Law is a skills-based profession. Lawyers' value stems from their ability to interview clients effectively, identify law-related issues in the client's problems, research points of law, read legal sources, apply legal rules to a client's problem, and communicate insights to a wide variety of audiences. We call these skills (and others) thinking, acting, and speaking as a lawyer.
The Building a Better Bar study identified ten skills to practice with minimum competence. Other studies highlight many of the same skills. They are:
New lawyers must know about the Rules of Professional Conduct, but they also need the skill of acting professionally.
Lawyers must know how to interpret a wide range of legal materials, including contracts, statutes, rules, regulations, judicial opinions, and administrative materials.
Clients are the heart of law practice, and new lawyers interact frequently with clients. That interaction requires a host of related skills.
Client problems are multi-faceted so issue identifcation lies at the heart of good lawyering.
Lawyers are specialized researchers. They know how to find the law, as well as how to research facts and context related to client problems.
Lawyers must communicate effectively with clients, colleagues, opposing counsel, experts in other fields, judges, and other decisionmakers.
To assist clients competently, lawyers must understand the "big picture" of a client's problem. That includes the client's goals, the client's context, and the steps needed to address the problem.
Minimum competence requires new lawyers to manage their time effecively, organize their work, and collaborate with others.
Law practice imposes unique stresses on lawyers, and new lawyers must be prepared to handle these stresses.
Law is a vast field that changes constantly. To succeed in this profession, lawyers must have well developed techniques for self-directed learning.