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General counsel job description
Your guide to finding and hiring the right person for your organization
How to write a general counsel job description
Think about your typical general counsel: busy, driven to meet objectives, and a strategic thinker. As such, your general counsel job description should be brief, specific, and sophisticated. Introduce your company, then outline your expectations. Once you’ve illustrated the work environment, clearly spell out the qualifications, duties, and objectives. Set the quality bar high to get high-quality candidates that way. A strong general counsel job description conveys the day-to-day and long-term impact of the position, and avoids long-winded detail or empty jargon.
General counsel job description template
This sample job post will introduce your organization’s culture and values, while helping potential candidates understand how they’ll contribute from Day 1.
Sample general counsel job description
At [Company X], we understand the importance of operating within the law while carrying out our vision. We seek a general counsel with extensive experience practicing law, preferably in a business environment. Beyond representing [Company X] in litigation, the general counsel will serve as our primary advisor on all legal matters, guiding company policy to reflect legislative changes and statutory compliance. [Company X] will rely on the general counsel’s expertise to help us protect the interests of our customers, shareholders, and employees, and to further our company mission and goals.
Objectives of this role
- Ensure [Company X] operates within the law at all times
- Provide expert, strategic legal advice to our management and business development teams
- Assess company decisions with an eye toward expanding legal rights and mitigating risk
- Represent [Company X] in legal matters and complex matters related to the law, such as public relations and ongoing regulatory compliance
- Manage [Company X]’s intellectual properties and statutory filings
- Update [Company X] on pertinent legislative and regulatory changes
Responsibilities
- Write and review legal briefs and documents
- Advise [Company X] on litigation strategy
- Communicate with outside counsel, clients, politicians, and regulators
- Advocate on [Company X]’s behalf in court proceedings
- Lead negotiations with outside parties
- Maintain a record of company legal documents
Skills and qualifications
- Comprehensive knowledge of the law, such as corporate, labor, and appellate law
- Exceptional judgment for weighing inputs and evaluating potential courses of action
- First-rate leadership skills
- Outstanding verbal and written communication skills
- Strategic acumen and excellent problem-solving capabilities
- Advanced law degree, such as a Juris Doctor degree or regional equivalent
Preferred qualifications
- Proven experience as a general counsel or in a comparable legal role
- Demonstrable professionalism, ethics, and integrity
- A knack for anticipating legal issues and potential risk
- Keen understanding of the financial management of a corporate department
- Highly knowledgeable about how businesses operate
- Degree in business administration or a related field
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