Employers

Approximately 823,900 lawyers are employed at corporations, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations. Jobs for corporate lawyers are available throughout the United States and the world, although large metropolitan areas with many companies offer the most employment opportunities.

Starting Out

Law school students can learn about job openings from their college’s career services office, through employment ads in industry publications and newspapers, via in-person and online networking, and by contacting companies directly. Many enter the field after participating in internships at corporations while attending law school. Entry-level jobs are most commonly found in large companies that have the time and resources to train new lawyers.

Corporate attorneys advance by receiving pay raises; by moving to larger, better-known companies; and by being promoted to managerial positions such as supervisory attorney, managing attorney, deputy chief, general counsel, or chief legal officer. Others move beyond corporate legal departments to become CEOs or corporate board members. Some corporate lawyers become judges or law professors. 

Read publications such as ACC Docket (http://www.accdocket.com) to learn more about the field.

Check out the Fortune 500 list of the top companies by revenue to learn about potential employers.

Use the NALP Directory of Legal Employers (http://www.nalpdirectory.com) to search for employers by location, employer type, practice areas, and other criteria.

For job listings, visit:

• http://jobline.acc.com/jobs
• http://www.mcca.com
• https://www.americanbar.org/careercenter

Attend association conferences to network and to interview for jobs.