Going In House

[sallyawp]

<p>Here are some exerpts from an article discussing practicing in law firms versus in house:</p>

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ATLANTA – Corporations hiring new staff attorneys or general counsel are finding no shortage of qualified applicants. As pressure builds in law firms to, for example, pay for recent associate salary increases, a growing number of lawyers are looking toward in-house jobs as a desirable career path. </p>

<p>“We see a ton of lawyers who would have a strong interest in the right in-house opportunity,” said Melba Hughes, founder and owner of Hughes Consultants, an Atlanta-based executive search firm that specializes in legal jobs. </p>

<p>Firm lawyers often want to let go of living life in six-minute intervals. “The number one thing you hear from lawyers is they’re tired of billing their time,” Hughes said.

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Since corporations tend to pay less than law firms, attorneys appear to want something more than money – being part of a team, association with a product or service, better hours or more flexibility – and maybe stock to boot if it’s a public company.</p>

<p>A big part of the in-house allure is identifying with one organization, as opposed to working for multiple clients. “The opportunity to help business people meet their objectives is attractive,” said Hughes. “It’s the psychological value of getting in on the deal at the front end as opposed to after the decision has been made.”

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Of course, in-house jobs come with plenty of unique pressures of their own – particularly with the increased reporting and compliance requirements in the era of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.

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[quote]
Certainly, some corporate counsel would say, “If only I knew then what I know now, I wouldn’t have made the move,” said Frederick J. Krebs, president of the Washington-based Association of Corporate Counsel. But, he said, “Even if you hear, ‘I’m getting out, the world has changed,’ you still have plenty wanting to get in.” </p>

<p>Obviously, some in-house positions are more desirable than others, said Krebs. But he hears from recruiters and GCs that they see a high number of applicants for any open position. "I’m constantly having people ask me about it, saying, ‘If you hear anything, let me know,’ and giving me their r</p>