Community Perspectives: What is your experience changing practice areas and what does that process look like?

In-house legal professionals talk about how they've changed practice areas within their careers.

General Counsel Responses:

A lot of studying. I went from chapter 11/bankruptcy litigation to real estate private equity (to a firm I co-founded). We can all read, so pick what area you want to do, and study. I’d say it took me six months of studying before I was comfortable doing purchase and sale agreements, commercial leases, and pricing properties. But being a bankruptcy lawyer, I was exposed to a lot of different businesses, etc., especially representing landlords.

Counsel Responses:

Seek mentorship from an attorney in the practice area you want to move into. You may need to be willing to accept a more junior role in your new area to get your foot in the door and start gaining experience.

Other Legal Professional Responses:

Focus on transferable skills and achievements when you pitch yourself. It definitely depends on what you practiced and what you’d like to practice. Credentials also matter; top tier law school and BigLaw makes shifts much easier as firms and companies are more willing to take a chance or eat training costs to invest in you.

In-house? Join the conversation on Fishbowl (anonymous).

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