The life of a corporate lawyer is not very far from what you see in Hollywood films; it pays well and your work is held in high regard. If you’re working for “Big law”, you’ll likely earn a 6-figure salary even as a junior associate.

Of course, big salaries come with huge responsibilities, and unfortunately for corporate lawyers, that includes an average of 250 hours of work in a month. Having work-life balance is not something corporate lawyers are well-known for. If you like perpetually intellectually challenging work and an occasional emotional roller-coaster ride for breakfast, here are a few more things you need to know about being a corporate lawyer.

The typical path is to obtain a business degree.

Corporate lawyers are expected to have good business acumen and so, instead of getting a pre-law undergraduate degree, you’ll have better chances of getting into big law if you have a business degree.

A business degree in marketing, accounting, finance, management, or economics is mostly preferred. For those who want to specialize in corporate tax law, you can apply for dual degree programs like J.D.- M.Acc. (Juris Doctor and a Masters in Accountancy-Taxation). All you need is an undergraduate degree in Accountancy and then you can apply for a joint degree in J.D.-M.Acc.

Joint degree programs usually last for 3 years and you have to pass both programs during the application process.

A specialization is an advantage, sometimes a requirement.

Corporate lawyers don’t always do the same things; most are specialized into different areas of practice like Steinepreis Paganin corporate lawyers, whose specializations are corporate tax law, mergers and acquisitions, equity capital markets, energy and resources, and corporate and commercial law.

If you work for a major law firm as an associate, you’ll find yourself interacting with several specialists, especially when you’re working on a draft for a certain deal. A specialty is often times your ticket to getting a job in big law mainly because they need more support for the growing demand.

Since specialists take on steady work, they have more opportunities to exercise and grow their expertise, and that makes them even more competitive for future roles in law or business.

If specializing is not your cup of tea, you can work as in-house counsel for corporations. In-house legal counsels tend to be less specialized since they deal with a myriad of issues their companies have to deal with on a regular basis.

Major law firms consider your academic background and training first.

Your law school matters and it will definitely have a huge weight on whether you can get a job in major law firms or not. If you decide to study in a poorly ranked law school, you have to do exceptionally well to even have your resume looked at.

Aside from your academic records, your previous on-the-job training matters, too! A training under an attorney with good qualifications, a clerkship with the federal judges, experience in the patent and trademark office, and a work experience in a prosecutors’ or the US Attorney’s office are just a few of the forms of training highly regarded by law firms.

And as mentioned in the previous section, a specialization is sometimes required by major law firms. Other factors such as stability, commitment, reputation, and the way you dress also matters.

Career mobility is high.

Because of the high level of stress and the lack of work-life balance, most corporate lawyers quit their jobs after some time and choose to work as in-house legal counsel or practice solo instead.

Corporate experience will make you in-demand in other fields and your experience makes you very attractive to companies who wish to save their money from paying outside counsel from law firms by building their own expert team in-house.

Moreover, in-house corporate lawyers experience a generally less chaotic work environment; having access to top management, while still enjoying a generous paycheck.

Conclusion

Pursuing a career as a corporate lawyer can be very challenging but at the same time also very rewarding. The job is tough, meticulous, and time-consuming, but being able to see the direct effect of your work to the success of your clients is a great source of both job and personal satisfaction, which also fosters lasting friendships.