ah, yes. So elite that when our clients say jump, we say “how high…please”. I don’t know if comments on Legal Cheek are people trolling or just sheltered people who think they’re the bees knees when they’re actually not.

I guess it is quite firm dependent. Generally for in-house training, stakeholder/client management is a key skill, particularly when clients are happy with your work. It helps that everyone works for the same employer. Clients also don’t restrict themselves from directly reaching out to anyone in “Legal” because they won’t get billed. And senior members of the Legal department have less to lose by allowing more direct contact between trainees/juniors and the client. I’ve heard on the more elite side of private practice law firms that client contact is limited. I’m not sure if the same is true for firms outside of MC and SC.

How many trainees learn “client management” skills? I think it is very few in my experience.

Elite bozos and sadists that is. If private practice is so elite why do most complain about it? In-house is where it’s at bro – you have complete freedom to call out your internal clients on their stupidity.

Well said. People need to accept their fate and make the most out of what they have. Private practice is designed for the elites

If you’re considering a move into private practice, focus on building your connections during your training. When you do make the shift, your in-house experience becomes a business development asset. If one of your contacts moves to a different organisation, that’s potentially two business development opportunities (that’s not to say relationships should be built just for BD but hopefully you get the point im trying to make. It helps your marketability).

People, myself included, sometimes assume it’s harder to go from in-house to private practice. But I’ve spoken with a couple of partners and a GC at major firms and organisations who actually think the opposite. Sure, they’re in the minority, but it goes to show the path isn’t as binary as it might seem.

Plenty of people move into private practice following in-house training. Particularly in regulated sectors – such as telco, financial services, energy. It’s incredibly valuable experience to leverage, as in-house counsels hone skills of application of the law (which is ultimately what clients want) and are directly involved in each step of decision making. In-house gives unique experience of this. Also, in many cases in-house offers a secondment to one of a company’s panel firms.

Ultimately you have to take responsibility for your career and understand what private practice firms are looking for and ensure to gain this in your in-house role. It actually isn’t too difficult. Make the most out of your training contract – make a name for yourself and try step outside your comfort zone to grow your skillset.

You should also attend industry events and grow your network with private practice lawyers if your aim is to move into private practice.

That being said, it is certainly not impossible to make the transition. Having experience in an Insurance Company’s legal department will provide you an insight that could serve as exceptional leverage to a firm with an insurance department (or similar).

It’s all about how you market yourself and the skills, knowledge and experience you gain through your training contract. Do not panic, a career by nature is very long and you’ll have plenty of time to get to where you want to be…