TYL Winter 2015

With winter 2015, we continue our voyage through the profession by looking at the various characteristics of the lawyer, a role many of us play. The high seas provided a good framework: a lawyer’s job can be a rough, choppy experience, but the ride can also be exhilarating and, eventually—we hope—a smoother sail, once the wind is at our back. Because the lawyer’s job is multifaceted, with so many differing skills required and situations encountered, it’s easy for us to feel adrift at times. But, by exploring the characteristics of effective lawyers, we enable ourselves to better understand our own strengths and weaknesses. By doing this, we can play up the former while attempting to shore up the latter. We follow the courses charted by others who have come before us (from current role models to Abraham Lincoln) and those who work in far off places to find success. We gain insight into critical, but perhaps underdeveloped, skills—listening, negotiating—so that we can become more considerate, well-rounded professionals. This PDF is available to members of the ABA Young Lawyer’s Division.