What does a general counsel do?
A general counsel, also called a chief legal officer, is the chief lawyer in the legal department of an organization. The counsel represents an enterprise for any pending legal matters. They work proactively to lessen possible problems associated with legalities and potential risks. They have to monitor practices and the people within the law firm for misconduct. They also perform dominant roles in regulation, ethics, public affairs, and legislation. It is common for them to serve as the public spokesperson of the company during the publicity of legal matters.
General counsel responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real general counsel resumes:
- 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.
- Supervise commercial litigation, arbitration and claims, including case strategy, pleadings preparation, hearings, depositions and settlement negotiations.
- Supervise and train unit charge with securing patient medical records, ensuring compliance with Medicare and HIPAA regulations and accreditation standards.
- Assist in liaising with insurance authorities, responding to regulatory inquiries and managing relationship with region from legal and business perspective.
- Review and provide legal approval of all documentation provide to outside oversight organizations.
General counsel skills and personality traits
We calculated that 12% of General Counsels are proficient in Litigation, Legal Issues, and Legal Advice. They’re also known for soft skills such as Analytical skills, Interpersonal skills, and Problem-solving skills.
We break down the percentage of General Counsels that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Litigation, 12%
Supervised commercial litigation, arbitration and claims, including case strategy, pleadings preparation, hearings, depositions and settlement negotiations.
- Legal Issues, 8%
Addressed all wind-down legal issues of original company including drafting and negotiating settlement agreements and working with outside litigation counsel.
- Legal Advice, 8%
Provided staff with legal opinions regarding fair housing complaints filed with our organization and provided legal advice regarding landlord tenant questions.
- Intellectual Property, 5%
Developed and established an intellectual property portfolio, including patents and trademarks relating to various aspects of the company's technology.
- Risk Management, 4%
Worked closely with Risk Management Department on insurance matters including development of standard form releases for athletes participating in company events.
- Ethics, 4%
Developed, implemented and managed key business ethics programs including FCPA compliance and other anti-bribery/anti-kickback programs.
Common skills that a general counsel uses to do their job include "litigation," "legal issues," and "legal advice." You can find details on the most important general counsel responsibilities below.
Analytical skills. The most essential soft skill for a general counsel to carry out their responsibilities is analytical skills. This skill is important for the role because "lawyers interpret the law as it applies to their client’s case." Additionally, a general counsel resume shows how their duties depend on analytical skills: "lead paralegal for maintaining and updating litigation case database; confers with information technology staff regarding technical improvement processes and usage. "
Interpersonal skills. Another essential skill to perform general counsel duties is interpersonal skills. General counsels responsibilities require that "lawyers must build relationships with current and prospective clients, as well as with their colleagues and other members of the legal community." General counsels also use interpersonal skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "demonstrated effective interpersonal skills through working closely with office of general counsel and administrative appeals judges. "
Problem-solving skills. This is an important skill for general counsels to perform their duties. For an example of how general counsel responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "lawyers must evaluate information to propose viable solutions, mediate disputes, and reach agreements or settlements for their clients." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a general counsel: "retained and managed outside counsel for complex litigation matters and prepared legal documents to facilitate resolutions. ".
Research skills. A big part of what general counsels do relies on "research skills." You can see how essential it is to general counsel responsibilities because "lawyers need to find laws and regulations that apply to a specific matter in order to provide appropriate legal advice for their clients." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical general counsel tasks: "researched, interviewed and retained outside legal counsel; managed litigation as necessary. "
The three companies that hire the most general counsels are:
- 3M Company50 general counsels jobs
- Skillsoft
22 general counsels jobs
- Uline18 general counsels jobs
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Compare different general counsels
General counsel vs. Litigation associate
A Litigation Associate offers legal advice for individuals involved in lawsuits and represents them in court. They prepare pleading, collect evidence, defend depositions, and manage the client database.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between general counsels and litigation associate. For instance, general counsel responsibilities require skills such as "legal advice," "juris," "risk management," and "ethics." Whereas a litigation associate is skilled in "discovery motions," "insurance coverage," "pre-trial motions," and "federal courts." This is part of what separates the two careers.
Litigation associates really shine in the professional industry with an average salary of $151,203. Comparatively, general counsels tend to make the most money in the finance industry with an average salary of $135,018.The education levels that litigation associates earn slightly differ from general counsels. In particular, litigation associates are 4.3% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a general counsel. Additionally, they're 12.6% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.General counsel vs. Contract attorney
A contract attorney is responsible for handling their clients' legal issues and settling cases by researching, analyzing, and collecting essential files that would support the clients' claims. Contract attorneys usually work for private clients without being permanently employed in a law firm or government agency. Contract attorneys represent clients at court, assist with law proceedings, and advise clients for the necessary legal procedures. A contract attorney must have excellent communication and critical-thinking skills to manage client legal matters and expertise in traditional disciplines and processes.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real general counsel resumes. While general counsel responsibilities can utilize skills like "risk management," "ethics," "human resources," and "legal support," contract attorneys use skills like "e-discovery," "real estate," "privilege logs," and "qc."
Contract attorneys earn similar levels of education than general counsels in general. They're 1.7% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 12.6% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.General counsel vs. Staff attorney
Staff Attorneys are legal employees who work for a variety of organizations, often as full-time employees. They use their legal expertise to help deal with day-to-day legal issues with which their organization needs regular assistance.
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a general counsel is likely to be skilled in "risk management," "ethics," "human resources," and "corporate governance," while a typical staff attorney is skilled in "appeals," "administrative agencies," "real estate," and "civil rights."
Staff attorneys earn the highest salary when working in the professional industry, where they receive an average salary of $113,835. Comparatively, general counsels have the highest earning potential in the finance industry, with an average salary of $135,018.When it comes to education, staff attorneys tend to earn similar degree levels compared to general counsels. In fact, they're 3.3% less likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 13.4% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.General counsel vs. Attorney
Generally, an attorney's responsibility is to advise the client with an ongoing lawsuit on the legal procedures and provide strategies to resolve the case as early as possible. An attorney compiles necessary documents or any records for appeal and client's defense. Attorneys must acquire strong problem-solving and critical-thinking skills to mediate disputes and settle pending litigation for the client's best interest. In some cases, an attorney's procedure depends on any evidence and research presented during the trial period. An attorney is expected to present clients on legal proceedings, seeking justice and justifying the law.
Types of general counsel
Updated January 8, 2025
