<p>i interested in learning about in house lawyers but am having trouble find info. like how much do in-house lawyers make? also, how many hours do they work a week usually, i know its less that big law jobs, but am not sure about the specifics. any details about this career would help.</p>
<p>Others will give you more specifics on the career, however, I can give you the basic outline. In house lawyers tend to work anywhere from 50-60 hr weeks on average (this can vary). They usually receive more generous benefits packages (stock options, and other perks), but their base salary is significantly lower than that of big-firm lawyers. You usually need a few years of experience at a big-law firm to even be considered for employment as an in house lawyer. The largest reason people switch to this area of law is the lifestyle; In house law is much less demanding than big law. (That isn’t mean to imply that it isn’t demanding or that it isn’t difficult, it is just less demanding than the 80-100 hr weeks of big law attorneys).</p>
<p>To piggy back onto the OP’s post:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Is it necessary for an in-house lawyer to have well-developed social skills, like it is necessary for a partner to have them? </p></li>
<li><p>How does one line oneself up for an in-house job for a particular company or industry? Is the strategy basically to try and get an associate position at the most prestigious firm possible?</p></li>
<li><p>Is it true that litigation is a bad route to go if you want to work in-house someday?</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Others with more knowledge can answer your second and third questions better than.
To answer the first question, yes, having good interpersonal skills is important to a degree. When you are working in-house you will only be a department of that company. That means that many people in the company will not be lawyers and will not understand all of the legal “jargon” you may commonly use. For that reason, you need to be able to communicate clearly to other departments on some of the legal difficulties of certain actions. You need to be able to handle the legal work, but you also need to be able to effectively use your “soft skills.”
2. To give a bland answer to the second question, yes, being in a big law firm for a few years usually increases your chances of landing an in-house position.</p>
<p>
</p></li>
<li><p>While you are at a firm you’ll get calls from headhunters, people who are hired to help you find a new job. If they are representing a company they will say we have a spot open, wanna interview? And yes, usually associates at higher ranked firms will get more calls then those at lower ranked firms. </p></li>
<li><p>Corporate work is preferred much more then litigation work in regards to in house positions.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Here’s one typical example:</p>
<pre><code>Position: Senior In-House Counsel
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Position Description: A privately-held holding company, whose businesses collectively generate approximately $1.5 billion in annual revenues, is seeking a Senior Counsel to join the nine-lawyer (seventeen-person) legal department. Position reports to Vice President/Deputy General Counsel.
</code></pre>
<p>Responsibilities:</p>
<ul>
<li>Drafting and negotiating a wide variety of contracts including: term sheets, acquisition documents, license agreements, employment agreements and distribution agreements.</li>
<li>Structuring and documenting new agreements and relationships with strategic partners.</li>
<li>Coordinating and supervising outside counsel on a variety of matters.</li>
<li>Advising business units on employment, intellectual property, regulatory and contract matters.</li>
</ul>
<p>Position Requirements:</p>
<ul>
<li>JD from an accredited, top-tier law school.</li>
<li>Minimum of 4-5 years broad-based transactional experience practicing in a top-tier law firm; complex transactional background required.</li>
<li>Additional in-house experience a plus.</li>
<li>Strong academic credentials, excellent analytical, organizational, verbal and written skills required.</li>
<li>Need excellent judgment, common sense, and ability to work well with internal and external clients.</li>
<li>Ability to provide top-quality, proactive, accurate and effective legal support in a fast moving environment with minimal supervision.</li>
</ul>