How to Think Like a Really Good Lawyer: Key Mindset, Communication, and Interpersonal Skills for New Professionals

Law school systematically teaches habits of mind necessary to success in a legal career: the curriculum is aimed at teaching students to think like lawyers.  However, law school neglects the skills necessary to succeed in a legal field that will inevitably require a new professional to display far more than acumen in legal analysis and acquisition of legal knowledge.  

A strong body of research across many fields shows that long-term professional success and satisfaction hinges on attitudes, mindsets, and interpersonal skills that are not reflected in academic instruction.  This presentation draws from research to introduce some of these critical skills.  The presentation provides both a model and explicit instruction for emerging professionals who wish to practice mindset and other cognitive skills to help them succeed and thrive over a lifetime of legal practice.

Learning Objectives:

1. Establish the importance of the deliberate acquisition of non-technical legal skills to long-term success in a legal career
2. Break down the concept of growth mindset as well as strategies and skills for furthering growth mindset
3. Identify the concept of psychological flexibility and skills for furthering a growth mindset
4. Reflect the value of accurate attribution in interpersonal communication and become familiar with practical active listening skills that can be acquired and refined through deliberate practice
5. Present strategies for deliberate acquisition of non-technical legal skills and sources of additional help available in refining these skills