This Special Report offers a research-based view into the importance of soft skills for modern lawyers and how law firms develop essential soft skills – whether to comply with SRA rules, to lead productive teams, to provide the best service to clients or to grow their practice. Through interviews with lawyers, leaders and human resource professionals at large and small firms, the report provides an overview of the essential soft skills required by modern lawyers, competency frameworks and insights into how best to develop them and guidance on some of the essential soft skills required. Interpersonal, emotional intelligence, communication, learning, adaptability, problem-solving, negotiation, team management, leadership and business development are amongst the soft skills explored for high-performing lawyers.