Lawyers are the legal figures that exercise advice and counsel in legal matters, defend the interests of the parties in a trial or in other judicial and administrative processes.
Within the legal area, they can specialize in various areas depending on their studies, knowledge and experience:

• Tax-Fiscal area: focused on tax management and the implementation of current tax regulations. Due to its complexity, those that require this advice are companies, corporations, families with large assets or international workers. These professionals are hired directly by the Tax Agency.
• Commercial area: aimed at drafting contracts, reviewing clauses, generating associate agreements, or advising on company meetings. In short, it is a field closely related to business management, as well as in the area of entrepreneurship and the promotion of new businesses. The business registers of each province often have legal professionals for specific business advice.
• Labour area: linked to labour processes to defend either workers or companies' interests. (For more information see the occupation 'Labour lawyer').
• Civil and Procedural area: focused on defending individuals' interests against other individuals (natural or legal people). They are related to family processes, claims for amounts, claims for compensation, insurance, inheritances, resources for fines, evictions, etc. These professionals stay in permanent contact with the Courts of First Instance, Consulates, Courts and/or Provincial Courts.
• Criminal Law: focused on the defence of crimes established in the Penal Code (crimes against people and life, against the administration, economic crimes, etc.) The function of this professional is to assist and defend the client's interests in statements, during the investigation and in the oral trial phase. They can be private or part (when designated and paid by the client), or ex officio (when designated by the Bar Association) and can be free or not, depending on whether the person meets a series of requirements, mostly of a character economic. In the case of judicial procedure, they mainly intervene in the Investigating Court, Criminal Courts and in the Provincial Court. In certain cases, they also intervene in the National Court.
• Real Estate area: aimed at land sale and foreign investment processes in Spain or litigation in owner's communities or construction companies.
• Data protection area: focused on compliance with the legislation associated with the protection of personal data, both from the point of view of the rights and individuals and the obligations of the persons and entities that process this data. (For more information see the occupation 'Compliance lawyer').
• Other areas of work where law is practiced would be in the area of computing or when managing sites and/or hiring telecommunications projects (for more information see the occupation 'Expert IT lawyer'), among others.

• Client assistance and advice at all stages proceedings and acts: beginning, complaint/grievance, research/instruction, imputation, accusation, judgment and execution of judgment. This task includes client support during the trial, if necessary.
• Search for the most favourable and fair interpretation of the law for the interests of their clients.
• To present requests to search evidence and necessary resources according to the law, in favour of the interests they defend.
• To develop specialized dictums: criminal decisions and positions on a particular hypothesis.
• Drafting of the required documentation: legal technical reports, responses to notifications, trial instances, contracts, requests or complaints.

Regulated training and graduates

• Grau: Dret

Complementary training

Other specific skills

To exert as a 'trade' labor lawyer it's necessary to be enrolled in a Bar Association, live in its geographical scope, demonstrate more than 3 years working experience in the field, have the Diploma from the Legal Practice School or equivalent courses approved by a Bar Association, or have successfully completed courses or examinations for court representation established by the Bar Associations' Boards of Governors. However, if there are circumstances that allow merit and demonstrate professional capacity it's not necessary to have the Diploma from the Legal Practice School or training or passing examinations.
It must be said that to access to court representations specialized in criminal law, there are some Bar Associations requiring a minimum of 3 years experience and specific courses. For example, the Madrid Bar Association requires 5 years of experience and a course about court representation in Prison supervision; 10 years experience and a course about Constitution; and 3 years experience and a course about gender violence.

To work as a particular labor lawyer special experience is also required. Lawyers often start their career working as assistants or in internships. In an internship, which usually lasts 1 to 3 years, they acquire the knowledge and skills that are necessary for professional practice. A minimum of 3 years experience is required to work as a particular labor lawyer, but it depends on the requested level of responsibility and autonomy.

Negotiation: Level 3

Learning and use of knowledge: Level 3

Planning and organisation: Level 2

Conceptual thought: Level 3

Communication: Level 3

Legal

People who are interested in the legal field like occupations related to legislation and the law. This field of interest includes advising people and institutions in legal matters, representing them in judicial processes and managing the documentation and procedures necessary for these processes. Carrying out these activities entails the study and knowledge of legal regulations and matters in their various scopes of application.

Labor layer

Legal advisor

Competition law and policy manager

Location management solicitor

Commercial conflict mediator

• Salary

  Salary range: between 15.759 and 22.363 euros annum gross. Median: 18.773 euros annum gross.
  
  Source: Report "Observatory of Jobs and Salaries of the Labour Market. Barcelona Activa", elaborated by ICSA Grupo. April 2015.

• Professional category

  Technician

• Human resources and equipment

  No other personnel besides the lawyer himself is essential, but usually there is a person performing reception and administrative support functions and a person in internship (trainee lawyer). The material resources needed are: office furniture, Internet access, computer and phone.

• Initial investments

  Renting an office that can be shared between several professionals, supporting staff costs (which can be also shared because this staff can serve several professionals), furnishings, Internet access, computer, telephone and fees for the Bar Association.