In the last chapter we discussed some of the negative traits attributed to lawyers in society, including dishonesty, greed, and narcissism. Through these images we know what people dislike in attorneys, but what attributes and skills are actually valued in lawyers?What are clients and legal employers looking for in their young attorneys?

This chapter describes these most desirable lawyer skills using empirical research on the subject of which skills are most valued by clients and legal employers. For context, this chapter first describes a few typical law jobs. It then briefly describes the history of legal education, which helps explain why the skills we learn in law school are not necessarily the ones most valued by clients and legal employers. The bottom line is that trustworthy, empathetic people are more successful, so collegiality and good communication skills are paramount.

ONE LEGAL TRAINING, MANY DIFFERENT KINDS OF LAWYERS

When my friend Ocean wakes up in the morning, he gets his kids ready for school, then puts on a suit and goes to his job working as in-house counsel for a bank. His job is to negotiate contracts with all different types of vendors, from the photocopy vendor to multimillion-dollar financial institutions that hold billions of dollars’ worth of collateral. Every week he gets to use the knowledge we discussed in our 1L Contracts class. He also helps steer the bank through a complex federal and state regulatory landscape that is constantly shifting. To do a good job, he has to remember that good lawyers don't panic – staying calm and grounded is a helpful attribute. It is rewarding and not too terribly stressful.

When my friend Jenny gets up, she throws on jeans and sweater, gets her son off to school, and then sets off to direct the non-profit she formed. Her job involves raising money, hiring and training attorneys and paralegals, and educating the public about the plight of undocumented people living in the US. Jenny knows she is doing important work and feels great about her contributions to society.