Corporate Lawyer Jobs For A Fulfilled Career in 2023

Corporate lawyer jobs are typically some of the most lucrative legal professions, out of which you can build a career after years of experience and detailed knowledge of the law. Corporate attorneys usually advise businesses on their legal obligations, responsibilities, and rights. You’ve probably heard of such occurrences as assisting a small internet start-up company and even participating in the negotiations to acquire a multibillion-dollar company. These examples involve corporate attorney jobs in their basic form.

The corporate lawyer job description generally involves handling numerous legal issues for businesses. Becoming a corporate lawyer means you’ll most likely find employment in a mid-size or large law firm, where you’ll need to handle various business transactions and counsel clients. While the full list of your daily duties and tasks is too extensive, it’s also important to note that your responsibilities will vary depending on your respective position and employer. However, we’ve taken the liberty to list some of the most exciting jobs you can expect to encounter in corporate law practice. Here we go.

Corporate Attorney Job Description

As a corporate attorney, your job will be catering to the corporation that employs you. You can mostly expect to perform predictable work, and you’ll be on the same team with your client. A corporate law career is different from criminal law or working in a law firm where different clients come and go. 

In other words, in comparison to both working in a firm and working on your own, corporate law is something entirely different. For example, if the corporation you work for is small, you may work with another attorney or by yourself. However, if your employer is a large corporation, yours will likely be merely one of many legal corporate jobs. 

Large corporations tend to hire many attorneys at the same time, forming teams and ensuring that each attorney has a different set of skills. For instance, most large businesses, such as manufacturing companies, retail stores, insurance companies, and banks, hire such legal professionals. As a result, corporate lawyer duties and working hours tend to be unpaid and extended in a law firm, but are more predictable in corporations.

It would be most accurate to say that corporate attorney jobs mostly involve providing legal guidance to both clients and employers. Most commonly, the first order of business when starting a new case is to meet with prospective clients and understand the legal issue more profoundly. When looking to obtain all of the necessary details, this activity often requires consulting with other attorneys and reading through corporate filings. Researching prior cases and finding previous precedents usually follow after that. 

If you specialize in corporate law, you could also seek employment as a corporate litigation lawyer. These legal professionals represent their clients in courtrooms, where they work in front of a judge and jury. If this is the case, you’ll be performing examinations and cross-examinations of witnesses, as well as making opening and closing arguments.

Speaking of courtrooms, if working in and out of the courtroom is something you’d enjoy, consider seeking employment as a corporate bankruptcy lawyer. As a bankruptcy lawyer, you’d be responsible for presenting debt-reorganization plans for the court to approve. Outside of it, you may advise clients on bankruptcy laws and counsel them on how to reduce their debts. Another form of employment is on the side of creditors, where you’d be tasked with extracting as much money as you can from various debtors.

The great thing about jobs for corporate lawyers is that you don’t have to work for a large law firm. You can opt to sign contracts with many different firms, thus becoming self-employed. 

The main thing to keep in mind in terms of corporate lawyer requirements is that these law professionals ensure the legality of business transactions and practices. As such, corporate attorneys are top-notch experts in their respective fields. Ensuring that your clients operate within legal boundaries is crucial for being a corporate lawyer. To achieve this goal, you must possess a thorough understanding of regulations and laws, no matter what size the corporation ends up being your employer. 

Corporate Lawyer Education Requirements

You’ll need to complete an undergraduate degree before you’re able to attend law school. Furthermore, keep in mind that most of your future competitors for many corporate lawyer jobs purposefully attend top undergraduate programs. The reason for their choice is the fierce competitiveness of the field. 

You’ll need to hold the Juris Doctor degree from a reputable law school to be able to seek jobs for a corporate lawyer. Remember that your law school of choice also must hold accreditation from the American Bar Association. Typically, a bachelor’s degree program, after which you’ll need to take the LSAT (Law School Admission Test), are the two basic requirements for your law school of choice.

Upon gaining admittance to law school, you’ll typically study concepts such as property rights and torts for the better part of the first few semesters. Tax law and business law classes will only be available to you during the last year and a half. In these classes, you’ll have your first contact with topics like taxation and corporate accounting, which are essential for a corporate lawyer education.

If you’re eager to make your corporate lawyer resume particularly appealing to future employers, you may want to consider enrolling in a one-year Master of Laws (LL.M) program. This program is excellent in terms of expanding your knowledge of business and corporate law. While you’re certainly able to customize your path of study toward your specialty of choice while attending this program, keep in mind that it, by default, primarily focuses on legal theory and writing. For instance, you can focus on business finance, commercial law, or corporate governance if you have an interest in corporate law and wish to broaden your corporate lawyer skills.

However, completing your studies is just the beginning of your career. The next step in the process involves taking the bar exam, which is mandatory if you wish to practice law. Corporate lawyer job openings that don’t require attorneys to pass the bar exam don’t exist. Keep in mind that you’ll find separate bar exams in each state, making it somewhat complicated to practice law in other states. In other words, while corporate lawyer jobs in the USA are undoubtedly ample, they’re also not without their bureaucratic conundrums. 

Simultaneously, it’s essential to keep in mind that a written ethics exam is a requirement for lawyers in most states, especially for entry-level corporate attorney jobs. Luckily, some states practice reciprocity in terms of their respective bar admittance policies. This reciprocity means that such states allow attorneys who have passed the bar exam of another state to practice law in those states as well. At the same time, remember that you may need to take more than one bar exam if you work at business law jobs for a company that does business in multiple states.

Corporate Lawyer Salary and Job Outlook

A corporate lawyer starting salary is approximately $58,220, though there are instances of it being both lower and higher. At the top end, the salaries of these legal professionals can go as high as $208,000. The reason for such a range of remunerations is due to differences in geographical location, type of employer, and, most importantly, work experience. The top of the salary spectrum sees mostly chief legal officers, and the low end is where recent law graduates start their career. The average salary of a corporate lawyer hovers around $178,090 as a result. 

When it comes to corporate lawyer job outlook and general advancement in the field of corporate law, you’re best off adopting an interest in administration and management positions. Should you take this interest seriously, you could secure a position of a supervisory attorney, then a managing attorney, and perhaps even deputy chiefs (becoming second in command). Becoming a chief legal officer or general counsel represents the very top of the corporate ladder. While such positions are generally most open to individuals serving as in-house corporate lawyer jobs, nothing is stopping you from seeking top positions by progressing from one corporation to the next.

If you’re seeking to improve your employability in conditions of limited corporate lawyer job availability, you can always take a few additional courses in business administration. At the same time, observing your industry of choice to identify networking possibilities with various professionals and legal peers can often result in job opportunities. One way of finding a job is by reaching out to corporate law departments and inquiring about a list of jobs for a corporate lawyer.

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, corporate lawyer job growth will be as fast as the national average through 2028. When looking for the best possible prospects for your employment, keep in mind that willingness to relocate, along with experience in your respective field, are the two most important qualities you can have. Additionally, interpersonal communication and research skills are highly beneficial to legal professionals in all areas. It doesn’t matter if you’re looking for first-year corporate lawyer jobs or experienced corporate tax attorney jobs; along with the aforementioned, attention to detail sets great lawyers apart from the mediocre ones.

Conclusion

When writing your cover letter for corporate attorney jobs, it might urge you to list your educational or other professional accomplishments. While this is commendable, we would advise you to keep the description of your previous job-related successes to a minimum. Instead, let your work speak for itself and place emphasis on that in your interview with the respective recruiter. 

Why? Because when it comes to corporate lawyer jobs, your greatest weapon is your legal mind. Rather than listing your qualifications, do your best to impress the other party with your quick wit, attention to detail, and expert knowledge of the latest laws and regulations in your field. This way, you’ll demonstrate not only your eagerness to gain employment but also your ability to strategize and prioritize. In other words, you’ll be doing what a great corporate attorney should always do: be one step ahead of the opposing counsel. Good luck!