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What is a general counsel and how to become one
A general counsel is a chief lawyer working for a company or a governmental office. He/She or she acts as the legal representative of the organization and provides expert and strategic legal advice to the management.
General counsels draft contracts for the various operations of the company or organization they work for. They manage copyright and trademark issues, hold on to business records, and make sure the business strategies of the company respect legal regulations.
This is far from an entry-level position. You will need a law degree to be considered, as well as ample experience working in your field. Excellent communication skills and professional integrity are a must, but these, ideally, come with being a successful lawyer.
Avg. Salary $125,248
Avg. Salary $59,228
Growth Rate 10%
Growth Rate 0.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.31%
Asian 6.39%
Black or African American 5.56%
Hispanic or Latino 7.78%
Unknown 4.38%
White 75.59%
Genderfemale 38.47%
male 61.53%
Age - 45American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%
Asian 7.00%
Black or African American 14.00%
Hispanic or Latino 19.00%
White 57.00%
Genderfemale 47.00%
male 53.00%
Age - 45Stress level is very high
7.1 - high
Complexity Level is advanced
7 - challenging
Work Life balance is fair
6.4 - fair
General Counsel career paths
Key steps to become a general counsel
Explore general counsel education requirements
Start to develop specific general counsel skills
Skills 
Percentages Litigation 11.97% Legal Issues 7.67% Legal Advice 7.56% Intellectual Property 5.18% Risk Management 4.16% Complete relevant general counsel training and internships
Accountants spend an average of 1-2 years on post-employment, on-the-job training. New general counsels learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a general counsel based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real general counsel resumes.Research general counsel duties and responsibilities
- Assist in liaising with insurance authorities, responding to regulatory inquiries and managing relationship with region from legal and business perspective.
- Review subpoenas and attorney letters for compliance with HIPAA and institutional guidelines and coordinate non-party depositions as needed.
- Prepare dozens of complex commercial transactions in connection to equity and debt securities offerings.
- Handle regulatory, compliance, licensing, and registration matters for securities broker- dealer and register investment adviser.
Prepare your general counsel resume
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your general counsel resume.
You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a general counsel resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.
Choose From 10+ Customizable General Counsel Resume templates
Build a professional General Counsel resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your General Counsel resume.
Apply for general counsel jobs
Now it's time to start searching for a general counsel job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:
- Browse job boards for relevant postings
- Consult your professional network
- Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
- Watch out for job scams
How Did You Land Your First General Counsel Job
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Average general counsel salary
The average General Counsel salary in the United States is $125,248 per year or $60 per hour. General counsel salaries range between $75,000 and $208,000 per year.
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Updated January 8, 2025
