Working in-house brings a number of unique challenges distinctive to private practice – for better and worse. On the plus side, it’s certainly easier to relate to the client, as your interests are much more closely aligned. Having just one client who is 100% on-board with what you’re doing also has a number of upsides. It’s a pleasure not having to try and routinely handhold the client and walk them through the details of your course of action in a matter, explaining why you’ve done X and not Y.
Another bonus is that there isn’t any of the silliness over ‘billable hours’ and timesheets and so forth, which can cut down nicely on mind-numbing admin tasks. Moreover, you’re afforded greater flexibility and freedom in prioritising tasks and scheduling your day, which can be a blessing or a curse depending on how organised you are. Personally, I relished the extra scope for unhindered time management and enjoyed tweaking it according to the way I work best.
On the downside, I think that some people might feel that the work is generally less varied working in-house. That said, there’s much more in the way of industry interaction and involvement (at least as far as the telecommunications sector is concerned) which can help to further bolster your position as a member of the team, rather than just the ‘hired help’ called upon to fix a problem. On that note though, there is the tendency for the legal department to be seen as the firm’s licensed omnipotent saviour, capable of warding off trouble with just a couple of waves of their departmental magic wand. Sadly, this isn’t so, and managing the client’s expectations is just as crucial in-house as it is in private practice.
Another key trick I learnt early on was to clearly establish boundaries. If you don’t like colleagues from other departments suddenly waltzing into your office, eager to drop their latest problem on to your lap, ask them to set up a meeting or send out a calendar invite. Ask them to email details over in advance with as much background as possible – it’ll save time in the long run. Email chains and copies of letters are all good to have up-front. Over time, these working practices will become better ingrained so you aren’t operating a drop-in centre for all the firm’s problems. (You essentially are, of course, but you don’t want your colleagues knowing that).
Being part of ‘the team’ can definitely bring its downsides, too. Whilst remaining icily aloof is going to do nobody – least of all you – any favours, being hand-in-glove with them is equally as bad. Sometimes, professional conduct issues are more troubling when pressure from other departments is bearing down on you, coercing you to take the path of least resistance. After a while of working in-house, it’s definitely easy to feel more like an employee than a lawyer, but your position within the business should never factor into a decision. In short, it’s never worth cutting corners to appease the firm; it’ll only ever come back to haunt you.
Trusting your instincts is also vitally important. Speaking with others in a similar position, knowing how far to trust yourself seems to be a common fault with law graduates – particularly during the early days. Whatever your professional instinct tells you, trust that feeling and go with it. It’s always worth remembering that timeless prof-con mantra: if something ‘feels’ wrong, it generally is.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, you should always remember that it’s absolutely fine to just admit, “I don’t know”. Lawyers are specialists in legal research, after all.
Michael Adamson
Michael is an LLB and LLM graduate from the UK who currently works in-house as a regulatory affairs associate for a leading telecommunications provider. His interests extend from IT and telecoms law, to competition law, corporate governance and regulatory theory.
On the downside, I think that some people might feel that the work is generally less varied working in-house. That said, there’s much more in the way of industry interaction and involvement (at least as far as the telecommunications sector is concerned) which can help to further bolster your position as a member of the team, rather than just the ‘hired help’ called upon to fix a problem. On that note though, there is the tendency for the legal department to be seen as the firm’s licensed omnipotent saviour, capable of warding off trouble with just a couple of waves of their departmental magic wand. Sadly, this isn’t so, and managing the client’s expectations is just as crucial in-house as it is in private practice.
Another key trick I learnt early on was to clearly establish boundaries. If you don’t like colleagues from other departments suddenly waltzing into your office, eager to drop their latest problem on to your lap, ask them to set up a meeting or send out a calendar invite. Ask them to email details over in advance with as much background as possible – it’ll save time in the long run. Email chains and copies of letters are all good to have up-front. Over time, these working practices will become better ingrained so you aren’t operating a drop-in centre for all the firm’s problems. (You essentially are, of course, but you don’t want your colleagues knowing that).
Being part of ‘the team’ can definitely bring its downsides, too. Whilst remaining icily aloof is going to do nobody – least of all you – any favours, being hand-in-glove with them is equally as bad. Sometimes, professional conduct issues are more troubling when pressure from other departments is bearing down on you, coercing you to take the path of least resistance. After a while of working in-house, it’s definitely easy to feel more like an employee than a lawyer, but your position within the business should never factor into a decision. In short, it’s never worth cutting corners to appease the firm; it’ll only ever come back to haunt you.
Trusting your instincts is also vitally important. Speaking with others in a similar position, knowing how far to trust yourself seems to be a common fault with law graduates – particularly during the early days. Whatever your professional instinct tells you, trust that feeling and go with it. It’s always worth remembering that timeless prof-con mantra: if something ‘feels’ wrong, it generally is.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, you should always remember that it’s absolutely fine to just admit, “I don’t know”. Lawyers are specialists in legal research, after all.
Michael Adamson
Michael is an LLB and LLM graduate from the UK who currently works in-house as a regulatory affairs associate for a leading telecommunications provider. His interests extend from IT and telecoms law, to competition law, corporate governance and regulatory theory.
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