How do some make in house after graduation? Forum

[lawschoolsplit2023]

While it’s not very common, you tend to hear of some law school graduates that make in house after law school graduation as opposed to being hired as an associate.

This made me curious, how do some make in house with no legal experience? If one has financial background and certifications can that help?

While some make in house, are these just law firms or have some made in house at an investment bank like citi, Goldman, Merrill lynch or Wells Fargo?

[Anonymous User]

While it’s not very common, you tend to hear of some law school graduates that make in house after law school graduation as opposed to being hired as an associate.

This made me curious, how do some make in house with no legal experience? If one has financial background and certifications can that help?

While some make in house, are these just law firms or have some made in house at an investment bank like citi, Goldman, Merrill lynch or Wells Fargo?

I find the bolded kind of confusing, because if you're working for a law firm, you're by definition not in-house.

I do know someone who went to an investment bank out of law school (not the ones you've mentioned), where they started working while in law school. They had some sort of generic business experience after undergrad (had worked in management consulting), but nothing incredibly notable. But I'm sure related experience in the industry can help.

Have you looked at the career sections on the websites for these companies? For instance, Goldman says of legal hiring:

We hire analysts, legal business services (LBS) professionals/paralegals and assistants. Our analyst program welcomes people from a variety of academic backgrounds and personal interests. Ideally, you should be interested in legal issues and the interaction of finance and the law, but a background in law and/or finance is not a prerequisite.

For our experienced hires, we generally do not hire directly from law schools, but instead hire attorneys who have experience in private practice. Our legal business services (LBS) professionals / paralegals are sourced from experienced paralegals and we hire experienced assistants.

The part I've bolded seems pretty typical for hiring in-house counsel in most industries. Do you want to be an attorney, or a banker? Why the interest in in-house for a bank right out of school?

[Moneytrees]

While it’s not very common, you tend to hear of some law school graduates that make in house after law school graduation as opposed to being hired as an associate.

This made me curious, how do some make in house with no legal experience? If one has financial background and certifications can that help?

While some make in house, are these just law firms or have some made in house at an investment bank like citi, Goldman, Merrill lynch or Wells Fargo?

Luck and/or networking. Generally, entry-level in-house jobs aren't that great, BTW.