Is It Too Early To Go In-House?
If you are a law firm associate and your ultimate goal is to go in-house, it’s never too early to consider in-house openings.
When is too early to go in-house?
If you are a law firm associate and your ultimate goal is to go in-house, it’s never too early to consider in-house openings. The longer you monitor new opportunities, the more familiar you’ll become with the big players in your space, the frequency of the interesting opportunities, and the requirements to apply. You’ll be educated about the market. But give serious thought to whether it’s too early to actually leave your law firm career behind.
Overall, companies (as well as government and intergovernmental agencies and non-profits) value relevant Biglaw firm training above added years of in-house training. That’s not to say that you will have more opportunities the longer you wait. Likely you’ll have fewer opportunities the longer you wait after your first three to four years post-JD. But the longer you wait to make the jump, the more substantive your responsibilities in that position will generally be. There can be a sort of glass ceiling in certain organizations if you haven’t spent enough time “training” at a firm.
On the other hand, many in-house opportunities require prior in-house experience and value a mix of firm and in-house experience. You don’t want to pass up a good in-house opportunity just because it isn’t the perfect opportunity. It doesn’t have to be the last job you ever accept.
Keep in mind, if you realize you made a mistake, it has historically been very difficult to move back to a firm after going in-house. In part, this is because you’re likely too senior for most law firm positions. It will also depend on how closely aligned your in-house experience is with the work you did/will do at the firm. If you do find the opportunity to return to a firm, you may be asked to take a class year cut (which is not necessarily a bad thing—it’s a good option to consider!). If you are on the senior side, be sure you have a solid business plan. The reason I say the in-house to firm move has been difficult “historically” is that we are seeing more and more opportunities to move from in-house back to a firm in the current busy corporate market. But this hiring book sadly won’t last forever.
A few questions to ask yourself and your recruiter or prospective employer:
- Am I quite sure I don’t want a law firm career anymore?
- Does the role sound interesting/sophisticated in a substantive sense?
- Is this job going to teach me new skills? Will it help advance my professional development?
- Am I pigeonholing myself into a field of law I’m not committed to just to get in-house?
- Is there an opportunity to advance within the organization?
- What background do the general counsel and other higher-ups in the legal department have? Were they all partners at law firms previously or is there an opportunity to move all the way up within the organization?
So when is the right time to move in-house? When you find the right job. Not necessarily the perfect job. But the job you’re excited about that will open more doors down the road.
If you’d like to discuss your specific circumstances and the feasibility of moving back to a law firm, feel free to reach out to me or any of my Lateral Link colleagues.
Abby Gordon
Ed. note: This is the latest installment in a series of posts from Lateral Link’s team of expert contributors. This post is by Abby Gordon, Senior Director at Lateral Link, who works with attorney candidates on law firm and in-house searches, primarily in Boston, New York, and Europe. Prior to joining Lateral Link, Abby spent seven years as a corporate associate with Cleary Gottlieb, focusing on capital markets transactions for Latin American clients in New York and for the last five years for European clients in Paris. A native of Boston, Abby holds a J.D., cum laude, from Georgetown University Law Center and a B.A. in government and romance languages, magna cum laude, from Dartmouth College. Abby also worked with the International Rescue Committee as a Fulbright Scholar in Madrid, Spain. She is a member of the New York, Massachusetts and Maine Bars and is fluent in French and Spanish (and dabbles in Portuguese and Italian). You can view additional articles by Abby here.
Cadence Counsel is a boutique search firm that focuses exclusively on the placement of in-house counsel. We specialize in Retained Executive Search, Ad Hoc Counsel Placement, and Diversity & Development Consulting. A certified Women’s Business Enterprise, Cadence Counsel is a leading diversity supplier of in-house legal professionals within the Fortune 500.
