Legal counsel provides legal assistance to clients, ensuring their actions are lawful. They may specialize in areas such as family law, employment law, or commercial law. They can research, provide materials, and act as an advocate for clients. Government officials and companies often employ legal counsel, and individuals can seek legal advice from legal aid groups or law firms.
A legal counsel is typically an attorney or other type of legal professional who specializes in offering legal assistance on a variety of matters. While they may sometimes pursue lawsuits and litigation for their clients, their overall job is to ensure that a client’s actions in a given matter are lawful. The consultant may work as a freelancer or may have a permanent job as a consultant to a company, government office or politician or individual client.
Many legal advisers specialize in a particular area of law. Family law counselors can provide legal services in divorce, custody and inheritance matters. An employment law professional may be interested in worker compensation issues, workplace harassment, or wrongful termination lawsuits. Commercial lawyers often act as consultants for businesses and corporations. Legal counsel working for a government department typically specializes in issues such as constitutional law, international law, or public policy.
A legal counsel can serve as a resource for an informed opinion on a legal matter. He or she can research, provide relevant materials, and cite specific laws to help explain a law or create a plan for a client. In some cases, a counselor may assist in preparing documents or reviewing contracts and other documents to ensure that an action is being taken legally. In some cases, a counselor may also act as an advocate for the client, representing them in court.
Government officials and departments often employ consultants to help draft legislation and proposals that meet existing legal standards. Each department of a government may have a separate chief counsel specific to its jurisdiction, but a government counsel’s office may employ dozens of additional attorneys to act as associate counsel and assistants. Politicians, especially those planning an election campaign, typically employ a legal advisory team to ensure their actions comply with the law.
Most companies and larger organizations employ a legal counsel to manage contracts and provide policy advice. Police and firefighters, non-profit groups, hospitals, and school districts often seek legal advice to navigate the complicated political laws that dictate their actions. Regional governments, such as city or county councils, can also use consultants to assist in crafting local policies and laws.
For individual citizens, it may be possible to obtain legal advice from a legal aid group, law school clinic, or law firm. This can be a good first step in determining whether a person needs to hire an attorney to prosecute or defend a claim. Law clinics and paralegals often provide free counseling and some paralegals, while law firms may charge a counseling fee simply for giving an initial opinion on a case.
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