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While in-house lawyers juggle a wide range of responsibilities that keep them busy, two experienced professionals emphasise that stepping away from the desk to focus on professional development and networking isn’t just helpful – it’s essential.
Speaking on a recent episode of The Corporate Counsel Show, ClearBridge Investments’ head of legal, risk, and compliance, Annette Golden, and legal counsel Sydney Abba highlighted why continuous learning and active participation in professional development opportunities are crucial for in-house legal teams.
These reflections on the value of participation followed the pair’s attendance at the 2025 Corporate Counsel Summit, hosted by Lawyers Weekly in May.
For Abba, stepping away from the desk to engage in learning opportunities and attend conferences allows in-house professionals to connect with peers and exchange insights that help improve their practice.
“We find taking time out, whether it’s the conference or we’re going to catch up with industry peers, we’re able to share what the patterns and the themes that are coming out, and we are able to focus on how best to approach these,” Abba said.
Golden said one of her key takeaways was the opportunity to explore systems and solutions aimed at improving operational efficiency, not just within legal departments, but across the entire business.
“A lot of people who are here today are particularly focused on certain issues around systems management, document management, and all that sort of thing. So that’s a big takeaway for me,” Golden said.
“It’s not just for our function; it’s for other functions that could really benefit from having those sorts of solutions help organise information, and so we all operate, operate more efficiently.”
While one will not be able to change the way they practice instantly after attending a seminar and learning places, Golden expressed how participating in such opportunities provides opportunities to come away with practical insights.
While attending a seminar or learning event may not immediately transform one’s practice, Golden emphasised that these opportunities provide valuable, practical insights that lay the foundation for meaningful change.
“We all go to different conferences, and we go to different sorts of CPD presentations, but [the Corporate Counsel Summit] has a different vibe, and to me, it has a very centred vibe insofar that I feel my feet are very firmly on the ground today,” Golden said.
“Now, I’m not going to say I feel like that tomorrow when I walk into work, but it’s one of those things where I feel I’ve come away with quite practical insights and skills and met some really lovely people that I would love to catch up with.”
Attending events isn’t just valuable for young in-house lawyers learning the ropes. Abba reflected on how, with experience, she has come to appreciate these gatherings not only as opportunities for learning but also as crucial platforms for building professional networks.
“The longer I’ve been doing this, the more I’ve returned to the essential need to network. I think that as a younger lawyer, I didn’t necessarily understand what networking does,” Abba said.
“So coming to these events really gives you exposure to a really great range of people, and I think connecting and not just sharing the insights, but growing your own personal network is really good for your growth.”
