In-house legal is a consistently shifting and adapting profession. It can be hard to get an insight into other in-house legal teams. How are the handling the same challenges? What opportunities they are leaning into? What is top of mind for them for in-house legal in 2024?
We've teamed up with Pinsent Masons Vario to produce our landmark report of the year, "In-House Legal Roundup: 2024 in Review". Using perspectives and data from the Crafty Counsel Community and Crafty Fest, we delve into the evolving landscape of in-house legal. Exploring the key trends, challenges, and opportunities shaping in-house legal to provide insights those also navigating them.
What topics does the report cover?
Five trends from in-house legal in 2024
Crafty Counsel helps the in-house legal community to grow their network, nurture their careers and cultivate their resources. This year, we launched our Community Hub, a 'super app' bringing our community into one place. We reflect on what we've learned this year from the Hub and events in the first section of In-House Legal Roundup: 2024 in Review. With trending topics that include strategic thinking, training and development, AI and tech.
We also dive into some of the data we've gleamed from our Community Hub to explore insights on:
- What the most popular conversation topics for in-house lawyers are
- What vendors in-house lawyers are looking for the most
- What vendor categories are most recommended by in-house lawyers
- And more...
Positive reflections from in-house lawyers
Finding joy in the demanding world of in-house legal can easily take a backseat. But joy is something important to us at Crafty Counsel. We believe that in-house legal can be a profession that is full of joy. And from the positive conversations from our Community Hub and series of events of this year have shown us that joy is not just a nice-to-have – it's a must-have that fuels better performance and deeper career satisfaction.
In the second section of In-House Legal Roundup: 2024 in Review, we dive into the moments that bring happiness to legal professionals, proving that even in a stressful field, there's plenty of room for joy.
Working with the business
We know that in-house legal teams are integral to the success of their organisations. Now more than ever, the role of an in-house legal team goes beyond providing legal guidance. Legal teams are often required to steer their businesses through turbulent and sometimes unprecedented territory.
Despite their hard work, many legal professionals feel their contributions are often overlooked and undervalued. This sentiment has been echoed by a number of Crafty Counsel Community members. In the third section of In-House Legal Roundup: 2024 in Review, we explore how to work with the business, including the challenges and power of appraisals.
Using data and tech while remaining human-centric
Data and technology are some of the hottest topics for in-house legal teams. Especially when it comes to AI – the third most popular topic of conversation on the Community Hub, after careers and contracting.
Andy Cooke, General Counsel at TravelPerk, offered a home truth at Crafty Fest, "I hear a lot of negative words associated with AI. Worry, fear, risk, risk of using it, risk of not using it, that it's going to take your job. But in the cliché, it's going to be a lawyer who uses AI that takes your job."
In this section of In-House Legal Roundup: 2024 in Review, we dive into the the topics of data and technology to consider how in-house legal teams can use it. However, we also examines how to remain human-centric whilst doing using data and tech, touching on the ethical considerations.
Building legal teams
Building effective in-house legal teams is a common challenge. How can you build a thriving and successful legal team that supports the business in 2024, but also encourages joy and personal growth for those working in it?
The topic of legal teams and how to build them is explored in the final section of In-House Legal Roundup: 2024 in Review. This section focuses on work-life balance, career development, and intergenerational mentoring.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
