In house counsel? Forum

[CalBarTaker]

Heyo. I'm a 2014 grad waiting on bar results in California. I just landed an in-house counsel position. It seems pretty good (decent salary, fortune 500 company, about 40-45 hr/s a week, mix of litigation and transactional work, cool people, nice office, benefits, etc.). BUT I've also heard that working in-house makes you less marketable if you ever leave? Maybe because you don't get the chance to specialize?

What are people's experience working in house and would you take such a position right out of law school? Does it make you less marketable? I really like the job and the people and the hours, I just want to make an informed decision.

Thanks!

[Anonymous User]

Logical Question: do you have any other offers?

I've worked 1L summer in-house and everyone told me to get firm experience before going in-house. However, if you see your self working there for the long-term (7-10 years of longer) I really don't think it matters. I think you will be just as marketable as someone trying to come in-house from a firm for the first time. Might be wrong.

[Anonymous User]

It would probably be difficult to go from in-house to a firm if you've never worked at a firm before, more so than going from firm to in-house and back to a firm, which is usually fairly difficult in most fields. It kind of depends on what you're doing in-house.

[FSK]

That sounds 180. If you don't have crazy ambition to make partner or be GC or something, do this.

[Anonymous User]

OP, your question is likely pointless:

1. Do you have any offers? If not, just count your blessings and enjoy being a lawyer while working 45 hours/week with a decent salary and nice benefits.

2. Very few people have taken this path or even had the opportunity to take this path right after graduating so most people, including me, are merely guessing. Again, be thankful you've even got the opportunity because even 3rd-5th year associates can't just waltz into an sweet in-house counsel gig.

3. I am guessing that you won't be able transition to firm work just because the vast majority of associates are hired through the OCI/SA process or by lateraling from another firm. Yet, why would you or anyone so desparately want to abandon in-house for biglaw? Most lawyers want to exit biglaw not the other way around.

4. However, I really don't think it would make you less marketable should you apply to other in-house positions. The further out you are from school, the more employers would look at your experience at your last job. Unless you totally screw up at your company or leave too soon, there is definitely value to having x number of years of experience as in-house counsel at a fortune 500 company. I think the greatest risk is that if you could get canned early for some reason.

[minnbills]

It's a myth you can't go back to a firm. Take the job, it sounds awesome. Congrats.

[Anonymous User]

I've seen a couple of associates at least at my NLJ250 firm (a) start at law firms go inhouse and then go back to law firms and (b) get hired straight form inhouse. With that said, it depends on what you do inhouse and the associate position.

For (b) those are almost always hired for more commercial or tech transactions law firm positions. It is much more difficult going from an inhouse job to say a biglaw M&A position.

For (a) I think if you step away after 2 years of biglaw practice and want to transitions back after 2 years inhouse it shouldn't be a big problem. However, it may become more of a challenge after your 5th year of practice.

[Anonymous User]

Need more details about what industry? Like, is this company a particularly niche area of law (energy, environmental healthcare, etc.)?

FWIW, I am currently in-house after only a year out of law school. Prior to this, I had no firm experience. However, I think I could make the transition to a firm if I wanted to, because the company I am currently working for is in a niche industry (one of the above), and I have background working in that industry before and during law school. I see firms looking for junior associates with experience in those particular industries, probably because they think such experience would allow junior associates to hit the ground running in those areas.

The pros to being in-house so early in my career- good salary, great experience in this particular industry, great corporate experience, and stable hours.

the cons to being in-house so early in my career- salary could be better, no formal training, no firm experience, and inconsistent workflow.

still, take the job and don't look back.

[tuhaybey]

Heyo. I'm a 2014 grad waiting on bar results in California. I just landed an in-house counsel position. It seems pretty good (decent salary, fortune 500 company, about 40-45 hr/s a week, mix of litigation and transactional work, cool people, nice office, benefits, etc.). BUT I've also heard that working in-house makes you less marketable if you ever leave? Maybe because you don't get the chance to specialize?

What are people's experience working in house and would you take such a position right out of law school? Does it make you less marketable? I really like the job and the people and the hours, I just want to make an informed decision.

Thanks!

I think that sounds like a great opportunity and you should go for it. I don't think the lack of specialization is a real issue. In a law firm you often end up pretty much just paired up with a couple/few big clients and you end up covering the same topics the in house counsel at those clients do anyways. Much of transactional work anyways is pretty much the same regardless of what your specialty is on paper.

My concern with going in house right off the bat would be whether it would be the kind of environment where I could really learn how to be a lawyer. A lot of companies aren't really set up well to bring new people up to speed. Big law firms are set up fairly well for that. They have lots of internal training, they have a hierarchy of people that give you direction and review your work, etc. I do think you learn a lot very quickly in a law firm, but make no mistake, all the junior associates in law firms are dreaming of the day when they get to go in house, work sane hours, and be around nicer people. If the company's legal department is big enough that you'll get some support and guidance, that sounds good. If it isn't, then maybe think about ways to supplement your training outside the company and seek out mentors in the company and whatnot. But either way, take the job if it sounds like a cool gig.

[Law Student 2848]

I know of people who worked in house for a few years then transferred to a firm. It's not as hard as people make it seem. Seems like a great job. Take it, work there for around 3 years and re-evaluate your options.

[OklahomasOK]

Take the job and don't look back. That's the dream, my friend. Congrats on winning life.