Proximity/Accessibility
A major factor to consider is that once in-house the lawyer becomes extremely accessible. Your client is now in the same office and may be knocking at your door any time.
Fast and Simple Answers
Your clients’ questions are often as varied as the people requesting the answers and as a result corporate counsel often finds him/herself a “jack of all trades”.
Prioritization
The plethora of demands requires a lawyer who can effectively prioritize the competing interests of the various internal clients. A solution to this challenge is to develop relationships with the people in the organization and clarify their expectations and internal procedures right from the start.
Managing Outside Costs
Once in-house, a lawyer is usually relieved to find that they are no longer required to docket their billable hours. They do, however, need to learn to control external costs.
Understanding the big picture
In many cases, as a junior lawyer in a major law firm you are somewhat insulated. As a junior in-house lawyer, you are now often working directly with the CEO or General Counsel of a company and handling the deal structure. You need to know how to structure the entire deal, it’s no longer just the legal documentation. You need to understand the big picture, including the financial tax, and technological implications.
