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General Counsel Job Description

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Overview

general counsel
226
The number of occurrences in our database.
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A General Counsel is the chief lawyer of a legal department, usually in a company or a governmental department. Their role is overseeing and identifying legal issues in all departments and their interrelation. Their responsibilities are advising the board of directors in place of outside lawyers, providing crisis managemnt, assisting with mergers and acquisitions, and defending labor law and intellectual property rights.

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Steps to take to start your career as a General Counsel and other jobs like it

  • Obtain a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university. You choose to major in pre-law or political science but you can pursue any undergraduate major as long as you complete the prerequisite coursework required by law schools.
  • Prepare and complete the standardized tests required by most law schools (LSAT and in some cases the GRE) as a high score on this test can help open more school options for you. Prepare the other required documents that include undergraduate course transcripts and usually written statements, recommendations and often interviews with each school.
  • Seek opportunities to gain practical experience through internships, externships, or clerkships during law school, while pursuing your undergraduate degree or even before that. Practical experience can provide valuable insights into the legal profession and help you develop essential skills such as legal research, writing, and advocacy. There are roles that match with almost any experience level in the legal field so if you have a passion for this career, start early as familiarity with the professional environment in this space will help.
  • Graduate from an accredited law school to earn a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree. Law school typically takes three years to complete and covers a wide range of legal topics, including contracts, torts, constitutional law, and legal writing.
  • After graduating from law school, you'll need to pass the bar exam in the jurisdiction where you intend to practice law. The bar exam assesses your knowledge of legal principles, procedures, and ethics. California is widely considered to have the hardest exam. Additionally, some states require applicants to pass a separate ethics exam or the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE).
Hear from someone who’s had the job or one like it
"There are many areas of law you can specialize in. This in house counsel knew she wanted to work with big tech in Silicon Valley and choose her specialization carefully. Learn about her path and advice working in law. "
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Examples of Current Open General Counsel Positions
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indeedImg
Avg Pay: $127K
Jobs: 5,671
glassdoor
Avg Pay: $276K
Jobs: 1,547

Education you need to become a General Counsel

These are the most common degrees or certificates earned by Jobtrees users prior to becoming a General Counsel

There may be other required degrees or certifications needed for this job. The below info shows you the most commonly desired education level from employers when hiring for this job.

  • Doctoral degree in Juris Doctor
    The number of occurrences matches with General Counsel in our database.
    Avg. Duration:21 monthsAvg. Fees:$34,630Type:Mostly full timeView more on Studyportals
  • Bachelor of Arts (b.a.) in Economics
    The number of occurrences matches with General Counsel in our database.
    Avg. Duration:48 monthsAvg. Fees:$34,442Type:Mostly full timeView more on Studyportals
  • Bachelor of Arts (b.a.) in Political Science
    The number of occurrences matches with General Counsel in our database.
    Avg. Duration:48 monthsAvg. Fees:$31,495Type:Mostly full timeView more on Studyportals
  • Bachelor of Arts (b.a.) in History
    The number of occurrences matches with General Counsel in our database.
    Avg. Duration:48 monthsAvg. Fees:$32,316Type:Mostly full timeView more on Studyportals
  • Bachelor of Arts (b.a.) in Philosophy
    The number of occurrences matches with General Counsel in our database.
    Avg. Duration:48 monthsAvg. Fees:$35,196Type:Mostly full timeView more on Studyportals
  • Bachelor of Arts (b.a.) in American Studies
    The number of occurrences matches with General Counsel in our database.
    Avg. Duration:48 monthsAvg. Fees:$42,101Type:Mostly full timeView more on Studyportals
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Annual Pay Estimate for General Counsel and Other Important Info

See how many years General Counsel's are in their job, how much they make, how long it took to get there and how available this job is in terms of open positions.

6.4 years
$202K
The average years of experience in the workforce prior to having this role
5.80 years
Senior
The average number of roles it took our users to get to this one
4
1127 out of 4016

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Career Paths for General Counsel

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Jobs to start your career in becoming a General Counsel

These are the most common roles Jobtrees users had to start their career that eventually lead them to General Counsel. If you’re looking to get into this career these are jobs to consider to get your start. We’ve included below some current open job postings that match those roles. Click to search for more.