THE LARGEST COLLECTION OF LEGAL JOBS ON EARTH
LawCrossing Feature
Pros and Cons: In-house vs. Law Firm Practice When a law graduate or an attorney decides to choose between an in-house and a law firm career, obviously, the pros and cons of each option need to be understood. In a generalized fashion it might be said that in-house careers offer a better work-life balance and lesser pay, while law firm careers offer poor work-life balance coupled with higher pay.
Law firm practice needs you to be sharper and keep
networking to ensure career growth and sur-
working harder and the money is there. However, when
vival. Neat fact, in in-house positions you have a
it comes to a comparison one can safely say that the
chance to have much less stress and much more
majority of skills earned in law firm practice can be translated to suit an in-house position, but only a few
time than in law firm positions. •
There is lesser variety of work in in-house
of the skills of an in-house position can be successfully
practice, depending upon the employer, while in
translated to fill the shoes of a practicing attorney in
law firm practice the work variety is inevitably
a law firm. However, your law firm connections are not always relevant when you move to an in-house
greater. •
In in-house positions, the chances of career
position, but the relationships you developed while in-
growth, even after stellar performance is poor
house augment your earning potential while moving to
while in law-firm practice, stellar performance is
law firm practice.
recognized not only by your own employer but by many other employers.
However, in-house positions are not without their
•
At the end of the day, in in-house positions you’d
benefits. The pros and cons of in-house positions vis-à-
rarely be a ‘hero’ but your respect is assured as
vis law firm positions are as follows:
few other employees understand your vertical. In law-firm practice, it’s dog-eat-dog, one slip, and
•
Greater feeling of job-security in in-house posi-
you’d be trampled over, forget about respect and
tions for the less competent or those who cannot
dignity. But if you are smart and sharp, you can
afford the time and effort needed to acquire relevant level of competence, and for such persons, •
become a ‘hero.’ •
Attorneys in in-house positions have greater con-
greater feeling of insecurity in law firms.
trol over their schedules than their counterparts
In in-house positions, you don’t need to sell
in law firms, and also lesser pay, but no billable
yourself every day. Your employer is your per-
hours, and a secured amount of income every
manent client and you’ve got a captive audience,
month.
who trusts and respects your opinion. In a law
•
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firm job, trust and respect rarely comes with-
As in everything else in life, it is a trade-off influenced
out exceptional performance and peer recogni-
by numerous factors including personal, economic,
tion. Though clients seem to develop permanent
and cultural situations. With the current downturn in
relationships, such relationships are tenuous and
the economy showing improvements only in statistics
always being attacked by competitors.
and data sheets, the reality is that, right now, the
There’s no pressure of billable hours in in-house
job security in in-house positions is no different than
positions, and no pressure to do extra social
the job-security in law firm positions. However, there
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THE LARGEST COLLECTION OF LEGAL JOBS ON EARTH
LawCrossing Feature
is a relatively greater scope of mobility in law firm
A greater number of employers are seeking paralegals
practice, while in-house positions are quite restricted
and other legal staff to fill in-house positions, wherever
in scope and numbers. The previous sheen of greater
they can do without an attorney.
job-security in in-house positions has become dulled.
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