what does a senior staffing attorney do in a county legal department

by Johanna Lind 8 min read

What does a senior legal counsel do?

Oct 02, 2020 · Joined senior team to provide advice during protracted labor negotiations leading to continuation as Counsel to the Human Resources Group. Drafted legal documents, Answers and Counterclaims, motions, etc. Drafted and reviewed numerous County contracts, including direct negotiation of contract terms with parties and opposing counsel.

What is the role of a senior manager in law firm?

Apr 20, 2016 · The Senior Legal Counsel: Provides guidance and input on the wide array of legal and policy questions decided by the Chief of AFMLS in the Chief's role as principal policy maker for the Forfeiture Program; provides expert counsel and advice on the most complex forfeiture and money laundering matters to senior Department officials.

What are the objectives and responsibilities of a senior lawyer?

In this position, the Senior Lawyer identifies legal issues within the business and provides legal analyses and possible legal solutions. He gives recommendations for addressing critical legal and policy issues in order to ensure that the business’s legal and overall objectives are met.

How can general counsel reduce the cost of Legal Staffing?

expectations when it decided to hire an in-house attorney. This information will shape the GC’s priorities, as well as the legal department’s priorities (if there is a legal department) and enables a first general counsel to better meet its client’s needs. Understanding company expectations

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What does a senior litigator do?

They offer legal advice, prepare and draft the appropriate documentation, create effective legal strategies, and represent their clients in trials, mediations, and arbitration hearings. ... A senior attorney typically works at a law firm full-time, in a corporation's legal department, a non-profit, or government agency.

What is a corporate staff attorney?

“Staff Attorney” is a catch-all phrase describing lawyers who dedicate their services to a specific organization. This may include a corporation, government entity, academic institution, or not-for-profit.

What is the highest position in a law firm?

The managing partner sits at the top of the law firm hierarchy. A senior-level or founding lawyer of the firm, she manages day-to-day operations. She often heads an executive committee comprised of other senior partners, and she helps to establish and guide the firm's strategic vision.Aug 13, 2019

What is senior counsel at a law firm?

A senior counsel is responsible for handling various legal matters inside a law firm or, in some cases, in businesses. Their specific tasks may vary depending on the needs of their organization and their specialty.Jan 19, 2022

Why do people become staff attorneys?

Staff attorneys like the predictable income of their positions. Many staff attorneys also believe that if they do a good job, they can be advanced to being partners or associates in their law firms. However, the reality is that: When law firms lay off people, the staff attorneys are most often the first to go.

What is the difference between staff and associate?

Job and Role Generalizations Associate workers usually belong to the organization's staff or have the chance to be promoted into it. A “staff”-level job generally suggests a typical in-house employee for an organization as opposed to an outside worker.Aug 8, 2018

What is the hierarchy in law firm?

Law firms are further divided into sub-hierarchies within the lawyer and staff classes. For example, within a law firm's professional services class, there will be attorneys of different ranks and statuses, with equity partners at the top, associates in the middle, and contract attorneys at the bottom.

What does the chair of a law firm do?

As the leader of a board, the Chairperson serves as a key liaison between the operational leadership of the company (the C-Suite officers) and the rest of the board. In between meetings, they will continue to progress the initiatives of the board, manage strategic directives, and manage the work of board committees.Oct 5, 2018

What are the stages of a lawyer?

To become a lawyer you must complete five core steps:Step 1 – Acquire Undergraduate Degree.Step 2 – Write and Pass Law School Admission Test (LSAT)Step 3 – Acquire Juris Doctor Law Degree.Step 4 – Write and Pass Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE)Step 5 – Write and Pass Bar Exam.

How does one become senior counsel?

The qualifications to become a senior counsel include a law degree (JD), admission to the state bar, and extensive experience as a practicing attorney. Employers may require applicants for senior counsel positions to have expertise in the legal areas related to the company's needs.

What is the difference between junior and senior counsel?

The Junior Counsel may draft and prepare Court documents which the Senior Counsel may approve and settle. Senior Counsel will tend to appear and plead in the more complex and difficult legal cases in the High Court and Supreme Court.

What is a senior barrister called?

Senior counsel are also colloquially known as “silks.” This is because their robes include a gown made of silk – junior counsel wear gowns made of cotton. The only difference between a QC and SC is the name.

Objectives and Responsibilities of the Senior Lawyer

Management: The Senior Manager plays a managerial role where he oversees the junior lawyers’ legal representation of the business on all corporate matters. The Senior Lawyer also takes a leading role, alongside the Head of Legal, in determining the legal direction and strategy of the business.

Required Qualifications of the Senior Lawyer

Education: The Senior Lawyer must have had a master’s degree (Phd preferred) in Law from an accredited law school and at least five years of working experience in a legal corporate environment.

What is an outside counsel retention agreement?

Like outside counsel guidelines, outside counsel retention agreements govern engagement with outside counsel. They are often drafted in the form of a letter and addressed to outside counsel, and may contain terms addressing:193

What should a general counsel know?

general counsel should be intimately involved with and aware of their corporation’s strategy and direction. They should be able to succinctly articulate the company’s business strategy and be able to explain it to others in the company.82 This knowledge is important because it will help guide the GC in making difficult decisions on how to best support the business, and it will inform the process of developing a law department mission statement (discussed in Section III(E), below).83 Strategic planning is the process of defining a company’s direction and making decisions in order to pursue a particular course of action. In particular, a first general counsel should be able to answer the following questions about corporate strategy and direction:

Why is it important to have a general counsel report?

The general counsel’s reporting relationship is important because it indicates to other company employees and outside counsel the relative importance and accountability of the law department.90 Thus, a company’s first general counsel should determine early on the individual to whom they will report directly.

What is the role of a first general counsel?

Once a first general counsel understands company expectations , they must determine how to best meet those expectations. This requires an understanding of how in-house counsel can best benefit the company, and perhaps more importantly, how the GC can demonstrate the value of such benefits to company management. This Section identifies the key roles upon which a first general counsel should focus, and then illustrates how to quantify the benefits of these roles in order to demonstrate the law department’s value.

How long should a general counsel address reporting relationships?

first general counsel should address within the first month or two with the company the essential reporting relationships within their new company. In fact, in a company that has never had in-house counsel, the task of establishing or clarifying law department reporting relationships may fall to the first general counsel. To assist with this process, this section analyzes the two reporting relationships that are most important to a first general counsel: (1) to whom should the general counsel report, and (2) who should report to the general counsel?

Who is Nicolas Vanasse?

Nicolas Vanasse, Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary at Aveos Fleet Performance Inc., made a point early on to publicize his position throughout the company. He did so by developing and distributing written law department procedures (e.g., contract review procedures) that educated clients on which issues they should discuss with Mr. Vanasse. Some of these procedures were also included in the corporate bylaws so they could not be circumvented. He felt these procedures (and resulting discussions with clients) made his clients realize that the law department was there to help them.134

What should a first general counsel learn?

first general counsel should also learn as much as possible about the company’s key competitors. Knowledge about competitors, their key staff, the legal issues they have faced, and how they have responded to such legal issues can help a new general counsel better anticipate and address their own company’s legal issues. In addition, developing relationships with the chief legal officers (“CLOs”) at competitor companies enhances a general counsel’s credibility both within and outside of the client corporation. Networking with and getting to know these other in-house counsel can also be an invaluable tool for learning more about the industry (as discussed in Section III(D)(1) above).

What is the legal department?

The Legal Department advises and represents the County in all legal matters except in situations where certain County departments have their own counsel and unusual situations where it is determined to be in the best interest of the County to retain outside counsel.

Who is Michael Frue?

Michael Frue is the Senior Staff Attorney and serves as a legal advisor to the Board of Commissioners. Mr. Frue is an Asheville High School graduate and earned his undergraduate degree at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Juris Doctorate degree from Campbell University School of Law. Mr. Frue joined Buncombe County Government in 2000 as the Tax Attorney for the County’s Tax Office handling tax foreclosures, Board of Equalization and Review and NC Property Tax Commission matters. In 2005, Mr. Frue became the Associate County Attorney for Buncombe County and was appointed Senior Staff Attorney in 2013.

What is an in house counsel?

This In-House Counsel job description covers the fundamentals of an In-House Counsel career, including responsibilities, requirements and average salaries. If you are a Private Practice Lawyer thinking about making the move in-house – or are soon to qualify and wondering about the difference between in-house and private practice – read on to find out more.

What is the role of a GC?

The GC or Head of Legal is the chief lawyer of the legal department of a company and oversees a broad role identifying company-wide legal issues, advising senior executives and managing the other in-house lawyers. Chief Legal Officer (CLO)

Why should law departments analyze data?

Law departments should periodically analyze the data collected and prepare customized reports or dashboards for their constituents to show how the law department adds value to the company. Depending on the report recipient's needs and personal preferences, the law department may decide to:

Why is it important to measure the right metrics?

Measuring the right metrics can provide in-house counsel with compelling evidence that law departments add demonstrable value to their companies. This article discusses key metrics law departments may use to objectively quantify, analyze, and report on changes in their performance over time.

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