Having in-house legal counsel allows companies to save money by avoiding the high billable hour rates of outside counsel. Accordingly, more and more companies are hiring in house legal counsel to advise them on legal matters and to represent their interests in any potential litigation.

Because more companies are turning to in house counsel, it is more important than ever that business leaders and corporate counsel staff stay on top of in house legal counsel news and trends. Some of these trends include:

1. Increased reliance on e-discovery.

2. Keeping more tabs on the work that is sent to outside counsel.

3. A tightening corporate counsel job market as a result of failing Wall Street companies.

The in-house legal market is constantly changing in response to the economy, new case law and regulations. To ensure your business has the necessary information and tools to keep up with these trends, here are some tips on where to go for news, advice and reports.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Sign up for online legal newsletters geared towards the in-house legal counsel

Online legal newsletters and ezines are one of the best sources for staying on top of in house legal counsel news and trends. Legal websites that provide newsletters on in house issues are frequently updated and cover all the latest news affecting corporate lawyers.

I recommend: Inside Counsel provides breaking news, online exclusives, newsletters and even web seminars relevant to issues affecting in-house lawyers. Law.com features a corporate counsel magazine and a weekly in-house newsletter. Law.com also offers a newsletter focusing solely on technology news and trends for in house lawyers.

Check out the in-house sections of major legal research sites

Those sites providing online research resources for attorneys tend to have sections devoted to the latest headlines and news stories in all areas of the law, including corporate law.

I recommend: Findlaw's Corporate Counsel Center helps in house legal counsel and businesses keep up to date with legal developments in the industry by providing case summaries, corporate counsel news briefs and legal articles. Hieros Gamos offers extensive information on all areas of the law, including corporate law. It also provides links to articles, associations and recent publications in the industry.

Find blogs written by corporate lawyers

One of the best ways to find the latest news and trends in the in-house counsel market is to go directly to the source. Blogs written by in-house lawyers provide an inside look at the issues affecting their community.

I recommend: The Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) offers a wealth of information on issues affecting in house attorneys and is the world's largest organization serving the business and professional needs of its members. ACC's blog is one of the most informative and active sources for all the scoop on in-house news. Inhouse Blog also features news and job information for in house counsel. It offers you the options of subscribing to a free weekly email newsletter or by subscribing to the live feeds covering in house news.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  By attending conferences or trade shows geared towards the in house professional, you can network with people and share information and advice on the latest news and trends affecting the corporate counsel industry.

The decision to hire in-house counsel is not one to take lightly. However, if you have done your homework, carefully reviewed your legal counsel's invoices over the last few months and finally realized it would be in your best interest to hire in-house legal counsel for your small business, then it's time to start looking.

Before you do this, you need to know the easiest ways to go about hiring the internal counsel suited to your needs. Be sure to remember the following as you consider making the leap from outside corporate counsel to an internal lawyer:

1. You can hire a lawyer with law firm experience or someone fresh out of law school, depending on your budget and whether you will also be retaining outside counsel.

2. An in house counsel directory is a great place to scout candidates with experience.

3. There are many resources at your disposal to take the guesswork out of making this crucial decision.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Make your in-house counsel job easy for potential candidates to find

The Internet has made posting jobs a breeze, but remember the audience you hope to reach. Just as you wouldn't advertise your sports car in a magazine geared toward knitters, do not waste time advertising your job on a site not created for corporate counsel looking for an in-house lawyer position.

I recommend: For a small fee, you can advertise your position on Inhouse Blog. Post your legal job for free on Counsel.Net.

Search and screen resumes to find the candidate best suited to be your in-house corporate lawyer

Maybe you are not ready to advertise your position and deal with an onslaught of resumes. You are now capable of screening potential candidates at your leisure thanks to websites that allow job-seekers to post their resumes for you to search.

I recommend: Become a member of The Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) for free and gain access to resumes posted by lawyers looking for jobs. You can use key words to narrow your free search of resumes on TheJobSpider.com.

Hire a consultant or headhunter experienced at searching for in house legal counsel

If you do not have the time to search resumes and screen candidates, let a professional weed out the best lawyers for your specific needs. A recruiter will save you the time of meeting with people who obviously will not work for your needs.

I recommend: Contact General Counsel Consulting to find out how their search services can help you. E-mail Aaron Consulting, Inc. to learn more about their services.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  In-house lawyers work only for you so you know your issues will always take precedence.
• •  In-house counsel can monitor the billing of any outside lawyers, should you need them, to control costs.

In-house legal counsel education and training will enable an individual to become an integral part of a business. Corporations hire in-house counsel to provide myriad legal services. Education and training often encompasses a wide range of legal fields.

The first step in becoming an in-house counsel for legal affairs is to obtain a law degree and pass the bar exam. This process gives the individual a license to practice law and provide legal advice to his/her employers. Keep these things in mind when considering legal training:

1. Select the best school to obtain legal counsel education, since this is a significant part of a resume in this field.

2. Keep an eye out for in-house legal counsel apprenticeships, as some businesses will encourage individuals to move up in the business.

3. Know that most in-house legal counsel is specialized, which means individuals may wish to pursue specific areas of the law to be better qualified for a position.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Go to law school to become a corporate lawyer

Law schools provide the foundation of education to the individual who wishes to become a corporate counsel. In law school, students will learn the basics of law. During this course of education, students often select the type of legal career they wish to pursue. Those who wish to become an in-house counsel may focus on corporate law fields.

I recommend: Work to become an internal lawyer by starting with law school. One of the most well respected schools is the Harvard Law School. The Juris Doctor Degree program here is three years of basic and advanced classes for students to explore their legal foundations. The University of Notre Dame Law School offers the Juris Doctor Degree program and advanced courses. Students are able to focus their legal studies toward the fields they are interested in.

Sit for the bar exam to become general counsel licensed in your state

All corporate counsel must have licensing from the bar. The bar exam is a state administered exam covering various areas of legal skill. The goal of this licensing is to ensure the student has the education, skill and abilities to provide accurate legal advice. Counsel attorneys will need to pass the bar. Review and study courses are available to help prepare students for this test.

I recommend: Become an attorney only after receiving licensing. To prepare for the bar exam, potential corporate lawyers may wish to take a licensing course. One can study for the bar through online programs or in class seminars. Kaplan PMBR offers an online review for students. Reed Law Group provides bar exam instructions and test preparation seminars to help prepare students

Obtain additional degrees to provide specialized internal counsel

To have listing in an in-house counsel directory, students may wish to specialize in training to provide corporate law. Master's degree programs enable students to gain this type of training.

I recommend: Specialize in services offered as an attorney. In-house lawyers may gain specialization through various Master's Degree programs. Stanford University offers several advanced degree programs for students. This includes a Master of Laws Program and a Doctor of the Science of Law. The University of Texas at Austin offers a Master of Laws Program, which is very selective for only the best students and professionals.

An in-house legal counsel team is the business' backbone when it comes to maintaining the law. A business may need to hire or supplement its existing team. It may need to seek out third party providers who specialize in areas of the law not covered by the group's current legal team. This field often includes healthcare lawyers, labor and employment law attorneys and attorneys specializing in commercial litigation. Terms such as divestiture and intellectual property may also be used in relation to an in-house legal counsel team.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

National Association of Legal Search Consultants (NALSC)

The National Association of Legal Search Consultants is a national organization holding those in the legal search profession to a higher standard. In-house legal counsel may be a member of this organization.

I recommend: The National Association of Legal Search Consultants has a website detailing the organization's Code of Ethics.

Labor and employment law attorneys

Labor and employment law attorneys handle in-house situations. Their specialized area of the law often includes employees, employee relationships, former employees and employee hiring guidelines. These professionals are often a part of the in-house legal counsel team.

I recommend: LawInfo offers a detailed explanation of labor and employment law attorneys.

Healthcare lawyer

Healthcare lawyers are often part of an in-house team. They analyze health related situations within the business. This includes the administration of health services and managing risk management. Some also handle malpractice litigation.

I recommend: Education Portal provides a full description of a health care lawyer.

Commercial litigation

Commercial litigation professionals work to solve complex legal issues within a business environment. These professionals work with in-house legal counsel to accomplish tasks including commercial trials and settlements.

I recommend: Akerman Senterfitt provides commercial litigation. Their website details more of what commercial litigation is.

Divestiture

Some in-house legal counsel teams tackle divestiture. This is the process of disposing of assets through sales, closures or other methods. The process can be done slowly or over time.

I recommend: Investopedia offers more information and resources on divestiture.

Intellectual property

Intellectual property describes the legal concepts behind patent law, trademark law, copyright law and similar forms. Here, the legal right is not over a tangible asset, but rather an abstract property. In-house legal counsel may need to provide these services to the business.

I recommend: HG provides more information and a variety of detailed reports on intellectual property and the laws governing it.