Top traits of successful in-house lawyers

In-house legal departments are no longer being judged solely on the quality of the legal advice they deliver to internal and external clients.

A high standard of technical expertise is now being assumed (and is arguably of less significance) with much more emphasis being placed on service delivery, commerciality, strategic contribution and stakeholder engagement.

Aspen Legal director, Fiona Grandage has 20 years of in-house experience, spanning various industries up to the most senior level, including multiple General Counsel roles. She has experienced and seen first-hand what it takes to be successful in-house and deeply understands what Heads of Legal are looking for when hiring for their teams.

Fiona recently shared what she considers to be the top traits of successful in-house lawyers in 2025 – whether you’re looking for your next permanent or interim position or wanting to level-up in your current role.

1. Approachability

Throughout my in-house career I have applied an “open door but not a door mat” mindset that has set me up for success in engaging with key stakeholders and ultimately delivering more strategic, value-driven advice for the business. Being kind, not being intimidating, builds better relationships as well as mutual respect and compassion.

In one role, I put a couple of comfy armchairs in my office. People laughed initially at my “counsellor” setup, but it wasn’t too long until people started wandering in and sitting down to talk things through. Legal was engaged in issues earlier, and more frequently, and seen as a helpful sounding board for ideas rather than a roadblock.

2. Flexibility & Agility

One of the most exciting things about working in-house is that anything can and does happen – which means flexibility must be your superpower. Having a daily to-do list is great, but over time I came to think of my “list” more as a pile of cards – which were constantly being shuffled by someone other than me!

If you are always feeling frustrated by not getting through your ‘list’, you end up exhausted and overwhelmed. And what’s more, it’s not good for the business. You need to pay attention to the business priorities rather than personal satisfaction. Being able to pivot and take everything in your stride is fundamental to being successful in-house. There’s no such thing as your day being “hijacked” by the client - it might be annoying but being able to clear your mind of distractions and pay attention to what the client needs is critical.

Similarly, being able to think on your feet comes with the territory when working as an in-house lawyer. I’m by no means a natural at it - in my early years, I would write notes before every phone call I made to get my script right. But it’s an important challenge to embrace as an in-house lawyer. This contrasts with working in a private practice law firm where there is an expectation that you will ‘sit’ with an issue and labour over the advice until it's perfect.

In-house, it’s more important to be seen as a trusted advisor who will turn their mind to the key risks with agility. Business moves quickly - they don’t want pretty, verbose advice that no one has time to read. If you can build an accessible advice quickly, with some key actions, summary points and next steps, it will allow the client to move forward quickly.

“Success as an in-house lawyer in 2025 isn’t just about legal expertise—it’s about being approachable, commercially minded, and deeply engaged with the business.”

3. Curiosity

“Ancora Imparo” is the motto of my alma mater, Monash University. It is attributed to Michaelangelo and means “I am always learning”.

No matter how far along you are in your career, there are always learning opportunities. As an in-house lawyer, one of the best ways to set up for success is to be genuinely curious about the business – how it operates, how it generates revenue and how it manages risks. Take some time to learn about the sector and market conditions in which it is operating. Then, go out and meet the teams!

Speak with the managers, give yourself an immersion day regularly when you go to site, whatever that means in your business. Some of my best learnings have taken place on the factory floor. Taking the time to build your knowledge – whilst building your relationships – will give you the edge when it comes to advising in a way which is commercial and adds value to the overall strategic objectives of the business.

Keep learning from those around you and build your knowledge without fear. You don’t have to be good at everything – build some basic knowledge and skills in understanding the documents that your business lives and breathes (the spreadsheets, risk matrices, safety maps and sales charts). The rest of the business will love it if you show a genuine interest in their role and will willingly explain the nuances of their own work to you.

People are endlessly fascinating and if you adopt an open mindset, you’ll be surprised what you can learn from others. If you’re an introvert, listening is probably your superpower, and you’ll find endless opportunities to learn about what people can do. We spend a lot of our waking hours at work and building a curious mindset will – in addition to making you a much more effective in-house counsel – make these hours much more enjoyable for you personally too.

4. Crisis management

Knowing what to do, who to engage and how to act during a crisis cannot be understated as one of the most important characteristics of a successful in-house lawyer.

When I was an Articled Clerk, my managing partner once said to me “Don’t panic, just do it” and that has proved sound advice when dealing with various crises throughout my career. Remaining cool, calm and collected is important and often in these situations it is the in-house legal department who others in the business are looking to for guidance and confidence.

It's important to work out who is in your personal go-to crisis management team. Lawyers often see a crisis before others in the business – not necessarily one that requires the policy-mandated “crisis management” team to come together – but other crises, like being sued, or letting a trademark lapse accidentally, or becoming aware of a product defect.

When a crisis event does arrive, acting quickly and proactively can make all the difference. I always involve others immediately – such as the relevant executive, insurers and external law firms – this shares the mental ‘load’ but also helps to mitigate any fallout.

“The most effective in-house lawyers combine agility, curiosity, and calm crisis management to deliver real strategic value across the business.”

5. Commercial Problem Solving

As an in-house lawyer, I believe one of the greatest compliments you can receive from a client is that you’re very commercial. Yes, there are still times when you’ll spend the day with your head in the Corporations Act or the Fair Work Act – but these will be relatively few. Generally, your role is to help the business to buy or sell something, to secure their premises, to build their capability. The business values your problem-solving skills – skills which you may not even realise you have but which will in most cases be far more important in your day-to-day than strictly your legal knowledge.

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Aspen Legal is one of Australia’s fastest growing interim legal contracting businesses complemented by our adjacent commercial law firm that delivers in-house style legal services.

We are in-house experts focused on partnering exclusively with in-house legal departments across all sectors. Whether you engage us for secondments or legal advisory services, one thing remains the same – we make engaging with us simple, offering bespoke and commercial solutions to suit your requirements.

Keen to learn more about partnering with Aspen Legal? Get in touch with our team – we’d love to hear from you.