Every job in the legal department offers varied positions and with every position comes a wide range of responsibilities. Associate counselor responsibilities are one of them. If you are studying in a law school or have completed your education with a law degree, possibilities are that you will be working in the position of an associate counselor for a few years in your life. It would be advantageous for you to learn about the associate counselor responsibilities so that when an offer to work in this position comes to you, you are confident enough to join the job.
As an associate counselor in a law firm, you will be assisting the other attorneys in research work, writing legal documents, advising clients; just to name a few. You may or may not get a chance to represent the clients in the courtroom, but the work you are assigned with is equally beneficial for you to learn how to work in a professional environment.
Being an associate counselor in organizations other than a law firm usually report to the general counsel. Work responsibilities include more than just researching and drafting legal documents. Working at an associate level, they are answerable to the various senior staff in the department and also to the external agencies concerned with the legal department. It therefore becomes necessary for an associate counselor to work with full dedication and execute each job responsibility professionally.
The description of associate counsel responsibilities provided below is a guide to learn more about the work of an associate counsel and other details of this position.
Paperwork
Preparing, maintaining and circulating legal documents is one of the most important tasks that an associate counsel has to perform. He has to research about different cases and the sections of law to analyze which laws are applicable for a specific case. Accordingly, he has to prepare the documents for senior attorneys so that they can defend the case of the clients in the courtroom. The associate counsel also prepares the contracts for the attorneys and also verifies the accuracy of the contracts.
Providing Legal Advice
An associate counsel also interacts with the clients and provides advice and suggestions on legal matters. These matters may be related to buying/selling property, family disputes, embezzlement of funds by employees, or any other matter that cannot be resolved or executed without legal advice.
Normally, the senior attorneys are liable to advice the clients, yet the associate counsel is assigned this task in the absence of senior attorneys and the associate counselor is knowledgeable of all the legal matters pertaining to the clients.
Identifying Risk Areas
An associate counsel working for corporate clients helps in identifying the risks that the corporation might face. He also provides financial advice to the clients and for new projects or ventures of the corporation.
Amending Business Policies
An associate counsel suggests amendments in the business policies of the client. It helps the clients to follow the legal framework in all the business activities.
Skills of an Associate Counsel
An associate counsel must know how to work in a large team and provide adequate support to each staff in the team. He must be well versed in the legal terminology and the recent amendments in various laws by the local and national authorities. He should be technically proficient in a number of applications to initiate research and compile information.
Becoming an Associate Counsel
Becoming an associate counsel is easy if you possess the requisite educational qualifications such as a degree in law and a license of practicing law in the state where you choose to work. Prior experience is mandatory to work in this position as none of the organizations employ beginners in this position.
Career Scope for Associate Counsel
Average salary for an associate counsel varies with location and organization. Working in this position will help you to acquire skills and experience that are necessary to move into higher positions.
Having read the description of associate counsel responsibilities, we hope that you will be able to prepare for this job easily.