In-House Counsel 101

Surviving and Thriving as In-House Counsel

There are about 1 million lawyers in America and 40,000 new each year. Many law firm lawyers dream about an 'in-house counsel' job. Many lawyers and non-lawyers wonder what exactly an in-house counsel does. Many in-house counsel have similar experiences, many struggle in the role, and many want to have easier days and deals. Until now, the in-house counsel experience - the true full picture has not been shared in one spot. This book is the 101 of in-house counsel. The book is a short and sweet guide to the in-house counsel role. It's for those thinking about going in-house, those in-house who want to improve, and those at law firms that work a lot with non-legal departments. It gets into pros and cons of the role, how to get the role, tips and tricks in deals, managing outside counsel, relationships with non-legal and department dynamics, building legal teams, creating legal cultures and more. I love the in-house counsel role. A very particular person excels as in-house counsel- they need to be dynamic, personable, and pragmatic.

After almost a decade as in-house counsel at global, Fortune 500, and start-up companies, I have tips and tricks to help others excel in the in-house counsel role and I offer those tips in this book. This book should be required reading for new in-house lawyers, law firm lawyers that work within a company, and established in-house lawyers that want to improve. From getting into the job, negotiating salary, dealing with non-legal departments, difficult departments, meeting etiquette, negotiation strategies, creating a legal culture and building a legal team to handling bad bosses or becoming the boss. I'm biased but I think this book should be required reading for first time in-house lawyers (it'll save them and their peers time, money, and conflict) and established in-house lawyers that want to stay sharp. I wish I had this book years ago.