In-House Legal Counsel News and Trends

Staying on top of the latest trends in the in house counsel market

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.

 

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.
Try: 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.
Try: 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.
Try: 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.

 

• 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.

Copyright © 2011 Business.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

---