Community Perspectives: What's your main reason for going in-house?

In-house legal professionals discuss their reasons for moving from law firm life to in-house.

(Author) Counsel

What’s the main reason to go in-house? Business training? WLB? Money?

General Counsel Responses:

Money, job stability, work life balance, not dealing with the bs of dysfunctional law firms

Counsel Responses:

I like the lack of billables plus being invested in the business, not having to drum up business, and being seen as a part of a team instead of a vendor. In house you get the job and move on- no need to be perfect all the time.
Work life balance, pay is good also without the stress of a law firm. Weekends off and vacations.
No billables, more interesting hands-on work, better happiness quotient ($ earned / hours worked)
No billables, more interesting hands-on work, better happiness quotient ($ earned / hours worked)
I moved for wlb and it has exceeded my expectations in a good way. Though in house wlb occupies a very wide spectrum

Attorney and Associate Responses:

I love that being a great deal lawyer who can manage client relationships is the most important thing that I can bring to my job as an in-house lawyer, whereas as a partner in private practice, originating business was the most important thing. Plus, WLB, depth and texture of the work, the blurred line between legal and business roles, not having any other lawyer (like the in-house client) who gets to overrule my decisions on legal matters, corporate culture, and, for me, more money.
Sitting around and doing not much while collecting a check
WLB for me. Less stress. No billables. I also like learning about the inner workings of business.
You stop being the drone and get to make meaningful decisions that truly impact a business…and only during business hours
No billables.
WLB literally the best decision I’ve ever made
WLB for sure
I think the work is more interesting
Less stress. I would say that on a scale of 1-10, 10 being a feeling of absolute doom and despair looking at my deadlines when I was in litigation, my stress level was a 10. Now, in house, it’s probably a 2. The pay sucks, but you can still have an okay life.
I like being more invested/involved in the business and working with non-lawyers.
Keep in mind: partners can make less than in house. Especially if your book of business is not great.
Especially outside of BL and outside of tier 1 cities. I made $400k as a partner at a regional firm in a MCOL city. Targeted comp was $365k in house, with actual comp being just over $500k (in an anomalous year) because of higher than expected bonuses, extra equity awards to high performer, and an allocated signing bonus that I was awarded to bridge the period between my hire and my intended promotion. To AGC, at which point my targeted comp will be in the $450k-$475k range.
WLB for sure, although YMMV. The big ones for me are: 1) no billables, 2) no business development, 3) feeling free to take the time needed to do a thorough job without worrying how I’m going to justify it when the client gets the bill.