Do you know as to where the greatness of legal profession lies?
Being part of legal profession, as a person who has seen litigation and practical difficulties, and looking at the public criticism, I am convinced that I can expose the greatness of legal profession and the true legal professionals. The greatness lies in the difficulties and also the qualities required to stand and to come-up in profession. While I deal with difficulties, I am not considering the privileged class.
The difficulties are as follows:
1. There is a general assumption that students who are poor in studies will take-up law.
2. Looking at the professionals who suffer in life to make money and looking at the standards of some of the legal professionals, there is no good opinion about legal profession among general public.
3. From day one, a law student will be carrying a burden in his hurt based on what others say that his decision to opt law is not correct.
4. If a student joins the law college despite the criticism, barring national law schools and some of the good schools, he will see a different atmosphere in college where classes are rarely conducted, are effectively conducted and all the poor attendance of students.
5. Even the lecturers or professors in law colleges may, at times, discourage the students in opting law and planning to join the profession.
6. Only with sheer interest and involvement, normally, students will equip themselves with good qualities/knowledge while there are in college.
7. After completing law if a student wishes to join the profession, he has to find a senior lawyer where he will be trained for some time.
8. With the stiff competition in legal profession and the inevitable difficulties, the senior's office also may not be conducive for a young advocate.
9. Normally, the senior lawyer may not pay much to his young and junior lawyers and the young and junior advocates have to depend upon their family for their survival and personal expenses too.
10. There will be sheer pressure on young advocates from family about early settlement and marriage.
11. The senior advocates make the juniors to do clerical job, office clerical things, getting adjournments etc. and the junior may not find time to learn something from his senior or to read law. There can be exceptions and few like the great company law practitioner and senior advocate Sri Aravind P.Datar & Shri Shriram Panchu of Madras High Court is certainly an exception.
12. Very rarely, junior advocates get time to do research.
13. The young and junior advocates may not also be allowed at times by their firms or senior advocates to take-up their own cases and to make some money.
14. If one crosses all the hurdles and come-out from senior's office as a true professional capable of handling the clients and cases independently, other problems start.
15. It is very costly to maintain a separate office and it will be extremely difficult during initial days to maintain the office and deal with people.
16. There will be testing time for a young lawyer who starts his own law office and he has to cross all that.
Assuming that one crosses all the difficulties and starts his own independent practice, then, he requires:
1. to work very hard and for along hours as the profession demands.
2. to read alot and do required research in each and every brief he takes up.
3. to understand the human psychology and then only he will be able to handle the clients and make money.
4. to update his knowledge, recent pronouncements and update general knowledge like what happens around the world and in the society.
5. to maintain status despite the difficulties.
6. to read the mind of the judge.
7. to posses logical mind.
8. to have good contacts with professionals and advocate clerks.
9. to have good argumentative skills or presentation skills to present a case.
10. to have good drafting skills.
11. to be very quick in all his actions.
12. to be good in time management.
13. to sacrifice his private life and freedome to some extent.
14. maintain good communication and contacts and he can't venture ignoring anyone.
Only when one overcomes the difficulties referred to above and posses the qualities with discipline and determination, one can succeed in legal profession and can become a good professional.
Thus, I know how difficult it is to come-up in legal profession and to be recognized as a successful professional. One has to undergo many difficulties and should possess many qualities to stand in this noble profession.
It is not necessary to other professionals to posses the qualities referred to above and it may be sufficient for them if they are technically sound and adjustable as their occupation demands. Yes, it may be true for every professional to have good communication skills etc. but, those are must for a legal professional.
Due to the difficulties and required qualities, a lawyer will be having knowledge of many things and subjects. A lawyer, who practices consumer law, may have good understanding of medical issues like a doctor. Its an example and its true that a true professional will be having knowledge of many things and subjects.
Thus, I can say that the greatness of legal profession lies in the difficulties one has to undergo and the qualities required come-up in profession.
Note:
1. A person who has good financial back-up and legacy in profession may not face many difficulties.
3. The legal profession commands great respect in developed countries like America, but, there can not be any change in the qualities required for a legal professional.
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