How to Get a Job as In House Counsel

 I've been working as in-house counsel for over ten years but I didn't slide into this role easily. For many corporate lawyers, becoming in-house counsel is that elusive dream. It's a cushy role with lots of perks (especially when you work for a FAANG company). I don't work at a FAANG company but I still enjoy the benefits of working as in-house counsel-- the workload highs and lows while not being beholden to the billable hour. You actually get downtime and time for your family working in-house. Of course, at the end of quarter, my deal load is nuts and I don't even get the winter holidays off. 

If this sounds like something you'd want to be a part of, then the question you may be asking yourself is "how do I become in-house counsel?" Landing a job as in-house counsel isn't as easy as it appears. There are a few hitches. Unlike law firms, in-house employers aren't looking for entry level graduates. Quite often, they're seeking seasoned ex-law firm lawyers. So, in order to go in-house, you have to do your time with the billables at a reputable law firm. 

The Law Firm Way

The first way to land a job as in-house counsel is to start at a law firm and then transition to in-house. Like I told a prospective law student, the journey doesn't end upon law school admittance. You need to kill it in law school and graduate in the top third of your class in order to even be considered by the good law firms. FAANG typically hires out of the top law firms so it's pretty important to end up at an AmLaw200 firm. Once you have your foot in, there are two traditional ways to go in-house. The first is to represent a corporate client and do a secondment within that client. That's when the firm loans you out to the company. While this might not land you a job right away at that client, it serves two purposes-- one is to build contacts within the in-house landscape and the second is to build your resume so that you have in-house experience when you decide to apply to companies. 

The Internship Way

This strategy to land an in-house legal role is less likely but I've seen it done. If you can leverage your contacts and land a role as an intern within a company, then you will be able to gain that valuable experience you need in order to land a role as in-house counsel. Most in-house employers are looking for someone who has a level of in-house experience. Internships are a great way to gain that experience. If you can gain that internship through your law school's career center, that's usually the best place to start. 

The Contract Manager Way

This is a slightly less desirable way to become in-house counsel but it's been done by the crafty and resourceful types. Essentially, many contracts manager roles are looking for someone with a JD but perhaps who hasn't passed the bar exam. These roles are a great place to park while you write the bar exams. They provide you with valuable in-house contract negotiation experience which leads to commercial counsel roles. The drawback here is that in many cases, contracts managers are seen as paralegals and for many lawyers, the P word is a setback in their careers. Of course, even if the role is technically titled as a "paralegal", there's no need to be that prescriptive on your CV. After all, if they call you a contracts manager, that's what you are, even if it's a paraprofessional role. And frankly, many in-house legal departments favor the contract manager trajectory over the BigLaw trajectory when it comes to hiring a commercial counsel.

Which way works best? 

From experience, most of the in-house lawyers I know have come from either the law firm route or the contract manager path. I work as a commercial counsel and I've seen many aspiring counsel work in the trenches as contracts managers or even as paralegals after they've passed the bar and after they've worked at small firms. It's not for the faint of ego, however!