General Counsel Duties & Responsibilities

The role and function of a General Counsel includes the following duties and responsibilities:

  • Provide legal opinions on various situations
  • Provide interpretations and recommendations to management and other staff
  • Plan and implement internal policies and procedures 
  • Predict issues if possible
  • Estimate risks in advance
  • Proactively look for solutions and better practices to mitigate risk
  • Deal with external parties such as regulators and external counsels
  • Drive, motivate and direct team toward the right performance 
  • Ensuring compliance with local, state, and federal laws and regulations

Note that this is not an exhaustive list of General Counsel duties and responsibilities. Job functions for specific General Counsel roles may vary, depending on the industry and type of employer.