The Job Functions and Profile of a Telecommunications Attorney

<<Duties And Responsibilities

Telecommunications jobs cut across various sectors of the telecommunications industry. In a law firm, telecommunications jobs and responsibilities are divided into various segments. An attorney will thus be assigned to a duty according to his/her level of experience. The overall manager, who might be a partner in the law firm, is tasked with the job of developing overall company policy.

A telecommunications associate is tasked with the duty of representing telecommunications companies before the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the national regulatory body for the industry . The associate gives legal advice to various companies operating in the telecommunications industry on issues such as regulatory laws, contracts, transactions, and litigation.

Accordingly, a telecommunications associate is required to research on the relevant laws, particularly those federal laws that directly affect the telecommunications industry. The associate must also prepare legal briefs on the various cases that he or she is presenting before the FCC.

A telecommunications attorney has to constantly update himself on the various changes, such as amendments, for example, in telecommunications regulatory laws. These attorneys may be involved in preparing legal documents for telecommunications companies in compliance with the rules and regulations of the FCC. Of course, the telecommunications industry itself has various segments, so there are many specific areas that a lawyer might get involved in depending on what kind of company he or she works for.

Education Requirements

To work in a telecommunications attorney job, you have to have a degree in law. Of course, to get a law degree, you must first get an undergraduate degree. The typical undergraduate degree takes about four years to complete. After that, you proceed to a law school for a further three years in order to earn a law degree.

Law firms that offer telecommunications attorney jobs normally set their own standards for admission. As a recent graduate, you would, in any case, have to work under more experienced lawyers for a considerable period of time. There are various regulatory exams that one has to successfully pass to practice.

In the telecommunications industry, technologies change frequently. It is therefore imperative for the telecommunications attorney to have adequate knowledge of a given product. An in-house telecommunications attorney is supposed to come up with an in-house regulatory framework. This will ensure that the company complies with the various legislative requirements. It will also minimize the chances of the company going through lawsuits that it might have otherwise avoided.

Work Environment

Telecommunications attorney jobs may be in the form of an in-house attorney or an attorney working for a law firm. In-house attorneys typically have a structured work schedule. They are given an office by the company from which they carry out their day-to-day activities.

<<Telecommunications attorneys who work for law firms may not have structured work schedules. They might spend long hours, for example, conducting research and gathering data.

Telecommunications attorneys are also employed by the government. Regulatory authorities such as the FCC employ many qualified telecommunications attorneys. These attorneys develop government policies on telecommunications. They also represent the government in legal suits, whether civil or criminal. The cases they are involved in are those touching on the telecommunications industry.

Advancement

Lawyers are generally employed as associates in law firms. As associates, they work under the tutelage of more experienced lawyers. You can advance your career as a telecommunications attorney and rise through the ranks to become a partner. Experienced telecommunications attorneys may also be recruited by the government as district telecommunications attorneys.

Job Outlook

This is the information age. Everything that was previously done manually can nowadays be done online. Information technology has revolutionized telecommunications attorney jobs. Of course, all inventions and innovations have positive impacts on society as well as negative impacts. Laws and regulations are instituted to regulate both the good aspects as well as the bad aspects. In the daily use of communications equipment, there are bound to be conflicts. When conflicts arise in the telecommunications industry, a job opening arises for a telecommunications attorney. In short, telecommunications attorney jobs are highly dynamic, and thus to succeed, you have to continuously update yourself and love reading about technological changes in the telecommunications field.