At the beginning of my legal journey, I was pretty clueless about the different types of lawyers and what they do. All I knew is that I wanted to be a public defender or criminal defense attorney. The gag is after my second year, I pivoted and didn’t know what to do with myself. So, today, I want to talk about different types of lawyers and what they do.
Before I dive in, a few things. This post isn’t an exhaustive list of all the legal roles out there. Rather, it’s the little I know about each role. So, I recommend doing a deeper dive into these (and other) legal positions. That way, you can prep yourself for your dream job by participating in specific legal clinics, internships, externships, or taking certain jobs.
PRODUCT COUNSEL
What is a product counsel, and what do product counsels do?
Product lawyers are trusted legal partners for the business teams they support. Their day-to-day entails:
- drafting and updating consumer-facing agreements;
- performing product reviews to ensure products comply with local and federal laws and regulations;
- reviewing marketing materials,
- meeting with various stakeholders to manage and mitigate risk, and the list goes on.
The product counsel role is a relatively new type of legal position born out of the rise of tech companies and startups; at least, that’s what I believe. As a product counsel at a tech company, I work closely with commercial counsel, product managers, engineers, content designers, compliance partners, and various other stakeholders to bring a product from conception to launch and beyond.
How to prepare for a career as a product counsel?
- Develop strong communication skills
- Develop and sharpen your legal writing and contract drafting skills
- Develop your interpersonal skills as you will be supporting and working with various cross-functional stakeholders and business clients
- Sharpen your attention to detail
- Stay on top of regulatory developments within your industry of interest
How much do product counsels make?
As of 2/25/21, according to comparably.com, the U.S. average salary for product counsels is $239,000.
LITIGATION ATTORNEY
What is a litigation attorney, and what do litigation attorneys do?
They represent plaintiffs or defendants in legal disputes (civil lawsuits). Litigation attorneys:
- advise their clients on the viability of civil lawsuits;
- conduct investigations to discover evidence that supports their clients’ cases (i.e., perform document reviews, vet and prep expert witnesses, etc.);
- develop trial strategies based on the fact and evidence;
- represent plaintiffs or defendants during trials;
- draft and file legal documents with the court – i.e., pleadings, motions, etc.;
- attend pretrial conferences and settlement discussions, and the list goes on.
How much they make?
As of 2/25/21, according to comparably.com, the U.S. average salary for litigation attorneys is $114,364.
CRIMINAL LAWYERS
What is a criminal lawyer, and what do criminal lawyers do?
Criminal Lawyers represent and defend people facing criminal charges in local, state, federal, and appellate courts. Their job entails:
- developing trial strategies;
- vetting expert witnesses;
- representing their clients during trials;
- fact-finding to support or defend their case;
- attending arraignments, pretrial hearings, settlement conferences, sentencing, and the list goes on.
There are two other types of lawyers that play essential roles in the criminal justice system.
- Prosecutors represent the state in criminal proceedings. Prosecutors are responsible for bringing charges against individuals accused of committing crimes. They assess whether there’s enough evidence to bring a case against the accused, and they present their case to the judge and/or jury during trial.
- Public Defenders represent clients who cannot afford to hire an attorney in a criminal case.
How to prepare for a career in this role?
- Participate in internships or externships at private criminal defense law firms, DA offices, or PD offices
- Participate in moot court
How much do criminal lawyers make?
- As of 2/25/21, according to comparably.com, the U.S. average salary for criminal lawyers is $117,095.
- As of 2/25/21, according to comparably.com, the U.S. average salary for prosecutors is $84,348.
- As of 2/25/21, according to comparably.com, the U.S. average salary for public defenders is $52,740.
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PRIVACY COUNSEL
What is a privacy counsel, and what do privacy counsels do?
With the advancement of technology and how data flows these days, the demand for privacy attorneys has increased. They cover all things privacy! For instance, privacy lawyers:
- review and draft contractual provisions, policies, and templates;
- develop and identify gaps in privacy programs;
- draft privacy-related terms in commercial agreements with clients and vendors;
- review privacy language and consents in product flows, and the list goes on.
How to prepare for a career in this role?
- Get familiar with local and global privacy policies, like GDPR and CCPA.
- Consider securing an IAPP Privacy Certification. This is an excellent way to learn privacy basics.
How much do privacy counsels (or lawyers) make?
As of 2/25/21, according to comparably.com, the U.S. average salary for privacy counsels is $105,248.
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LAWYER
What is an intellectual property lawyer, and what do intellectual property lawyers do?
Intellectual property lawyers play a huge role in protecting their client’s intellectual property. They provide counsel on issues relating to trademarks, copyrights, patents, trade secrets, and licensing. Intellectual property lawyers:
- review contract provisions related to IP matters;
- perform IP due diligence and advise on IP risks in merger and acquisitions and other commercial transactions;
- counsel clients on IP risks;
- stay abreast of industry and litigation trends, best practices, laws, and regulations, and the list goes on.
How to prepare for a career in this role?
- Participate in IP clinics
- Internships/Externships at firms that have IP practice groups
- Seek summer associate positions at tech companies
How much do intellectual privacy lawyers make?
As of 2/25/21, according to comparably.com, the U.S. average salary for intellectual property lawyers is $120,622.
COMMERCIAL COUNSEL
What is a commercial lawyer, and what do commercial lawyers do?
Commercial lawyers handle all things deals, vendor and partner transactions, and law-related business matters. Commercial lawyers:
- draft and negotiate contracts;
- assist with setting up legal entities;
- anticipate and address legal concerns;
- prepare and maintain legal documents;
- assist with mergers and acquisitions, and the list goes on.
How to prepare for a career in this role?
Develop a firm understanding of contract basics.
How much do commercial counsels make?
As of 2/25/21, according to comparably.com, the U.S. average salary for commercial counsels is $165,000.
INFLUENCER LAWYER
With the rise of social media and influencer marketing, influencer lawyers have become crucial. Influencer lawyers are, essentially, business lawyers. Influencer lawyers:
- negotiate and review collaboration contracts;
- counsel clients on intellectual property matters
- assist with entity formation, tax matters, etc.
- provide strategic social media support, and the list goes on.
That’s all I have for you for now. Please let me know if I left anything out or misrepresented anything. I want this to be as accurate as possible!
For my future lawyers, what areas of law interest you? Drop your responses down below.
Until next time, xoxo!