Are you a mid-level in-house lawyer?
Do you feel you need more support in your role?
Would you like to be able to share your insights and
strategies in a safe place?
Are you interested in joining an in-house legal community of your peers?
The primary goal is to provide a platform where members can exchange insights, strategies, and resources to navigate the challenges of their roles effectively. By fostering a collaborative environment, this group aims to empower its members with the knowledge and skills needed to advance their careers within the legal department of their organisation.
Heading up this initiative is Gethin Bennett, who is currently Assistant Legal Counsel at The Royal Mint:
After a couple of years in private practice, I joined The Royal Mint (where I spent some time on secondment as a trainee) as a full-time in-house lawyer in November 2020. Being an advisor for the Mint is great – you get huge legal and commercial variety in your work, get to collaborate with some fantastic and different people, and get to play a key part in ensuring the success of the business’ products and services.
Before qualifying as a solicitor, I studied Law and French at Cardiff University, and was lucky to spend an Erasmus year abroad in Toulouse during my studies.
Connect with Gethin on LinkedIn: Gethin Bennett.
Why is this needed?
In today's fast-paced legal landscape, the role of junior in-house lawyers is evolving rapidly, and with that change comes a unique set of challenges. We’ve therefore set up this group to help with those challenges – in particular, with the aim of:
- Combating isolation: The role of an in-house lawyer can be inherently solitary, especially for those working in smaller legal departments or as the sole legal counsel in their organisation. This isolation can result in a lack of peer support, hindered professional growth, and feelings of professional loneliness.
- Promoting learning and growth: Junior in-house lawyers have unique challenges, from managing internal stakeholders and corporate governance to understanding industry-specific regulations. Our peer group will provide a platform to share experiences, discuss best practices, and learn from one another's successes and setbacks.
- Opening networking opportunities: Building a professional network is crucial for any legal career. Our forum will connect you with peers from diverse industries, allowing you to expand your network, exchange ideas, and potentially find mentorship or collaboration opportunities.
- Improving mental health and well-being: Recognising the mental toll that being a legal counsel can take, we hope that the group will provide emotional support and a safe space for discussing the stressors and challenges of the in-house legal profession.
This is the third session, following on from March and June. We are hoping to start a community group on LinkedIn to pick up anything covered in the group sessions and any future topics for discussion plus we are hoping to have one more session this year.
We are looking at a maximum of 16 people per session and all participants should have cameras on to encourage full engagement. These groups will take place under Chatham House Rule, but they will be recorded for the purpose of writing up what is discussed so a survival guide can be created to be taken away. Once we have this the recording will be deleted. We are hoping for a mix of experience so you can all benefit from each other's knowledge.
Should this be of interest to you please contact us and state your level of experience (0-5 years). As mentioned above, spaces in the group will be limited but the up-coming LI community group will be able to accommodate everyone interested!
FAQ
How do I join?
Just email us directly at admin@legalleadership.co.uk or fill out the form below and we will send you all information required.
Do I have to pay to join?
No, this group will be free.
What level of experience do I need to join?
We are looking at anyone with 0-5 years of being an in-house lawyer. Maybe you are ready to make a step up and need the help to do so. Please remember to state the years of experience when registering your interest.
Can I submit questions or topics for the session?
Definitely - we encourage strongly that you do so!
Why is this being recorded if under Chatham House Rule?
The purpose for recording the sessions is so that we can develop a written survival guide for those mid-level in-house. This guide will be available in the form of articles on our website and PDF flyers that can be shared. Recordings will be deleted when notes have been taken, and no names will be taken down/ associated with whatever is said.
Will my participation be public?
No, it will not be public, the only people who will know you attended will be other participants and the small team at CLL. Nothing will be attributed to you.
If I want something attributed to me within a article/survival guide can this happen?
Yes, if you would like to be attributed within a survival guide just let us know and we can raise any points you discussed and include your details.
What is the max capacity for the group?
Ideally 16, but hopefully we can expand if this proves popular.
The group Is full, is there a wait list?
Yes, there will be a wait list so if anyone that signed up can no longer attend the first one on the list will take the place.