An international lawyer is an attorney whose legal practices are focused on various international disputes, including international business, trade or criminal legal issues. His/her job can include interpreting anti-corruption laws, negotiating and drafting different treaties, sovereign debt or handling disputes related to laws pertaining to intellectual property. Many international law firms houses in such talent. Generally, the significant skill set of a lawyer is considered being analytical ability, persuasiveness, attention to detail, writing ability and sound judgement. Unfortunately, up until now, there has been no inclusion of traits such as knowledge of law, integrity, courtroom presence, etc-which aren't just skills but basic elements of an international lawyer's character. While there are many skills that have been boasted by the lawyers, but I'm more concerned with actual skill, which is a proactive proficiency acquired through training and experience. In this post, we will talk about a complete skill set of a lawyer.
1) People Skills
Legal work for an international lawyer is client-centric. No matter how good a lawyer is at work, he/she should be good at working with people too. On a professional level, lawyers are required to be able to listen carefully to the instructions and work accordingly for the benefit of the client. A good international lawyer is polite to everyone, including staff, and have a genuine interest in all the people he/she meets. These little touches can certainly have a great impact on representation in front of the jury or judges.
2) Collaboration Skills
Working well in a team isn't only the part of collaboration skills. It is more about the ability to work within the environment of the parties in a way that the outcome and process transcend the accumulated contribution. International lawyers who collaborate wisely have the ability to determine the best option to reach the optimal client outcome. You are better left off from isolationists as you need lawyers who can trust the wisdom of your side.
3) Emotional Intelligence
You might not want to consider this looking at the fact that international lawyers detach themselves from any emotional behaviour. However, that is not true. You need a lawyer who can understand your perspective and offer empathy by creating a personal connection to make you feel satisfied. He/she should be sane enough to weigh the option looking at the trauma or emotional imbalance you suffer when necessary.
4) International & Local Law Literacy Indubitably, the paramount skill possessed by an international law firm is the knowledge of laws applicable in both the countries: the country he/she is representing in, and the country he works for, which makes him expert in both areas. An international lawyer has a complete knowledge of how to run business, understanding on taxes, ability to calculate profit margins and working with statistics, and skills to explain the rationale behind their fees. If you are operating a business in another country, you need a lawyer that can take care of legal issues and disputes arriving at your door.
5) Working to a Deadline This is might not possible in all the cases; however, it is extremely crucial for the international lawyers to be ahead on the cases so as to clear the room for any mistakes. Working within deadlines is essential to be able to make a great impact on other parties during the practice sessions. Since you picked up a lawyer to be clear on the deadlines for any work, you will have a competitive advantage over opposition's lawyers.
6) Resilience and Self-Confidence Resilience is the capacity of an international lawyer for stress-related issues to quickly understand the areas where they have a measure of control. Using the analysis, they can influence or leverage in the situation by supporting the claim through measurable and specific evidence. Self-confidence is the key to winning the judgement. A good international lawyer possessing resilience certainly will cross-examine and reframe their thinking in a way to diffuse black-and-white in the case.
7) Research and Analysis The ability to conduct legal research is vital for international lawyers, irrespective of the practice area. He/she should be able to identify critical issues that are not defined correctly. Besides, due to frequently changing laws, lawyers should determine their options looking at the amendments. Finding the law is vital to legal research; however, the ability to contemplate that research to reach a conclusion and formulate an agreement is equally important. An international lawyer must be familiar with different approaches and strategies to research and analyze the cases properly.
End-Note Operating a business in foreign countries require extensive knowledge about the government's rules and regulations with respect to businesses. An international lawyer understands the nitty-gritty and procedures to be followed for smooth operations. Collaborating or hiring one to run proceedings in other countries can have a boomerang effect on your business. However, ensure the above skills are possessed by the lawyer you zero on.