Understanding Senoior Lawyer, Associate and Junior Lawyer

People who do not understand very well about the law needs to increase their knowledge through reading because it is very necessary for those who not yet know about the true law. Therefore in this article I will explain a few terms you should remember well.
Associate lawyers, senior lawyers and junior lawyers and others are terms associated with the career path structure or a lawyer, which is now called the advocate, the advocate's office, in this case the form of firm (law firm). Yet perhaps each advocate's office has different terms or names for their respective organizations.


Regarding the duties and responsibilities, in general, as their advocate - either associate, senior lawyer, or junior lawyer - can provide legal services to clients. However, the management office of an advocate can make a more detailed description of the duties and responsibilities of each.

Citing the book "Law Office Management" written by Jonathan S. Lynton, according to Ira Eddymurthy Andara, a career in Law Office is as follows:
Equity Partners, one of them will become Managing Partner;
Non-equity Partners / Partner Contract;
Of Counsel / Advisor;
Senior Partner;
Associate Attorney;
Senior Attorney;
Non-lawyer partners;
Contract Attorney / Intern (Internship);
Freelance Attorney;
Law Clerks (Paralegal).

Ira writes Eddymurthy Andara is also an advocate and partner at the Law Firm Soewito, Suhardiman, Eddymurthy, Kardono (SSEK) in the book "Advocate Office Management in Indonesia (Lawfirm Management in Indonesia)" issued by Centre for Finance, Investment and Securities Law (CFISEL ).

As we have explained above, the term associate lawyer, senior lawyer and junior lawyer / attorney is a career path for an advocate (lawyer, attorney) in a lawyer's office. Each advocate's office or the term may have different names for each level. SSEK advocate's office, for example, do not use the term junior lawyer and senior lawyer. "We use the terms Level 1, Level 2, Associates, Contract / Salary Partner and Equity Partner," said Ira when we asked for his opinion.

Career paths and patterns in the appointment of an advocate's office can be determined by length of employment, work performance, or other measures. In SSEK which has 58 lawyers, according to Ira, promotion from Level 1 to Level 2 is determined based on the achievement of a lawyer in his work, but seen from the period of employment. "To each his level two to three years. In our office, after 10, or a maximum of 15 years, will be elevated to partner level, "he explained.

For the advocate's office that does not have a lot of lawyers (15 people or less) may have its organizational structure is much simpler than medium and large advocate office has 50 lawyers or more.

Career lawyers in the office can also vary among office lawyer who worked on the works of litigation (legal services in the court) the advocate's office is doing the works of the corporation or non-litigation (legal services out of court).