Experience as a civil litigation intern or law clerk is highly recommended.
Civil litigation can be an adversarial process, as the civil litigation lawyer verbally jousts with the defendant’s lawyer and witnesses regarding facts, events, and other evidence. Civil litigation lawyers must be able to think clearly and remain calm under pressure in order to effectively represent the interests of their clients. Lawyers need strong communication skills—both oral and written. They must be skilled in cross-examining witnesses—some of whom may be hostile to their line of questioning and unwilling to volunteer much information. They also must be good listeners, and they need to learn how to ask all the right questions to obtain key information regarding the facts of a case. Writing skills are extremely important because lawyers write legal briefs and other documents in addition to interacting frequently with clients, expert witnesses, opposing attorneys, and support staff. Other important traits for civil litigation attorneys include excellent knowledge of the law and litigation procedures, ethics, strong negotiation skills, the ability to multitask, organizational and time management skills, a detail-oriented personality, persuasiveness, the ability to meet deadlines, and a willingness to continue to learn throughout one’s career.
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