Should you’re fascinated about how businesses operate primarily based on the law, corporate law may be an excellent career path for you. In this role, you want legal expertise to help corporations observe laws and laws and decrease litigation risks while conducting business. With experience, you’ll be able to work your way up to the senior-level function of a chief authorized officer (CLO). In this article, we clarify the function of a chief legal officer, how you can develop into one and reply some continuously asked questions about this profession.
Key takeaways
A CLO is a authorized executive who helps a company observe authorized and regulatory issues.
A CLO is an adviser to other firm officers and board members to reduce authorized risks.
A CLO is normally the most powerful authorized executive in a publicly traded company.
What’s a chief authorized officer?
A chief authorized officer is a lawyer with a Juris Doctor (JD) degree, state license and intensive corporate experience. Because the head of a corporate authorized department, a CLO is responsible for overseeing a company’s legal affairs. They’ve in depth authorized backgrounds with previous positions as head legal, first basic counsel and law firm partner earlier than changing into a CLO.
What does a chief legal officer do?
Chief legal officers typically work as essentially the most senior authorized executive for publicly traded companies. These firms wish to guarantee they are protecting their employees, assets and stakeholders in accordance with the law.
A CLO’s duties might embrace:
Keeping leadership informed of new or changing laws
Consulting an organization’s board on legal advice and regulations
Overseeing a company’s in-house attorneys and authorized department
Educating workers on legal issues
Organising training materials relating to legal issues for employees
Making ready legal forms equivalent to nondisclosure agreements or proprietary information agreements
Creating and implementing authorized strategies and insurance policies in the best interest of the corporate
Leading inner audits and corporate compliance initiatives
Litigating on behalf of a company
Understanding contracts signed by the corporate
The right way to develop into a chief legal officer
Comply with these steps to grow to be a qualified chief authorized officer:
1. Earn a bachelor’s degree
Most aspiring lawyers start by incomes a bachelor’s degree in enterprise, philosophy or history. Other in style majors for pre-law students embrace history, business, philosophy, English, political science and liberal arts. Since there are not any specific “pre-law” degrees, you should seek out coursework reminiscent of worldwide law, cyber law, public speaking, argumentation principle, communications and any others associated to the research of law.
Law school admission is highly competitive so that you need to maintain a high grade point common (GPA) during your undergraduate years. Law school admissions groups might prefer candidates with related work experience so seek out an law firm internship before you graduate.
2. Apply to law school
In the course of the ultimate years of your undergraduate program, you could take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT). Your score is a key element when you apply for law school. You could take the LSAT several occasions to get a higher score.
Law schools may require a personal statement in your application. This is a brief essay the place you explain why you want to attend law school and why you’re a certified candidate.
You may additionally be required to include a letter of recommendation. Ask a highly revered community member, akin to a professor or previous employer, to write your letter of recommendation. The admissions staff might also need to meet with you in person to further focus on your background and application.
3. Attend law school
It typically takes three years to earn a JD degree. The first half of the program focuses on legal writing, civil procedures, constitutional law and property law. Within the second half, you will select a specialization. As an aspiring chief legal officer, it is best to focus on corporate law. Alongside with programs on the whole law topics, it’s possible you’ll examine mental property law, corporate finance, enterprise law, real estate law, employment law and other subjects associated to training law in a business setting.
4. Pass the bar exam
Law school graduates want a state license and admission to the American Bar Association to follow law. You need to take a licensing or “bar” exam on federal, criminal, constitutional and multistate law, a written essay part and an ethics test. Necessities vary by state and jurisdiction but the bar exam is the same for all lawyers no matter their specialization. You will take the bar examination within the state where you want to practice. Be prepared to pass a background check to be admitted to the bar.
5. Gain work experience
Many chief authorized officers start as practicing attorneys and work their way up by way of inner promotions or applying to higher level positions within their industry. They could have a background as a law firm partner, head of legal or first common counselor.