What Skills Do I Need to Study Law? Are you thinking about studying law? Courses in law always appear near the top of the CAO points table and for most students who want to get a law degree the focus is doing well in the Leaving Certificate.
However, while this is necessary it is also important to take into consideration the range of soft skills and habits that are also required in order to become a successful law student and achieve the required education to go on to a successful career in law. Below we take a look at some of the skills you need to become a successful law student.
What Skills Do I Need to Study Law?
Hard Work & Dedication Skills
Let’s start with the fact that studying law and becoming a successful law student requires serious graft and you need to be a very hard worker. It won’t come easy and there’s a lot of hours that need to be put into your work and study in order to get where you want to go. No one breezes through a law course! The workload studying law reflects the workload in the working world of law. The training, dedication and work load required in all legal jobs is absolutely massive – so be prepared to be spending a lot of time in the library on your studies.
Critical Thinking Skills
Critical thinking is a vital tool in the arsenal of those studying and working in law. These skills enable you to focus on information-gathering and fact-analysis which lead you to a thorough understanding of the subject at hand. As well as this, your critical thinking skills allow you to set your feelings aside. This way you are able to avoid speculation and what you want the facts to say in order to focus on the reality of the situation.
Communication skills
Good written and verbal communication skills are vital when it comes to the study of law. Studying law will require you to take part in group discussions and you will also be making presentations. It is essential that you are able to express yourself and present arguments and ideas in a clear and logical manner at all times.
Leadership Skills
Leadership involves skills and competencies that are essential for success in the study practice of law. These skills are necessary for you to model the way for others, inspire a shared vision, encourage and enable others.
Teamwork Skills
Law will also require you to be a team player. Your studies will require you to work in small or large groups with other students. You need to be able to constructively contribute to such group work to achieve the goals set.
Research skills
So much work within law is about being well prepared and that means doing your research. Fail to prepare; prepare to fail. Being able to find, evaluate and apply useful information related to a specific subject is an essential component in the study and practice of law. Studying law is great practice for the reality of the range of research skills you will need once you begin your career. Essential skills required include being able to identify your objective, identifying quality sources and practicing good organization.
Industry Skills
You will need to always be in the know of what’s happening in the world of law. Keeping abreast of trends, debates, cases and new legislation is important. You will need to read extensively, have subscriptions to legal journals and magazines, and read the newspaper frequently.
Are you interested in obtaining foundation knowledge of the core principles of Irish Law and pursuing a career in the legal field? We list courses in Legal Studies on Whichcollege.ie.
For a full list of possible careers through third-level courses and PLC training, you can visit our website and enquire or even book courses that appeal to you. Visit Whichcollege.ie to search universities, colleges, or institutes taking admissions in your area now!
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