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December 06, 2006
What to do if you want to practice in-house one day --
Most legal departments do not hire entry-level attorneys; most lawyers practicing in-house have practice experience, whether from a firm or government agency. Some company legal departments will hire entry-level candidates, but often only for a specific niche for which the candidate brings particular experience; most in-house hiring is lateral.
However, to build your resume for a future lateral move or to try to secure the occasional entry-level position, there are a number of things you can do to position yourself. Some ideas:
1. During law school, work during the summer and/or school year in an in-house legal department. Some very large legal departments may extend permanent offers to some summer clerks. At the very least -- and this is alot -- you will get some valuable experience, references, and the opportunity to build a more impressive resume.
2. Take courses that would appeal to many corporate legal departments, including Business Associations, Tax, Commercial Law, Secured Transactions, Finance, Bankruptcy, Administrative, Labor & Employment, Securities, International Business Transactions, Real Estate, clinic, and more.
3. As a practicing attorney, develop an expertise in relevant areas of law (seek out work in general corporate and commercial matters), develop a solid reputation among clients and colleagues, and get to know in-house attorneys.
4. Network, network, network!
Posted by smp20 at December 6, 2006 10:40 AM