One of the most important skills lawyers need, it basically means possessing knowledge of current developments in local, national and world business, particularly any issues that impact a law firm and its clients. 

Firms expect employees to market their services to prospective clients, as well as develop trusting relationships with existing ones. Ultimately, law firms are businesses, so lawyers must appreciate the commercial importance of meeting deadlines, keeping costs low and handling information confidentially. 

A client, meanwhile, expects their lawyer to fully understand how their business is run, and which wider social, political and economic issues may affect them. If applicable, lawyers must also appreciate the short, medium and long-term implications of their client's business proposal, and think strategically about the organization’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. This enables the lawyer to provide pragmatic, business-minded legal advice to the best of their ability. 

As a legal professional you have to work alongside different people, and many times winning a case is due to teamwork effort. A lawyer needs to cooperate with colleagues and partners in the company in which he works, as well as communicate with clients. 

Lawyers need to foster close working relationships with the clerks they work with, and work with other lawyers on high-profile cases, as the workload in such cases is too stressful for a single representative.  

Therefore, being part of a team is essential. You will need those skills to deal with people in the legal hierarchy, starting from interns and students to members of the judiciary. 

The trust that clients have in their legal representatives is vital; Hence, you should have a charming, polite and convincing personality. 

The easiest way to expand your interpersonal skills is to join a team, whether it's a sports team, drama club, singing group, or anything that enables you to work with others. Alternatively, take advantage of opportunities at university, engage in editorial for student magazines, or join the social discussions. Also, working part-time in customer service is another way you can improve that skill. 

Strong oral and written communication skills are crucial and without them you'll struggle to carry out the duties of a solicitor effectively. Excellent listening ability is also important when working with clients, as you need to be able to build relationships and engender confidence. 

You need to be a confident speaker when arguing a case in court, negotiating settlements and explaining complex information to clients. You'll have to use persuasive, clear and succinct language. Public speaking is also required in the role of a barrister. To hone this skill while at university, volunteer as the spokesperson in group activities or get involved in debate teams. 

Written ability is equally important when drafting letters and legal documents. You'll need to know technical and legal language and be able to convey it clearly and concisely. To improve your written communication skills, get involved with your university's law society. You could take meeting minutes, draft emails, write newsletters or manage social media accounts. 

Having an eagle eye for the smallest details is essential to your success in your legal career. A single word out of place can change the meaning of a clause or contract, while misspelt or ungrammatical emails, letters or documents give clients a bad impression, costing your firm their business. 

When applying for jobs or training contracts remember that employers look for spelling, punctuation and grammatical errors. If your cover letter is vague, too long or littered with spelling mistakes, a recruiter may question what a potential client would make of your letter of advice. To improve attention to detail, volunteer your proofing services to student publications and get used to going through your own work with a fine-tooth comb. 

Some may think that the legal profession provides little outlet for an individual's creative talent but this simply isn't the case. No matter which legal career you choose you'll frequently have to think outside the box to get the job done. 

As all experienced solicitors and barristers know, the best course of action isn't always the easiest or the most obvious. To outmanoeuvre opposing parties and secure a positive result for your client you'll need to employ your creative thinking and problem-solving skills on an almost daily basis. 

A good way to develop these abilities is to take part in student competitions, such as mooting, become a student representative or gain a position on your students' union.