Legal consultant skills for your resume and career

Most important would have to be strong computer and related technology skills. In today's world, more and more professors are having to rely on the use of technology and platforms such as Zoom, Blackboard, and Canvas for remote/online learning. Professors today need to be able to convey information in-person and online.

Eye contact, clarity of expression, willingness to work hard, ability to accept criticism, and strong networking skills.

If one really would like to maximize one's income as a political-science major, the most common path is to attend a tier-1 law school such as an Ivy League institution and then go into corporate law. Some associates at top Wall-Street law firms can start at over $200,000 per year. Once they make partner, the sky is the limit. The downside of this career choice is the work schedule, which can exceed 90 hours/week including weekends and even all-nighters, and the office environment, which is often unwelcoming to women, the parents of small children, and racial minorities. If one is really interested in practicing law, I would recommend a job as a government attorney, where the salaries are lower but the work-life balance is much more humane. Another highly paid option is lobbying for private industry, which can yield mid-career income that approximates that of Wall-Street law firm associates.

The top four skills that students need when they enter the workforce in the coming years are 1) creativity 2) business acumen 3) change inspiration (the ability to inspire and lead change efforts which include a whole host of skills like communication, marketing, persuasion, open-mindedness, etc.); and 4) digital transformation skills (understanding what is digital transformation and how to help enable it).

In a typical law office or other legal setting, technical skills aren't the biggest priority as much of the work in the legal world was still highly analog prior to 2020. Overall, the expectations are set fairly low in this category for legal practitioners as a result, but there is a certain amount of basic skill that is assumed in using software for word processing, spreadsheets, and presentations. The past year has created some opportunity for those that are skilled in a virtual setting, i.e. using video conferencing or knowing how to file documents electronically, to stand out.

I would encourage any law student to take advantage of the various opportunities in law school to learn as much as they can about using legal research platforms, including certifications offered by Lexis and Westlaw. Though it can be difficult to predict what methods a legal employer will use for this part of the job, the skills are easily transferrable. In a similar way, familiarity with practice management, billing, or administrative software can be an advantage. It may not be a "need to have" for a candidate to get a great job, but certainly a "nice to have" that can help boost a candidates profile.