This session explored the evolving legal career landscape through the lens of private practice versus in-house roles, with a particular focus on early-career decision-making, skill development, and long-term adaptability. The discussion was led by Moderator Ciara O’Buachalla, alongside contributions from participants across jurisdictions.

Speaker Background

Ciara O’Buachalla began her legal career in private practice, training and qualifying at William Fry before moving to Arthur Cox, where she specialised in commercial litigation. Her career includes secondments to Pepper and Vodafone, an MBA, a role at Amazon, founding a legal AI startup, and her current position as AI Governance Manager at Logitech. This trajectory reflects a non-linear, highly adaptive legal career shaped by both opportunity and intentional pivots.

Understanding the Structural Differences

Private Practice
O’Buachalla described private practice as highly structured, with clear hierarchies, defined progression pathways, and strong supervision. Lawyers operate within large teams, and work is frequently reviewed. Early careers are shaped significantly by team allocation and exposure. While this environment provides strong technical grounding, individuals may feel like “a small fish in a very big pond”.

In-House
In contrast, in-house roles tend to be flatter, less structured, and more autonomous. Lawyers are embedded within the business, dealing with a wide range of issues often unfamiliar, requiring rapid learning and cross-functional collaboration. There is less immediate supervision, and responsibility sits closer to the individual. The role shifts from purely legal analysis to practical application within a commercial context.

The Rise of In-House Roles

The session highlighted the continued growth of in-house legal functions globally. This shift is driven by increasing regulatory complexity, which requires companies to maintain internal expertise, as well as a desire to embed legal professionals more closely within strategic decision-making processes.

Businesses are also seeking cost efficiencies and reducing reliance on external counsel, particularly for day-to-day matters, while global expansion has further increased the need for legal support within organisations. O’Buachalla emphasised that this trend reflects growing demand for in-house capability rather than a decline in the relevance of law firms.

Skills and Mindset for In-House Success

Three critical capabilities emerged:

1. Commercial Awareness
Understanding how businesses operate is essential. While an MBA can accelerate this, similar exposure can be gained through cross-functional work within organisations.

2. Resourcefulness and Ownership
In-house lawyers often face novel issues without clear precedents. Success depends on the ability to gather information, ask the right questions, and synthesise input from across the business.

3. Collaboration and Relationship Building
Strong internal relationships are key. Legal teams must position themselves as partners rather than blockers, engaging early with business units to enable progress rather than delay it.

Transition Challenges

A recurring theme was the difficulty of transitioning from private practice to in-house without prior in-house experience. Despite demand for candidates with both backgrounds, opportunities can be limited. Secondments emerged as a critical pathway to bridge this gap, offering practical exposure and credibility.

Legal Education and Early Career Development

O’Buachalla noted that traditional legal education remains overly theoretical and insufficiently prepares graduates for either private practice or in-house roles. Practical experience, particularly internships, was strongly recommended as a means of understanding different practice areas and career paths.

Non-Linear Careers and Emerging Opportunities

The discussion also reinforced the value of non-linear career paths. O’Buachalla’s transition into AI governance demonstrates how legal professionals can move into emerging areas at the intersection of law, technology, and business. Her experience showed that career pivots often arise from experimentation and initiative, and that setbacks, such as an unsuccessful startup, can provide valuable experience that leads to new opportunities.

Ultimately, the session highlighted that experience plays a more significant role than formal qualifications alone. Building practical exposure, even outside traditional legal roles, can be critical in shaping future career options.

The Future of Legal Careers

The discussion closed with reflections on broader industry shifts, including:

• Increasing integration of legal services within business and consulting models
• The impact of technology and AI on legal service delivery
• The emergence of hybrid roles combining legal, commercial, and technical expertise

While the precise direction remains uncertain, the consensus was clear: adaptability, continuous learning, and openness to change will define successful legal careers.