Junior in-house attorneys hoping to move up in their legal departments should focus on partnering with different functions in the company and finding ways to advance legal department initiatives.

"More and more we're seeing the opportunity for junior in-house counsel to think about going beyond their individual contributions," Lauren Chung, managing director at HBR Consulting in New York, said.

Becoming a Business Partner

In the past decade, corporate legal leaders have worked to make the legal department more welcoming to business ideas. Further, they are hoping to see their attorneys collaborate with different business functions and are listening to feedback.

Sterling Miller, senior counsel at Hilgers Graben in Dallas and former general counsel of Travelocity, said in an interview he would take note every time a manager from another department gave positive feedback on one of his attorneys.

"We're not looking for feedback on whether he or she is a good lawyer," Miller said. "Those managers are able to tell you if the attorney was practical and business-oriented."

Sterling said junior attorneys need to learn quickly the function of the legal department is to aid the business. Miller said many attorneys who come from law firms need to learn to work in "the department of 'yes.'"

"I think that is a skill that has to be developed," Miller said. "Generally lawyers are pretty conservative, especially if you come from an outside law firm."

Beyond the Job Description

Mike Evers, the founder of Evers Legal in Chicago, said not all lawyers who go in-house immediately think of what they can do to advance the legal department. Going outside of the department for information on a new topic or trend is one way junior attorneys can be noticed by their managers.

"Someone who goes to SuperConference in April, takes notes, and comes back to give a [continuing legal education] presentation to the entire department will get noticed," Evers said. "What will stand out is that he or she did something beyond what their job usually is."

While working in-house, Miller said he was always looking to see which attorneys would be raising their hands and looking for additional responsibility.

Chung said the junior in-house attorneys who are reaching above and beyond their practice group are the ones who are getting noticed by the general counsel.

Getting Involved in Legal Operations

An easy way to start moving beyond the job description and to see where the legal department is moving in the future is to become involved with the department's legal operations function.

The number of legal departments with a dedicated legal operations function has steadily increased over the last five years. According to the Association of Corporate Counsel's 2020 Chief Legal Officers Survey, 54% of legal departments have at least one dedicated legal operations professional. Chung said the explosion of legal operations has created a tremendous opportunity for junior in-house attorneys to drive change in the legal department.

"[Legal operations] need partnerships with the in-house lawyers to advance initiatives," Chung explained.

She said the individuals who are getting noticed are moving beyond the core legal work and helping those in operations roles on projects like technology initiatives and focus groups on outside counsel management.

Be Patient

It is important for junior in-house attorneys to grow and learn with the legal department. It can take years before someone in a junior in-house counsel role can see a significant raise or promotion.

"Corporate legal departments value longevity from their attorneys," Chris Batz, a legal recruiter at The Lion Group in Kansas City, Missouri, said in an interview. "They find value in someone who has a willingness and hunger to learn."