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Speak Up! - View Question #312 |
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Question: What skills to Lawyers need?
Answer: First, lawyers need to be able to speak and write clearly. Most of the practice of law is conducted by speaking or writing to other people, so a strong ability with language is very important.
Second, lawyers need to be able to think logically. The practice of law is really all about interpreting how the laws will apply to a particular case and this is done through a process of logical thinking that is learned in law school.
Third, lawyers need to be good at dealing with people. Much of what a lawyer does is talking to people, negotiating and building relationships. So 'people skills' are very important to lawyers.
What lawyers don't necessarily need is to be strong-willed or tough-minded. Contrary to what you may see in the movies, most successful lawyers don't get that way by yelling at people or bossing others around. Most good lawyers are well liked by their clients and other lawyers.
Finally, from an educational standpoint, here's what you need to become a lawyer:
-A bachelor's degree from a university or college,
-A Juris Doctor degree in law from a law school, and
-To pass the Bar Examination in the state in which you want to work.
It takes about eight years after the end of high school to become a lawyer
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