People skills, unlike the law, can't be memorized

I've spent my 3 years of law school primarily concerned with my academic performance. Grades, to a point, do reflect you ability to grasp and explain the subject-matter of a law course. Along with that, however, is the subjective interpretation of your understanding by oftentimes over-demanding law professors.

With my recent transition into the legal world, my focus has shifted somewhat from my grades into developing the type of lawyer I want to be. I'm not talking about an area of law I'd like to specialize in, but rather how I will conduct myself in dealing with clients.

As many attorneys and my father can attest to, rarely, if ever, does a prospective client walk into a law office and ask a lawyer about the grades he/she received in law school. A client is more concerned with the lawyer's track record: Can the lawyer effectively handle their case? Does the lawyer portray confidence in the handling of their cases? What do current and/or former clients have to say about the attorney?

In my position, I speak with a lot of prospective clients. I hear how ______ law firm doesn't treat a client with respect or _______ law firm never calls their clients back. It's my personal belief that some lawyers don't grasp how fast negative opinions about them spread once their client has had a bad experience with them.

The firm I work for prides itself on being available to its clients. Our lawyers speak with as many of their clients as they can, while allotting proper time to prepare and develop their caseload. This is a refreshing approach to practicing law, and one that I'm fortunate enough to witness firsthand. When I started interviewing for a legal career, I saw several firms that seemed to drop the ball with several clients, and all within the 30-45 minutes that I was present for an interview.

My academic performance is still tantamount, but as my career as an attorney seems to quickly approach, it's appropriate to start thinking about how I want to treat my clients and the reputation I want to develop.

The law can be memorized, but applying it to a client's unique situation mixed with the client's own personality traits can create an unmanageable mess for a naive attorney. Good people skills can help avoid a young lawyer from entering this mess.