Business law: Why it might be the career for you

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Working in law always seems quite a glamorous job. The high-profile court cases and the excitement of going to trial and seeing the end result of all of your hard work. But, what happens if you fancy working within the legal system, but do not want the drama and pace of trials and courts? If this sounds like you, business law may be a pathway worth exploring.

Every single day, all over the world, business lawyers are working for businesses of all shapes and sizes, from small start-ups to massive corporations, and everything in between, including government organizations, to thrash out deals, navigate complicated legal tenders and to generally make sure that everyone is operating on the correct side of the law.

To do this job, you have to have qualified as a lawyer. You may already be running your own practice, or looking at changing position within the one you are working in. This is where looking to pursue a master’s in busines law with the USC may be something to consider. 

Here, we are going to look at some of the tasks that business law graduates undertake, what is required of them, and why it might be the right career option for you.

 

What sort of things do business lawyers do?

Those within this field spend a lot of time in negotiations and formal environments. They work on behalf of commercial enterprises, whether big or small and government organizations. Some of the things that they may do include:

• Advising clients in private legal matters and before going up against a government agency
• Looking at legal precedents and analyzing legal issues
• Interpret and explain laws, rulings, and regulations for businesses
• Present facts to clients and make arguments and negotiations on their behalf
• Prepare and file official legal documents, such as lawsuits, deeds, and contracts

These are some of the more common tasks that a business lawyer will do. They may also act in a mediatory role regarding commercial matters, or they may choose to focus on a particular area.

 

What personality traits do you need to have to be a business lawyer?

• Inquisitiveness: Being ‘nosey’ and asking lots of questions about lots of things is a personality trait that many business lawyers have. They often have a sense when something isn’t quite right and ask lots of questions to find out if their hunch is correct.
• Self-motivated: When you have piles of contracts to draft and deeds to read through and check, it can be very easy to drift off and get distracted by something a little more interesting. However, when something is an integral part of your job, you have to have the self-motivation to plow through and do the tasks that might not be quite so interesting.
• Detail orientated: When it comes down to it, focusing on the small details is what a business lawyer does. They are there to go over everything with a metaphorical magnifying glass and make sure no little details have slipped in there – or not been put in there – that could potentially affect the whole deal, or change how legal something is.

 

What other opportunities are out there for graduates of business law?

If at any point, you want to look at an alternative career pathway, business law opens up plenty of other opportunities. These include:

• Real estate law: Attorneys specializing in this area work with sellers and buyers of properties to prepare contracts and sort out any issues in the matters of real estate and land. 
• Employment and labor law: This involves fighting for the rights of employees who have been mistreated by their employers – or helping employers sort out any issues that they may be having with their staff.
• Intellectual property law: As technology advances and there are more and more developments in the world of business, there is a growing need for lawyers who specialize in intellectual property law. They deal with copyrights, patents, and trademarks and are there to protect the rights of ownership.
• Taxation law: Lawyers in this area typically advise corporate clients on state and federal tax regulations and rules. They may give advice on how much tax is to be paid from profits to comply with the Internal Revenue Service.

Business law may not always be seen as the most dynamic and exciting of the many law disciplines, but it is one that is diverse and important, and one that will always be needed. 

 

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