Who’s developing tomorrow’s in-house lawyers?

One thing we’ve been discussing recently at In-House Legal Solutions is where the next generation of in-house lawyers is going to come from.

Most legal teams are busy. There are deadlines to meet, stakeholders to support and businesses to advise. When you’re focused on the day job, career development can easily move down the priority list.

The challenge is that if we don’t create opportunities for aspiring in-house lawyers now, where will tomorrow’s Heads of Legal and General Counsel come from?

Over the years, we’ve worked with a number of interns and aspiring lawyers. One thing that often strikes me is how little exposure many people have to what an in-house legal career actually looks like.

One of our recent interns commented:

“The experience gave me a much clearer understanding of what an in-house legal career looks like and the different opportunities available beyond private practice.”

It’s a reminder that many aspiring lawyers simply don’t get that visibility early in their careers.

Not every organisation can offer internships or formal mentoring programmes, but even small actions can make a difference. Sharing experiences, making introductions and helping people build their networks all play a part.

It’s also encouraging to see initiatives that are focused on supporting the wider in-house legal community.

One such initiative is InHoCo (In-House Community), founded by Emma Lilley. The platform has been created to bring together in-house legal professionals, encourage knowledge sharing and help lawyers build valuable connections throughout their careers.

As the in-house profession continues to evolve, communities like InHoCo can play an important role in helping lawyers learn from one another and feel part of a wider professional network.

Find out more about InHoCo.

Have you come across InHoCo yet? We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on the role communities and networks play in supporting in-house lawyers.