Beyond Biglaw: 3 Admirable Lawyerly Traits

Lawyers who do not exhibit these qualities will not be long for the profession, according to columnist Gaston Kroub.

No one would think to joke with their surgeon about doctors being greedy and always looking to order yet another MRI (“for a better look,” of course) or interested in seeing their patients suffer as a result of yet another unnecessary medical “treatment.” Especially after the surgeon just fixed your hernia, or removed those bone spurs in your ankle that had you announcing your entry into a room without even needing to knock. In contrast, lawyers often find themselves maligned in both private and public company — usually in the form of “lawyer jokes” that poke fun at our cost, cruelty, or general lack of compassion. I am all for humor, and have heard some great lawyer jokes. I also believe that the law firm workplace could be a great setting for a comedy. In my experience, satellite offices of Biglaw firms in particular tend to contain more “characters” and interesting “workplace dynamics” than the more typically more staid home offices. Small law firm environments are similarly rich mines of comedy.

At the same time, it can be disconcerting, even to a lawyer with an agreeable disposition, to constantly hear disparaging humor — especially when delivered by friends and family. Or from clients. Especially from clients — because there is always the nagging fear that the client’s “lawyer jokes” are indicative of a desire to replace their own lawyer(s), perhaps with a cheaper version. While such fears may be irrational, and the need to deal with lawyer jokes a favorable trade-off for all the benefits that come with practicing in this profession, there is also a need to extol some of the favorable qualities of lawyers on occasion. Not too often, of course, since many lawyers do not need any more “ego boosts” of any kind. We can discuss the three worst qualities of lawyers at a later time.

For now, however, I would like to present my own idiosyncratic list of the three most admirable traits that lawyers display. This is not a list of my three most favorite characteristics about myself, though I do hope that I demonstrate these traits in at least some measure. Rather, these are traits that I have seen exhibited by lawyers that I consider worth learning from, and admire. I would also submit that lawyers who do not exhibit these traits, at a level commensurate with their professional position at a given stage in their careers, will not be long for the profession — which is usually a good sign that these are important traits for lawyers to have and are often found in successful lawyers, irrespective of practice area or type of firm they practice in.

So what are the three traits I consistently see successful and admirable lawyers demonstrate? Integrity, intellectual curiosity, and the capacity for effective communication.

The first trait, integrity, is thankfully one that the vast majority of lawyers demonstrate throughout their career. Defined expansively, a lawyer’s integrity incorporates within it a respect for the legal process, as well as for the institutions and laws that undergird that process. Most importantly, the sacred trust involved in representing the interests of a client absolutely commands that lawyers demonstrate integrity in all of their dealings — with the client, other lawyers, and with the public at large. Practicing law can present temptations, of course, but thankfully there are many lawyers who enter the profession because they trust in their natural inclination to value and demonstrate unshakeable personal integrity — no matter how glittery the poisoned chalice of dishonesty appears. Integrity is an important trait for any person in a position in authority, and critical for lawyers specifically because of the trust placed in us by our clients and colleagues. When lawyers live up to that trust, there is perhaps nothing as admirable.

Another admirable trait shared by effective lawyers is intellectual curiosity. All of the successful lawyers I have interacted with have had other intellectual interests or hobbies, outside of‎ their general legal practice. Underlying those interests is a willingness to always learn, and a proactive desire to seek out intellectual challenges. Law practice is demanding, of course, and both junior and more experienced lawyers can have their hands full just becoming expert in their area of practice. At the same time, both lawyers and their clients benefit when a lawyer demonstrates intellectual curiosity, and refuse to behave as if they already know whatever they need to know – in their personal or professional lives.

Third, ‎effective lawyers are effective communicators. And our society needs people who have developed their ability to communicate effectively. Yes, those skills (whether verbal or written) can and should be developed over time. But it helps when there is some innate ability in the lawyer for communicating effectively to start with. Many of the best communicators in our society are lawyers (some end up as politicians), and lawyers are often capable of effective communication outside of the courtroom — see the ranks of CEOs in various industries who were former lawyers, for example. The ability to communicate effectively is another key admirable lawyerly trait.

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It is probably true that people who exhibit or highly value these traits‎ will self-select themselves for attending law school and practicing law. At the same time, successful lawyers would likely counsel younger lawyers that these traits are essential at every stage of a legal career. They also need to be nurtured — because when lawyers demonstrate these traits, they put to lie to all the bad lawyer jokes, and remind everyone why this can be a noble profession.


Gaston Kroub lives in Brooklyn and is a founding partner of Kroub, Silbersher & Kolmykov PLLC, an intellectual property litigation boutique. The firm’s practice focuses on intellectual property litigation and related counseling, with a strong focus on patent matters. You can reach him at gkroub@kskiplaw.com or follow him on Twitter: @gkroub.

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