In-House Attorneys: What Is Your Office Like Forum

[TXgal]

Open concept? Cubicles? Individual offices? I'm curious what is typical for in-house attorneys.

[nealric]

Individual offices, but things are up in the air as my company builds a new HQ office. I'm not sure there's a typical. It's very much dependent on the company.

[jhett]

Open offices, mingled with other departments. It sucks - noisy, and you have to find a conference room to conduct confidential calls (which is all the damn time, because we're lawyers).

[Anonymous User]

I summered in house in LS. Big tech company with a smallish but growing legal group (maybe 15 attorneys?). It seemed like those who had been there 5+ years had individual offices (no windows) and everyone else was in the cube farm. Not a bad office by any means, but grouped with the other departments, so lots of people walking around and chit chatting.

[TXgal]

Thanks for the responses! This is all really helpful to know.

[BeeTeeZ]

I summered in house in LS. Big tech company with a smallish but growing legal group (maybe 15 attorneys?). It seemed like those who had been there 5+ years had individual offices (no windows) and everyone else was in the cube farm. Not a bad office by any means, but grouped with the other departments, so lots of people walking around and chit chatting.

That sounds really bad, you should hold your employer to a higher standard. No windows at 5+ years? Even first years have windowed offices (with views) at my firm. And by offices I mean literal offices. One could (theoretically) take a nap with the blinds closed.

[nixy]

I summered in house in LS. Big tech company with a smallish but growing legal group (maybe 15 attorneys?). It seemed like those who had been there 5+ years had individual offices (no windows) and everyone else was in the cube farm. Not a bad office by any means, but grouped with the other departments, so lots of people walking around and chit chatting.

That sounds really bad, you should hold your employer to a higher standard. No windows at 5+ years? Even first years have windowed offices (with views) at my firm. And by offices I mean literal offices. One could (theoretically) take a nap with the blinds closed.

How should they go about holding their employer to a higher standard?

[Anonymous User]

I summered in house in LS. Big tech company with a smallish but growing legal group (maybe 15 attorneys?). It seemed like those who had been there 5+ years had individual offices (no windows) and everyone else was in the cube farm. Not a bad office by any means, but grouped with the other departments, so lots of people walking around and chit chatting.

That sounds really bad, you should hold your employer to a higher standard. No windows at 5+ years? Even first years have windowed offices (with views) at my firm. And by offices I mean literal offices. One could (theoretically) take a nap with the blinds closed.

Lmao it has nothing to do with me, I don’t work there anymore.

It’s not as bad as it sounds. The offices get a lot a light.

[misterjames]

I summered in house in LS. Big tech company with a smallish but growing legal group (maybe 15 attorneys?). It seemed like those who had been there 5+ years had individual offices (no windows) and everyone else was in the cube farm. Not a bad office by any means, but grouped with the other departments, so lots of people walking around and chit chatting.

I was in-house at a midsize bank and this was the exact same set up. Group of 6 attorneys, GC had office with windows, other seniors had internal offices with no windows, me (junior atty), paralegal and legal assistant had cubes which were grouped with other departments. Same problem, lots of movement and talking. Not the worst thing in the world but not ideal.

[Anonymous User]

Large pharmaceutical company. Mix of open offices with cubes at one location and individual offices at another location. I have an office but if they ever renovate they will go with the open floor plan concept to encourage collaboration. My particular work involves little to no collaboration with my colleagues in my department though because we all have separate projects. Personally, I would not do well in an open concept floor plan because noise and people shuffling around would distract me to no end.

[Anonymous User]

Large healthcare system. Windowless offices for junior attorneys. Senior attorneys have windows.

[Anonymous User]

Spent 1L summer in-house at a large California tech company. Offices were basically like a law firm: attorneys had windowed offices with doors, paralegals/etc. had internal offices.