Legal Advisor Job Description, Skills, and Salary
Get to know about the duties, responsibilities, qualifications, and skills requirements of a legal advisor. Feel free to use our legal advisor job description template to produce your own. We also provide you with information about the salary you can earn as a legal advisor.
Who is a Legal Advisor?
A Legal Advisor is essentially a lawyer who advises a large corporation or organization on legal matters. These individuals are sometimes referred to as “in-house lawyers,” “in-house counselors,” or “corporate counselors.” A Legal Advisor is typically an expert in a particular field of law. They may become embroiled in labor or contract disputes, compensation disputes, harassment lawsuits, or other workplace disputes. Additionally, they provide general legal advice to businesses regarding corporate growth, mergers, and other business practices.
While they may occasionally pursue lawsuits and litigation on behalf of their clients, their primary responsibility is to ensure that a client’s actions are legal in a particular matter. The advisor may be self-employed or employed permanently as a counselor to a business, government office or politician, or individual client.
Numerous legal advisors concentrate their practice on a particular area of law. Family law advisors may offer legal services in the areas of divorce, child custody, and inheritance. A labor law professional may be concerned with issues such as worker’s compensation, workplace harassment, or wrongful dismissal lawsuits. Commercial legal advisers frequently serve as business and corporate advisors. Legal advisors who work for government agencies are typically experts in areas such as constitutional law, international law, or public policy.
A legal advisor can provide an informed opinion on a legal matter. He or she may conduct research, provide pertinent materials, and cite specific statutes to assist in explaining a law or developing a strategy for a client. In some instances, an advisor may assist with paperwork preparation or contract and other document examination to ensure that an action is carried out legally. In some instances, an advisor may also act as an attorney for a client, representing him or her in court.
Government officials and departments frequently hire advisors to assist in the development of legislation and proposals that adhere to established legal standards. Each government department may have its head legal advisor, but the office of the government legal advisor may employ dozens of additional legal advisers as associate counselors and assistants. Politicians, particularly those preparing to run for office, frequently hire a legal advisory team to ensure that their actions comply with applicable laws.
The majority of larger businesses and organizations retain the services of a legal advisor to manage contracts and provide policy advice. Police and fire departments, non-profit organizations, hospitals, and school districts frequently seek legal counsel to help them navigate the complex policy laws governing their actions. Regional governments, such as city or county councils, may also consult advisors when developing local policies and laws.
Individual citizens may be able to obtain legal counsel from a legal aid organization, a law school clinic, or a law firm. This can be a useful first step in determining whether an individual requires the assistance of a legal adviser to pursue or defend a claim. While law clinics and legal aid organizations frequently provide free advice and assistance, law firms may charge a consulting fee for providing an initial opinion on a case.
Personal, corporate, governmental, or think tank members may serve as legal advisers. If you are involved in complex business transactions, require succession planning, or wish to avoid regulatory snafus, having a corporate legal adviser on retainer makes sound business sense. In your personal life, legal advisers can assist you in forming LLCs, drafting wills, and providing aggressive collection services.
When advertising their services, personal and business legal advisers frequently use the terms legal adviser and law practice, as well as the variant spelling, legal advisor. Consider it a success if someone describes you or your law firm as the person they least want to face in court. When someone expresses gratitude for your assistance in resolving a frivolous lawsuit or defending their reputation during a potential scandal, you’ve done your job.
Legal Advisor Job Description
Below are the legal advisor job description examples you can use to develop your resume or write a legal advisor job description for your employee. Employers can also use it to sieve out job seekers when choosing candidates for interviews.
The duties and responsibilities of a legal advisor include the following:
- Providing legal counsel to managers and business leaders on legal issues and decisions
- Examining laws and ensuring that the organization adheres to local regulations
- Researching current laws and staying current on changes
- Supervising internal litigation and legal documentation
- Contract drafting, review, and negotiation for the company
- Creating legal documents, such as declarations and agreements
- Defending a business’s trademarks and patents
- Assisting Directors with the overall implementation of the firm’s visions, plans, and strategies
- Keeping track of the organization’s legal files and ensuring that business practices adhere to the organization’s policies and regulations
- Conducting their cases and assisting coworkers and partners in negotiating terms, representing, and advising their clients
- Assuring on-time delivery of services and maintaining constant communication with clients regarding progress and costs
- Professionally providing legal services and adhering to the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s code of conduct
- Developing strategies to compete with and outperform the competition, as well as providing the high level of service that clients expect
- Developing relationships with local communities, residents, and referral sources to promote the firm
- Providing accurate, candid, and positive judgment in the client’s best interests at all times
- Analyzing legal issues and documents
- Conducting legal research and providing legal advice to clients
- Creating and presenting memoranda, briefing documents, and other documents
- Assisting with dispute resolution and other formalities
- Assisting and supervising the vendor contract preparation
- Assisting clients with damage claims
- Consulting clients to ascertain their legal issues
- Assisting stakeholders and vendors in resolving complex issues
Other important responsibilities include the following:
- Drafting and Negotiating Contracts
Legal Advisors must be familiar with drafting and arranging the terms of various types of contracts, ranging from consultant contracts to collaboration agreements. This responsibility entails both the review of existing contracts and the creation of new ones.
- Ascertaining Adherence to Corporate Laws
Legal Advisors must be knowledgeable about corporate law and conduct an audit of all company practices and processes to ensure that the corporation is operating within all applicable federal and state laws. This responsibility necessitates that Legal Advisors be familiar with all applicable legal regulations on the particular business in which they are employed.
- Counseling Employees and Managers in Cases of Conflict
Legal Advisors apply their knowledge of applicable laws to assist in resolving sexual harassment incidents, labor disputes, and other employee relations conflicts. They will work in collaboration with other departments and meet with employers and employees to review and resolve each conflict.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in law
- Extensive experience in the field of law.
- Excellent analytical and research abilities.
- Interpersonal and communication skills that are effective.
- Capability to work effectively both in a team and on an individual basis.
- Capacity to work extended hours when necessary.
Essential Skills
- Excellent communication skills
Legal advisers must be articulate orally, possess strong written communication skills, and be excellent listeners. During your studies, you can develop your communication and speaking skills by participating in activities such as mooting or general public speaking.
Additionally, legal advisers must be able to write, persuasively, and succinctly, as they will be responsible for a variety of legal documents.
However, projection is not the only factor. A legal adviser’s ability to analyze what clients say or follow a complex testimony requires excellent listening skills.
- Determination
As a good legal adviser, the ability to draw reasonable, logical conclusions or assumptions based on limited information is critical. Additionally, you must be able to evaluate these judgments critically to anticipate potential areas of weakness in your argument that must be strengthened.
Similarly, you must be able to identify flaws in your opponent’s argument. Decisiveness is a component of judgment as well. There will be numerous critical judgment calls to make and little time for hedging.
- Analytical skills
Both studying and practicing law entail consuming large amounts of information and then distilling it into something manageable and logical.
At times, more than one reasonable conclusion or precedent applicable to resolving a situation will exist. A legal advisor must therefore possess evaluative abilities to determine which option is the most appropriate.
- Research skills
Similarly, the ability to conduct rapid and effective research is critical to comprehend your clients, their needs, and developing legal strategies.
Developing legal strategies entails absorbing and comprehending a large amount of information and distilling it down to something manageable and useful.
- Interpersonal skills
Law is not an amorphous activity. Irrespective of academic performance, legal advisers work with and on behalf of people, and the decisions they make affect people’s lives.
They must be approachable, persuasive, and empathetic. This enables them to gauge juror reactions and witness credibility.
With this, they can determine the most effective strategy for achieving the desired outcome: either client following their advice or negotiating a favorable settlement with the opposition.
How to Become a Legal Advisor
- Earn a law degree
To practice law, a legal advisor must possess a law degree. When pursuing a legal degree, you have two options. Following graduation from high school, you may enroll in a Bachelor of Laws program. This is the most frequently followed educational path for aspiring attorneys. Typically, these programs take three to four full years to complete.
Law degrees can assist aspiring legal advisors in preparing for their future careers. Students are introduced to general law concepts at the start of their legal education. They can also take electives in specialized legal areas as they progress. If you’re considering specializing in a particular area of law, such as contract or patent law, these electives will help you develop your industry knowledge and technical skills.
- Enroll in an exhaustive training program
Following graduation with a legal degree, you may be required to enroll in a training program leading to a Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice. You can gain practical experience and continue your education during this training. Consider consulting the guidelines for your state or territory to determine the specific requirements for your area. Typically, aspiring attorneys must complete an online course and at least 80 days of work training.
Typically, this training takes less than a year to complete, though this can vary depending on your location and the program you choose. Additionally, it varies according to your educational path. If you earn a bachelor’s degree in law, you will almost certainly need to complete a separate Graduate Diploma program, though some JD programs include this training as part of their curriculum. If you apply to one of these programs, you may complete your training during your final year of law school or immediately upon graduation.
- Complete your supervised work training
You may also be required to complete a clerkship or supervised work training, depending on your state or territory. This process typically takes between 18 and 24 months. You will be working under the supervision of a practicing lawyer during this time. They can provide feedback and assist you in developing your skills. In some areas, your Graduate Diploma may supplant the requirement for a clerkship; therefore, you should check your local guidelines to ensure you meet all requirements.
- Obtain admission from the state or territory in which you reside.
Each state or territory has an Admissions Authority that reviews the credentials of aspiring lawyers before their careers begin. You can consult the local guidelines to ensure that you meet any specific requirements. Typically, the Admissions Authority will examine a candidate’s law degree and Graduate Diploma to ensure they have received adequate education and training.
- Apply for a certificate of practice.
To practice law as a legal advisor, you must first obtain a practicing certificate from your state or territory. This license enables lawyers to practice law in courts and provide legal services to businesses and organizations. The certificate entitles you to practice law in your state or territory. If you relocate or wish to work in a new area, you must reapply for a new certificate.
- Accumulate experience
After receiving your certificate of practice, you can begin working as a legal advisor or lawyer in your area. Consider applying for open entry-level positions to assist you in honing your legal skills. You could begin your career as an advisor for a corporation or government agency. Many large organizations prefer to hire experienced lawyers as in-house counsel, so consider developing your skills in an adjacent role, such as that of a solicitor or barrister.
- Submit applications for advanced positions.
Consider applying for advanced roles in legal advising as your skillset develops. You can create a curriculum vitae (CV) that highlights your experience, education, and pertinent certifications. This can assist you in demonstrating to a prospective employer that you have met all of the requirements to become a legal advisor.
When applying for positions, keep your interests, educational background, and specialties in mind to ensure that you are placed in the right role. For instance, if you have experience with real estate law, you might look for work in the real estate industry or with government agencies that frequently deal with real estate regulations. If you studied contract law, you may be interested in working for large corporations.
Where to Work as a Legal Advisor
Legal Advisors work in courts, governmental organizations and agencies, and in private legal services.
Legal Advisor Salary
In the United States, the national average salary for a Legal Advisor is $150,340 per year.