Legal
In-house counsel is a lawyer employed directly by a company to handle its legal work, from contracts and employment issues to regulatory questions. Having counsel inside the business speeds up decisions and reduces reliance on costly outside firms.
Median pay
$159,670a year
Lawyers, U.S. BLS, May 2025
The role
Companies hire in-house counsel when outside legal spend rises, contract volume grows, or the business needs a lawyer close to daily decisions.
Typical responsibilities
Core skills
Tools and systems
Related titles
Typical background
J.D. with active bar admission and usually four to ten years of experience, often split between a law firm and in-house work.
At a glance
The essentials for planning the hire: level, background, how you can hire and what the role typically pays.
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FAQ
Straight answers to the questions employers and candidates ask about this role.
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In-house counsel is a lawyer employed directly by a company to handle its legal work, from contracts and employment issues to regulatory questions. Having counsel inside the business speeds up decisions and reduces reliance on costly outside firms. Typical responsibilities include: draft, review and negotiate commercial contracts for the business; advise internal teams on employment, privacy and regulatory questions; manage disputes and direct outside counsel on larger matters.
Look for commercial contracts, employment law, regulatory guidance, business judgment, negotiation and legal research. Experience with Ironclad, DocuSign CLM, Westlaw, Brightflag and Microsoft Word is common in this role.
Yes. Employers hire an in-house counsel on contract for projects, peak periods and cover, and contract-to-hire is a good way to confirm fit before a permanent offer. For long-term needs, most choose full-time placement.
When legal needs are steady enough that a full-time lawyer would cost less than the hours billed by outside firms, and when quick, business-aware advice is valuable. Specialized or one-off matters often still go to outside counsel.
Look for a generalist who is comfortable setting priorities, writing practical contract templates and saying when a matter needs outside help. Strong communication with non-lawyers matters as much as technical skill, because this person will build the legal function.
Related roles
Every role in the practice is recruited by the same specialist team.
