10 Skills propelling legal forward in 2019

Huge leaps in technology have been steadily evolving the traditional legal sector. Through the incorporation of AI and chatbots into businesses, certain administrative tasks have been rendered unnecessary. Therefore, the focus for professionals this year will not just be on effective account management, but also business development and marketing. Those who can combine their knowledge with effective use of technology will go far this year. We sat down with our specialist recruiters in the legal sector, to find out what our clients are looking for in potential candidates. Below are the top 10 skills in the legal sector for 2019.

1. Commercial acumen

Commercial acumen and awareness are essential in not only understanding your business, and the market in which it operates, but also what it needs to accomplish in order to succeed in a competitive market. This may include insights into trends, identifying how companies can maintain a competitive advantage and streamlining processes, ultimately with the goal of growing market share. From a legal perspective, this may entail having an understanding of the wider business needs and overall goals in order to facilitate commercial deals and arrangements, which will benefit the company as a whole.

2. Pragmatism

Pragmatism follows on from commercial acumen in that a realistic, practical mindset is an essential tool for a lawyer to have in the working environment. An intellectual, theoretical or academic approach, whilst beneficial in studies, is rarely used when one applies the theory to real-world scenarios. Pragmatists use thought as a tool for prediction, problem solving and action. Professionals able to think in this way are at a serious advantage in the current market.

3. Risk tolerance

Part of the remit in this role will be to advise internal stakeholders of the ramifications and likely results of their actions. Key in this, is not to be seen as “someone who always says no”, and rather to be viewed as a facilitator. The role essentially, is to get to the quickest commercial solution to legal issues, whilst taking on the least amount of risk possible. However, professionals will often get pushback from colleagues in commercial teams, and as such, may need to take on a larger amount of risk than what they might as private practice lawyers. This shift in mindset is key in order to be positioned as a facilitator within a business.

4. Collaboration

Collaboration is another key feature of the in-house environment and will be symptomatic of one of the main reasons candidates make a move in-house – commercial exposure. Collaborating and embedding oneself with commercial teams within a business is essential; a willingness to work in an open collaborative nature allows for this exposure to manifest itself to the fullest extent. The more you collaborate with different areas of the business, the more varied the work will be and the further you will be able to expand your skill set.

5. Demonstrable academic acumen

Those wishing to enter law with a 2:1 or a 1st from a Russell Group University tend to secure the paralegal roles at the top city firms. A strong academic background (e.g. As/Bs at A Level) is essential and also helps in securing paralegal and training contract roles. Having these positions filled provides legal firms with the type of operational continuity that they require in a competitive climate.

6. Strong organisational skills

The administrative support to lawyers is fundamental to any law firm. Administrative support consists of document/letter production, meeting organisation, call handling, assisting with record keeping and organising filing systems, and spreadsheets. To manage these tasks effectively, professionals require high work standards, strong document management skills, initiative and flexibility. 

7. Proactivity

Many paralegals strive to qualify as lawyers in the future and achieve this by adopting a proactive approach. If they are proactive in their legal support roles, asking for additional work or any way they can help the team, they gain exposure to more complex and interesting work as well as possibly securing a training contract. Being proactive helps the business and helps the individual to achieve shared goals.

8. Business development/marketing knowledge

Success in this sector is about much more than solid account management and keeping existing clients happy. A strong track record of business development and marketing ability to bring in new clients is highly sought after and key to the business. Ideally, anywhere from four years' post-qualified experience is becoming an essential requirement for solicitors to be skilled in business development.

9. Versatility

It is important for solicitors to be versatile with all the changes that are happening in the legal industry and the new model that firms are starting to adopt. A prime example would be Keystone Law, where solicitors who are not interested in becoming partners and want a better work-life balance, can operate in more of a consultative method. Solicitors that are not adaptable to changing technologies, pricing, and market competition, will not be able to compete further down the line.

10. Resilience

With the job market getting more and more competitive year on year, resilience is key in securing the right role. Online competency-based tests are becoming more prevalent and the general job environment is becoming increasingly competitive. A resilient workforce helps a business to tackle day-to-day issues and challenges. Resilience is one of the key attributes in law and allows individuals and organisations to thrive in a fast-paced, competitive environment.
As leading recruiters in the UK with a global network, we have an extensive database of top talented professionals to take your business to the next level, helping you to stay ahead of the competition. For a confidential discussion on how we can help you get the best talent with the right skills, get in touch with one of our specialist recruitment consultants today.