What does a lawyer do ?
A lawyer is a legal expert and ensures the compliance of the company that employs them with the law. They support and advise executives on legal matters while constantly monitoring legislative texts. They protect the interests of the company they work for and assist in its decision-making processes.
A lawyer can specialize in various fields of law such as tax law, labor law, or commercial law. The Master's in Business Law and Taxation at Université Paris Dauphine-PSL offers a specialization in Law and Corporate Social Responsibility to enable its future graduates to acquire advanced legal knowledge.
Areas of work of a lawyer
The lawyer has an advisory and support role at the legal level for the company they work for. They must protect its commercial, financial, or technical interests while ensuring compliance with laws. A lawyer also has the opportunity to be an attorney with the CAPA certification and specialize in different sectors.
Daily tasks
Throughout their career, they will take on numerous tasks such as:
- Defending the company's interests during a trial with external lawyers.
- Conducting constant legal monitoring.
- Ensuring compliance with laws.
- Advising on legal issues to ensure the proper functioning of the company.
- Drafting legal documents.
- Establishing contracts.
- Reviewing cases submitted to them.
- Assisting the company in the application of new laws.
- Developing social plans.
Salaries and career path
Upon completion of their training, a lawyer can expect a median salary of €40,000 gross per year. After 5 years of experience or more, they can expect a salary between €55,000 and €60,000 gross per year.
Although the position of a lawyer is stable, they may progress within their company to a legal department director.
The lawyer may also apply for bar registration after working for at least 8 years in a company to practice as an attorney. They could also become a magistrate by applying for the entrance examination to the National School of Magistracy.
Required skills
Becoming a lawyer in the financial field requires many cross-functional skills such as:
- Good interpersonal and communication skills.
- Adaptability.
- Good oral expression.
- Sense of service.
- Practical sense.
- Rigor and organization.
- Speed of execution.
- Availability.
- Good memory to apply and retain all laws.
- Writing skills.
- Excellent command of the law of obligations, labor and tax law, civil procedure law, and company law.
- Proficiency in English.
How to become a lawyer?
To become a lawyer, a Master’s degree level education will be necessary to obtain the skills and knowledge mandatory to this profession. Future graduates can thus follow a master's degree in Law before specializing in the second year in their preferred field: banking law, tax law, business law, insurance law, etc.
Training to become a lawyer at Université Paris Dauphine – PSL
Université Paris Dauphine – PSL offers a Master's in Business Law and Taxation to enable students to acquire solid knowledge in the legal field as well as in economic management. This training provides future graduates with notions in private, public, internal, European, and international law.
The specialization in Law and Corporate Social Responsibility offers students a unique path of professionalization through research. This training allows for deep reflection on legal issues while placing them within the context of CSR. This method will thus provide all the necessary skills for those wishing to become a lawyer.