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Reviewed: 6/25/24
Are you planning on becoming a corporate lawyer? This guide covers how to become a corporate lawyer and the steps you need to take to become one.
When the average person thinks about a corporate lawyer, they often think of a person dressed in a fancy suit carrying a briefcase and fighting for a massive corporation in court. However, there's much more to what a corporate lawyer does and how they conduct business.
In this article, we'll be going over what a corporate lawyer does, how to become one, and their potential salary potential. If you're interested in a career as a corporate lawyer, keep on reading!
Here are the steps to set you on the corporate lawyer career path.
The first step to is obtaining a bachelor's degree. It's a requirement to apply to law school and get your law degree. There isn't a required major a person must take to get accepted to law school. However, it'd be highly beneficial if you major in something in the business field.
Having a background in business can be a great advantage when you start practicing as a corporate lawyer in the future. Although there's no requirement in what you can take in college, you must keep your GPA up and meet a law school's GPA requirement.
Once you've completed your bachelor's degree, most schools will require you to take an admissions test. The Law School Admission Test (LSAT) has been the most popular choice, although it isn’t the only test accepted now.
The LSAT is divided into two parts. The first consists of multiple-choice questions. The second part includes a writing sample. The LSAT measures an applicant's logical reasoning and comprehension skills.Upon completion of the LSAT, you can now apply to law schools. Individual law schools have a minimum LSAT score that they accept, so make sure you do well on the test.
In our LSAT success webinar, Harvard Law graduate Stephen offers several tips on how to ace the LSAT:
1. Start Preparing Early: You want to give yourself enough time to really grasp as much of the test as you can and familiarize yourself with not only all the sections but all the question types that each section prompts.
2. Practice Regularly: Make sure that you’re really hitting home on a lot of these strategies so that on test day you’re not fumbling…Hammering out routines for each section, each question, is helpful.
3. Focus on Weaknesses: Isolating that weakness is vital for growth… Some students misidentify weaknesses and self-impose limitations as to what their score can be, when really it’s a matter of not growing subtler, smaller LSAT skills.
The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is a test required by most graduate programs for admission. In the last few years, many law schools have admitted applicants with their GRE scores rather than their LSAT.
If you're planning on applying with your GRE score, you must remember that law schools only accept a few students this way.
Here is a list comprehensive list of law schools that accept the GRE:
Although many law schools have started accepting GRE scores, it's always better to apply with your LSAT score because of how competitive it is.
In addition to the LSAT and GRE, many schools will start accepting the JD-Next exam as well.
Once you've been accepted to law school, you'll need to acquire your law degree. It typically takes three years to complete law school if you're taking a full-time course load. In law school, you'll take classes in legal procedures, communications, intellectual property, and taxation. If you're still navigating the application process or looking for expert guidance, Juris Education can help you strengthen your application and maximize your chances of acceptance.
In the final two years of law school, students have the opportunity to take elective classes that are specific to their concentration. For instance, an aspiring corporate lawyer would take elective classes in corporate transactions, contracts, and antitrust law.
After completing law school and acquiring your law degree, you must pass the bar exam. A practicing lawyer must pass the bar exam to be licensed by the American Bar Association (ABA). The bar exam is notorious for being very challenging, so you must study hard.
The bar exam covers these topics:
Because of the nature of the bar exam, you must pay attention and do well in law school because law school covers everything in the bar exam.
Corporations hire corporate lawyers to represent the corporate entity. They advise businesses on their legal obligations, rights, and responsibilities. Corporate lawyers are mainly responsible for:
Corporate lawyers rarely step into a courtroom and spend most of their days in the office conducting the legal areas of a business. Corporate lawyers often work in large or mid-size firms with corporate law departments. In these corporate law departments, corporate lawyers have a specialty and focus on areas such as venture capital or securities.
Our quiz on legal specialties down below can help you confirm whether corporate law is right for you. Give it a try!
Here are the skills a person needs to be a corporate lawyer:
As a corporate lawyer, these skills are essential for becoming a successful corporate attorney. Corporate lawyers do many different things throughout their work week, and all of these skills (and more) are implemented in their work.
If you’re curious about whether your personal skills match the skillset you need to be a successful lawyer, give our quiz a try! It’s designed to help you determine if becoming a lawyer is the right thing for you.
In recent data, the average annual pay for a corporate lawyer in the U.S. is $144,688 yearly. Below is a chart of the average salary and the various percentiles for a corporate lawyer’s salary.
A corporate lawyer's wage is determined by their years of experience and certification. Typically, a corporate lawyer will have a higher earning potential than those with less experience.
If you still have questions after reading this guide, check out these frequently asked questions.
Although law schools don't have requirements about what an applicant can pick for a major, it would be beneficial to major in something in the business field. The reason is that background and knowledge in business will help you when you start practicing as a corporate lawyer.
Hopeful corporate lawyers must complete some educational requirements first. You must obtain a bachelor's degree and a law degree. Once you've obtained those, you must then pass the bar exam.
It takes seven years to become a corporate lawyer: four years to complete an undergraduate degree and three years to complete law school. After completing these steps, you must pass the bar.
Now that you've read this guide, you better understand how to become a corporate lawyer. Corporate lawyers spend most of their time dealing with the affairs of a business, as opposed to going to court.
As an overview, corporate lawyers must complete their undergraduate degree, obtain a law degree, and pass the bar exam. Once these steps are fulfilled, you can start practicing as a corporate lawyer.
