How to become a good lawyer?

TV has made the profession of law popular. It is in vogue. Many young people want to grow up and become lawyers because they have seen them walking in expensive suits and hang around some of the most powerful and richest people in America. TV rarely shows the hard work that goes into the making of lawyers. Unsurprisingly, many students feel disappointed when they find themselves amid a mountain of books in law school. No one had told them it was hard to achieve the lifestyle they saw in movies and on television. In this blog, New York based corporate lawyer Hartley Bernstein attempts to undo some of the damage done by TV and list the qualities that are absolutely essential to becoming a good lawyer.

Read, read, read

There is no escaping from books. Lawyers read a lot. And their reading is not limited to the arcane books of law. They read extensively and they read widely. They read about history, law, science, philosophy, politics, and everything. They do this to improve their understanding of the world around them. Reading helps them in their profession.

Practice, practice, practice

Rome was not build in a day. The same can be said of lawyers. It is extremely rare for a lawyer to land a job as Warren Buffet’s advisor straight out of the law school. It takes years of practice to become a good lawyer. Hartley Bernstein says that unless you are willing to burn the midnight oil for years, it is near to impossible to find a job as a reputed law company or start your own law firm.

These are two important suggestions Hartley Bernstein offers students willing to become lawyers some day in future. Follow them. Read a lot and practice law. And you will be a good lawyer in a span of a few years.