Make sure you have a clear grasp of all of the pertinent facts before you form your conclusion. Don’t always rely on your client to tell you everything up front. Clients often will not volunteer information because they don’t know what is important and what is not. Ask the questions that are necessary to find out the information that you need.
Clarify the facts of your case. Identify the legal issue. Determine which laws or regulations apply to your issue. Apply the laws to the facts of your case. Draw a conclusion based on the laws that you have applied to the facts of your case.
With respect to clients, a lawyer must be able to obtain all information from a client that is necessary to represent him or her with sensitivity and tact. Lawyers must be able to convince a potential client that they are the right attorney to represent him or her. Attorneys also should be able to effectively communicate with other lawyers. In doing so, they can work toward settlements that are acceptable for all parties involved and effective negotiate on behalf of their clients. In dealing with the court, attorneys should be able to effectively and concisely argue their clients’ positions without any disrespect to opposing counsel or to the court, who may not always embrace their clients’ positions.
Legal research methods have changed dramatically over the last 20 years. Ensure that you are familiar with the most up-to-date electronic research methods. If you have a subscription to Lexis-Nexis or Westlaw, which are the two most well-known online legal research companies, then you also can get extensive training in using their applications.
