Have you ever found yourself thinking, “I like being a lawyer, but I’m not sure I want to do this version of it forever”? For many in-house counsel, that question arrives quietly. It shows up after another long day of solving problems that technically are not legal, or when you notice how often your skills are used far beyond your job description. You are trusted, capable, and respected, yet something about the path ahead feels narrower than it should. Reflecting on in-house lawyer career paths can help navigate this uncertainty.
That tension came through clearly in a conversation with Neil Handwerker and Kimberly Fine, co-founders of Ex Judicata. Both have spent decades working alongside lawyers inside and outside traditional practice. Their shared belief is simple but powerful: legal careers do not have to be linear to be meaningful, successful, or fulfilling. Their work focuses on helping lawyers, including many in-house legal professionals, see the full range of possibilities their law degree already supports.
Watch the full conversation with Neil Handwerker & Kimberly Fine here:
The Invisible Swim Lane Many Lawyers Inherit
Even in-house, where lawyers often have closer proximity to the business, career paths can feel surprisingly rigid. You join the legal department, grow in responsibility, manage more risk, and perhaps aim for general counsel. It is a respected trajectory, but it is also a narrow one, particularly within in-house lawyer career paths.
Lawyers are rarely encouraged to pause and ask whether the lane they are in still fits. Law school trains people to keep moving forward, not sideways. Over time, momentum turns into inertia. Lawyers keep swimming, not because they are unhappy, but because stepping out of line feels risky or unclear. For in-house counsel who value learning and variety, this rigidity can quietly lead to frustration or stagnation.
Why Businesses Value Legal Skills More Than Titles
One of the most important insights from the conversation is how progressive organizations actually view lawyers. Legal professionals are not valued only for compliance or contracts. They are valued for judgment, risk assessment, negotiation, and clear communication under pressure. Recognizing these skills is crucial for those exploring career paths of in-house lawyers.
These skills translate naturally into roles across compliance, governance, policy, operations, product, and business leadership. Many of these positions are now recognized as JD Advantage roles, where legal training strengthens performance even though practicing law is not the core function. For in-house counsel, this explains why you are often pulled into cross-functional work. The business already sees your broader value.
What This Means for In-House Legal Leadership
The takeaway is not that every in-house lawyer should leave legal roles. Many should not. The real insight is that understanding your transferable skills makes you a stronger leader, regardless of title, along diverse in-house lawyer career paths.
Modern legal leadership requires adaptability, curiosity, and comfort operating beyond strict legal boundaries. In-house counsel who recognize the full scope of their capabilities are better positioned to influence strategy, guide teams, and build resilient careers.
Expanding Your Career Does Not Mean Abandoning the Law
The big takeaway is simple. There is more than one way to build a successful legal career. Exploring what else your law degree enables does not weaken your professional identity. It expands it. For in-house lawyers, that perspective is not a detour. It is a long-term advantage, one that complements diverse in-house lawyer career paths.
Watch the full conversation here: Notes to My (Legal) Self: Season 10, Episode 9 (ft.Neil Handwerker & Kimberly Fine)
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