How to Work as a Corporate Attorney

Learn how to become a corporate attorney

A corporate attorney works with businesses, providing them with the legal services they need. Corporate attorneys most often work on legal contracts, although specialized attorneys- such as employment law attorneys and tax law attorneys- assist corporations in ensuring they comply with fair labor and anti-discrimination laws and with tax laws. Corporate attorneys may either do transactional work- which refers to writing contracts- or litigation- which refers to representing a corporation in lawsuits.

Instructions

1. Attend a law school approved by the American Bar Association. Graduating from an ABA approved school is a prerequisite to becoming an attorney in the United States (unless you go to law school in a foreign country, in which case you will need to pass additional exams). Generally, the higher ranked your law school, as determined by the US News and World Report, the better the chances of getting a job in a corporate law firm.

2. Take business law courses. Some law schools will offer a specialization in Business Law- such as UCLA Law School which provides students with a Specialization in Business Law and Policy. Other schools will not offer an explicit specialization, but you will still be able to take specialized classes relating to business law, such as Business Associations (which focuses on how businesses are structured), Corporate Financing and Corporate Law.

3. Pass the Bar Exam in your state. Each state within the US has its own Bar Exam, which is required before you can become licensed to practice law within the state. The exam is a closed book exam that requires you to prove your knowledge of all areas of law from constitutional law to court room procedure. All lawyers must take this before practicing any type of law.

4. Work for a corporate law firm. Most students do not graduate from law school and open their own legal practice, since most law schools focus on teaching legal theory and not actual practice skills. Working for a law firm provides students with the actual knowledge of how to help corporate clients. Furthermore, most large corporations work with established law firms and have a team of partners and associate attorneys working for them.

5. Establish your relationship within the community and develop a list of corporate law clients. You can establish your relationship by speaking at seminars on corporate law and/or by publishing articles in trade publications and law reviews (academic magazines put out by law schools that discuss legal theory).

References

• American Bar Association: Corporate Responsibility
• UCLA: Business and Public Policy Program
• Vote Smart PA: Becoming a Lawyer