<p>Could you give us a sample of your work, some kind of product of your 80-hour workweeks?</p>
<p>The work varies quite a bit. Litigation management - doing as much as possible to minimize outside counsel fees. Collection of discovery materials, analyzing drafts of briefs and motions (not writing them, but editing), preparation of witnesses, responding to subpoenas, analyzing liability for purposes of establishing reserve and settlement recommendations. Deals - writing and negotiating acquisition or business line sales documents, letters of intent, letters of interest, joint venture agreements, marketing agreements, license agreements, confidentiality agreements. Business Line Contracts - writing or negotiating various contracts, subcontracts and purchase orders. Collections and work on claims that are not yet in litigation. Human Resources - reviewing charges, complaints, employment and severance agreements, benefit contracts and claims, application forms, etc., preparing responses, revising handbooks. Policies and Procedures - writing and reviewing for the company, updating as necessary. Communications - review and advise on corporate communications. Alternative dispute resolution - may handle mediations or arbitrations in house at some companies, which will include preparation of the mediation or arbitration submittal. </p>
<p>Handling legal issues as they arise from all levels of employees, from low-level employees trying to get personal advice (not usually available from in-house counsel) to Senior Management wanting the sales staff to receive antitrust training. You never know what is going to come up in the next call. </p>
<p>Some lawyers also handle patents and trademarks and SEC and shareholder work (SEC Filings, Board minutes and resolutions, licenses and registrations.)</p>
<p>I've been practicing for about 30 yrs, and I still get excited by new legal issues every week. Developing great working relationships with Senior, Middle and Lower Management is a key to success. If they think you're going to give impractical, overly legalistic or untimely responses that will kill deals, or if you have a record of unsuccessful negotiations, you won't be successful in the corporate world. Just as in a law firm, having a good personality will help a lot. We talk about "getting to yes."</p>
<p>Why am I on-line? I have a kid who is going to be taking the June LSATs. Hoping for a 160...</p>
<p>Sajenferrer, are you asking about corporate law in a law firm or are you asking about in house work with a corporation?</p>
<p>Corporate law is not a field in and of itself. As the poster above pointed out, it encompasses a wide variety of sub-fields. I joined a "Wall Street" law firm out of school about 30 years ago (I left to raise my family after 6 years though) and my experience was varied. Primarily though, in my case, I worked extensively with foreign companies that wanted to go public in the United States, and with companies actively acquiring other companies (mergers and acquisitions). These areas included lots of document drafting and review, some travel to do "due diligence" prior to acquisitions and much proofreading of SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) required documents. In the old days it also required many long nights at the printer as these public documents were prepared for filing.
Many of my colleagues were involved more in the type of work mentioned above, and others worked in-house and were responsible for the more day-to-day legal needs of their corporate employers. It all depends on whether you will be working for an independent law firm representing large corporations in deal negotiations, being the day-to day outside corporate counsel for large, medium, small businesses or working in-house for any size company.
And why am I here? My S too is taking the June LSAT.</p>