In-House Legal Career Growth: Building a Lasting Legal Career

Let me ask you something uncomfortable: Five years from now, will your current skills still support meaningful in-house legal career growth?

Most in-house lawyers wake up one day to find the ground shifting beneath them. New regulations appear overnight. AI starts handling routine contracts. Business leaders expect you to predict risks before they emerge. And suddenly, that deep expertise in one narrow area doesn’t feel like enough anymore.

I recently sat down with Ken Ito, General Counsel at Green Solar, who made the leap from litigation to strategic leadership. His insight hit hard: “The lawyers who thrive aren’t just specialists—they’re adaptable business partners who grow alongside their companies.”

Watch the full conversation with Ken Ito here:

Ken’s career began in jury trials—about as far from corporate law as you can get. But those courtroom battles taught him something unexpected: how to assess risk in real-time, negotiate under pressure, and explain complex issues simply. Skills that became gold when he moved in-house.

The lesson? Your next in-house legal career growth opportunity probably won’t come from doing more of what you already do. It’ll come from saying “yes” to that compliance project outside your wheelhouse, volunteering for the cross-functional AI task force, or learning how your company’s financials really work.

Here’s a harsh truth: No CEO has ever promoted a lawyer because they drafted perfect contracts. They promote lawyers who help hit business targets.

Ken spends as much time with sales and product teams as he does with legal. Why? “When you understand how revenue flows through the company, you stop being the department of ‘no’ and start creating solutions that protect while enabling growth.”

Try this tomorrow: Ask a business leader what keeps them up at night. Then brainstorm how legal can help solve it—not just mitigate risk.

Complacency is the quiet threat no in-house lawyer can afford. It creeps in when we mistake tenure for real security – when “I’ve always done it this way” replaces “What should I learn next?”

The most resilient legal professionals treat their growth like urgent business. They schedule “growth time” as religiously as client meetings.

Here’s what that looks like in practice:

They stay ahead of emerging trends. Not just reading headlines about AI governance or ESG reporting, but digging into how these shifts will specifically impact their industry.

They build bridges outside legal. Lunch with a product manager. Coffee with the head of sales. These connections become early warning systems for business shifts that will eventually need legal solutions.

They master the art of simplicity. Every week, they practice explaining complex legal concepts in plain terms. If you can’t make your point before the elevator reaches the top floor, you’re not ready for the C-suite.

Ken credits much of his success to mentors who pushed him out of comfort zones. “One coffee with the right person can change your career trajectory more than a year of grinding,” he told me.

But here’s the key: Don’t just network vertically. Build relationships with peers at other companies. They’ll be your early warning system for industry shifts—and often your best referral source for new opportunities.

In a world where AI can draft clauses and chatbots answer basic legal questions, what makes humans irreplaceable? Judgment.

The ability to weigh risks against business objectives, to read between the lines in negotiations, to spot the unintended consequences no algorithm would catch—these are the muscles to keep strengthening. Because while tools change, the need for wise counsel never does.

The Bottom Line

Resilient legal careers aren’t about predicting the future. They’re about building the adaptability to thrive no matter what the future holds.

So ask yourself: What’s one thing you’ll do this quarter that stretches you beyond today’s job description?

For more insights from Ken Ito on leading through uncertainty, watch Notes to My (Legal) Self: Season 1, Episode 6 (ft. Ken Ito)

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.