Preparing to Be an Effective In-House Counsel

With fewer and fewer law firm associates wanting to make a run for partner, the possibility of going in-house has become an increasingly appealing option for many. So what does it take to be an effective in-house lawyer?

I have worked with hundreds of in-house lawyers over my career as a recruiter (and spent time myself in-house) and have found that the best in-house lawyers have a few key similarities:

They Know Their Business Inside and Out

The best in-house lawyers are highly respected by their business-side counterparts and have a coveted “seat at a table.” Why? Because they know their business inside and out and are able to contribute meaningfully to it.

As a law firm attorney, you are often only given discreet assignments, but never get a full view of your client’s business. As an effective in-house lawyer, you can deliver value by understanding your company’s history, strategy, operations, and position in the market, and providing strategic legal advice with those business goals front of mind.

Understanding the mechanics of the business itself (what the company does and how it makes money), the larger industry in which it operates (including competitors), and the trends of where the industry is going will help you to give holistic advice that not only takes into account the legal aspects of an issue, but also the business implications. And that will help you to give better advice and add real value to the conversation.

They Are Effective Communicators

As an in-house lawyer, you will work with and advise non-lawyers, so you need to learn to communicate in a clear and effective way and not let your point get muddied or misunderstood because you dive too deeply into legal principles or use too much legal jargon.

According to Warren Buffet, learning to be a good communicator is one of the most important things you can do to advance your career, and Buffet has said that you can boost your career value 50% by learning to be an effective speaker. Buffet, who himself had a fear of public speaking, took a Dale Carnegie public speaking course to help him improve (and apparently still proudly displays his diploma on the wall of his office).

There are many public speaking courses and other resources to help you become an effective communicator and they are well worth the investment. Someone who can convey information clearly, who can bring a story to life, and who can make a compelling case, is someone who will have influence in any professional setting they are part of.

They Operate Well in a Fast-Paced Environment

One consistent thing I hear from lawyers who have made the transition from a law firm to an in-house role is that things move at a much faster pace in-house. There often simply isn’t time to do lengthy research and come up with the “perfect” answer to any given problem, and, as in-house counsel, you often have to make decisions with limited information.

When I went in-house, I remember how anxious I felt the first time I was hurriedly asked to advise on a proposed transaction with only a short window to review the relevant documents and issues. This change in pace was a big adjustment for me, and will be for most attorneys coming from a law firm, where you often have more time to research a question and draft and edit a perfectly worded memorandum. In contrast, once you are in-house you will be expected to use your experience and judgment to make quick calls and give advice “on the fly.”

This is one reason I advise attorneys not to go in-house too soon. In such situations, having several years of law firm training under your belt will give you a broader base of knowledge, as well as the confidence and judgment that comes with more years of experience. All of this will serve you well in situations where advice needs to be given with a short turnaround.

They Jump in Where and When Needed

In law firms, people tend to get siloed into their practice area. In contrast, in-house legal departments often have an “all hands on deck” culture.

I have heard from many in-house lawyers that, especially on smaller legal teams, they are tasked with “figuring it out” on the job. For example, a corporate attorney I worked with joined a start-up and during her first week had to advise on some tricky questions about employment law that came up.

To be an effective in-house lawyer does not mean pretending to know the answer to any legal question that arises, but it does mean embracing new challenges and being willing to dive in and figure out the answer to those questions, even if they are not in your area of expertise.

I advise associates going in-house to make continuing education a priority and to develop a baseline of knowledge in all the areas relevant to their company (employment, litigation, commercial contracts, intellectual property, etc.), so that they at least know the basics, or know who to go to and what resources to tap when they need additional support.

The best in-house lawyers go beyond what is merely expected, and put in the time and effort to deliver more value to their organization. When you do make the jump to an in-house role, the above tips are things you can incorporate into your daily routines that will make you essential, respected, and that will help you to deliver real impact to your organization.

Erin Lum is a Principal with North Star Legal Search in San Francisco. You can reach Erin at erin@northstarlegalsearch.com