How to Become an Unrivaled Attorney

You might consider yourself a good attorney – maybe even a great one – but are you an unrivaled attorney?

To be one, you’ll need these three traits:

• Accuracy
• Efficiency
• Confidence

“What is ‘unrivaled,’ and how do you get there?” asks Thomson Reuters. “It is simply being better than opposing counsel in every matter. Getting there involves expertise, hard work, and the proper resources. It means backing a solid legal strategy with research and readiness.”

Below are ways to become unrivaled, not unraveled, in your law practice.

Read the Thomson Reuters whitepaper “Three Traits of an Unrivaled Attorney” here.

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Three Traits of Unrivaled Attorneys

Following are highlights from the Thomson Reuters whitepaper:

Trait #1: Accuracy

Tips: keep up with changes in the law; know what you’re doing; review your opponent’s work and understand their case thoroughly.

Wise words: “The law changes as often as waves crash a shoreline. Keeping up to date on these changes is critical to an accurate case. Do you have a go-to case you’ve used as a cornerstone for motions or briefs? If, unbeknownst to you, that case is overruled, it’s now bad law. If you recycle that brief to save time, you need to know not to use it anymore.”

“For lawyers trying to keep up with heavy caseloads, trying to avoid these kinds of ‘gotchas’ can be more than cumbersome. The flow of changes and updates is more than busy lawyers can manage by themselves. Changes to statutes and regulations complicate the process even further.”

Trait #2 Efficiency

Tips: manage your time wisely; delegate and collaborate; use online research tools; don’t waste time second-guessing yourself or trying to be perfect.

Wise words: “Managing non-billable hours is not just a pain point for efficiency; its effects reach throughout a firm. The Thomson Reuters® Institute estimates that 28 percent of an attorney’s time is spent neither practicing law nor meeting with clients.”

Trait #3 Confidence

Tips: project positivity; do your homework; prepare cases thoroughly; believe in your team – and let them know you do; express confidence to your clients.

Wise words: “Confidence impacts your daily work life as well as your long-term career prospects. Clients want to see a confident attorney handling their case; fellow attorneys will refer potential clients to one they believe is confident and competent; and firm management looks thoughtfully at confident junior attorneys when assessing potential partners.”

Source: White Paper three-traits-unrivaled-attorney Oct21.pdf

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