Summiting the Mountain: Are You Ready for a GC Role?
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Kimberly Lerman is a Talent Manager in the Atlanta office of Consilio. She works primarily with attorneys, placing them in a variety of positions in corporate legal departments across numerous industries as well as at law firms. Prior to the start of her career in recruiting in 2015, Kimberly spent 15 years practicing law in Atlanta, and she was involved in hiring attorneys throughout that time. In her last legal role, she served as Vice President & Associate General Counsel for a large company in Atlanta. In addition to seven years of in-house experience, Kimberly also worked as a litigation associate at local law firms, including several years at both King & Spalding and Eversheds Sutherland. Throughout her law firm tenure, Kimberly was involved with interviewing law students and lawyers at job fairs, on-campus interviews, and onsite interviews. She also was a member of the Hiring Committee at Eversheds Sutherland from 2005 – 2007. Kimberly currently serves as Co-Chair of the Duke Atlanta Women’s Forum and is a Member of the Duke Law Atlanta Board. She also volunteers with Emory Connects as a mentor for current Emory students considering a career in law, and serves as an Interviewer for the Emory Alumni Interview Program. When not working or volunteering her time, Kimberly enjoys swimming, biking, and running, having completed 20 Ironman® triathlons. She is also an avid scuba diver and enjoys standup paddleboarding, hiking, nature photography (including underwater photography), yoga, and cooking.
Summary
Many attorneys dream of one day landing a coveted General Counsel position because it’s considered the career pinnacle for in-house counsel. To help inform these job-seekers, I’ve asked several successful GCs and CLOs about their tips and suggestions for attorneys aspiring to reach the top seat in a corporate legal department, and this paper presents the guidance they shared with me.
In today’s era, the General Counsel serves as much more than the head of a legal department. The GC is also a key business leader involved in a variety of high-level business initiatives. To be effective in this role, the GC must have more than just a strong legal acumen. If you aspire to become a GC, it is important to develop not only your legal skills and experience, but also to gain a deep understanding of business and a high-level of emotional intelligence to ensure the ability to build strong relationships based on trust.
In this Whitepaper
- What experience is most relevant
- What challenges await in the first year
- What relationships are key to develop
Key Insights
- The value of becoming a generalist
- The necessity of understanding business
- The importance of communication style
Summary
Many attorneys dream of one day landing a coveted General Counsel position because it’s considered the career pinnacle for in-house counsel. To help inform these job-seekers, I’ve asked several successful GCs and CLOs about their tips and suggestions for attorneys aspiring to reach the top seat in a corporate legal department, and this paper presents the guidance they shared with me.
In today’s era, the General Counsel serves as much more than the head of a legal department. The GC is also a key business leader involved in a variety of high-level business initiatives. To be effective in this role, the GC must have more than just a strong legal acumen. If you aspire to become a GC, it is important to develop not only your legal skills and experience, but also to gain a deep understanding of business and a high-level of emotional intelligence to ensure the ability to build strong relationships based on trust.
In this Whitepaper
- What experience is most relevant
- What challenges await in the first year
- What relationships are key to develop
Key Insights
- The value of becoming a generalist
- The necessity of understanding business
- The importance of communication style
