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Who is a Legal Advisor?
It is not wisdom but Authority that makes a law ~Thomas Hobbes
f you see yourself guiding companies on legal matters, a career as a Legal Advisor might be right for you. India has the world’s longest written constitution, and organisations—big and small—need legal experts to help them stay compliant. Legal Advisors play a key role by offering legal guidance to businesses, ensuring every decision aligns with the law.
Legal Advisors are qualified lawyers hired by companies, government bodies, or private organisations to offer legal advice internally. Unlike advocates who represent clients in court, Legal Advisors work in-house—often as part of a larger legal team.
Legal Advisor in a Nutshell
A Legal Advisor provides expert legal counsel to organisations, ensuring compliance with laws and regulations. They draft and review contracts, handle disputes, and guide policy development. Typically holding an LLB or LLM, they possess strong analytical and communication skills. Legal Advisors are essential across sectors, with opportunities to specialise in corporate law, intellectual property, and more.
Quick Facts for Legal Advisor
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Industry
Law
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Suitable for
Male, Female, Others
An individual from any section or gender can make a career as a legal advisor in India. It doesn’t matter which gender you belong to when it comes to taking up legal advisor jobs. Being a legal consultant in India is one of the most desired professions where an individual’s gender is insignificant. Legal advisor jobs are opening up with new prospects which makes it attractive to a growing number of students, including women.
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Any special needs
Yes
When it comes to legal advisor jobs it is better to be physically fit for a better and more efficient way of working. However, there is no hard and fast rule that it is compulsory to be physically fit in order to become a legal advisor in India. As long as the disability doesn’t come in the way of one’s work when he or she is good to go for a legal advisor job.
Table of Contents for Legal Advisor
What is the role of Legal Advisor?
Legal advisor jobs usually consist of working in law firms or acting as a part of a legal counsel team hired by companies and enterprises for their expertise in legalities. In a career as a legal adviser, the company leaders and CEOs usually ask advice from them in the aspect of legalities before the company takes a step further. In other words, a company legal advisor helps clients make the right decision. In this article, we will be discussing what legal advisor, legal advisor career options, legal advisor eligibility, and legal advisor qualification is.
Overseeing contracts
The legal advisor job description consists of overseeing all client and vendor contracts. A Legal advisor helps companies in providing guidance about laws. He or she helps clients with contracts, legal drafts, and documents, and resolves disputes.
Cost effective legal advice
Legal advisor jobs consist of providing commercially sensible and cost-effective legal advice for construction contract management.
Drafting
The role of a Legal advisor is to create new documents and review the existing contracts of their clients. He or she must be familiar with the terms and conditions of different contracts. Legal advisor jobs include drafting basic legal documents for construction projects.
Damage claims
Damage claims are also known as claims of damage to a company which can result in financial loss. Damage claims usually come in the form of monetary payment. Legal advisor jobs consist of preparing contracts and damage claims.
Resolving disputes
Resolving disputes is sorting out the conflicts between two parties. There are different types of disputes in the field of law. Disputes can be resolved by going to court also and without going to court also. Legal advisor jobs include resolving buy-sell disputes and property infringements.
Overseeing claims
Legal advisor jobs consist of overseeing health and safety and injury claims and offering advice on court cases.
Meeting and interviewing clients
The role of a Legal advisor is to conduct meetings and sometimes interview clients to know more about their cases including asking questions and scenarios. He or she organizes meetings and interviews so that they can collect proof with their help.
Types of a Legal Advisor
When it comes to a legal advisor in India, there are several legal advisor career options available. Not just in the corporate sector but there are legal advisor jobs in banks as well. Here are some of the types of a legal advisor or careers related to it.
Legal Advisor: Individuals who specialize in the field of law are called legal advisors. Their job is to protect their clients from any sort of legal implications. A legal advisor works with a company or an organization, wherein he or she does work like documentation of contracts or providing legal advice and many other legal situations.
Senior Counsel: The job of a senior counsel is to take care of several legal matters that a law firm goes through. Their job is to provide legal advice. Their specific responsibilities may vary depending on the firm they work in.
Attorney: An attorney-at-law is a lawyer who practices in court and is responsible for defending his or her client from a legal matter. An attorney who is a fresher in the market generally begins legal practice either in an organization, a legal firm, or under a senior attorney.
Senior Attorney: A senior attorney is responsible for the efficient functioning of the team of junior attorneys under him or her. In some cases, a senior attorney can be a partner in a firm or even a high-ranking specialist retained by one. The job of a senior attorney typically is to direct the preparations of the team in representing a client in court or outside for negotiation.
Also read: Career as an international arbitrator
What is the workplace/work environment of Legal Advisor like?
In a career as a legal advisor, individuals generally work in the legal departments of large corporations. He or she works in an office setup. A legal advisor might have to go to court if required. But most of his or her time is spent in the office.
Does Legal Advisor require travelling?
Likely
Legal advisor jobs are mainly office limited but he or she may have to travel to courts. It is not a full-time travelling job but there might be occasions when a legal advisor has to travel from one place to another.
Employment Shifts
Full Time
In a career as legal advisor one has to work for a minimum of eight hours a day. Legal experts usually work full-time. A legal counsellor may have to work extra hours depending on the workload or the number of clients being handled. The job of a legal advisor is generally 9 to 5 but they may have to work extra hours depending on the workload.
Employment Nature
Contractual, Permanent
If an individual fresh out of college is hired as a legal advisor in some law firm then his or her job is permanent in nature. But, if small firms or start-ups hire a legal advisor in order to make some contract or any drafting work for instance then that job may be contractual in nature. Therefore, legal advisor jobs can be both contractual as well as permanent in nature.
Work Place
Office
In a career as a legal advisor, one works in an office environment.
Presence in Geographical Area
Semi-urban, Urban
In a career as a legal advisor, an individual has to work in urban as well as semi-urban areas. The kind of industries or organizations a legal advisor works for are located mainly in urban areas. A few might be located in semi-urban areas.
Time Pressure
Likely
Time pressure is relatively high in a career as a legal advisor. A legal counsellor's work hours usually exceed 8 hours per day. The nature of work is full-time. A legal advisor may work extra hours depending on the workload or the number of clients handled.
Overtime Details
Generally, the legal advisors are required to work on the usual timings which are 9 am to 5 pm. But depending on the work assigned to them and deadlines approaching, they are required to work overtime. On average, legal advisors are required to work for 50-55 hours. Also, they are required to work overtime if the work demands. If you want to know how to become a legal expert, then scroll and read.
Weekly Hours of Work
Min 40 Hours
In a career as a legal advisor, individuals are required to work for about 40 hours a week. A legal advisor may have to work extra hours depending on the workload.
How to become a Legal Advisor?
Steps to become a Legal Advisor
If you are someone interested in both law and business then you can opt for a career as a Legal Advisor. If you are someone who would like to provide legal advice to companies or businesses then a career as a Legal Advisor is the best option for you. We have mentioned below some of the steps for you to know how to become a Legal Advisor in India.
What are the skills and qualities required to become a/an Legal Advisor?
If you are wondering how to become a legal advisor in India, then apart from the required law courses one should possess some skill sets. We have mentioned below major legal counsellor skills.
Commercial Awareness: Legal advisor jobs require an individual to have commercial awareness as one of the most important attributes a candidate can have. It basically means possessing knowledge of current developments in local, national, and world business, particularly any issues that may impact a law firm and its clients. Firms expect their legal advisors to market their services to prospective clients, as well as develop trusting relationships with existing ones. Ultimately, law firms are businesses, so lawyers must appreciate the commercial importance of meeting deadlines, keeping costs low, and handling information confidentially.
People Skills: In a career as a legal advisor in India one will have to work alongside a variety of people and more often than not winning a case will be a team effort. Legal advisor does not work alone, he or she needs to collaborate with colleagues and partners in his or her firm, as well as liaise with clients.
Legal advisors need to foster a close working relationship with their clerks and will often work on high-profile cases alongside other legal advisors, as workloads on such cases are too heavy for one representative. The ability to work as part of a team is therefore essential and you will need the skills to deal with people from all levels of the legal hierarchy.
Communication Skills: Communication in the workplace is essential to businesses as it helps organisations to be competitive and function efficiently therefore, it is an important skill in the career of a legal counsellor. Workers will experience an increase in performance, efficiency, and engagement if they can collaborate inside an entity. Strong oral and written communication skills are vital and without them, one will struggle to do well as a legal advisor. Excellent listening ability is also important when working with clients, as a legal advisor needs to be able to build relationships and engender confidence.
Attention to Detail: A sharp eye for accuracy is crucial to the success of an individual’s career as a legal advisor. A single word out of place can change the meaning of a clause or contract, while misspelt or ungrammatical emails, letters, or documents can give clients a bad impression, costing the firm the legal advisor works for a heavy price.
Research Skill: Reading large amounts of information, absorbing facts and figures, analysing material, and distilling it into something manageable is a feature of any law career including legal advisor jobs.
Problem-Solving Ability: Some may think that the legal profession provides a little outlet for an individual's creative talent but this simply isn't the case. No matter which legal career an individual chooses they will frequently have to think outside the box to get the job done.
Popular Online Law Courses and Certifications
Which certifications and internships can be helpful in becoming Legal Advisor?
We have mentioned below legal advisor certifications that individuals may opt for who want to establish a career as Legal Advisor.
Internship Availability
In a career as a legal advisor, internships are a must in order to have real-world experience. Legal advisor jobs require an individual to atleast have experience in terms of internships. Any company does not hire a legal advisor who is a fresh graduate. But, having internship experience can increase the candidate’s chances. One could also intern with a legal firm and if it works well he or she may get a permanent job there. Therefore, legal counsellor internships are a must to gain practical knowledge, some work experience, and make contacts.
Career Path Progression for Legal Advisor
Junior Legal Advisor: A Junior Legal Advisor is a professional who is responsible for providing advice to the company or the business. A Junior Legal Advisor works with a team of legal counsel and is guided or supervised by senior advisors or senior professionals.
Senior Legal Advisor: A Senior Legal Advisor is an experienced professional who is responsible for supervising the legal decisions about the business of the company. A Senior Legal Advisor helps the company to provide the right decision leading the company's growth.
What is the job outlook for Legal Advisor?
In a career as a legal advisor in India, individuals generally work in the legal departments of large corporations. According to research, the employment category of lawyers will realize six per cent job growth through 2024. A Legal advisor works in teamwork with members of the legal services department of a corporation on matters connecting to commercial power, authoritarian issues, profit-making contracts, and several other things. Legal advisors often have the same training as lawyers, rather than legal consultants generally only offering advice outside of the courtroom. The legal advisor can be employed in both the government and the private sector.
There are substantial legal advisor jobs after completing their bachelor's degree in law. There is a great possibility for high remuneration in the legal field. A company legal advisor may work more than 40 hours per week. He or she checks the corporation's most recent company transactions to make sure that they collapse within acceptable legal parameters. The job market scenario for a career as a legal advisor is bright in India.
It is a country with many pending cases therefore the demand for a lawyer is likely to go up in the coming time. The Legal advisor jobs are not just limited to MNCs or government bodies even start-ups, banks, insurance companies, and other organizations are also hiring legal advisors.
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Frequently Asked Questions for Legal Advisor
Que. What is the difference between Advisor and Consultant?
Ans.An advisor is usually a person with more and deeper knowledge in a particular field and generally also includes persons with cross-functional and multidisciplinary expertise. An adviser’s role is that of a mentor or leader and varies categorically from that of a task-particular consultant.
Que. What is the difference between a lawyer and a legal advisor?
Ans.A legal advisor is a person employed by an organization or corporation and works 'in-house', whilst a lawyer is employed by a law firm. A legal advisor will only provide legal advice to their employer, while a lawyer is engaged by various clients to provide a range of legal services and advice.
Que. Who gives the president legal advice?
Ans.By delegation from the attorney general, the assistant attorney general in charge of the Office of Legal Counsel provides legal advice to the President and all executive branch agencies.
Que. Who is the legal advisor to the government of a state in India?
Ans.In India, an advocate general is a legal advisor to a state government. The post is created by the Constitution of India and corresponds to that of the Attorney General of India at the central level. The governor of each state shall appoint a person who is qualified to be appointed judge in the high court.
Que. How to become a legal advisor without studying criminal law?
Ans.You do not have to study criminal law in order to become a legal advisor. The best-advised course is the corporate law course.
Que. What are the top colleges that can help in becoming a legal advisor?
Ans.The top colleges suitable for you to become a legal advisor are:
| National Law University Lucknow | |
Que. What does a legal advisor do?
Ans.The role of the legal advisor is to negotiate and draft contracts and represents clients in court. He or she collaborates with stakeholders and monitors the legal implementation of the legal clauses.
Que. What is the work of legal advisor?
Ans.The legal advisor job description is to oversee client and vendor projects and does legal research. He or she resolves buy-sell disputes and property issues.
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Did you know?
Fact 1
Legal advisors existed in Ancient Rome as jurisconsults offering legal opinions.
Fact 2
India’s Legal Advisor role began under British rule and evolved into the Attorney General post in 1950.
Fact 3
Over 75% of global corporations have in-house legal advisors.
Fact 4
India’s legal services market hit $1.4 billion in 2023, boosting demand for legal advisors.
Fact 5
The UN employs legal advisors in over 190 countries for global legal governance.
