Critical Thinking for Lawyers

In the dynamic world of law, one key strength that employers consistently look for is critical thinking. 💭

Whether you're eyeing training contracts or a coveted legal position, honing your critical thinking skills is crucial.

⚖️ Your legal role will have you navigating complex cases, interpreting points of law, and devising strategic arguments. So law firms put a high value on legal candidates who can think analytically, dissect information, and come up with workable solutions.

But how do you sharpen those desired critical thinking skills?

1. Read

Reading about diverse legal cases, industry trends and analysing presidents all help you develop the habit of building knowledge and staying informed. Look for assumptions and question the wider impact of what you read.

2. Listen

Try to avoid making assumptions and instead listen carefully to people’s ideas and come up with questions and follow-up questions that clarify the idea. This is useful when you’re attending legal workshops, talks and events.

3. Debate

Get together with a friend or two in the legal industry or studying law and discuss a topical legal subject and try to reach a conclusion. Then think about the arguments, emotions and biases that came into play and how the facts fitted into that.

4. Problem-solve

The practice of solving problems is not just honing your critical thinking but proving you can apply them. It requires paying attention to the facts, getting creative and understanding a problem from multiple angles.

5. Reflect

We all have emotions, biases and viewpoints that influence our thinking. So learn what yours are and how they affect your thinking. Is there evidence to challenge your assumptions, not just reinforce them?

Turn critical thinking into a habit and you will then have one of the most employable strengths a lawyer can have.

🤔 How do you test your critical thinking skills? Any tips for law students?