A few roommates and friends of the student editors of this publication are studying Law. While it’s notorious for how difficult it is to study, today we’re outlining one aspect of studying and practicing law: litigation. Let’s dive right in.
Litigation is a career choice for enterprising and tenacious lawyers. You have to be curious and keep an open mind to learn more every moment to become a successful litigator. Litigation can be criminal or civil, and litigators don’t focus on a single stream of the law. Hence, they need to be very versatile.
What is it like to be a litigator?
The rules are most critical that will matter when you choose this career. Once you master the rules, half the job is done. The processes and evidence gathering for criminal or civil litigations take a lot of understanding. The rules and practical exposure will teach you how to write and argue the motions in court. You shall also try to understand how you can gather information from opposition or from others who are not a party to the particular case and use the same as your evidence in favor of your client. You will be involved in a career where you shall have the opportunity of lifelong learning. Many vital factors matter here. You will get the chance to learn a lot if you become a litigator. The vast knowledge includes case-specific insights, like your clients’ businesses, finances, and the dynamics of your client’s family.
What kind of person makes the best litigator?
As a career choice, litigation is not limited to the most boisterous people and neither to those who are very outspoken. Rather, this can be a great career choice for introverts, if they are curious and have a particular eye for detail. You have to have good preparation and look for every opportunity to outsmart the opposition. The best thing about litigation as a career is that it is not limited to one particular discipline, and thus cases can range from property to tax to criminal cases. So, success isn’t limited to a specific educational profile or background. It means that if you are ready to invest time in understanding and excelling in the procedural rules, then you can flourish in this career.
What do litigators have to do?
As a litigator, you are expected to represent your client. You have to try and work out the best outcome for their case, in their favor. The process may, at times, be aggressive.
Sometimes it may be advisable to play a waiting game. Other times it may be easy to settle a case quickly and privately all depending on the situation. As a litigator, you must pay very keen attention to the arguments of the opposition and take note of what the judge has done. The variety of work that you can undertake as a litigator, can also help you in becoming a versatile law practitioner. You can use the same experience to seamlessly undertake civil or criminal cases.
So if you are planning to take up litigation as a career choice, then you should learn to evolve yourself as per the needs and development of every case and devote a lot of time to studying old cases and their resolutions. Apart from that, you need to go networking with lawyers. If you can build good relationships with other lawyers, then as a litigator it will be an invaluable asset for you.