5 Lawyerly Skills We Can Learn From ‘Game of Thrones’

Everybody is into “Game of Thrones” and if you have been observing them for quite some time, you might notice that some of them could be great lawyers, while some of them would be terrible in court. Here are some things that you might find applicable in your practice of law.

Be a Good Listener

One of the most lawyerly characters in “Game of Thrones” is. no doubt, the intelligent imp (and everybody’s favorite character) Tyrion Lannister. Had he been born in a different era, he would definitely have been a lawyer. Tyrion is a great listener and an excellent counselor. He is one of the very few characters who, through his own indirect puns, was able to go against the wishes of his spoiled nephew, King Joffrey Baratheon, without getting killed.

Tyrion easily identifies weaknesses in other people and is great in delegating work to his teammates. This characteristic is vital in the life of a lawyer where one would have to collaborate with people of many different professions and work ethics, such as a counselor in custody and divorce cases or a psychologist in some criminal cases.

Listen to Your Advisers

When King Joffrey was just murdered, Tywin had a word with his grandson Tommen, who was next in line to the throne. Tywin asked Tommen what kind of king he thinks he will be, to which Tommen replied that he wanted to be a good one. Tywin proceeds to ask his grandson about what is a good king’s single most important quality, to which holiness, justice, strength and wisdom were brought into the discussion. It has become a theme in “Game of Thrones” that the advisers are wiser than the rulers, but they do not really have the power and charisma of their leaders. The best they could do is to lend their wisdom.

You definitely cannot know everything in your practice of law. Thus, it would greatly help to listen to others and use what you can acquire to your advantage.

Be Aware of Your Weaknesses

Tywin also told Tommen in the fourth season that “a wise king knows what he knows and what he doesn’t.” Cersei, on the other hand, pretends that she knows everything. This is what led to a lot of embarrassing events in the show for her such as having an incestuous relationship with her twin brother, raising a son that had become a really big brat for her to control, her walk of shame and a lot more. Cersei only looks into the immediate and does not really care about what happens in the long run.

You will not know everything that you will come across as a lawyer. Rather than deny this fact, admit to yourself that the profession that you entered involves an entire lifetime of learning. You are paid for your knowledge, not your opinion on laws, cases and what is right or wrong.

Understand Others, But Remain Detached

In “Game of Thrones,” multiple characters make terrible decisions on a regular basis. The whole show is practically seeing bad decisions happen and how it affects all others. However, you can see why they act the way they do since you are placed in the shoes of these characters.

In your practice of law, you will come across all kinds of screw ups possible in your own real life version of this series that capitalizes on human error. Some of your clients might make you laugh, cringe or get mad at some point, but you have to keep in mind that you are their champion.

Know Your Adversary

One of the reasons why Tyrion did great as a hand was that he knew who was loyal to whom and he knew who to weed out as soon as possible. In the second episode of season two, Tyrion jettisons the commander of the City Watch, Lord Janos Slynt, who went against Ned Stark and slaughtered his men to join the Night’s Watch. Tyrion then set up a trap for the members of the council where he found out who the real traitor was — Grand Maester Pycell.

The practice of law is very adversarial. If you decide to practice in court, going head on with lawyers who think and act differently will be nothing but an ordinary day at work. You do not have to engage your opposing counsel with brute force, but you can handle him or her in the matter Tyrion does.

The rich character development of this show can make every lawyer compare their experiences and the people they meet in their life as a lawyer. Do you have any comparisons from “Game of Thrones” and in court that you have learned from? Share with us your thoughts in the comments below.