As an employment lawyer, there are several key skills you need to possess and perfect in order to thrive in the field. Law is a complex sector to work in, but with the right skill set, you can gain a credible reputation that ensures your long-term success.
Employment law is a vast area of the legal field, and many employers and employees rely on you as an expert employment lawyer to protect their rights in the workplace. Whether your clientele is mostly employers or employees, you’ll need to ensure you have the following qualities for a long and successful career.
Adaptability
Being a complex and ever-changing legal area, employment law requires adaptability and versatility. As a practicing lawyer in this field, you will work on a wide range of cases, ranging from wrongful termination claims to employment contract issues.
You will also work alongside employers to ensure regulatory compliance and labor laws, and help them draft and finalize their employment contracts.
With such a varied array of potential client issues and needs, you will need to become a chameleon and develop your ability to adapt. You will face new and unfamiliar situations all the time as an employment lawyer, and adaptability will ensure your success in any case you take on.
Professional
Maintaining a professional appearance and abiding by a professional code of conduct is essential when you’re practicing as a lawyer. Whether you’re working in an office at a law firm, such as HKM, or you’re in the courtroom battling for your client’s rights, you need to appear as a trusted and credible individual.
Professionalism encompasses the way you dress and the way you hold yourself. You must look put-together and wear smart attire when practicing as a lawyer.
As an employment lawyer, it’s not just your conduct inside the workplace that matters. You must act with respect and dignity at all times, including both inside and outside of the workplace, to maintain a professional appearance.
Organization
Legal cases can involve liaising with a number of other professionals and maintaining various documents. Being an employment lawyer, it’s your responsibility to stay organized when handling client’s cases, no matter how large and complex these cases become.
With strong organizational skills, you can ensure you don’t miss any important details that could cost your client a win. You can keep your clients happy, build a trusted reputation, and maximize your success rate by staying well-organized.
Commitment to Professional Development
Continual professional development (CPD) is essential in every professional field, including law. When you qualify as a lawyer, you must make a commitment to continually work on yourself and perfect your professional skills.
You need to stay up to date with the newest laws or latest changes in legal regulations so you’re always on top of your game. You may need to maintain a CPD portfolio as part of your legal role, which will involve completing various tasks and workbooks to showcase your commitment to professional development.
