Career: In-House Lawyers
Many law school students dream of landing jobs as in-house attorneys. Working in-house usually doesn't require the long hours associated with positions in law firms. That's good news for people who want to raise families, pursue hobbies, or just kick back and relax in the evenings and on weekends.
On the downside, working in-house brings ethical challenges. If you're providing legal advice to the company that hired you, it might be tempting to bend the laws to please your boss.
In-house lawyers work for a single company, providing advice on legal matters related to business activities. These matters range from government regulations to contracts with other companies to agreements with labor unions.
Did You Know?
- Typically, lawyers work for three or more years in law firms before seeking in-house positions.
Are You Ready To...?
- Draft contracts and other legal documents
- Advise company management
- Write clearly about complex issues
- Sometimes try cases in court
- Keep up with changes in the law
- Do research
- Work in offices, law libraries, and courtrooms
- Travel
It Helps to Be...
Able to inspire confidence and respect in those you work with. You'll need good communication, reasoning, and analytical skills. You'll also need to be comfortable doing lots of reading and research. Finally, this position demands ethics and a strong sense of responsibility.
Make High School Count
- Build excellent reading, writing, and speaking skills. You’ll need them in your work, and you won’t get into law school without them.
- Do your best in all your classes. Getting good grades and having a well-rounded academic background will help you get into law school.
- Join the debate team and sign up for speech classes.
- Read the business section of the news to keep up with issues affecting corporations.
- Work for or intern with a corporation that employs in-house lawyers. While there, ask to speak with them about their careers.
Did You Know?
- Law school graduates have to pass a test, called a bar exam, in order to be licensed to practice law.
Outlook
Government economists expect job growth for lawyers to be as fast as the average for all careers through 2016. However, be prepared for a lot of competition. Each year, many students graduate from law school. Those who graduate from a top school with good grades will do best in the job hunt.
Compensation
According to Altman Weil, Inc., the 2005 yearly salaries of attorneys who worked for corporations averaged as follows:
- Chief legal officer: $280,000
- Senior attorney: $140,000
- Recent law school graduate: $65,000
