Experience From the Trenches, 0417 WYBJ, Vol. 40 No. 2. 14
| Author | Gregory C. Dyekman Dray, Dyekman, Reed & Healey, P.C. Cheyenne, Wyoming |
People Skills for Lawyers: A Key to Success
Gregory C. Dyekman Dray, Dyekman, Reed & Healey, P.C. Cheyenne, Wyoming
As I have become a more "seasoned"lawyer (with salt and pepper hair to prove it), I have become increasingly aware of a huge factor in lawyer success that gets far too little attention in law schools, law firms and legal education programs. It's a factor that I believe can make all lawyers more effective regardless of the nature of their practices, the size of their communities, or what law school they attended. It's a factor that far too few of us even take seriously, let alone master. In two words, the factor is "people skills."
It isn't a secret that law school and the legal profession tend to attract intellectually gifted, hard-working achievers, most of whom could use some help with people skills. Law students are often more introverted than they think they are, and because people skills are not taught as part of the law school experience, they exit school with remarkable skills that are unlike the vast majority of people in our society. At the same time, they have endured the rigors and social isolation of law school often necessitated by long hours of study and emotional, intellectual and physical exhaustion. Social activities in law school often consist of over-the-top parties with classmates, which only magnify the day-to-day separation from community.
For many lawyers, this pattern of social isolation can continue after graduation, as the need to learn a difficult new job combines with the high stress of knowing that employers and clients are depending on novices to become productive and capable right away. After a hard day at work it's hard to have a lot of energy for an active social life, particularly if a family awaits at home. As an attorney gets more comfortable, typically the work load increases but the opportunity for "away time" doesn't. Self-preservation often leads to the need for more "me time," but that doesn't always translate to time with other people.
Many lawyers complain that because of the nature of their work, they wind up working with the same people much of the time. While this can enhance some relationships, the distance that is often required in order to maintain objectivity as a lawyer sometimes is a heavy counter-balance. Most law firms and...
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