As early-career lawyers increasingly move in-house, they are confronting a new set of challenges, operating with minimal structure, limited precedent, and constant pressure to deliver fast, commercially grounded advice – making the need for the right strategies to address these challenges more critical than ever.
Once considered a destination reserved for senior practitioners leaving private practice, in-house roles are now increasingly filled by younger lawyers who must navigate complex legal, commercial, and organisational pressures with far less formal structure and support.
While this transition offers early exposure to strategy, decision making, and commercial realities rarely encountered in law firms, it also presents a distinct set of challenges, requiring young in-house lawyers to manage ambiguity, establish credibility, and balance speed with legal precision.
Speaking with Lawyers Weekly, three finalists for this year’s 30 Under 30 in the corporate counsel (large business) category highlighted the most significant challenges facing young lawyers and offered insights on what must be done to set them up for success.
Balancing legal and commercial priorities
For Hayley Schmalkuche, lead legal counsel at Virgin Australia Airlines, one of the toughest hurdles for young in-house lawyers is turning black-letter law into advice that works in the real-world commercial context.
In contrast to private practice, where legal questions are often well-defined, Schmalkuche explained that in-house legal issues are rarely neat or theoretical, requiring lawyers to craft solutions that align with broader business objectives and acceptable levels of risk.
“Matters are rarely straightforward, and in-house lawyers are required to distil complex rules and regulations into practical options that are acceptable from a commercial lens,” Schmalkuche said.
To successfully navigate this tension, Schmalkuche stressed the importance of understanding the wider context in which decisions are made, evaluating not just the legal position but also the specific use case, regulatory environment, and the organisation’s risk appetite.
“I have found it helpful to assess the legal position while also considering the specific use case, the regulatory environment, and the organisation’s risk profile to shape the options available for progressing the matter,” Schmalkuche said.
Chelsea Brasier, manager and counsel at American Express, echoed this challenge, noting the issue that young in-house lawyers must stay flexible and often recalibrate their advice whenever the business pivots and commercial priorities shift unexpectedly.
“Another key challenge is staying flexible as commercial priorities shift. You may be asked to advise on a specific issue, only for the business to pivot as circumstances change,” Brasier said.
In response to the constantly shifting realities of in-house work, Brasier advised young lawyers to remain agile, quickly adapt, reassess risk, and recalibrate their advice while ensuring it continues to support the broader objectives of the business.
“This requires in-house lawyers to adapt quickly, reassess risk, and recalibrate advice while still supporting the broader objectives of the business,” Brasier said.
Navigating legal careers without a roadmap
Whilst Harrison Chen, a lawyer with Woolworths Group, explained that a key reason young in-house lawyers face so many challenges today is that they are moving into these roles much earlier in their careers than in the past.
“Traditionally, ‘young’ and ‘in-house’ did not really go together. The classic path was five-plus years in private practice to build a technical base and then a move in-house. That meant in-house roles were often resourced and structured around more senior lawyers,” Chen said.
As younger lawyers step into a space once reserved for seasoned practitioners, Chen noted they often find themselves in lean teams with minimal templates, limited training, and little day-to-day supervision – sometimes even as the sole legal resource.
“Younger in-house lawyers now often step into teams with fewer templates, fewer training resources and less day-to-day supervision than their peers in firms. In some organisations, they may even be the only lawyer,” Chen said.
To tackle this challenge, Chen emphasised that young lawyers need to adopt a deliberate, proactive approach to professional development, treating it as a meaningful investment rather than a mere compliance exercise.
“The way through that is to be very intentional about your own development: treat your CPD as an investment, not a tick-the-box exercise; seek out courses and workshops that relate directly to your work; and actively ask more senior lawyers – inside or outside your organisation – if you can learn from them,” Chen said.
Delivering legal advice in a fast-moving environment
In the fast-paced world of in-house legal work, Brasier highlighted that a key challenge for young lawyers is providing timely legal advice under tight deadlines while navigating incomplete or constantly evolving information.
“One of the biggest challenges young in-house lawyers face is working with incomplete or constantly evolving information. In fast-paced in-house environments, legal advice may be sought within tight time frames before all the facts are available,” Brasier said.
To navigate these fast-paced environments, Brasier emphasised that young in-house lawyers can strengthen their advice by asking the right questions, engaging stakeholders early, and carefully clarifying assumptions and context before providing guidance.
“Asking the right questions and engaging relevant stakeholders early is critical,” Braiser said.
“Legal advice can only be as strong as the instructions received, and taking the time to clarify assumptions and context significantly improves the quality and usefulness of that advice.”
