Should You Become an In-House Lawyer?

Daniel June

Summary: Is it really worth going in-house? Find out what going in-house is like and whether the choice is right for you.

If you’ve worked at a firm for a few years, you may be ready to take the next step – whatever that might be. Perhaps you’d like to be an in-house lawyer? Many businesses, and especially the large ones, aim to save money by hiring an attorney or two to work exclusively with their company, rather than working with an outside firm. This allows them to control not only expenditure, naturally enough, but also it allows that lawyer to get a more intimate experience of how the business works.

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This does not necessarily mean your work load will lighten. Many of those lawyers who transition to an in-house job expect to work at company hours rather than firm hours. That is a fair expectation. After all, law firms expectations can be demanding and even demeaning, depending on what you are after. Working for a company can afford you more time with family and hobbies, if you are ready to get something like a life, after paying your dues out of school.

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Nevertheless, take due care and expend proper diligence in seeing what you are actually getting yourself into. The company may or may not offer you the life you hope to escape at your law firm. In-house varies considerably between corporations, with an easy and relaxed work load at some companies, and with a stressful and overburdening workload at others. As with every step of your career, you want to look before you leap, and get a sense, if you can, as to the culture and character of the company you hope to work for.

Working in house means you won’t be working with a team of attorneys. Depending on the size of the company, you may even be working with a group of people who don’t know much about law. You get to be the special one. This can be lonely, in one sense, but also it can put you in contact with a range of business men and women who might be a welcome change of pace.

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