Interview tips for biglaw -> in-house? Forum

[Anonymous User]

Currently a corporate associate in biglaw and thinking of interviewing for in-house positions soon. Was hoping to draw on the great wisdom of TLS for interview tips and how to sell making such a transition. I want to strike the right balance between sounding happy at my firm job while also being genuinely interested in making the move in-house.

For example, I've seen people suggest discussing how it's appealing to you that as in-house counsel you're more focused on becoming a master of that company's business/legal issues, while at a firm you have a lot of clients with different situations so you're more of a jack of all trades.

Thanks in advance!

[trebekismyhero]

Currently a corporate associate in biglaw and thinking of interviewing for in-house positions soon. Was hoping to draw on the great wisdom of TLS for interview tips and how to sell making such a transition. I want to strike the right balance between sounding happy at my firm job while also being genuinely interested in making the move in-house.

For example, I've seen people suggest discussing how it's appealing to you that as in-house counsel you're more focused on becoming a master of that company's business/legal issues, while at a firm you have a lot of clients with different situations so you're more of a jack of all trades.

Thanks in advance!

For me, I basically said that I was happy at my firm and not in a rush to leave, but didn't have a desire to make partner and I was interested in going in-house for the reasons you mentioned above and then mentioned why I particularly found this position/company appealing.

[Anonymous User]

Currently a corporate associate in biglaw and thinking of interviewing for in-house positions soon. Was hoping to draw on the great wisdom of TLS for interview tips and how to sell making such a transition. I want to strike the right balance between sounding happy at my firm job while also being genuinely interested in making the move in-house.

For example, I've seen people suggest discussing how it's appealing to you that as in-house counsel you're more focused on becoming a master of that company's business/legal issues, while at a firm you have a lot of clients with different situations so you're more of a jack of all trades.

Thanks in advance!

For me, I basically said that I was happy at my firm and not in a rush to leave, but didn't have a desire to make partner and I was interested in going in-house for the reasons you mentioned above and then mentioned why I particularly found this position/company appealing.

I'd echo this. I did an interview last year for a local in-house position; I was slightly outside the target year but had a friend who works with the M&A team that put in a good word. Said I liked my firm and really am not looking to leave yet but partnership wasn't a goal and I enjoy the business side of things (being part of a tangible business vs service provider). Also noted to them the opportunity with Company X was too good to pass up. Pay and Comp was on par with my firm pay, Big Law in secondary market, 4th year.

Ended up being beat out by a friend of the associate GC. GC has kept in touch with me and they are looking to hire again later this year, so probably will leave then. So even if this one passes you by, keep in touch with those who interview and might have some success in the future.

[nealric]

One thing you can do that is helpful in the interview is to demonstrate that you know something about the company and the industry. Read through the company's latest 10k (doesn't need to be cover to cover) and get a sense of what the biggest business considerations are.

[Anon-non-anon]

One thing you can do that is helpful in the interview is to demonstrate that you know something about the company and the industry. Read through the company's latest 10k (doesn't need to be cover to cover) and get a sense of what the biggest business considerations are.

No expertise here, but I think a great way to show the above is to ask a questions based on your research. Something the interviewer would definitely know about--so not too nitty gritty--but also shows you did some work ahead of time and have genuine interest in the business / learning more.

[bwh8813]

Be prepared to offer thoughts on what type of work you think should be handled internally versus what should be delegated to external counsel. Be able to relate your experience at a firm handling multiple deals or projects and how you think that transfers to doing the same in-house and managing various external counsel.

[trusk13]

I wouldn’t worry too much about that aspect of the interview. Nearly all in house attorneys started at firms if not biglaw, so they get it. I try to highlight the fact that I worked with great people, etc...but In house lawyers definitely recognize that big law is a soul-sucker. No need to explain too much why you’re leaving; focus more on why you want to work at THAT company.

[1styearlateral]

Depending on the size of the company and legal department, it might be better to sell yourself as a jack off all trades because many in house attorneys deal with various different legal issues ranging from corporate to tax to employment. Sure, there are cases where you have someone who specializes in tax or employment, but most non-attorneys don’t know you other than “the lawyer” and will bring you all sorts of issues you’ll need to deal with.

[nealric]

Be prepared to offer thoughts on what type of work you think should be handled internally versus what should be delegated to external counsel.

I wouldn't get into too much detail on that. Organizations can vary pretty widely regarding their philosophy on outside counsel. I've talked to companies where the only thing in-house counsel does is quarterback for outside counsel. I've also talked to companies that attempt to get by with almost no outside counsel. Personally, I don't think either extreme is a good idea, but I wouldn't offer detailed thoughts without knowing where the company stands. Rather than provide answers, that conversation could be started by asking a question regarding their philosophy on outside counsel.

[merde_happens]

I wouldn’t worry too much about that aspect of the interview. Nearly all in house attorneys started at firms if not biglaw, so they get it. I try to highlight the fact that I worked with great people, etc...but In house lawyers definitely recognize that big law is a soul-sucker. No need to explain too much why you’re leaving; focus more on why you want to work at THAT company.

Agree with this. When I was interviewing for in-house roles, the majority of the attorneys I interviewed with had started out in big law (and I think it was unilateral across the hiring managers). They know what it's like. So, while you should still be pragmatic (i.e., don't outright badmouth your firm or imply that you hate to work hard), there's no need to sugarcoat things either. Instead, you should focus on why in-house work appeals to you over firm work: more involvement in the day-to-day operations, being engaged in the decision-making process versus being pulled in to execute after a decision has already been made, more attuned focus on a single business and industry versus spanning a wider range of clients, etc.

Just spend a lot of time reviewing your resume so that you can speak coherently to the range of work that you have done and the applicable skills you have gained from that work. Try to prepare in advance a few examples for behavioral-type questions ("tell me about a time where..."). And I echo everyone else who says that it's critical to be well-informed on the company's business, both so that you can confidently answer "Why [x company]?" and so that you can ask more intelligent questions.

One other thing I want to emphasize is that be sure that you are also taking the opportunity to interview them. Try to get a good sense of what the role and responsibilities mean vis-a-vis your day-to-day tasks. Really try to gauge how you click with the hiring manager and the team as a whole. Consider whether you want to jump into a more generalist in-house role (e.g, AGC) or specialized one (e.g., product counsel). Also think carefully about what industry you want to be in long-term since, even if you are doing generalist work, you are inevitably going to develop a lot of industry-specific skills and knowledge that will make it easier for you to transition to another company within the industry but harder to transition out. It's easy to get swept up in the excitement of a new opportunity, but it's important to be diligent in selecting the next best possible opportunity for you at this juncture.