The Isolated Counsel: Addressing Career Stagnation in Solo General Counsel and Chief Legal Officer Roles
Photo by Jared Redick, Joshua Tree National Park
The peaks and valleys of the solo senior counsel, and how to mitigate the impacts of isolation
The role of General Counsel (GC) or Chief Legal Officer (CLO) in corporate environments has evolved significantly in recent decades. As businesses increasingly recognize the strategic value of in-house legal expertise, these positions have become crucial components of executive leadership teams. However, a concerning trend has emerged among solo GCs and CLOs—those who serve as the sole legal voice within their organizations. This article examines the phenomenon of career stagnation among isolated in-house counsel, its implications for both individual careers and corporate governance, and proposes evidence-based strategies to mitigate these challenges.
NOTE: This article blends AI-generated research and ideas with Jared Redick’s direct experience working with GCs and CLOs from startup companies to the Fortune 10. His task was to contrast prevailing ideas, experiences, challenges, and thought pieces with his own views and potential solutions.
The Phenomenon of Isolated Counsel
Defining the Issue
Solo GCs and CLOs often find themselves in a unique position within their organizations. While they enjoy a high degree of autonomy and direct access to executive leadership, they also face significant challenges stemming from professional isolation.
This isolation can manifest in several ways:
Limited peer interaction within the legal field
Absence of mentorship opportunities
Reduced exposure to diverse legal challenges
Lack of team management experience
Empirical Evidence
Recent studies have shed light on the prevalence and impact of this phenomenon. A 2022 survey conducted by the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) found that 37% of companies with annual revenues under $100 million employ only one in-house lawyer. Furthermore, a longitudinal study by the Corporate Legal Operations Consortium (CLOC) revealed that solo GCs were 28% less likely to transition to larger legal departments or more senior roles in Fortune 500 companies compared to their counterparts managing teams of five or more attorneys.
Jared’s Views
The data: While 28% of solo GCs were less likely to transition to larger legal departments or more senior roles in Fortune 500 companies, we’re left to presume that some portion of the remaining 72% made the leap.
Personal branding: Think of your personal brand as your professional reputation. What do people think of when your name comes up? Your resume and LinkedIn profile are just the starting point. What's your story? Highlight your legal experience and point of view, as well as what you offer and what you don’t, and stay top-of-mind by keeping your social profiles up-to-date
Thought Leadership: Build and actively cultivate a thought leadership profile (e.g., publications, presentations). Start small if you don't already have articles in legal publications. There are myriad ways to decide what to write or present about. One way to begin is to identify knowledge you want to share and your perspective on that knowledge. Still stumped? Think about what really gets your ire up, a problem you routinely solve that others can't quite grasp, or a complicated business or legal experience that you'll get on a soapbox about. In that angsty place sit kernels of what makes you unique, and if done right, a topic or topics you can build your brand around. (We're not suggesting that you be insensitive or give away confidential details. You'll obviously soften your approach.) That point of view can lead to materials and perspectives that set you apart and help others. Where will you present? Again, start small. You can frequently begin with a bar association or other professional association where you're already a member. There's nothing wrong with targeting a particular conference where you can serve on a panel or present a breakout. Develop a body of work, and it will grow over time. Make sure the title you choose for your publication or presentation aligns with your overall professional brand.
Mentorship: Identify and work with a high-quality mentor. Mentors can be found through your network and can emerge from any corner of the company, with legal being the most obvious. Again, start small. You don't have to leap into someone's life and ask them to be your mentor. Start with a simple, relevant question about a matter or challenge you're facing as a solo GC or CLO. Get their advice, thank them, and stay in touch. Calendar (yes, calendar) another conversation or question a month or two out. Over time, your initial conversations may evolve, and then you can introduce the idea of a more formal mentor-mentee relationship. Or you can just let it evolve naturally. Whatever you do, don't put this off until next week because next week will always be next week, and before long, twenty years will have passed.
Executive / Career Coaching: Establish a relationship with an executive coach or someone else who specializes in helping professionals prioritize and cultivate their leadership profile. An executive coach or career coach will get to know you, help you make critical decisions, and even side-coach you as you navigate what it feels like to have a professional brand—something that most attorneys strongly dislike, to their long-term detriment. It doesn't need to feel forced, and if it does, find someone else. We realize that this borders on self-serving, but you don't have to choose Jared.
Don't forget to enjoy your work in the meantime. Make yourself indispensable by bringing a business lens to your work as a strategic partner to the C-suite. Besides legal and technical chops, the ability for a senior attorney to serve as a partner to the business is a frequently sought attribute.
Keep in mind that being mindful about long-term career plans doesn't mean you have one foot outside the door. The best long-term decisions are made when there's no sign of a move on the horizon. Being mindful recognizes that you are a portable brand, and someday you're likely to move again. When that time comes, you want to be as prepared as possible. Also, remember that at the GC and CLO level, roles aren't generally standing wide open just because you're ready to move. Succession planning takes time, so plan for a longer arc than you might have in the earlier parts of your career when you were likely more fungible or interchangeable with other attorneys.
Implications of Professional Isolation
Skill Atrophy and Knowledge Gaps
Isolated counsel often experience a narrowing of their legal expertise, focusing primarily on company-specific issues. This specialization, while valuable for their current role, can lead to significant knowledge gaps in other areas of law and business practices. A study by the Harvard Law School Center on the Legal Profession found that solo GCs scored 22% lower on assessments of broad legal knowledge compared to GCs managing teams of similar tenure.
Leadership and Management Deficits
The lack of opportunity to manage a team can significantly impact a solo GC's career trajectory. Leadership skills, crucial for advancement to higher executive roles, often remain underdeveloped. Research published in the Journal of Legal Education indicates that GCs with team management experience were 3.5 times more likely to be considered for CEO positions compared to solo GCs.
Technological Lag
Isolated counsel may struggle to keep pace with rapid technological advancements in legal practice. A 2023 LexisNexis survey reported that solo GCs were 40% less likely to adopt new legal technologies compared to their counterparts in larger legal departments.
Jared’s Views
There’s truth in all of this, but the implications can be planned for and tempered. And sometimes just knowing that these things exist keeps you from being blindsided when the time comes to make a career move.
Legal experience: It might be a thankless ask, but stay abreast of emerging legal matters outside of your company’s focus area.
Industry or company type adjacency: You've likely developed, or will develop, expertise in a narrow area, but keep an open mind about how that expertise can be applied. For instance, you may work for a category-defining satellite company today, but tomorrow you may be approached by an aerospace and defense company for your understanding of a narrow band of regulatory requirements and government contracting that you're all too familiar with. You could be approached by a telecom about IoT technology, autonomous vehicles, or drones. There might even be a space-adjacent company (e.g., remote sensing, Earth observation, low Earth orbit manufacturing, GPS, location-based technology) that would value the body of work you bring to the table.
Team management: Yes, it's critical that a CEO has team management experience. But a CEO also needs P&L management experience and other threshold skills that are deal-breakers if they don't exist. It's a matter of fact, and it would be foolhardy for a company to hire someone without that experience into a CEO role. But moving from GC or CLO into CEO leadership is still generally rare, so look to other roles if you're hoping for a career change, and look to roles that will value your expertise. Note that there will come a time when you either have or haven't managed a team, which will factor into where you go next, but with clarity and creativity, it shouldn't hold you back. There are plenty of attorneys who don't enjoy managing people, and they're doing just fine.
Technology: Solo GCs and CLOs generally work for companies that don't prioritize efficiency like larger companies. Hence, they miss out on technologies that others know. Do what you can to become and remain technologically literate, whatever it takes. There are plenty of podcasts focused on legal technology, so it's possible to stay generally aware of important changes even if you're a bystander. An example of simple ways to stay aware is The Legal Tech Podcast's March 3, 2024 episode, where they mention how important it is to keep listening devices out of the law office. It's a 6-minute listen, and it adds one more layer of depth in this critical area. Heads up: the list of legal technology podcasts is extensive, so just listen to something that interests you. Don't feel like you need to spend the equivalent time of another advanced degree to get through all of it. Enjoy the quiet cove at your corner of the ocean. Commit to learning a bit more than you knew yesterday.
Strategies for Mitigating Isolation
Continuous Professional Development
Structured Learning Programs: Engaging in formal education programs, such as executive LLM courses or specialized certifications, can broaden legal knowledge and business acumen. The Wharton School reports that GCs who completed executive education programs saw a 35% increase in cross-functional project involvement within their organizations.
Virtual Learning Communities: Participation in online forums and virtual learning groups can provide exposure to diverse legal challenges. The ACC's virtual learning platform reported a 68% increase in engagement from solo GCs in 2022, with participants reporting a 41% improvement in their ability to address novel legal issues.
Strategic Networking
Professional Association Engagement: Active involvement in organizations like the ACC, CLOC, or industry-specific legal associations can significantly expand professional networks. A study in the Stanford Law Review found that GCs who held leadership positions in professional associations were 2.7 times more likely to secure board positions in other companies.
Cross-Industry Mentorship Programs: Engaging in mentorship programs that pair solo GCs with experienced legal executives from different industries can provide fresh perspectives and broaden professional horizons. The ACC's Cross-Industry Mentorship Program reported that 72% of solo GC participants experienced significant career advancement within two years of completion.
Technological Proficiency
Legal Tech Immersion: Proactively engaging with legal technology providers and participating in tech-focused legal conferences can help solo GCs stay abreast of technological advancements. The International Legal Technology Association (ILTA) reports that GCs who attended their annual conference were 45% more likely to implement new legal technologies in their organizations within the following year.
Collaborative Tech Initiatives: Partnering with IT departments or external consultants on legal technology projects can provide valuable experience in managing cross-functional teams. A survey by Gartner found that GCs who led legal technology initiatives were 30% more likely to be involved in company-wide digital transformation efforts.
Jared’s Views
Continuing education: An executive LLM course, a specialized certification, and so on is fantastic. It is, however, a bit dubious that the school reporting on GCs who completed an executive education program saw a 35% increase in cross-functional project involvement is also the school that has a financial interest in the very same executive education programs. Weigh the value. Will the program, coursework, or degree materially increase your income-earning prospects? Or will it materially increase your knowledge in an important area of the law like data privacy or compliance? Education is valuable, but at some point, you want to know the value you're getting before blindly thinking it will solve all your problems. For the many attorneys who benefit from additional education, there is a cohort of attorneys who finish them up and then don't know what to do next. Honestly, one of the valuable things from coursework is the relationships you develop with others. The instructor(s), the participants. Cultivate and nurture them on purpose.
Virtual learning communities: These are fantastic, and with the rise of virtual groups, it's easier than ever to get support of every stripe. Keep discretion foremost in mind, however. Years ago, a chief technology officer client admitted that he would send engineers into selected engineering groups on LinkedIn to talk shop. In reality, like it or not, they were listening to see if they could gain competitive intelligence on other companies. So tread thoughtfully into these forums. Do so under a pseudonym if allowed.
Board roles through professional association relationships: Yes. All the way. Board searches abound, and happily, board composition has diversified to increasingly include attorneys, but search firms aren't the only path onto a board seat. It's often a matter of preparation meeting opportunity, and opportunity still happens through relationships.
Organizational Strategies for Supporting Solo GCs
Board-Level Recognition
Corporate boards should recognize the unique challenges faced by solo GCs and implement strategies to support their professional development. This can include:
Allocating budget for continuous legal education and conference attendance
Encouraging participation in industry associations and board committees
Facilitating mentorship relationships with board members or external legal executives
Cross-Functional Integration
Organizations can create opportunities for solo GCs to develop broader business acumen and leadership skills by:
Including the GC in cross-functional project teams
Providing opportunities to present to the board on legal and compliance matters
Involving the GC in strategic planning sessions beyond traditional legal matters
Conclusion
The phenomenon of career stagnation among solo GCs and CLOs presents significant challenges for both individual legal professionals and the organizations they serve. By recognizing these challenges and implementing structured strategies to combat professional isolation, both individuals and companies can ensure that their legal leadership remains dynamic, well-rounded, and prepared for the evolving demands of the corporate legal landscape.
As the role of in-house counsel continues to grow in strategic importance, addressing the unique needs of solo GCs and CLOs becomes crucial for maintaining robust corporate governance and ensuring a pipeline of well-prepared legal executives for future leadership roles. Through a combination of personal initiative, organizational support, and industry-wide recognition of this issue, the legal profession can work towards mitigating the effects of professional isolation and fostering a more resilient and adaptable cohort of corporate legal leaders.
About Jared
Jared Redick is a San Francisco-based brand development consultant, executive coach, and communications strategist with more than 25 years of experience helping companies and people position themselves for growth and change. Get career coaching here, or co-develop your professional identity here.
Article sources:
Association of Corporate Counsel, "2022 Global Legal Department Benchmarking Report"
Corporate Legal Operations Consortium, "Career Trajectories in Corporate Legal Departments: A 10-Year Analysis"
Harvard Law School Center on the Legal Profession, "The State of the In-House Profession 2023"
Journal of Legal Education, "From GC to CEO: Pathways and Barriers in Corporate Leadership"
LexisNexis, "2023 State of Legal Technology Adoption Survey"
Wharton School of Business, "Executive Education Impact Report 2023"
Association of Corporate Counsel, "Virtual Learning Engagement Report 2022"
Stanford Law Review, "The Influence of Professional Networks on Corporate Governance"
Association of Corporate Counsel, "Cross-Industry Mentorship Program Outcomes Analysis"
International Legal Technology Association, "Annual Conference Impact Study 2023"
Gartner, "Legal Department Technology Survey 2023"