FIVE SKILLS EVERY LAW STUDENT SHOULD EMBRACE AND 1 HABIT THEY MUST KICK
“A C+?! That’s good!”
“You must be blessed to get an A in this faculty!”
These and many more graced your sophomore year
And you wondered if law school was for you
But surely you belong with the Brightest and Best
To have made it this far already
So young law student, if you have never heard it before,
Law School is for you
And if there’s any skill to bag as a law student,
Then its persistent determination
“Lawyer, Lawyer Papa Bi!”
Enskinned as the fountain of wisdom at home and in school,
Your views are now markedly important
And although no one expects you to know it all,
The converse is true as well –
You are not expected to know nothing
So if there’s another recommended skill, it’s definitely
Learning to think quickly on your feet
Glanville Williams did not lie when he said:
“A good lawyer is not one who knows the law
But where to find the law
As you nurture your love-or rather tolerance- for the library
Be relentless in your study
Keeping in mind that:
What your client will have is a story
What you will have is the law
Then, future star, a core aspect of your training lies in
Gleaning the facts out of, andapplying the appropriate law to a “story”
You’ve probably realized by now the importance of branding
Premised on the fact that
You are being trained to stand in for others
So a good place to start
Would be learning to intercede
On behalf of your expectant clientele
The art of couching convincing arguments
All the while exuding confidence
In the strength of your argument – whatever it may be –
And so if there’s any skill you’ve missed out on
Be sure it’s not
Advocacy
Your interpersonal relationships are key
As you build a solid network
Because truly, no man is an island
Much less the lawyer-in-training
You are anything but terra nullus
For surely your clients will not emanate from above
They will queue with you in that restaurant, hospital
They will sit in that troski with you
They are waiting for you on social media
So if you have some free time on your hands
Create –or update- that social media account
And develop your social life!
Your study of the law is adorned with accolades
Leaving you feeling overly puffed-up
But your future self will be ungrateful
When you turn out as an unapproachable egoistic know-it-all
–who really does not know it all-
And with no clients
To flaunt your lawyer-liness on
So dear upcoming legal luminary
As you journey on to impact the legal kingdom
I wish you travelling mercies
But, if there is one thing to kick out
It’s definitely Pride.