ARTICLE
There are some common misconceptions about attorneys who choose to work solely on contract, temporary or project-based legal assignments. A lack of familiarity with the modern-day consulting attorney model often leads hiring managers to conjure outdated conclusions about the caliber of a consulting attorney. In conversations with legal leaders, experience and expertise are often in question as hiring managers offer a skeptical look at the idea of hiring a consulting lawyer to handle niche projects or serve as a subject-matter expert for an immediate need. How can that lawyer possibly be experienced enough to hit the ground running within an organization they have little or no knowledge of?
The answer is in their resumes.
Consulting attorneys are no different than you. In fact, many legal consultants have 10 years of experience on average, attended outstanding law schools and have made several moves during their legal careers. Many have practiced in AmLaw 200 law firms and Fortune 100 organizations; some have deep experience in working with startups and helping companies go public. They specialize in myriad practice areas from real estate to privacy to ERISA. They are at different places in their careers and have just chosen an alternate path. In fact, it may be a path you consider at a different juncture in your career.
Here are a few common scenarios in which lawyers will pivot to consulting work:
Working as a consulting attorney is just another career path for a talented lawyer. Think about where you see yourself in five or 10 years. Right now, you might be leading a legal team within your dream organization, but if life throws you a curveball, would you be willing to pivot in an entirely new direction to adjust? If life goes as planned, will you want more flexibility or variety in your career at some point? Consulting attorneys tend to make career choices based on their lifestyle preferences. These lawyers find excitement in changing companies and roles and using that flexibility to their benefit.
The hiring legal team benefits, too. Bringing in a knowledgeable, experienced attorney who can be quickly onboarded and safely begin a project without the need for heavy oversight or training saves ramp-up time and use of resources. Your legal team will then be able to continue doing their jobs without interruption or the need to take on additional work that may have overextended them. That type of extra workload can lead to burnout or disgruntled employees; having extra hands to support this workload reduces the stress on the existing team. The organization can also benefit from the cost savings of hiring a consulting attorney as their rate is usually much lower than that of outside counsel or other hiring solutions.
While consulting is not for everyone, for those who choose this path, they have fulfilling careers that simply do not follow the traditionally structured path to which we are more accustomed.