Why Being Coachable May Matter More Than Being Brilliant in Your First Legal Job

Intelligence may help you get hired, but coachability is often what helps you survive, improve, and become trusted in the legal profession.

Law students are trained to value brilliance.

They compete for grades. They chase class rank. They try to impress professors, interviewers, judges, and law firms. They learn that being smart can open doors.

And it can.

But once you start your first legal job, brilliance is no longer enough.

In fact, being brilliant without being coachable can become a probl…