What if the most serious legal risk inside your organization isn’t hidden in a contract clause or regulatory update, but quietly growing inside your workplace culture? For in-house lawyers, the culture risk for counsel is quite significant because risk rarely announces itself clearly. More often, it emerges slowly through mistrust, inconsistent decisions, and employees who disengage because they believe speaking up won’t matter.
That reality was front and center in a recent conversation with Malobi Achike, founder and CEO of a data-driven HR technology company and a former lawyer herself. Her experience working at the intersection of law, technology, and people highlights a truth in-house counsel know well: culture issues may not start in Legal, but they almost always end there.
Watch the full conversation with Malobi Achike:
Culture Is an Early Warning System for Legal Risk
In-house lawyers are often called in after damage has already occurred. By the time Legal becomes involved, facts are disputed, relationships are strained, and exposure is real. Cultural problems rarely begin as legal matters, yet they frequently evolve into them. Uneven promotions, inconsistent discipline, and leadership decisions that conflict with stated values create friction long before a formal complaint appears. Counsel must be aware of the culture risk that can arise under these circumstances.
When employees sense a gap between what an organization says and what it does, trust erodes. That erosion shows up later as whistleblower reports, claims, or sudden departures. Culture, in this sense, acts as an early warning system. Ignoring it doesn’t reduce risk. It delays visibility.
Why Trust Determines When Legal Gets Involved
Trust plays a critical role in whether issues surface early or late. When employees believe internal processes exist only to protect the company, they hesitate to raise concerns. Silence may feel comfortable in the short term, but it often leads to bigger problems later, thus intensifying the culture risk for those in counsel roles.
For in-house counsel, early awareness creates options. Late awareness creates urgency. The difference often comes down to whether employees trust that concerns will be handled fairly, consistently, and without retaliation. Legal teams don’t build trust alone, but they are deeply affected by its absence.
Using Data to See What Stories Miss
Culture feels intangible until it is measured. Data brings clarity. Demographics alone are not enough. Where people sit in the organization, how long they stay, and whether advancement stalls at certain levels reveal far more about risk than headcount percentages. In turn, data can help counsel assess culture risk more precisely.
Sentiment data matters just as much. Understanding how employees experience fairness, access to development, and psychological safety helps legal leaders anticipate issues before they escalate. Technology enables Legal to move beyond anecdotes and intuition, grounding conversations with leadership in patterns rather than isolated incidents.
DEI as a Legal Operations Issue, Not a Slogan
There is a persistent misconception that diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives are primarily moral or reputational. In practice, they are operational. Inclusive organizations retain talent longer, experience fewer internal conflicts, and reduce downstream legal work, which subsequently lowers culture risk for the counsel involved.
For in-house legal teams focused on efficiency, DEI directly impacts workload. High attrition increases contract reviews, investigations, and disputes. Strong inclusion reduces churn and uncertainty. This is not about optics. It is about stability.
The Cost of Doing Nothing
Doing nothing is not a neutral choice. It is a decision that compounds risk. In-house lawyers don’t need to own culture programs to influence outcomes. Asking sharper questions, challenging misalignment, and insisting on measurable progress can change trajectories.
The most effective legal leaders understand that culture is not separate from risk management. It is often where risk begins and must be managed by counsel who are aware of the culture risk for their role.
Watch the full conversation here: Notes to My (Legal) Self: Season 10, Episode 3 (ft. Malobi Achike)
Join the Conversation
At Notes to My (Legal) Self®, we’re dedicated to helping in-house legal professionals develop the skills, insights, and strategies needed to thrive in today’s evolving legal landscape. From leadership development to legal operations optimization and emerging technology, we provide the tools to help you stay ahead.
What’s been your biggest breakthrough moment in your legal career? Let’s talk about it—share your story.
