7 Avoidable Mistakes In-House Lawyers Make

In partnership with

Software sprawl? That’s SaaD.

Software was supposed to make work easier. Instead, most teams are buried under it.

That’s SaaD – Software as a Disservice. Dozens of disconnected tools waste time, duplicate work, and inflate costs.

Rippling changes the story. By unifying HR, IT, and Finance on one platform, Rippling eliminates silos and manual busywork.

• HR? One update applies to payroll, benefits, app access, and device provisioning instantly.

• Finance? Close the books 7x faster with synced data.

• IT? Manage hundreds of devices with a single click.

Companies like Cursor, Clay, and Sierra have already left outdated ways of working behind – gaining clarity, speed, and control.

Don’t get SaaD. Get Rippling.

Is SaaD hurting you?

Deep Dive

Don’t Make These Avoidable Mistakes

Being an in-house lawyer is fun and rewarding, but it’s also hard. And most of us make a lot of mistakes along the way, as we learn.

Here are seven that you don’t need to make, because now you know to avoid them.

1. Assuming that because you are completing lots of tasks, you’re being effective

I love checking tasks off my “to do” list as much as the next person, but several years ago I realized that doing things and driving impact are not the same. And I realized that the number of items checked off my list was not a good measure of my impact, especially if I didn’t first make sure that I had the right tasks on my list.

Rather than setting out to accomplish a set number of finite tasks, the most impactful lawyers learn the business goals and dedicate time and energy towards helping accomplish those goals. Sometimes that means prioritizing the inbound requests most directly relevant to key priorities, and other times that means actively seeking out ways legal can support them.

Answering Bob in accounting’s question about NDAs, which he could have answered himself by reading the legal department FAQ page you created, does not make the same impact as re-negotiating more favorable payment terms with a key customer when cash flow is anticipated to be a priority issue next quarter. Even though both tasks might have been a single item on your "to do” list.

2. Leading with the law

As an in-house lawyer, you were hired for your legal expertise and skill. But that doesn’t mean you should open every conversation with the law or your legal analysis.

Instead, frame your responses around the project or goal at hand. For example, if a product manager asks whether a new feature is “okay from a legal standpoint,” don’t respond with a summary of applicable statutes and case law. Start by asking: What’s the business trying to achieve here? What are the timelines? Who’s the target user? What risks are you already worried about?

Your legal analysis will still be essential, but it should come after you understand the bigger picture. Understanding the full picture will help you frame your response, and potentially spot additional challenges too, because it will help you identify questions that weren’t asked but probably should have been.

Once you understand the goal, you can zero in on the real risks and help shape the product to meet business needs while staying compliant.

“We can include the language you propose as is, but we’ll also need the following disclosure . . . “ is a lot more useful to your colleague than a long explanation of relevant consumer protection laws.

3. Setting individual or team goals in a vacuum

Setting annual or quarterly goals is great. And impactful in-house lawyers take it a step further, by making sure those goals align with company priorities.

For example, setting a goal of rolling out a more user-friendly privacy policy may be a good thing, but it’s probably not the best goal unless it’s tied to a broader company objective (or you are exclusively focused on company privacy work). Similarly, a goal of “reviewing and negotiating to execution 100 new customer contracts" in Q2” sounds like a major accomplishment. However, if the current company priority is retention of existing customers, a better goal might be streamlining the renewal process, reducing legal friction, or otherwise supporting efforts around existing rather than new customers.

4. Assuming you’re the smartest person in the room

Lawyers are trained to have all the answers, but (a) we don’t, really, and (b) there’s nothing like arrogance to kill a relationship and cause completely avoidable errors.

Whether your colleagues have PhDs or didn’t finish high school, are execs or just starting out, assume there’s something you can learn from them. Approach conversations with the expectation that you will learn from, and provide benefit to, each other.

That mindset leads to better relationships and better outcomes.

5. Staying in your lane at all times

Many new in-house lawyers believe their job is to answer legal questions and nothing more. Somewhere along the way, they were told to “stay in their lane” and they listened. This is a huge mistake.

Of course, weighing in on legal risk is a core part of your role. But if that’s all you do, you’re missing real opportunities to make an impact.

You don’t need to be a finance expert to ask how a deal might impact revenue recognition. Or a product manager to question whether a feature delivers actual user value. Or in HR to flag a policy that might land badly with employees.

The most impactful in-house lawyers speak up outside the legal lane because they care about the outcome, see an opportunity to drive impact, and want to help the company win. Sometimes this means asking a question aimed at uncovering potential opportunity or risk, and other times it means making a suggestion.

The key is humility. You’re not trying to do someone else’s job. You’re contributing in service of better results. And ironically, when colleagues see that you care about more than just legal risk, they tend to trust your legal advice even more.

So yes, know your swim lane. But don’t be afraid to speak up when you see something that matters. Your impact and influence will grow because of it.

6. Keeping your head down and doing good work

It feels like the right approach: do great work, stay focused, and let the results speak for themselves.

But often, they don’t.

In fast-moving companies, even your best contributions can go unnoticed if you’re not intentional about making them visible. This might mean looping in key stakeholders, highlighting impact in meetings, or sending a quick update when you close a deal or solve a thorny issue.

Doing great work is essential. But you also need to make sure the right people see it. That’s how you increase your influence and future opportunity. That benefits your career and makes you a more valuable partner to the business.

7. Failing to build relationships across the company

When people across the company actually know you beyond your title, you can get more done.

They loop you in early, they take your calls, and they give your advice real weight. Not because they have to, but because they trust you. This makes it a whole lot easier for you to be effective.

So even when you’re busy, make the investment in building relationships. It will save you time in the long run, and probably make your job a lot more fun, too.

Not sure where to start? Here are specific strategies I’ve shared for building relationships as an in-house lawyer.