Depending on complexity and size, positions at a law firm can vary widely. From lawyers to prosecutors, there are also other non-lawyer positions that most law firms assign. You can discover the distribution of the US legal workforce at Lensa Data Insights. Shows the percentage of attorneys by state, including gender and age distribution. Get valuable information on popular areas of law in specific regions. Stay informed about current job opportunities with Lensa’s analysis of legal industry trends.
Read on for a detailed guide on the different roles in a law firm you should know about.
Hierarchical positions of law firms
As The Hogle Law Firm in Mesa noted, law firms are primarily grouped into sub-hierarchies within attorneys and other staff members. Hierarchical positions are divided based on rank and status, and equity is based on company regulations and general laws as follows:
Senior or managing partners hold the highest position levels in a law firm’s hierarchy. They are considered founding members or senior lawyers. Individuals in these positions are responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of the law firm and often work as members of the executive committee to establish the firm’s strategic work plans, goals, and objectives.
These are lawyers who operate as co-owners of a law firm. They are also known as shareholders and often work as general partners of law firms, partners of liability companies, and associates of law firms. However, most law firms operate through partner positions by structuring their operations in a two-way partnership environment where equity and non-equity legal practices are considered.
Equity partners are those with ownership in the company, and when the company gains more money and customers, the equity partners gain as well. By contrast, non-equity partners have limited rights within a law firm and are paid a fixed income rather than partially earning what a firm earns. In addition, non-equity law firm partners qualify for promotion to equity positions when the executive committee of senior and managing partners agrees that they are qualified for promotions. Before advancing, they must also contribute a set amount of money or purchase their equity status based on the standard and promotional fees set by the company.
These are attorneys who are not employed by a firm and instead work as independent contractors. They may be referred to as special counsel or senior counsel and are mostly lawyers with extensive experience in particular areas hired to present clients of a law firm in an individual area of law. Typically, Law Firm Of Counsel positions are for semi-retired lawyers who previously worked as partners in the firm. Their primary job is to supplement and assist in the firm’s knowledge base and work part-time to help manage cases and operate as associates or support staff members.
These are attorneys who work as junior or senior attorneys in a law firm with the responsibilities of assisting with cases and managing the firm’s knowledge base in terms of research and keeping updates.
These are lawyers whose responsibilities are to represent the clients of a law firm in civil cases. They are people with a wealth of knowledge about the trials and who represent defendants and plaintiffs by understanding how to argue and communicate ideas on behalf of their clients. Trial attorneys primarily work in private or corporate law firms.
These are attorneys who work with associates and partners who offer services like legal advice on cases and more. They also work alongside associates in conducting thorough and extensive investigations without necessarily working closely with the firm’s clients.
These are the employees of a law firm who work to help lawyers prepare for hearings and trials. They are also responsible for presenting the firm at legal meetings and drafting documents or researching and summarizing minutes, and more.
Non-Attorney Positions
Non-attorney employees are support staff, and the positions are commensurate with the size and complexity of the firm. Some of the non-attorney positions at most law firms include:
Legal accountants are law firm employees with financial skills to ensure that businesses operate within their proper budgets and financial capabilities. Their main jobs are balancing financial records like budgets, payroll, and salaries. They also work by reporting overspending or other money-related changes and effects to higher levels.
These are employees whose job it is to manage the hiring of new employees and handling payroll. They also manage company benefits and help new employees with guidelines regarding their roles and act as their parties when resolving workplace conflicts between individuals at different levels.
These are law firm employees responsible for working directly with attorneys and paralegals to help with administrative work. Also, the main job of legal secretaries ranges from writing emails and making phone calls for clients and partners of the firm.
These employees work directly with paralegals and attorneys to properly label, organize, and store documents and records. They are also responsible for transporting files from one company to another or to different locations as needed by the company.
Conclusion
Whether you’re a legal clerk or a regular citizen, learning about the different positions at law firms is an incredible consideration to broaden your knowledge of the law and your lawsuits. The above are the various positions at a law firm worth considering.
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Source: SCHOOL TRANG DAI
