What Are In-House Legal Jobs?
In-house counsel are lawyers who work primarily for companies and corporations, defending them in lawsuits, helping to set and manage their compliance processes, and advising leadership on legal agreements. Responsibilities and duties of in-house counsel include overseeing outside litigators, managing investigative and due diligence work, and mediating disputes. In-house lawyers are employees of the business and not independent contractors like some criminal defense and private practice lawyers . These lawyers are typically paid a salary, as opposed to hourly fees, and are expected to bill at least 2,000 hours per year. They also advise the company on other things, such as mergers and acquisitions, compliance with advertising laws, employment discrimination claims, intellectual property issues, financial dealings, privacy matters, and much more. They are expected to be experts at how public and regulatory policies impact the business and what to do to protect the best interests of the company while also complying with all state and federal laws.
Advantages of In-House Attorney Careers
In-house counsel can enjoy many career advantages over colleagues in private practice. One of the most common reasons attorneys make the switch is for the work-life balance that in-house provides. While some clients may expect around-the-clock attention to their legal matters, most in-house legal departments have humane hours and schedules. This contrast to the often punishing pace of big law also allows for more predictability. The benefit of work-life balance is especially desirable for young attorneys who are just starting their families. They also have the confidence of knowing they will not be put in the position to seek a different job to obtain an increased salary. Employment at a corporation is relatively secure and will provide a steady income while allowing their careers to progress. Also, employment as in-house counsel offers a great deal of variety. Unlike private practice where client work can be repetitive, in-house legal positions often involve litigation, transactional work, regulatory work and advising on many different issues. In-house attorneys are also able to develop business skills and experience being a part of corporate strategy. In-house attorneys often fulfill high level roles in larger companies because they understand the business. In-house counsel also enjoys a fairly predictable career path. Firms and corporations often have very clear track for promotion. In-house attorneys do not need to seek and sell their own work or a position within their company.
Desired Skills in In-House Counsel Positions
Companies will look for various skill sets and qualifications in an in-house lawyer. Chief among them is the ability to negotiate. An in-house lawyer is often the company’s primary contact when it comes to negotiating with other companies, clients, vendors, and other outside stakeholders. In addition, given the pressures of the job, a lawyer needs the courage to advise business leaders that they can relay to clients. Courage sometimes is what separates a good in-house lawyer from a great one.
In-house lawyers typically have business and legal backgrounds. … In-house lawyers also usually have the opportunity to go to business school. Some in-house lawyers hold an MBA or similar business degree.
The type of industry you want to work in matters. In-house lawyers will often specialist in particular areas of the law. Law is sometimes like medicine. Doctors specialize in heart medicine, pediatrics, diabetes, and other specific areas of health care. In-house lawyers usually focus on specific areas of the law. For example, they may focus on labor and employment law. Some in-house lawyers specialize in intellectual property. Others are well known for being experts in bankruptcy law.
Companies will frequently in house an attorney’s old law firm. Companies do this when they value the experience the lawyer has in a particular area of the law. The idea is to take the good from the firm and allow it to reside on the in-house legal team. This may or may not be the case. When looking for in-house opportunities check to see if the lawyer’s previous firm is represented in the company’s in-house legal department. Some companies want to hire in-house attorneys directly from a judge’s chambers. The idea is to have offered the judge’s former clerk a opportunity to comment on the lawyer’s intelligence, skills, socioeconomic status, and other risk factors. As well, many companies have a recruiting agency or consultant with which it works to find good attorneys. Working with the right recruiter or consultant can make the journey into in-house easier.
For some lawyers, going in-house is the best opportunity available. Many in-house lawyers make it look easy. But, working in-house can be legitimately difficult. In-house lawyers deal with plenty of external stakeholders. A lawyer can never forget that he or she is there to serve their internal clients. Being in-house means you are expected to value your client’s opinion and provide them with excellent service. At the end of the day, no matter how you land an in-house legal role, your success will be based on how effectively you can deliver good result to your clients.
Making the Transition to In-House Legal Jobs
Transitioning from Law Firm to In-House: A Guide
Making the switch from a law firm or other legal roles to an in-house position may seem like a daunting task, but with the right approach, it can be achieved. First and foremost, understanding the in-house landscape and how it differs from private practice roles is key.
In-house roles typically place emphasis on industry knowledge and experience, so if you’ve worked as in-house counsel for a corporation, you will have a leg up in transitioning to a new in-house position. If you’ve worked only in private practice or other legal capacities, you can still make the leap by doing your homework. Investing time to research the specific industry or sector you’re interested in can go a long way in making you look more attractive to corporate employers.
Networking can also be invaluable when it comes to in-house transitions. Using formal resources like Alumni Events and informal ones like lunches with in-house counsel can bridge the gap between outside of council work experience and corporate legal experience. Another useful resource is your recruiter. In-house recruiters often work closely with the inside hiring managers and can provide you with the insight you need to better market yourself.
Lastly, tailoring your resume and cover letter to reflect your in-house client experience will help make you more appealing to corporate employers and send the message that you are motivated to make the switch.
Challenges for In-House Attorneys
The variety of issues faced by in-house attorneys can prove to be a real balancing act. For many, the biggest challenge concerns resources. With larger companies, in-house counsel may find themselves with more resources and staff to get the job done. When those resources are limited, it can be difficult to fulfill such a diverse set of legal matters while keeping projects within budget and on schedule. When things move quickly because of a corporate acquisition or other sudden change, in-house lawyers must balance their caseloads and devote their time accordingly.
Lack of support presents another challenge. While Fortune 500 companies have all the tools and technology they need , smaller business may not have adequate resources in place and in-house lawyers may need to play the advocate and gather the necessary support for a project. Budgetary restrictions can also limit the tools at their disposal and they sometimes need to use outside specialists on short notice.
In-house lawyers must also think and operate strategically, understanding the goals and challenges their company faces and how legal issues impact those goals. Then they must convey their recommendations to their company’s executives in a way that is professional and tactful. It is important to persuade the executives to invest in the legal resources the company could benefit from. For this reason, there is little room for error and it often means sounding the alarm bells when necessary.
Advancement Opportunities In-House Lawyer Positions
While large law firms boast a structured track toward partnership, the pathway to the top is not as clear-cut for in-house legal professionals. According to Russell Beck, a partner at Beck Reed Riden in Chicago, title-sensitive individuals may struggle when transitioning in-house. "The in-house structure tends to be less title focused, and the structure is generally not as clear," he says. Many GC titles may reflect specific functions or departments, such as craft and manufacturing legal counsel or intellectual property legal counsel.
For example, Oracle has a chief ethics and compliance officer in addition to its chief legal officer, and both report directly to the company’s CEO, Sarah Davis, chief financial officer and Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison. "More GCs are now sitting in with the CEO on strategic business matters," Beck says. "I’ve had GC clients on the executive management committee of the company. Additionally, companies have GC board members." Elliott Schutty, managing director of in-house practice at ZSA Legal Recruitment in Toronto, Canada, reports that a recent West Coast financial services client is considering transitioning their GC role to the president of the company, essentially outsourcing the legal function.
"Companies are further along in understanding that the GC needs to be more than just a lawyer; he/she needs to be a fully-fledged business person," Schutty says, "and that additional business acumen will be practiced by identifying a clear reporting line to the CEO or president."
Leadership roles. Legal department responsibilities within their organizations have steadily increased in recent years, and many GCs are C-level executives involved in developing and implementing corporate strategy. In recent years, GC positions have continued to evolve into the more expansive and strategic CLO roles. And as companies focus on mergers and acquisitions, private equity and venture capital, GCs will likely continue to gain greater authority and influence.
"Perhaps the clearest growth opportunity appears to be moving up to the executive level within the organization," Beck says. "A growing trend is that the company’s highest-ranking legal official, the general counsel, reports directly to the company’s CEO. There is one downside of this approach, however — if the legal department fails to live up to the CEO’s expectations because it does not focus on helping the CEO achieve the company’s economic growth objectives, this person may be fired."
Working at the same company for years can be challenging. "Staying at one company for a long time can be a negative, so look out for companies that tend to ‘rotate’ their in-house legal teams," advises a senior British in-house lawyer. "If you have a succession plan set for the role of general counsel, and you know your general counsel is coming up to retirement shortly, then you’ll want to hang in there for that transition."
Lawyer development. In-house professionals increasingly avail themselves of continuing legal education courses tailored to their specific needs. "There are seminars that allow for more diversity and choices," explains an Australian general counsel. "These seminars range in subject matter from employment law to e-discovery and information technology. The opportunities offered by the bar are both free and quite affordable."
To help in-house lawyers meet their continuing legal education requirements throughout their careers, conferences like Corporate Counsel University present a unique opportunity to develop essential skills in a collegial environment that avoids the pressure of formal competition.
Evolving role. Among the many benefits in-house professionals enjoy is the opportunity to work on diverse challenges. "It’s so much more varied and interesting than just working in a niche area in a private firm," says stock clerk and analyst Jennifer Markle, a former in-house attorney and professor of contract law at Galen University in Belize. "You’re actually able to learn many different skills, which I think gives you an excellent edge to your résumé."
Working in-house offers so much variety and depth that you may find it hard to choose just one path for the future. However, the experience and knowledge gained from working for a diverse range of companies empowers you to take advantage of any opportunity that comes your way.
The Role of Technology in In-House Lawyer Jobs
Technology is a key area of focus for in-house legal teams, both to advance their employer’s business objectives and manage their own departments. An increasing number of companies are hiring operations directors or managers and identifying cost-saving efficiencies by improving processes and practices. In-house counsel are working with those people to secure resources for legal technology that promotes streamlined workflows and improved vendor management.
COOs now involve in-house counsel early in the technology review cycle. They engage attorneys in discussions about their needs for certain functions or capabilities, such as e-billing or contract management software, to determine whether legal tech solutions are available. For small companies, this could result in moving the IT department under Legal. The COO may not want the financial investment in technology moving outside of the company’s existing spend for legal services or improve coordination between departments.
CLM (contract lifecycle management) software is one of the more commonly reviewed legal tech solutions in 2018. CLM systems support drafting, review, approval routing, storage, and retrieval of contracts and related documents. More than one-third of all companies still use MS Word for contract drafting and redlining, which means very few companies have a single, global source for all agreements unless they are all held in the company’s shared server or cloud system. CLM software helps in-house counsel with contract disputes and compliance with industry regulations because contracts are more easily tracked, summarized, amended, and updated . CLM systems can be integrated with other company systems, or with vendor systems, to prevent data migration issues.
Legal departments also benefit from legal tech systems that automatically track billable hours and allocate costs to the appropriate departmental budget line. In addition, apps are available to help attorneys stay organized, monitor statutory deadlines, communicate with clients, and track professional growth and development. Apps are available to help in-house counsel organize their thoughts, draft legal opinions, compare documents, and share information with others. Technology like Harvard Business Publishing’s "Litigation Preparedness Playbook" prepares in-house counsel for the prospect of litigation by focusing attention on business-related risks rather than litigation practices. Performance dashboards will give in-house technology users insight into their work products, performance metrics, and areas for improvement as well as achievements.
Technology in law firms and in-house legal departments has resulted in increased use of analytics and business intelligence tools. These tools empower in-house counsel to perform a deeper analysis of their allocated work products and budgets, assess technological opportunities that would benefit their employer, and engage the COO and CFO in discussions about the value of improved operational efficiencies. Data-driven strategies put legal leaders in a strong position to show the impact of new technologies on the cost of legal services. Many legal technology platforms offer demo versions so that in-house counsel can evaluate the systems before making a large commitment of staff time and money.