On the heels of my last post, “Should You Take a Run For Partner,” I had the chance to catch up with a GC. He provided insights into the differences between working as a counsel & as a partner at a law firm:
ABILITY TO SEE ADVICE TO COMPLETION: when you work at an in-house position, you have the ability to see your advice implemented. Very often at a law firm, you don’t know how the clients will take your advice & use it.
IN-DEPTH KNOWLEDGE AND RELATIONSHIPS: Do you want to learn a little about a lot of clients or to learn in a deeper way about one client? When you work in-house, you gain a deep understanding of the inner workings of a firm, but at a law firm, you learn a small amount about many firms.
BOOK OF BUSINESS: Do you want to run your own book of business? Your compensation in-house may not be tied to the performance of the company whereas at the law firm you’re compensated based on the amount of business you bring in.
BUSINESS MINDED?: If you have an interest in moving to a business role or ultimately working in a business or non-legal capacity, an in-house opportunity may open that door.