Choosing a Career as an Insurance Attorney

Work

Insurance attorney jobs provide the linkage between the legal system and the society in many ways. The attorneys mainly work in insurance companies and advise the management on the legitimacy of their insurance policies and transactions. They take into consideration decisions made by the courts and study and recommend changes in the wordings of insurance policies to protect the insurance company against unwarranted claims or to conform to the law. They also prevent undue payments by advising the personnel at the claims department on the legitimacy of the claims brought against the company. The job also involves advising the personnel involved in coming up with the companies legal documents like insurance contracts as well as release documents. The insurance attorney may be specialized in a specific division of legal work such as contracts or claims.

He acts as the advisor and advocate in insurance claims against fires, floods, liabilities, bad faith, surety bonds, insurance fraud, health insurance, renter's insurance, collisions and others types of claims. While acting as an advisor, the insurance attorney is responsible for advising his client on his legal rights and options and suggesting the best course of action his client should pursue. When acting as an advocate, the attorney has responsibilities of representing his clients in civil or criminal courts by presenting evidence to clear off any charges or claims brought against her client.

Education and Qualification

Insurance attorney jobs require one to have taken four years of undergraduate studies and three years at law school. There is no required undergraduate major although students should generally be good in communication skills, writing, analyzing, researching, reading, speaking and have apt logical skills. A multi-disciplinary background is needed regardless of the major. Students with courses in computer science, foreign languages, economics, history, mathematics and others will find them useful during the course of their work. Insurance attorneys need to be specifically qualified in accounts and be conversant with tax practices.

Most law schools accept students who pass the Law School Admission Test (LSAT), while others may consider experience and at times a face to face interview. The schools however do not have a strict guideline of admitting students into law school.

Licensure

In order to practice as an insurance attorney, one needs to have been licensed by the state where he is operating in or in whose jurisdiction he is operating in. To qualify for a license, insurance attorneys are usually required to pass a written bar exam. The exams are usually administered to individuals who have a college degree and have graduated from an American Bar Association licensed college or one certified by the legal state establishments. Although there are no mandatory countrywide bar exams, many states require one to have passed the Multistate Bar Examination (MBE). Some states also require Multistate Performance Testing to gauge the practical abilities of insurance attorneys.
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Advancement

Insurance attorney jobs are very lucrative and most applicants start on the firm's payroll. Others who have been practicing for some time start as associates of the firm and work with other experienced attorneys and judges. With time, the associate insurance lawyers may be made partners in the law firms. Moreover, some attorneys may apply for posts at law school faculties and others may decide to pursue other advanced degrees in other areas.

In some large corporations, some insurance attorneys make use of their legal knowledge in managerial and administrative posts. This helps them to gain administrative experience and is vital for those wishing to rise in the administrative ladder.

Employment

Insurance attorney jobs are available in government agencies, non profit organizations, and large corporations or as solo practices. Attorneys working in government agencies are given responsibilities in real estate firms, insurance companies, banks, manufacturing firms and other business establishments. Some insurance attorneys work in faculties and in law schools as lecturers and administrators, while some have their own private firms on a part time basis.

Job Outlook

Insurance attorney jobs are expected to increase in the coming years although competition for the job market will continue to be stiff. Due to the increase in the number of people requiring legal insurance services, insurance attorneys will continue to be in high demand.

The remuneration package for insurance attorney jobs varies according to state, size and type of firm where the insurance attorney is employed. Insurance attorneys who run their own private firms usually receive less pay than others who are partners in other firms. Insurance attorneys starting their own practices may need to moonlight in order to sustain themselves as they build their customer base. Average salaries for insurance attorneys are $60,000 annually. In addition to this, insurance attorneys working in other firms may receive other benefits including health cover care, and regular retirement plans contributions.

Cyclical economic swings adversely affect insurance attorney jobs. The jobs may be favorable during times of natural calamities and may dwindle in times of increased costs in the firm. Some firms may result to downsizing, and some insurance attorneys may find themselves being placed as contract workers instead of permanent ones.

For attorneys who wish to establish private practices, starting in small towns and then gradually expanding to suburban regions will be prudent. These towns offer better chances of survival since there is little competition from the big firms that prefer to operate in much larger towns.

Conclusion

Due to the stiff competition in entrance into the insurance attorney jobs market, applicants with high academic achievements and from respectable law institutions will have better chances of employment. An attorney's ability to relocate and work knowledge may also be advantageous as it may provide the only chance of getting employment. Other graduates qualified for insurance attorney jobs may opt for non traditional areas where legal work is of importance, for example in banks, real estate companies and other government firms.
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