Legal Counsel Job Description

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

Job description of a Legal Counsel

A legal counsel is a lawyer who provides advice, guidance, and representation for clients who include individuals, corporations, and organizations. This position can encompass a wide variety of roles, from providing one-on-one client representation in civil and criminal cases to leading a company or nonprofit organization’s legal team and supporting compliance and litigation efforts.

While a legal counsel can work from an independent practice, they can also work directly for an organization. In either case, the legal counsel provides oversight and direction for individual and organizational legal compliance, represents their client during litigation, and aids in complex legal decision-making and negotiations.

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

Legal Counsel Duties and Responsibilities

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

  • Give accurate and timely counsel to executives in a variety of legal topics (labor law, partnerships, international ventures, corporate finance etc.)
  • Collaborate with management to devise efficient defense strategies
  • Specify internal governance policies and regularly monitor compliance
  • Research and evaluate different risk factors regarding business decisions and operations
  • Apply effective risk management techniques and offer proactive advise on possible legal issues
  • Communicate and negotiate with external parties (regulators, external counsel, public authority etc.), creating relations of trust
  • Draft and solidify agreements, contracts and other legal documents to ensure the company’s full legal rights
  • Deal with complex matters with multiple stakeholders and forces
  • Provide clarification on legal language or specifications to everyone in the organization
  • Conduct your work with integrity and responsibility
  • Maintain current knowledge of alterations in legislation

Legal Counsel Requirements / Skills / Qualifications

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

  • B.Sc degree in Law
  • MA or B.Sc in Business Administration will be considered an advantage;
  • Proven experience as a legal counsel in business environment
  • Excellent knowledge and understanding of corporate law and procedures
  • Full comprehension of the influences of the external environment of a corporation
  • Demonstrated ability to create legal defensive or proactive strategies
  • High degree of professional ethics and integrity
  • Sound judgement and ability to analyse situations and information
  • Outstanding communication skills

As a hiring manager, recruiting an ideal Legal Counsel starts with crafting a good job description. Use this Legal 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 Legal Counsel may also reference it in preparation for the interview.