What Personal Characteristics Should I Possess to be Successful as a Lawyer?
The answer to the first part of this question is best given in the following quotation:
Certain personal qualities are fundamental for a success in the law; others though of high value are secondary.
The fundamental qualities are as follows:
1. Moral integrity, worthy of the trust often involved in handling the property and other interests of clients, or able to withstand inducements to unprofessional conduct. This involves intellectual honesty.
2. Persistence, to carry on to completion any piece of work undertaken. This means unlimited capacity for hard work.
3. Sound judgment, to take a right and well-informed attitude in questions involving law and facts.
4. Self-confidence, a belief in one’s ability successfully to handle a task when once entered into.
5. Concentration, power to bring all one’s thought and activities to bear on a case in hand.
These basal qualities, with adequate training in the profession are likely to bring at least a fair degree of success; the lack of any one of them is a serious handicap, and accounts for most failures.[37]