Interviews With Lawyers
Dear 2L, As you approach interviews with lawyers, learn these common lawyer titles:
IN-HOUSE COUNSEL:
This term refers to attorneys who are employed at an entity (such as a company or organization) that is not “in the business” of providing attorney or other legal services. In-house counsel typically serve one and only one client: the same entity that employs them.
GENERAL COUNSEL:
This term refers to the highest-level, in-house counsel to whom all other entity lawyers typically report. Note that some entities call their highest lawyer “Chief Legal Officer (CLO),” a term that is often, but not always, synonymous with General Counsel.
OUTSIDE COUNSEL:
This term is most commonly used by in-house counsel and their employers to refer to the law-firm lawyers that represent them. Another way to refer to “outside counsel” is lawyers who work in “private practice.”
SENIOR COUNSEL:
This term is a job title that has different meanings depending on the employer. One of the BigLaw firms where I worked used the term to refer to its most senior, recognized associates who would—at some future point—be considered for partnership. A company where I worked also used the term for certain of its senior inhouse lawyers.
CONTRACT COUNSEL:
This term (which is also “Contract Attorney” or “Contract Lawyer”) refers to a lawyer who works on an hourly basis, usually for a law firm, as a self-employed independent contractor. Work may be arranged through a third-party staffing agency. Contract Counsel are paid less and are considered less prestigious than comparable law-firm associates.
(NB—The “Contract” in “Contract Counsel” has nothing to do with contract law or the review and negotiating of contracts. It refers to the contractual relationship between the Contract Counsel and the law firm or other employer.)
FRACTIONAL GENERAL COUNSEL:
This term is relatively new and generally refers to experienced, self-employed lawyers who function as full- or part-time inhouse counsel, often in the GC or CLO role. In other words, the company is not their employer, but they handle all functions that an employed, in-house counsel would handle.
Fondly,
💌 Amanda
🗳️ LAWYERS: Please holler to add or modify any of the above (especially Fractional GC, as that is a newer term for me).
🗳️ STUDENTS & OTHERS: What other terms have you heard for which you’d find a definition & description helpful?