legal counsel.

Some of the duties of a legal counsel include:

• providing legal advice: as a legal counsel, the company looks to you for guidance on legal matters that impact its operations. Your role involves ensuring that the company complies with industry regulations and legal requirements. Your deep understanding of company law and the industry enables you to navigate the laws that affect the company.
• evaluating current company policies: as industry standards and laws are constantly changing, we help keep your company compliant. You evaluate your current policies and provide advice on necessary changes. For instance, if employee rights and protections laws change, you make sure your organisation updates its policies accordingly.
• managing legal disputes: as a legal counsel, your responsibility is to manage and resolve any legal disputes that the company may face. You represent the company in court proceedings and negotiations, ensuring that your client receives the best possible outcome. This could involve resolving disputes with other businesses either inside or outside of the courtroom.
• implementing risk management strategies: as a legal counsel, you are expected to identify potential legal risks a company faces and find ways to prevent them. You conduct risk evaluations in the entire company, especially in departments with multiple compliance requirements. Implementing risk management procedures protects the company from disputes and compliance concerns. Your job is to prevent risks associated with contracts and employment.
• writing legal documents: as a legal counsel, you don't go to court daily like criminal lawyers. A legal department in a company is often in charge of drafting agreements, contracts and other documentation required for court proceedings. Your job is to write the documents and ensure compliance with the law.

As a legal counsel, your work primarily takes place in an office setting within the legal department. Your duties entail conducting research, drafting contracts, and reviewing agreements. In the event of court proceedings, you will attend court and meet with opposing counsel to discuss out-of-court settlements. Occasionally, legal counsel jobs may require travel for work purposes, such as attending conferences and workshops. However, when not attending court proceedings, you have the option to work from home or a remote location.

Depending on your employer and the industry you work in, your colleagues might include logistics managers, lawyers and paralegals. You might also be working in close proximity to legal secretaries and financial advisors, finance analysts as well as other specialists that could include, but not be limited to, underwriters, financial planners and accountants.

A legal counsel usually follows traditional office hours from 9 am to 5 pm, but may need to work late evenings or weekends to meet urgent deadlines, attend conferences or meet clients. Full-time positions are typical, but there may be part-time options available for those seeking additional flexibility.

As a legal counsel, you have multiple opportunities for career progression. You start in a junior position as a legal secretary or paralegal before becoming a junior legal counsel. With experience and expertise, you become the senior legal counsel for the company. If you are interested in a managerial role, you can become the head of the legal department.

Finding your legal counsel job through Randstad provides important advantages such as:

• a wide variety of training and development opportunities
• an experienced contact person to provide help if needed
• a range of opportunities in your area
• get paid weekly or monthly, depending on the job
• temporary and permanent contracts

Want a permanent contract? A temporary job as a legal counsel is often a stepping stone to an attractive permanent job. Thousands of people earn a permanent contract every year with great employers thanks to a temporary job found through Randstad. What's more, many companies recruit their permanent employees through Randstad too.

You require a bachelor's degree in law to become a legal counsellor in New Zealand. If you have a degree in an unrelated field, complete the Juris Doctor qualification to learn the law. Before practising law, complete the PLT program and get a practising certificate.

As a legal counsel, you work in the company's legal department, handling issues that arise from the company's practice. You ensure compliance with the law and industry standards by drafting policies to prevent legal risk.

As a legal counsel, you take home a salary of $135,000 annually. Depending on your experience and qualifications, the remuneration package may be higher or lower. Most legal counsel earn between $115,000 and $155,000 per year.

You rely on your legal expertise to perform your duties. Aside from extensive legal knowledge, you require good negotiation skills to ensure your client gets the best outcome in an out-of-court settlement. Your writing and communication skills are also useful.

Working as a legal counsel is a fulfilling career with excellent job opportunities. You have the chance to advance to managerial roles and specialise in your preferred industry. To excel in this field, you need a range of skills, including exceptional writing abilities to draft legal documents such as contracts and compliance policies. You also need strong organisational skills to manage multiple legal matters and ensure timely completion. Additionally, interpersonal skills are crucial as you collaborate with various professionals in the industry by actively listening and communicating effectively. Lastly, you must have extensive legal knowledge to help clients remain compliant and resolve disputes in accordance with the law.

Applying for a legal counsel job is easy: create a Randstad profile and search our job offers for vacancies in your area. Then send us your CV and cover letter. Need help with your application? Check out all our job search tips here.