I am in law school and wish to work as in-house counsel for a major company. What subjects should I study and what experience will I need?
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Answer by Kate Dodgson, Indooroopilly 4068 QLD
- Subjects in law school that are likely to assist you include contract law, commercial law, corporate law and intellectual property law. If you are permitted to do electives outside of law subjects it is recommended to choose some subjects from the business school.
- A dual degree in law and business or commerce is also recommended.
- Postgraduate degrees such as a Masters in Law or an MBA are also favourable.
- The College of Law provides a Graduate Diploma of Applied Law focussing on in-house practice.
- Companies are more likely to hire in-house counsel who have worked in private practice first.
- Around 3-5 years post-admission experience in a law firm should be sufficient to make the move to in-house counsel.