General Counsel Job Description

What is the job description of a General Counsel? What are the duties and responsibilities of a General Counsel? What does a General Counsel do?

Job description of a General Counsel

A General Counsel is the chief attorney of a legal department within a government or corporate office and serves as an in-house legal guide, providing assistance and advice on all matters of law.

This General Counsel job description example includes the list of most important General Counsel duties and responsibilities as shown below. It can be modified to fit the specific General Counsel profile you're trying to fill as a recruiter or job seeker.

General Counsel Duties and Responsibilities

General Counsel job description should contain a variety of functions and roles including:

  • 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

General Counsel Requirements / Skills / Qualifications

General Counsel job description should include these common skills and qualifications:

  • Bachelor's degree in Law 
  • MA or BSc in Business Administration is a plus.
  • x years of experience as a General Counsel or similar role
  • Excellent knowledge of wide range of legal issues
  • Very good understanding of legal issues 
  • Excellent judgement and analytical skills
  • Effective communication skills 
  • Leadership and management skills
  • Ability to develop legal strategy and objectives
  • Ability to predict and prevent legal issues and risks 
  • Strong moral and ethical principles
  • Professional ethics 

As a hiring manager, recruiting an ideal General Counsel starts with crafting a good job description. Use this General Counsel job description template to save yourself time and help you attract the most qualified candidates. Feel free to revise it to meet your specific needs.

Job seekers interviewing for the role of a General Counsel may also reference it in preparation for the interview.