Are you thinking of launching your career and becoming a legal analyst?
Well, if you have strong research skills and an interest in the law, this job could be perfect for you. It involves working for a legal firm and supporting individual lawyers as well as legal teams.
You need to be very organized to get this job and have excellent attention to detail. It also takes time and dedication to qualify and work as a legal analyst.
If you are willing to rise to the challenge, check out the following in-depth legal analyst job description for all the info you need.
Contents
A Typical Legal Analyst Job Description
The job description should begin by outlining the main duties you would be expected to perform. This is likely to include researching cases, preparing exhibits, writing reports, and assisting lawyers. The job description will outline the working environment and style, such as working under pressure and to tight deadlines.
The job description will cover the main skills and attributes that the ideal candidate should have. These are likely to include strong research skills, IT skills, and impressive administrative skills. It will also include details of the expected candidate qualifications and perhaps an overview of the salary.
Read more: Contract Specialist Job Description
The Main Legal Analyst Duties And Responsibilities
As a legal analyst, you need to work on tasks assigned by members of the legal team. You need to be willing to go the extra mile to make sure the needs of the legal team are taken care of. While these needs can vary, there are certain duties you are likely to have to complete regularly.
Researching Legal Specifics
This is one of the most important tasks you will perform in your daily job. You need to be able to conduct legal research and collect legal data to support different cases. This includes being able to utilize online resources as well as the legal library to find the information you need.
Organizing Information
You are likely to collect a large amount of information when researching a case. Organize the information so that it is easy for the legal team to read.
Drafting Contracts
It is essential to be able to decipher different laws, regulations, and rulings to be a legal analyst. This will help you to draft contracts as well as policies and other types of legal documents.
Documentation
You need to be able to efficiently document legal papers and other documents. This includes studying, minoring, and writing regulations as well as trade journals, court judgments, and other relevant publications.
Maintaining Legal Knowledge
It is important to stay up to date with all the latest legal precedents and other important legal rulings. This will help to make sure you have a good understanding of different cases.
Writing Reports
After analyzing a wide range of information, you need to condense the information into detailed reports. These reports will be read by the legal team as well as individual lawyers. You also need to be able to highlight the important information that can be used in legal arguments.
Performing Clerical Duties
You will often need to make phone calls to chase up different types of information and send emails. It is essential to be polite and professional at all times while interacting with different people. This job also includes a range of clerical duties like drafting legal briefs, affidavits, and letters.
Other key legal analyst duties include:
- Assisting lawyers
- Researching public records
- Reviewing testimonies
- Preparing exhibits
Important Legal Analyst Skills
It goes without saying that a legal analyst needs to have strong research skills. There is also a range of soft skills that you need to possess to be successful. Here are some of the most important skills that a legal analyst needs to master…
Attention to detail
It is essential to make sure all the data you collect and analyze is accurate. Any mistakes could potentially cost the legal team their case. This includes being able to assess all the relevant facts and other types of information.
Organizational skills
It is essential to be able to remain organized and keep documents, legal briefs, and research materials separate. You may often find that you are researching more than one case at a time for the legal team. You must make sure the documents for different cases do not get mixed up.
Time management
You will often need to work to tight deadlines when a case is approaching. This means being able to prioritize tasks and make sure everything is taken care of at the right time. This includes working out how long different tasks are likely to take you to complete.
Critical thinking
You need to be able to draft legal arguments that support legal teams and individual lawyers. Critical thinking allows you to make effective and detailed arguments that are as brief as possible.
Communication skills
You need to be able to explain your findings clearly to members of the legal team. This will help to make sure you collaborate well with different lawyers. Having strong written communication skills will also make it easier to write detailed reports.
Legal Analyst Education and Training
You usually need to have a bachelor’s degree in law or a related field to work as a legal analyst. Taking on a summer internship program while at college will provide you with valuable work experience. This will make it easier to score a legal analyst job after you graduate.
When you are hired by a legal firm, you will usually be provided with a week or two of training. This will help you become familiar with the current cases and get to know your coworkers. You will usually start as a junior legal analyst, which involves relatively simple tasks.
Ten years of experience…
Once you have gained at least ten years of experience, you can advance to become a senior legal analyst. This role mainly involves supporting legal teams and individual lawyers with research and other specific tasks.
The Work Environment
Legal analysts usually work in the legal office of a large law firm. However, you will also be expected to travel to and from courthouses to pick up and deliver legal documents. You may also spend a large amount of time in research libraries when you are researching cases.
Most legal analysts work at least 35 hours a week during daytime business hours. You may also need to work on the weekend and some evenings when important cases are approaching. It is also possible to work part-time or on an on-call basis.
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Final Thoughts
Most legal firms hire legal analysts to help lawyers prepare for their cases. While this role mainly involves research, there is a lot of scope for advancement. If you succeed in this role, you could become a senior legal analyst or rise even higher in the company.
The average salary for a legal analyst is around $25 per hour or $50,000 per year. Full-time legal analysts are also provided with a special benefits package. This typically includes retirement plans, vacation leave, paid holidays, health, vision, dental, and life insurance plans.
All the very best becoming a Legal Analyst!