What does a Lawyer do?
A lawyer advises clients on legal matters, drafts and reviews documents, and represents clients in negotiations or court. In India they typically research law and precedent, draft contracts and pleadings, advise on rights and compliance, and argue cases or close deals — protecting clients' legal interests across litigation, corporate, criminal, family or other specialisations with rigour and discretion.
A lawyer usually has around 0–12 yrs of experience and earns typically ₹3L–₹20L/yr (varies widely) in India. The day-to-day blends Legal research, Contract drafting, Litigation and more — this page gives you a ready-to-use lawyer job description template you can copy, plus the exact skills and salary employers expect.
Lawyer job description template
Copy the 8 responsibilities, 5 requirements and 9 skills below into your job post, then edit the parts that are specific to your company — pay band, location and reporting line.
Select the text above to copy it manually if the button is unavailable.
What are a Lawyer's key responsibilities?
A lawyer is typically responsible for the 8 duties below, which cover the day-to-day work most employers expect the role to own outright. Paste them into your job post as they are, or cut the ones another team already handles — a responsibility list that claims work the hire will not actually do is the fastest way to lose a candidate at offer stage:
- Advise clients on legal rights, obligations and risks
- Research case law, statutes and precedents
- Draft and review contracts, agreements and legal documents
- Prepare pleadings, notices and case filings
- Represent clients in negotiations, mediation or court
- Ensure clients' compliance with applicable laws and regulations
- Manage case strategy, deadlines and documentation
- Maintain client confidentiality and uphold legal ethics
What qualifications does a Lawyer need?
Employers hiring a lawyer in India usually ask for the 5 qualifications below, typically alongside 0–12 yrs of experience. Keep only the ones you will genuinely screen on: every extra must-have narrows the pool, and in the Indian market a long mandatory list filters out strong candidates whose background simply reads differently on paper:
- A law degree (LLB) and enrolment with a State Bar Council
- Strong legal research, drafting and analytical skills
- Knowledge of relevant areas of law and procedure
- Excellent communication, negotiation and advocacy
- Attention to detail, integrity and discretion
What skills should a Lawyer have?
These are the 9 skills employers name most often on live lawyer listings in India. Treat the first few as the ones worth screening for directly and the rest as signals a candidate can pick up on the job — asking for all of them at once is what turns a reasonable role into an unfillable one:
Listing the three or four skills you genuinely screen on — rather than all 9 — is what keeps a lawyer posting from filtering out candidates who could do the job.
What does a Lawyer earn in India?
Typical salary (India)
typically ₹3L–₹20L/yr (varies widely)
Experience range
0–12 yrs
These are typical ranges and vary by city, company and skills. For live, role-specific pay data, see the OnJob salary guide.
Lawyer job description — FAQs
What does a lawyer do?
A lawyer advises clients on legal matters, researches law, drafts and reviews documents like contracts and pleadings, ensures compliance, and represents clients in negotiations or court. They protect clients' legal interests across their area of specialisation.
What qualifications do you need to become a lawyer in India?
You need an LLB law degree (three-year after graduation or five-year integrated) and must enrol with a State Bar Council and clear the All India Bar Examination to practise as an advocate.
What areas of law can a lawyer specialise in?
Corporate and commercial law, litigation, criminal law, family law, intellectual property, tax, real estate and labour law are the common specialisations in India, and the choice strongly influences a lawyer's work and earnings. Transactional practices are built around contract drafting, advisory and compliance work, while litigation practice centres on legal research, pleadings, case strategy and courtroom advocacy — different daily rhythms from the same LLB and Bar Council enrolment.
How much does a lawyer earn in India?
Earnings vary enormously: junior advocates may earn ₹3L–₹6L per year, corporate lawyers and those at firms ₹8L–₹20L+, and top litigators and partners far more. Check our salary guide for current ranges.