LATERAL LINK

While layoffs have plagued large law firms since the start of the economic downturn, hiring of attorneys by corporate legal departments has picked up slightly. As companies became more cost-conscious during the recession, they began reducing legal expenditures by keeping more legal work in-house and relying less on outside counsel with their high billing rates. This has resulted in an increased workload, and thus a need for more legal staff for many in-house legal departments.

So if you’ve been thinking about looking for an in-house job, now may be the best time to make a move. In this article, we’ll take a look at what practice areas are in the highest demand for the in-house job market. However, since practice area activity can be very region-specific, the following are general trends observed in the in-house legal sector nationwide.

• Regulatory and compliance: This practice area has been heating up as a result of the recent legislative and regulatory proposals made by the Obama administration. Legal departments are in need of attorneys with regulatory and compliance experience to handle these new demands and requirements.

• Litigation: Although litigation is an area of law that has traditionally gone to outside counsel, some of the larger legal departments have started handling certain types of repeat litigation in-house. Even companies that still rely on outside counsel are doing so more carefully by doing some preparation internally before outsourcing the work.

• Healthcare: There has been a growing need for attorneys with experience in healthcare regulatory, compliance and transactional matters.

• M&A: Corporate transactional attorneys, especially with experience in M&A, have continued to remain in high demand in certain parts of the country.

• Labor and employment: Attorneys are in demand with experience advising and counseling companies on federal and state employment laws and regulations, as well as representing companies in wage and hour, class actions, and single plaintiff litigation matters and administrative proceedings.

• Bankruptcy/restructuring: Although this practice area seems to be losing some steam after reaching its peak during the recession, it has remained quite an active area in 2011.

Another growing trend, though not specific to any practice area, is the increased hiring of in-house attorneys on a project basis. As work has continued to pick up in legal departments, they have needed additional legal staff to help manage the increased workload, but companies are reluctant to add permanent attorneys until they are convinced that a full economic recovery is underway. While this arrangement may sound less than ideal for those contemplating a major career change, the good news is that project roles are often converted into permanent positions. When companies are ready to hire permanent attorneys, they often first consider those who have been working as project attorneys in their organization because they have already had an opportunity to evaluate that candidate’s skills and fit with the company’s culture.

If you are working for a law firm or outside a corporate office, make sure you take advantage of networking opportunities. There are fewer job opportunities in-house compared to law firms.  Traditionally, companies hire attorneys from the law firms they work with. If you are an associate at those firms, make sure you seek out assignments that would put you in direct contact with those companies. If you don’t work at a law firm or are not able to work directly with clients, networking is clutch. Because of the popularity of in-house positions, companies rarely have to advertise job openings. Word of mouth and knowing the right people is even more important to secure that in-house gig. You are the manager of your own career – so take control and be proactive.

Lastly, don’t be intimidated if you lack significant experience in any of these current in-demand practice areas. Continue keeping an eye out and applying for in-house opportunities that interest you. At the same time, take advantage of opportunities offered at your current job to expand your skill set by seeking work in other practice groups or volunteering for pro bono work.