In-House Counsel

Transitioning From Law Firm Lawyer To Corporate Counsel: Tips And Strategies

Carefully distinguish between the nuances of the different skills in law firm roles versus corporate counsel roles.

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On a weekly basis, I receive multiple emails about how to make the transition from law firm lawyer to an in-house counsel and how to write a legal resume that properly conveys those transferable skills. Before you begin writing and retargeting your legal resume, it’s important to carefully distinguish between the nuances of the different skills in law firm roles versus corporate counsel roles.

In my own decade-plus legal career, I worked in law firms and served as in-house counsel to two companies (a privately held one and a Fortune 200 one). Today, more than 60% of my clients are attorneys — 80% are senior corporate counsels, general counsels, and chief legal officers with an average of 15-to-20-plus years of experience at multinational companies, private equity companies, and start-ups. Their career trajectories often run the gamut of corporate strategy, financial transactions, contract negotiations, governance, compliance, and legal department leadership. Beyond the typical corporate generalist functions, some have specialized areas of focus, including data and privacy, labor and employment, technology, and intellectual property.

While there are overlapping skills for law firm lawyers and in-house counsels, the direction of the resume is completely different. Law firm lawyers are driven by managing caseloads, billing up files, and bringing in new clients to grow the firm’s revenue. In stark contrast, corporate counsels are heavily focused on mitigating risk, reducing legal spend, and making legal departments more efficient for the overall business: 75% of their work is devoted to business leadership, strategy, and operations, while only 25% is concentrated on legal advisory. Corporate counsels are poised to navigate seamlessly between the different business segments as well as the legal channels, thus putting them directly at the intersection of business and law.

With a heavy focus on business operations and cross-functional leadership, corporate counsels are well-versed in communicating across the various business channels. This means they must have exceptional relationship-building skills to effectively communicate at all levels of the organization. Additionally, corporate counsels are well-versed in managing outside counsel and serving as the touchpoint for all legal matters to propel the business forward. This means acting as both a legal counsel and business strategist with an affinity for practical advice.

As you begin to think about your legal skills and how to position them in your legal resume for a transition to an in-house role, consider areas in which you excel, including engaging in contract negotiations, interfacing with lawyers and nonlawyers, avoiding expensive litigation for clients, and overseeing other attorneys. Study job postings for in-house counsel roles (www.goinhouse.com is a great site to research in-house counsel jobs) and recognize the patterns within them. Consider ways in which your skill sets align with the requirements for the position.

I also recommend seeking out mentoring from corporate counsels in your target vertical. LinkedIn is the ideal place to begin your networking journey as you have immediate access to corporate counsels at specific companies and within specific areas of concentration. If you’re an IP attorney in a private law firm, consider networking with corporate counsels who specialize in IP matters at companies that interest you. Additionally, invest in the necessary professional development for specialized areas. For example, if you’re looking to move into an in-house role focused on data privacy and cybersecurity, register to take the CISSP (Certified Information Systems Security Professional) certification, which is most often a requirement. Attend professional development seminars and events where corporate counsels are circulating, such as ones sponsored by the Association of Corporate Counsel and the National Association of Women Lawyers.

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Making a career transition from working in a law firm to in-house brings a new set of skills and strategies. Understanding the nuances between the two roles is the first step to creating a new pathway in your legal career.

Wendi Weiner is an attorney, career expert, and founder of The Writing Guru, an award-winning executive resume writing services company. Wendi creates powerful career and personal brands for attorneys, executives, and C-suite/Board leaders for their job search and digital footprint. She also writes for major publications about alternative careers for lawyers, personal branding, LinkedIn storytelling, career strategy, and the job search process. You can reach her by email at wendi@writingguru.net, connect with her on LinkedIn, and follow her on Twitter @thewritingguru.

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