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22 B. L. J. 56 (1990)
What Is It Like to Be a Solicitor in Commerce and Industry

handle is hein.journals/braclj22 and id is 71 raw text is: WHAT IS IT LIKE TO BE A SOLICITOR IN COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY? By Peter A. Hall, Director and Group Secretary of More O'Ferrall PLC, an advertising and media Group Mr Hall is a solicitor, and a member of the Law Society's Commerce and Industry Group Committee. Solicitors are well represented in employment in commerce and industry perhaps reflecting the benefits of a more rounded and wider legal education programme for the solicitor. A robust personality and the ability to cope with the unexpected, often within a totally unreasonable time scale, are pre-requisites of a successful in-house solicitor. Many would argue that the in-house solicitor has to be more self-reliant than would be the case for his counterpart in private practice. This view stems from the fact that an in-house solicitor may either work alone, or in a small legal department, which will not have the resources of a large number of professional colleagues of the same disciplines where matters of mutual interest can be discussed. Many solicitors like the cut-and-thrust of the small department, whilst others will be happier in the structure of a larger legal department. The choice for a young solicitor is wide, ranging from large multinational groups of companies with substantial legal departments, to small businesses with, perhaps, only one qualified lawyer. These days practically all business sectors have in-house solicitors and the scope of activities includes engineering, property, construction, banking and finance, advertising and media, shipping, mining, oil and various forms of manufacturing, to name but a few. There is something to interest every one and, as a quick glance at the legal job advertisements will show, there are plenty of opportunities worth investigating which offer attractive terms and conditions of employment. Career progress from within a legal department depends much on the individual. Some solicitors prefer to work their way up through the legal department, aiming to become Head of the department in due course. Others will become company secretaries, either in a dual legal/secretarial role, or in a large company responsible for a significant part of the company's administration. Ambitious solicitors may well use their invaluable experience in the legal department to progress into live management or general management. There are several examples of in-house solicitors who have graduated to become managing directors of successful businesses. The role of the sole solicitor in a small business can be very rewarding, both financially and in terms of job satisfaction. The job often takes on a much wider role than a purely legal one and the sole solicitor is often at the heart of the company's activities, enjoying both a close working relationship with the directors and a real sense of involvement in the business.

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