Offering that gift to clients builds relationships and increases their chances of returning to your firm in the future. Giving someone your undivided attention is a generous act-a gift. Listening generates more work in the future-in a good way ![]() One easy way to do this is to use workflow templates so that once you identify a priority, you can set work into motion with just a few clicks. To do this, implement clear processes for task management. Whether you’re setting priorities for clients or colleagues, these priorities need to be communicated. What additional facts need to be investigated? What issues were on the periphery of the main question? Listening to the junior lawyer, including what they may have hesitated to put down in writing, can assist with ongoing decisions about the case. The junior lawyer may be able to glean the senior lawyer’s pain points in working on this case or in working with other lawyers and consider them in future matters.Īnd when the junior lawyer returns to the senior lawyer to discuss a project, the senior lawyer can also pick up valuable cues through listening. When a senior lawyer meets with a junior lawyer to delegate an assignment, for example, that conversation contains many cues that can help the junior lawyer beyond what is due and when. Likewise, listening to colleagues working on the same legal matter is crucial to set priorities within your firm. When you carefully listen to your clients, you can learn more about the common pain points that you may be able to fix, whether they’re specific issues with a legal matter, paperwork challenges and authority conflicts, or otherwise. ![]() Additionally, paying close attention to how they feel about these goals-and their legal matters as a whole-can help you take their needs and beliefs into consideration as you shape your work. The better you understand their goals, the better you can tailor your legal services. Listening carefully to the client is crucially important. Listening helps with setting prioritiesĮffective listening provides cues about how to best prioritize work, whether you’re discussing legal matters with a client or an assignment with a senior lawyer. Carefully listening for potential surprises enables you to ask better questions and listen with more focus on the specific answers, minimizing the risk of surprises down the road.ģ. It’s spontaneous.Īnd spontaneous listening allows you to make adjustments and veer off script after hearing something that isn’t quite right. As a lawyer, you know all too well how frustrating it can be when, after a witness has flailed on the stand or a client has found documents that should have been produced earlier, you suddenly recall something that was said earlier, foreshadowing the exact event now happening.Įffective listening isn’t robotically tied to an outline or checklist. Surprises are unavoidable in law practice. If you’ve taken thorough notes during a client’s strategy session, ensure it gets added to matter documentation in your case management software so the rest of your team stays in the know. Part of this process should include communicating this information. Identifying potential issues, categorizing relevant knowns and unknowns, and prioritizing the following steps are all analytical and strategic tasks that are greatly aided by effective listening. The act of listening is deeply intertwined with thinking and learning.Ī lawyer who can listen effectively and consistently during long meetings and lengthy testimonies will have a head start on case analysis. Listening is a complex act that involves simultaneous hearing, processing, and decision-making about whether and when to speak. Listening contributes to case analysis and strategy Here are our top five benefits of effective listening for lawyers. The better you listen to your colleagues, the more you can gain from their experiences. ![]() Listening isn’t just for clients, though. The more information you can gather through effective listening, the better you can use it to improve client relationships and work through legal cases. But listening isn’t just about hearing what the other person has to say-it also involves helping them feel comfortable, processing the information they’re sharing, confirming that you’ve understood it correctly, and asking the right follow-up questions. What is effective listening?īefore you can effectively advocate for your clients, you need to fully understand their issues and concerns. ![]() For an attorney, active listening is just as essential for building relationships with and effectively serving clients, witnesses, and anyone else you may interact with. Good communication is critical in the legal profession-and we’re not just talking about presenting persuasive arguments.
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