How to Earn Bigger Opportunities Early in Your In-House Career

Deep Dive

When you’re not doing high-impact work . . . yet

I talk a lot about focusing on high-value work, adopting a business mindset, and making sure that you’re focused on impact rather than just staying busy. But what if you’re a junior in-house lawyer whose job mostly consists of the less critical items?

The truth is that there is some relatively lower value work that needs to be done by a lawyer (even after implementing technology and other tools to reduce the volume). That work will inevitably take up some of your time. And it’s part of your job; you need to do it well.

But it doesn’t have to take all of your time. And you can (and should!) use that work as a springboard to add real value and grow your career.

When I started my first in-house role, I spent most of my time reviewing vendor contracts. Less than five years later, I was VP and Deputy GC, overseeing other lawyers and owning various areas of the legal department’s work.

Here’s what I’d do if I were a junior in-house lawyer today, doing mostly low-stakes work, but wanting more.

Do a terrific job with your assigned work

If you want to do more interesting and more impactful work, first show that you can competently handle the work you’re already assigned. This is important for at least three reasons.

First, you were likely hired to do the work you’re doing now. That work is what the company and your boss need you to do. Your performance in handling that work is also what you will primarily be judged on when it comes time for performance reviews. In those senses, it is extremely important.

Second, if you can’t be trusted to do the most basic work, it’s unlikely you’ll be trusted to do the more complicated or higher value work.

Third, one of the absolute worst reputations you can develop as a junior in-house lawyer is as someone who is unwilling to do what needs to be done, or who thinks things are beneath you. On my own team, I expect every member (including myself) to be willing to roll up their sleeves and do what needs to be done. Junior lawyers who bring less experience, skills, and substantive knowledge can still be viewed as valuable contributors by being good team players.

Start to develop and apply a business mindset

You may not be negotiating a major transaction or drafting key policies, but a business mindset is invaluable in any in-house role and will make you more promotable in the future. Start developing yours today.

A business mindset means approaching legal work through the lens of the company’s goals, not just the law. Lawyers with a business mindset understand that mitigating legal risk is only part of their job, and that to maximize impact, they should also find and create ways to enable better outcomes.

If you are just starting to develop a business mindset, here are a few steps you can take:

1. Learn your company’s business, including its goals, strategies and what “success” looks like this quarter, this year, and for the next 5 years. When you give advice, let those goals guide you.

2. Practice thinking in degrees. Lawyers often view situations as black & white or “either/or”, but in reality, there is likely no one “right” option, even if there is a best one for the circumstances.

3. Learn about your industry and adjacent industries. Knowing industry norms is helpful, and today’s competitor may become tomorrow’s ally.

You can also start to ask the questions I suggested in this issue on ways to become more business minded.

Share your desire to take on more with your boss

If you want to take on more challenging, substantive, or interesting work, raise your hand and ask for it.

In-house lawyers are busy, and that includes your boss. They would most likely love for you to take something off their plate, even if it’s a stretch opportunity for you.

Don’t assume that because a particular type of work hasn’t been given to you yet, it’s because your boss feels you’re not ready. They may not have thought about it, or may have thought about it and been concerned you thought you weren’t ready.

Plus, personally, I love to see it when someone wants to grow and challenge themself—many of my senior in-house lawyer friends tell me they feel the same.

Ask for additional learning opportunities

Don’t just ask for different types of work, ask for the opportunity to learn in ways that will let you deliver more value to the company.

This might be asking to attend a formal training on negotiation, so that you can be more effective when you negotiate contracts.

Or it might be asking for internal learning opportunities, like to sit in on sales or marketing meetings to learn how the business thinks, or to participate in cross-functional projects that give you broader internal exposure.

Whether you are asking to spend working time learning internally, or to spend company money to attend formal trainings, how you present your request matters. Make sure to tie it to how your learning will make you better at your job, ultimately benefiting the company.

Take initiative to go learn things that will let you add more value

If you want your company to invest in you, it helps to invest in yourself too. Do this in a way that you enjoy and will benefit you throughout your career (not just at your current company).

Personally, I love listening to podcasts while I run. Every year, I listen to hundreds of hours of educational content that I enjoy, that also helps me be a better lawyer. I tend to listen to podcasts on business, venture, and wellness (and fewer about law itself), but do what works for you.

As another example of a way to invest in yourself, a few years ago, I also pulled together a small mastermind for in-house women lawyers around my seniority level. We met every month for several months, and it was so much fun, I learned a lot from these women, and some of them are still my friends today. You can do something similar.

You can read a book, join a slack channel, attend a networking event, or do something else. The point is to invest in learning something that helps you be better at your job, while doing something you enjoy.

Be patient but persistent

High achievers often want to move fast, including in their careers. That drive can be a huge asset. It pushes you to deliver, to grow, and to raise your hand for more.

But some things just take time.

If you’re only a few years out of law school and in your first year in-house, you probably won’t be handed the company’s most strategic project right away. And that’s okay. You’re still building your foundation by learning the business, mastering the fundamentals, and earning trust.

The key is to keep showing up. Keep doing the things on this list. Not once or twice, but consistently. Progress might feel slow in the moment, but it compounds.

If you stay the course, a few years from now your job and your influence may look completely different.

How you grow

Every great in-house lawyer I know started by doing the less glamorous work—and doing it really well.

If you’re early in your career and craving more challenge, the best thing you can do is start building toward it now. Nail the work you’ve been given. Learn the business. Ask for more. Invest in yourself. And keep at it, even when it feels like you’re not moving fast enough.

The results won’t be instant. But if you’re intentional and consistent, they will come.