In-house legal departments tend to be lean, often flat, and advancement can feel slow or unpredictable. If you pay close attention and look below the surface, you’ll notice something: some lawyers do leap ahead.
They take on stretch assignments.
They get pulled into executive discussions.
They gain exposure across the business.
And before long, they’re leading cross-functional initiatives, managing outside counsel, or stepping into that coveted “Deputy GC” role.
So what’s going on?
Here’s the truth:
Top performers are often promoted ahead of their peers because they gain more experience in less time.
They don’t just do their jobs well—they do the right jobs well. They build reputational capital across the business, not just inside the legal department. Over time, that leads to something powerful: credibility, visibility, and readiness.
If you’re looking to accelerate your in-house career, here’s a roadmap:
1. Say Yes to Stretch Work
Don’t wait for a formal promotion to grow.
Some of the most career-shaping roles aren’t positions—they’re projects. Maybe it’s leading the legal workstream on a product launch, diving into ESG strategy, or helping the company renegotiate vendor agreements during a budget crunch.
These assignments are often ambiguous, high-stakes, and messy. That’s the point.
The growth comes through the complexity.
2. Build Business Trust Early
Top performers aren’t just trusted by legal leadership.
They’re trusted by business leadership.
They interpret the law through the lens of business goals. They offer practical guidance. They meet deadlines. They speak the language of risk and reward. And they become the go-to advisors executives seek out—even before titles catch up to responsibilities.
3. Don’t Wait to Be Invited
Waiting to be recognized is a slow-moving strategy. Instead:
- Volunteer for task forces.
- Ask for feedback.
- Offer to co-present with a business leader.
- Raise your hand for that extra assignment.
In-house progression is often less about hierarchy and more about visibility, initiative, and momentum.
4. Understand the Power of Internal Portability
Your job description might say one thing, but your career trajectory can tell another.
In-house legal teams may not have traditional ladders, but the business does. If you can move between specialties—say, from employment law to regulatory risk, or commercial contracts to data privacy—you’re demonstrating range, curiosity, and adaptability.
That kind of versatility often leads to informal leadership roles. Formal ones tend to follow.
5. Make Your Manager’s Job Easier
This one might sound basic, but it’s often the tie-breaker.
When you anticipate needs, solve problems before they escalate, and communicate proactively, you signal that you’re not just a strong lawyer—you’re a strategic asset.
And let’s be honest: few things build faster trust than being someone your GC or Legal VP can rely on without chasing down.
Experience Isn’t Just About Time—It’s About Exposure
The in-house lawyers who rise fastest aren’t always the most senior or the most vocal. They’re the ones who’ve gained strategic exposure early and often.
They said yes to the right projects.
They showed up where it mattered.
They solved the problems no one else wanted to touch.
It’s not luck. It’s not favoritism.
It’s the compound effect of deliberate, visible, and value-adding choices.
If you’re ready to leap ahead— start saying yes, start showing up, and start shaping the kind of experience that accelerates everything else.
