Trade guide
In-house lawyer
An in-house lawyer helps companies to draw up contracts and legal documents. They are also responsible for drafting contracts and agreements, taking account of the market and its practices. Their most common task is to resolve disputes between parties in dispute with the company. So what are the duties of the in-house lawyer? Why choose this profession?
The business
What is an in-house lawyer?
Its role
In the corporate world, in-house lawyers advise managers on legal issues, draft contracts and legal documents, and help resolve problems. They work in law firms, consultancies, private and public companies, and in other areas such as banking and finance, commerce, industry and many other business sectors.
Its field of action
Their work is highly varied, requiring lawyers to be able to draft and negotiate agreements, as well as develop business strategies and conduct negotiations. They may work on a specific project, or look at the whole sector in which they work, with a view to preventing future problems.
The functions
What does an in-house lawyer do?
The role of in-house lawyers is to provide legal information. In-house lawyers can also advise management on the legal aspects of corporate governance. In-house lawyers must also provide recommendations on compliance, security and risk issues and rules relating to these subjects.
In-house lawyers may work in consultancy firms, private companies or public administrations. They may specialise in a specific field, such as real estate law or business law.
The main tasks of an in-house lawyer can therefore be summed up as follows:
ensure that the law is applied in all departments of the company
advising on legal matters
defend the company’s interests in the event of litigation
intervene in the event of a dispute
ensuring compliance with company law
Qualifications
Qualities and skills needed to be a good in-house lawyer
The first skill for an in-house lawyer is knowledge of the law in force. The second is a sense of strategy, as they need to understand how to link legal issues with commercial strategies. They must also be able to work with other team members. Oratory skills are also important.
In-house lawyers may specialise in different specific branches of law, such as commercial law, company law or criminal law. Many in-house lawyers have an undergraduate degree in law, usually obtained after a bachelor’s degree.
The benefits
What are the advantages of being an in-house lawyer?
In-house lawyers are autonomous, even if they work in a company. They therefore enjoy greater freedom in their work. As a lawyer, you will enjoya position of responsibility. You will therefore enjoy a range of benefits. An in-house lawyer’s salary is also attractive. There are also various bonuses and bonuses.
But in-house lawyers also have good career prospects. What’s more, their profession is not limited to a single business sector. Which also makes it very easy to find work.
Remuneration
In-house lawyer: salary and career development
Specialist lawyers are generally assessed on the basis of their years of experience, the number of cases they handle and their success rate. They may be employed by a company or be self-employed. Lawyers often progress to positions of greater responsibility within larger companies. With additional training, they may also specialise in a related field: legal, real estate, employment, legal analyst, lawyer.
In-house lawyers are well-paid employees. They are paid between €2,000 and €2,500 per month net when they start. Their income depends on the size of the company and their specialisation. Salaries also vary according to the in-house lawyer’s experience. Their salary can increase with their year of experience. For example, they can earn between €3,300 and €6,500 a month. Many other career opportunities are also possible.
Up to
6 500€
Salary per month
Training courses
How do I go about studying to become an in-house lawyer?
Our training courses
To work as an in-house lawyer, you can take a 3 or 4-year degree in law, followed by a 1 or 2-year specialisation in the desired business sector.
At INSEEC, one of our 4 programmes:
you can take a Master’s degree in business law or tax law , for example. If you’re looking for a more professional approach, you can even opt for awork-study programme, which will give you the advantage of putting the theory you learn on the course straight into practice.
Would you like to meet our teams to find out more about our different programmes? For more information, please contact one of our advisers.
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