Making your first move in-house is a moment many solicitors think about for years. As a legal recruiter, I’ve had countless conversations with solicitors who are curious about what that transition really looks like and how careers progress once you’re there.
The first thing to understand is that an in-house career trajectory looks very different to private practice.
In private practice, progression is typically very structured: Associate to Senior Associate to Legal Director/Counsel then Partner. The milestones are clear and the path is largely defined by PQE, billing performance and business development.
In-house, the structure is usually flatter and far less linear.
A typical progression might look something like:
• Legal Counsel
• Senior Legal Counsel
• Head of Legal / Associate General Counsel
• General Counsel
But titles can vary widely between organisations. In some companies, a in-house solicitor might move from Legal Counsel straight to Head of Legal if the team is small, while in larger corporates there may be multiple layers of seniority.
What often surprises solicitors moving in-house is that progression isn’t just about technical legal ability.
Success in an in-house role often depends on developing a broader skill set, including:
• Commercial awareness
• Stakeholder management
• The ability to give clear, practical advice rather than purely legal analysis
• Understanding the business strategy and risk appetite
The in-house solicitors who progress fastest are usually the ones who position themselves as business partners rather than just legal advisers.
Another key difference is that career development in-house can be more flexible. Progression may come through:
• Expanding your scope or responsibilities
• Managing projects or teams
• Moving into regional or global roles
• Taking ownership of new areas such as compliance, governance or risk
For solicitors considering the move, it’s worth thinking about the long-term picture.
In private practice, progression tends to follow a defined ladder. In-house careers are often more about breadth of experience, visibility within the business and strategic impact.
There’s no single “correct” path but for many solicitors, that flexibility is exactly what makes an in-house career so appealing.