The Power of One, Part Two: Lawyer as Counselor
(Note: this is the second post in a four-part series.)
How long, after your first law school class, was it that someone asked you for legal advice? Better yet, how long, after you announced you planned to attend law school, was it that someone asked you for legal advice?
Legal education strives to enhance certain abilities in the “counseling” domain. Listen closely. View from multiple perspectives. Probe for more facts. Gather similar past scenarios and their outcomes. Anticipate consequences of various actions. Remain objective. And of course, law school begins developing the skill differentiating lawyers from other counseling professionals: the ability to find, understand and apply the law.
Our education thus gears us to the community’s foremost request of the lawyer: advice about the law. Indeed, a good lawyer often seeks legal counsel himself, for two bright minds are usually better than one. A good lawyer also knows her limits, and readily consults with others about subject matters outside her expertise.