If you’re training to be an in-house lawyer, or moving from a law firm to working in-house, having support and mentoring/coaching can go a long way to helping you do your job.
LegalEdge’s team of experienced in-house counsel know what the challenges are and how to overcome them. Let us know if you’d like to chat about the help and support we can provide.
And here are some tips from Gill Austin, one of our brilliant experienced fractional in-house counsel, previously Legal Director at Microsoft and at Olswangs.
1. It can be lonely
If you are the first in-house lawyer your company has hired, or a sole legal counsel, you’ll be working in a team of one. This means you don’t have the camaraderie and support that you’d have in a law firm or bigger in-house legal team. It can be lonely having no one to bounce ideas off, and scary having no support from other experienced lawyers if you find yourself in a tricky situation or one you haven’t experienced before.
2. Ethical questions can arise
Dealing with professional ethics and SRA requirements can be complex in-house, particularly around issues of confidentiality, privilege, etc.
It’s critical to understand what your responsibilities are; as an in-house lawyer your client is your company, not any one individual within it. You are also regulated by the SRA, which many smaller businesses won’t understand. While you may be working closely with the management team you need to remember what your role is.
The Post Office inquiry is a timely reminder of how in-house lawyers, in particular, need to remember that their professional ethics should always take priority. As a sole or junior lawyer it may be difficult, however, to know how to navigate these issues and what action to take.
3. Get to grips with the numbers
Being financially literate and confident with numbers is key. You absolutely need to understand the value drivers of the business. Otherwise, you won’t be able to do your job properly. You will (should) also find yourself working closely with the finance director/ team. And you’ll have your own budget that you will need to set, manage and control.
4. Justify your existence and salary
You will need to prove your worth and value to the business, like any staff member. In a law firm that’s easier as a ‘fee generator’. In-house, you will need to justify what you do (and don’t do) from the outset and demonstrate how you are adding value, e.g. getting contracts done quickly and efficiently, managing legal matters and the budget, etc. If you’re the first in-house hire or a sole legal counsel the rest of the staff may have no /little understanding of your role, so you will need to help then understand your job and how and when you can and should support them.
5. Set your priorities
You should agree with the management team at the outset what the operational priorities are, and then make sure you are doing work which contributes best to the bottom line, whilst manging expectations from those that might want your help on less important tasks. While you will need to get to know all your internal clients within the business, you won’t be able to give them all the same amount of attention. That needs careful management and communication, and support from other members of the management team.
6. Managing risk, not zero risking everything
You will find yourself doing less actual legal work, and more legal, compliance and risk management. Your role will involve assessing where the immediate risks to the business (and its people) lie and mitigating these in the most effective way, delivering the best value and efficiencies, including self-service legal for lower risk/value work. This ranges from delivering training, putting in place appropriate policies and processes, introducing new technology such as online platforms and/or AI services and implementing playbooks.
Our mentoring support is tailored to support those early on in their in-house legal career. We bring a wealth of experience as senior in-house lawyers, well-acquainted with the demands of the in-house role, particularly being ‘first in’, along with insight and support on how to build a robust and cohesive legal function.
Guidance is focused around your specific challenges, objectives and work, to facilitate your professional growth and success. Click here for more information or get in touch on info@legaledge.co.uk to have chat.
