The in-house legal market has grown massively over the last 15+ years. We are now seeing an increased variety of in-house roles and roles at various levels across a really exciting range of sectors.
The role of an in-house lawyer has shifted from being a legal service to being a key addition to the overall organisational strategy and providing a business partner relationship where the legal team solve critical business problems and are essential to the overall success of an organisation.
I am often asked by candidates when should I move in-house? Often there is a concern that if you move in-house too quickly this potentially might have an effect on career opportunities or technical skills.
In short – its very much specific to the individual and not necessarily when but more should I move in-house.
I am seeing many more candidates who are training and qualifying in-house and forging really exciting careers. Where before, solicitors tended to train in private practice and wait until they had 3 or 4 years PQE within a law firm before making the move this is now changing. We are also seeing an increased number of solicitors moving in-house and then back into private practice which is also seen as really positive with law firms that solicitors have seen things from the client’s perspective and have a very strong commercial outlook and skills set.
My advice would be if unsure, try and experience some in-house experience through a secondment within your firm if possible. These are invaluable opportunities to assess if you enjoy and also have the core skills to be successful as an inhouse lawyer. There are many law firms who really encourage secondment opportunities and now more firms where it is a core part of their business model and offering to clients.
If you enjoy getting to really understand and immerse yourself in a business and work across an organisation influencing and acting as a business partner to key stakeholders then an in-house role could be for you. As to when, that is very much specific to the individual and not just their technical legal skills but sometimes more importantly all of the other competencies and attributes. The role itself is also important. Sounds obvious however if you are a junior solicitor then a larger legal team with support and structure will probably suit you best.
In summary, the in-house market is a really exciting way for a commercially minded solicitor to progress their career at all levels and the range of opportunities available has never been more exciting.