writing, and work/life balance.  By providing an overview of practical skills, the information provided in this guide will help streamline and elucidate some of the skills required for lawyers in both traditional and non-traditional settings.