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Legal Counsel Job Description

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Overview

legal counsel
33
The number of occurrences in our database.
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A legal counsel is a lawyer who provides legal advice "in-house" as an employee of an organization and are often concerned in labor or contract disputes, payment issues, harassment suits, or other workplace conflicts. They also provide general legal advice about corporate decisions regarding corporate growth, mergers, or other practices. Legal counsel duties and responsibilities are to draft and negotiate contracts, ensure compliance with corporate law, and also provides counsel for employee and management conflicts.

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Steps to take to start your career as a Legal 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. "
Career Video Transcript
Examples of Current Open Legal Counsel Positions
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Avg Pay: $89K
Jobs: 6,971
glassdoor
Avg Pay: $194K
Jobs: 5,271

Education you need to become a Legal Counsel

These are the most common degrees or certificates earned by Jobtrees users prior to becoming a Legal 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 Legal Counsel in our database.
    Avg. Duration:21 monthsAvg. Fees:$34,630Type:Mostly full timeView more on Studyportals
  • Bachelor of Arts (b.a.) in Political Science
    The number of occurrences matches with Legal Counsel in our database.
    Avg. Duration:48 monthsAvg. Fees:$31,495Type:Mostly full timeView more on Studyportals
  • Master of Science (m.sc.) in Biotechnology
    The number of occurrences matches with Legal Counsel in our database.
    Avg. Duration:16 monthsAvg. Fees:$26,275Type:Mostly full timeView more on Studyportals
  • Bachelor of Arts (b.a.) in Slavic Studies
    The number of occurrences matches with Legal Counsel in our database.
    Avg. Duration:48 monthsAvg. Fees:$48,264Type:Mostly full timeView more on Studyportals
  • Bachelor of Science (b.sc.) in Industrial Engineering
    The number of occurrences matches with Legal Counsel in our database.
    Avg. Duration:48 monthsAvg. Fees:$30,630Type:Mostly full timeView more on Studyportals
  • Master of Science (m.sc.) in Biology
    The number of occurrences matches with Legal Counsel in our database.
    Avg. Duration:15 monthsAvg. Fees:$25,091Type:Mostly full timeView more on Studyportals
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Annual Pay Estimate for Legal Counsel and Other Important Info

See how many years Legal 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.

3.9 years
$142K
The average years of experience in the workforce prior to having this role
3.32 years
Mid
The average number of roles it took our users to get to this one
3
1394 out of 4012

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Career Paths for Legal Counsel

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Jobs to start your career in becoming a Legal Counsel

These are the most common roles Jobtrees users had to start their career that eventually lead them to Legal 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.