WHAT BUSINESS LAWYERS DO AND HOW TO BECOME ONE

There are all kinds of lawyers ranging from family matters that deal with divorces and such. Others specialize in criminal charges and would always find a way to have their point expressed in the court of law. But what do business lawyers do, and what do we need to know if we want to become one?

Are they the ones who are responsible for making any legal decisions in the company? How about taxes and legal documents? Let’s find out, and let’s take a look at some of their tasks and the extent that we need to do in order to become one.

First on our list would be the attitude and personality of a business lawyer. These are the common qualities needed to become a successful business lawyer in the future:

●Critical Thinker
●Top-notch Negotiation Skills
●Very Good Writing Skills
●Reliable Researcher
●Exceptional Situational Awareness and Analytical Reasoning Skills

A business lawyer is the one responsible for handling all legal matters in a company. Whether it’s drafting contracts, NDAs, or creating a company’s privacy policy from scratch, they also have their hands in a couple of transactions that involve taxes and dealing with local, state, and federal regulations that might have a direct or indirect effect on our business. Now that we got that in our way, let’s get to the deeper stuff.

WHAT DO WE NEED TO BECOME ONE?

On the surface level, a business lawyer is a hard gig, but once you know your way around things, you’ll get yourself a hefty reward. In 2015, the average annual income of a business lawyer sat around $115,820, and that figure can go up or down depending on the skills and the experience you can offer on the table. Those who are practicing in private law firms earn more!

Interested? What exactly do we need to do to become one?

Step 1: Undergraduate Degree Program

If you wanted to become a lawyer, the first step of the journey is earning an undergraduate degree. Those who have earned a bachelor’s degree in fields such as history, government, or economics has a good shot for becoming a business lawyer since they already have the foundation that they need. However, we need to take note that there’s no particular major required, so don’t get discouraged if you already have a degree in another industry.

Step 2: LSAT Examination

The Law School Admission Test or LSAT is necessary for that huge next step. Just like what the name implies, depending on the score we earned from the examination is the future if we are fit to become a business lawyer or not. The examination mostly revolves around analytical reasoning and logical thinking. Once we get good scores from the exam, we can apply for competitive and prestigious schools.

Step 3: Law School

After passing the grueling examination, it is time to go back to the drawing board and become a student again. This time, you will spend the next couple of years in a law program. The first year usually revolves around torts and property laws. This year, we will also have our first glance of civil law and essential contract elements. The second and third year usually revolves around judicial internships and elective classes. In some cases, some programs will focus solely on fundamental areas of business law and other specialties. Law programs usually take three years, and once we cross the line, we’ll get a Juris Doctor Degree.

Some institutions offer various programs and certificates that will be useful once we reach the corporate ladder, so it would be best if you can get as many certificates as you can or focus on a single area as your strong suit. Some schools also offer joint Master of Law and Juris Doctor programs, but we have to take note that taking this route will give more years on top of our current studying time.

Step 4: Bar Examination

After earning certificates and our degree, we must first satisfy the requirements of the bar examinations to call ourselves a full-fledged lawyer. Depending on the state, we’ll be given different formats, but the examination structure remains the same.

The Bar Exam usually takes a couple of days, and once we meet the standards set, we can then practice law and call ourselves a real business lawyer!

Based on Materials from UpCounsel