The top 10 skills in 2020 for the legal sector

In the legal sector, we have seen uncertainty that has mirrored that of the level of uncertainty in the UK market. Meaning that perhaps unsurprisingly, skills around adaptability and planning are key for hiring managers and legal professionals looking to expand their teams. Meanwhile, technological advances are evolving the day to day for professionals, with AI and automation taking away some traditional admin tasks.

We speak to clients and candidates in the legal sector every day. Our expert consultants have a unique insight into the skills your business needs to take it to the next level. From this, we have amalgamated the top 10 skills set to drive the legal sector forward in 2020.

1. Commercial acumen

Individuals who possess commercial acumen often adopt a pragmatic mindset. This involves identifying and then balancing, opportunities and threats through analysing trends and checking on what the competition is doing. Your tolerance to risk can largely shape your level of commercial acumen. Ultimately, senior stakeholders want to know the potential ramifications of their actions - how can they get to the quickest commercial solution to legal issues whilst taking on the least amount of risk? Key in this is not to be seen as “someone who always says no” but rather to be viewed as a facilitator to achieving goals.

2. Provable 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 in most cases and also helps in securing paralegal and training contract roles. However, this is not where academic acumen begins and ends. Post-graduate study, for example, the PG Dip in Intellectual Property at the University of Oxford, is often useful to bridge the gap between academic knowledge and professional training.

3. Prioritisation

Prioritisation is a particularly important skill to possess in the legal sector, at all levels. Competing priorities can quickly become overwhelming if you are not able to assess your workload with a clear head and tackle the most pressing issues first. The skill of prioritisation ties in closely with commercial acumen and communication, whereby decisions should not be made based who shouts loudest but where the biggest business opportunities lie. It is key to then communicate these decisions and get buy-in from colleagues, which is where the aforementioned skills in collaboration can become particularly valuable.

4. Proactively upskilling

Talented people do not wait to be presented with tasks or hope that their next big opportunity is around the corner. They proactively solve problems and look for areas of opportunity. For example, many paralegals strive to qualify as lawyers in the future and achieve this by adopting a dynamic approach to upskilling. If they are proactive within their legal support roles, asking for additional work helps them to gain exposure to more complex and interesting work as well as possibly securing a training contract. Being proactive is good for both the individual and the broader business.

5. Market knowledge

Success in this sector is about much more than solid account management and keeping existing clients happy. It is also important to know what else is going on in the market and reacting to opportunities to uncover new potential revenue streams. Ideally, anywhere from four years' post-qualified experience is becoming an essential requirement for solicitors to be skilled in business development. Gaining knowledge on the market is one thing; turning insight into actions is another and those who are adept at this are always in high demand.

6. Versatility

Professionals need to be versatile with all the changes that are happening in the legal industry and the new model that firms are starting to adopt. An often-cited example is 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. At a time of accelerating change, those that are not adaptable to changing technologies, pricing, and market competition, will find it harder to compete further down the line.

7. Stakeholder influencing 

In the legal profession, stakeholder management is about much more than developing a wide network of contacts, although this will certainly serve individuals well throughout their career. It is more about having the ability to communicate effectively and ensuring that the right decisions are taken when there is a fork in the road. At the senior level, this often involves simplifying a message to its basic components and ensuring that stakeholders are aware of the full ramifications of choosing to do something - and what happens if they do not.

8. Future-proofing

Whilst making the right decisions in the here and now is always important, it also pays to have one eye on the future, both as a business and an individual. According to PwC, top legal firms see the growth of technology as the biggest challenge facing the sector over the coming years. However, advancements such as AI and automation also present huge opportunities, taking care of previously laborious admin tasks. On an individual basis, it is important to know where you want to go in your career and continually future-proof your skill set to ensure you are ready to take advantage of opportunities.

9. Collaboration

Collaboration is a key facet of roles across industries. In the legal world, it is a notable feature of the in-house environment and will be symptomatic of one of the main reasons candidates make a move in-house – commercial exposure. A strong network is an ever-important element of a career in the legal profession and the best way to build this is through exposure to colleagues at all level. The more you collaborate with different areas of the business, the more varied your work will be and the further you will be able to expand your skill set.

10. Resilience

Resilience has long been a key skill to possess in the legal profession, but economic uncertainty is exacerbating the need to be able to respond to knock-backs positively. This is true throughout the entire lifecycle of a professional in this sector. With the job market getting more and more competitive year on year, resilience is key in first securing the right role. Online competency-based tests are becoming more prevalent and the general job environment is becoming increasingly competitive. Resilience will serve anyone well at all stages of their career.

At Michael Page, we have access to an extensive database of professionals looking for new opportunities who can drive your business toward success in 2020, and beyond. For a confidential discussion on how we can help you to hire and retain the best talent with the right skills to fill your vacancy, get in touch with one of our specialist recruitment consultants today.