How to Become a Legal Advisor?

Every organisation requires proficient lawyers to advise them on legal matters. Legal Advisors essentially fulfil this responsibility as they are specialised in a particular field and counsel the institution on sorting out the issues related to the same. This field is suitable for those lawyers who have gained some experience in practising law 410 and want to enter a specific field by associating themselves with an organisation. If you are exploring the varied career opportunities in the vast domain of Law, then you must consider the prospect of becoming a Legal Advisor. Through this blog, we aim to bring you a detailed guide on the roles and responsibilities of a legal advisor as well as the process of becoming one.

Who is a Legal Advisor?

A Legal Advisor counsels the organisation on varied law-related matters. Under this job role, one can either work in law firms or as an official counsel to an institution or an organisation as well. Also called an in-house lawyer or corporate counsel, they are generally involved in tackling compensation issues, labour or contract disputes, harassment suits or other workplace conflicts. Further, they also provide legal assistance for corporate growth, mergers or practices. Following is a list of roles and responsibilities carried out by a Legal Advisor:

• Drafting Contracts and Agreements & Carrying Out Negotiation
• Ensuring Company’s Adherence to Corporate Laws
• Lead any kind of Legal Battle faced by the Organisation
• Legal Counsel in case of Employee and Management Conflicts
• Mediate Disputes Within and Outside the Organisation

Eligibility to Become a Legal Advisor

• Diploma or certificate courses can’t be the sole criteria
• Must have completed LL.B from a recognised university
• Individuals with LL.M can also be a legal advisor

Skills Required for Legal Advisors

Understanding of financial practices and concepts	Reviewing, creating, and negotiating legal documents like agreements, contracts, etc
Aware of all the corporate policies and practices	Ability to resolve conflicts and ensure compliance
Judgment and decision making	Social Perceptiveness
Critical Thinking	System Analysis

Step-by-Step Guide to Becoming a Legal Advisor

In order to become a Legal Advisor, one needs to obtain proper educational qualifications as well as accumulate relevant professional experience. To help you understand the qualifications of this job profile, we have curated a step-by-step guide listing down the key educational as well as professional requirements that one needs to gain.

Don’t Forget to Check Out: How to Become a Lawyer

1. Attain a Bachelor’s Degree

To begin with the process of becoming a Legal Advisor, a bachelor’s degree in any subject or discipline is the primary academic criteria that one needs to fulfil. You need to be a graduate to apply for a law degree in the next stage. Further, Law schools also consider the GPA scores of aspirants along with the field they have chosen at the undergraduate level. Further, if you have been aspiring to build a career in law right from the undergraduate level, then you can choose from bachelor’s degrees like BA LLB, B.Com LLB, BSc LLB or BBA LLB. On the other hand, pursuing a major in fields like History, Mathematics, Economics and English is also preferable.

Also Read:

• Law Subjects 410
• BA LLB Subjects

2. Take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT)

Once you have accomplished your bachelor’s degree, the next step towards attaining the required qualifications of a Legal Advisor is to take the LSAT Exam because it is essentially your entry ticket to get admission to your dream Law school. The Law School Admission Test is a standardised exam that evaluates students on three parameters of Logical Reasoning, Analytical Reasoning and Reading Comprehension. Scores on the LSAT range from 120 to180 and 152 is regarded as the average score but the admission will mainly depend on the law school you are opting for. 

Check Out: LSAT Syllabus

3. Study for a Law Degree

Once you have qualified for the LSAT exam, you can send your application to the law school of your choice. The admission requirements of Law schools mainly comprise undergraduate GPA, LSAT scores, essays and letters of recommendation (LORs). Students can opt for an LLB (law graduate degree offered in the UK, Australia, Hong Kong, India, Pakistan, Malaysia, Singapore and Canada) or Juris Doctor, i.e. JD (offered in the US). An LLB degree commonly spans over a duration of 3-4 years depending on the institution you are studying it from. Whereas Juris Doctor (J.D.) is a 3-year program, some law schools offer it part-time which generally takes up 4-5 years. In India, some law schools incorporate the LLB into a five-year program that also includes a bachelor’s degree. In this program, the first year focused on the common area of law such as criminal law, torts, contracts and property. While in the second and third years, students will be able to pursue a specialisation in which they want to pursue a career. For example, if a student wants to become a legal advisor in corporate law, they can take classes related to the same such as employment law or tax law.

Also Read

• Law Colleges in Canada
• LLB course Details

4. Clear State Bar Exam and Obtain License

To get the license to practice law, a student needs to clear the State Bar exam. Since every country has its own bar council that awards licenses to legal practitioners, this exam can differ from one country to another. For example, to get a license from the Bar Council of India, the candidates need to appear for the AIBE exam. Moreover, in the US, the American Bar Association conducts a bar exam to provide licenses to aspiring lawyers. 

5. Acquire Experience

Most employers looking for Legal Advisors prefer candidates who have at least 3 years of experience working as a lawyer. Further, the required experience conditions might vary from one field to another be it Real Estate, Health Care or International Trade. 

How to Become a Legal Advisor Abroad 

Because the laws in each nation vary, so do the prerequisites for establishing a profession as a legal advisor. The qualifications for becoming a legal advisor in nations such as the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada are outlined here.

United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom, there are several paths to becoming a legal advisor. Candidates with a university degree, a college degree, or an apprenticeship can pursue this job. The prerequisites are as follows:

Admissions Procedure

To begin a career as a legal advisor, individuals need to have any of the following educational qualifications:

• A university degree in law might be an undergraduate degree or a postgraduate degree such as a Graduate Diploma in Law.
• A level 3 professional diploma in law and practice or a level 6 professional higher diploma in law and practice is required.
• Higher apprenticeship for a Chartered Legal Executive

United States of America

Candidates for the position of legal advisor in the United States of America must have particular qualifications and experience. All of their prerequisites are listed below:

Admissions Procedure

Candidates should have the following qualifications to work as a legal advisor in the United States:

• They should have a bachelor’s degree in any subject
• They should qualify for the LSAT exam to receive admission into the law school
• They should enrol in law school and earn a bachelor’s degree in Juris Doctor of Legal Studies
• They will need to obtain extra specialised training in any of the legal fields
• Then they should work as a legal advisor for a company to gain experience

Canada

The requirements to be a legal advisor in Canada are mentioned below

Admission Process

Candidates should have the following educational qualifications to begin a career as a legal advisor in Canada:

• A bachelor’s degree in pre-law (BA or BS in law)
• LLB or Juris Doctor Degree Program
• Law graduates must normally pass their bar examinations in order to operate as legal counsellors or a lawyer.

Australia

All of the prerequisites for becoming a legal advisor in Australia are listed below:

Admission Process

Candidates seeking a job as a legal advisor in Australia 410 should have the following educational qualifications:

• They should have completed a law degree i.e, LLB or Juris Doctor.
• They must have completed an authorised practical legal training programme, such as a Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice or a supervised traineeship with the company.

How to Become a Legal Advisor in India

Legal advisers are attorneys who give legal counsel and services to organisations and their workers. They are typically engaged by major corporations and government agencies. Candidates for the position of legal adviser should have a bachelor’s degree and some training experience. They will have to take various examinations, such as the CLAT, in order to gain entrance to the top institution and education.

School Level Preparation: The candidate can pick any stream at the school level. They can complete their secondary education in Science, Commerce, or the Arts. However, if they wish to pursue a career in law, they will also need to prepare for the CLAT. This is where they must begin the preparation.

Salary of Legal Advisor in India

The salary of a legal adviser varies depending on the sort of company for which he or she works. Government agencies are required to pay more than private legal firms or business groups.

Name of Organisation	Average Monthly Salary
Govt	INR 32,700
Private	INR 31,000

Hence, we hope that this blog has helped you understand what it takes to become a legal advisor. If you are planning to study for an LLB degree or any other course in Law, sign up for a 30-minute free career counselling session with our Leverage Edu experts and let us help you find a suitable program and university that fits your interests and aspirations and equips you with the required knowledge and exposure to thrive in this field.