Street-Smart VS Courtroom-Smart: What Type of Lawyer Are You?

As a lawyer, you’ve been told that books truly matter. In fact, going through law school, you came across hundreds of literature pieces that reinforced this belief. Besides, history itself proves that a majority of lawyers who graduated from top-tier universities went on to make top dollar in some of the most prestigious global law firms. However, there’s more to law than just the books and the courtroom.

The definition of courtroom-smart

In simple terms, being courtroom-smart means that you’re in tune with the literature aspect of the law. That is, you have all the technical know-how to win cases, and showcase your intellectual capabilities.

Courtroom-smart lawyers excel at their academics and have a great work ethic

You can easily get integrated into a law firm thanks to your intellectual prowess. You’re good at following instructions and can make one heck of a great employee.

The definition of street-smart

Have you always known how to get what you want? If so, then this is one of the major traits that shows you are a street-smart lawyer.

From day one, street-smart lawyers have the ability to utilize their resources, however limited they are, to achieve their goals and desires.

In fact, street-smart lawyers have the savvy ability to convince people to invest in what they have to offer; not to mention, the social skills to build a law business from the ground up. So it’s no surprise that most street-smart lawyers always end up being senior partners in a law firm.

Why is this the case?

Now, there are undeniably numerous benefits from being a courtroom-smart lawyer. You get to be at the forefront of negotiating deals, handling cases with a winning mentality, and representing your clients with a lot of confidence. But when it comes to starting a lucrative law business, street-smart lawyers have the upper hand.

That’s because street-smart lawyers have all the skills of the courtroom lawyer, but realize the disadvantages of being courtroom-smart in certain situations. Furthermore, they only focus on an outcome that benefits them; that is, one that presents an opportunity to elevate their social status.

And that’s why it’s common to see plenty of rich lawyers who may not have had the best education or worked in the most prestigious law firms, excel at successfully launching their own high-end law firm. That’s because they love to experiment and not just look at their business from a legal perspective.

Usually, street-smart lawyers love to take the risk, while courtroom-smart ones love to take the safe bet by reading the right literature for each given case

On the contrary, most courtroom-smart lawyers strongly believe that because they spent thousands of dollars, and invested countless hours in becoming a maestro at technical law; they believe they can excel much better when it comes to business or even handling social interactions.

How Both Parties View Real Life Situations?

There’s a bias to how both parties look at life. For the courtroom-smart lawyers, they look at life from a legal perspective. Whenever this type of lawyer is faced with a real-life situation, they analyze the situation, process it, and try to respond with an intellectual reply.

On the other hand, the street-smart lawyer seems to be always ready when faced with real-life situations. They are normally poised before reacting. They assess the situation, acknowledge their audience, and then tailor their response to suit what the audience really wants to hear. If you’ve come across such lawyers before, then you’ll notice that they definitely have a silver tongue.

A street-smart lawyer is usually able to handle real-life situations in a more relaxed manner

So, which personality is better?

Whether you’re a courtroom-smart or street-smart lawyer, you’ll benefit from your legal profession in one way or another. For starters, courtroom-smart lawyers always have a head start in terms of their profession. All thanks to having attended the best law schools. These are the kind of lawyers who are rewarded for their loyalty and hard work.

As for the street-smart lawyers, they are free-spirited and aggressive. He or she will excel at rubbing shoulders with some of the biggest names in corporate and law. This will enable them to make acquaintances, which they will use for future business ventures. So in conclusion, it seems to be a win-win situation for both parties. They can both leave a positive imprint in the field of law.