Preparing for a Corporate Law Career

Some law students and recent graduates have career aspirations outside the traditional law firm box – specifically, in a corporate legal department. Few law grads get hired as corporate counsel straight out of school, but there are some considerations that can increase the likelihood of getting hired in-house down the line.

1. Business and litigation skills. “In-house jobs are as much about business as they are about law, certainly on the commercial side,” says Todd Wharton, counsel, legal affairs, at Canada Post in Toronto. Any business experience you’ve garnered outside of law school – from previous careers, jobs, undergraduate study, business courses, or even a joint LLB/MBA – will definitely help.

\For his part, Wharton took the Canadian Securities Course following law school. “The main motivations were to understand more of the financial information appearing in even the non-business media, and to help open up job opportunities in public companies and the financial services sector,” he says. Other law school graduates pursue a Certified Financial Analyst designation. “That’s a very big commitment and would only open doors in financial services or securities,” Wharton says, “but it would be very helpful with certain in-house jobs.”

François Lavallée agrees. The senior vice-president, legal affairs, of National Bank Financial in Montreal says a law school graduate with a CFA is his ideal candidate. “They understand the financial universe and also have the legal expertise to navigate through it,” he says, though he adds this ideal profile is rare. For Lavallée, “it’s less about the résumé and much more about the interview”– he wants to see good judgment, attitude, and a willingness to learn and adapt.

He’s also looking for solid litigation skills.“In the past, the typical profile of in-house counsel was much more toward corporate/commercial work, mergers and acquisitions, this type of work,” Lavallée says. “It is still relevant, but in our new regulatory environment, regulatory issues and risk management issues are taking on a lot more importance. Litigation skills are important because of the regulatory activity.”

2. A good network. Networking skills will enhance a student’s in-house career aspirations. “Network broadly through any job or professional contacts you have,” Wharton advises. “Make it known what you’re looking for.” People will assume that you want to work in a law firm. “Make everyone in your circle aware of the fact that you’re looking for something in-house. Keep in touch with friends in the business world – they’re more likely than lawyers to know of openings.

3. Flexibility. Wharton took a temporary position at EDS in the hopes he could parlay it into a more permanent in-house position. A few months later, he became contracts advisor at the aerospace company Northrup Grumman Canada Corp. (now called L-3 Communications Electronic Systems Inc.). Then, after two and a half years, he landed the legal counsel position at Canada Post, a job he’s now held for four years. Be open to any possibility that might come your way.

4. Professional connections. Getting involved with a professional association can only help. Wharton began volunteering with the Canadian Corporate Counsel Association soon after starting at Aerospace, providing him the opportunity to learn about various jobs and build more contacts. The CCCA has two levels of membership, says former executive director Silvie Kuppek. Regular members practise in-house and have voting rights and full access to CCCA services, while associate members cannot vote at CCCA’s annual general meeting or participate in “corporate counsel only” events. A student or recent graduate could become an associate member. All CCCA members are also members of the CBA.

5. The right articling position. “If you article in a big firm, I get the impression there’s a lot more job opportunities open to you initially,” says Wharton. You’ll have more chances to build contacts with large clients, and if the clerkship turns into a junior position, there’s the possibility of a secondment to a client’s business premises for a year or so. “What often happens is that the person who was sent decides to stay in-house,” Wharton says.

By Alison Arnot, freelance writer. This article appears in National Magazine's 2009 Law Student Issue.