Build an In-House Counsel Resume the Legal Department Trusts
In-house counsel resume example, commercial contract keywords, and a writing guide for lawyers moving from a firm into a company legal team.
Example In-House Counsel summary
In-house counsel with six years across a commercial law firm and a growing software company, now the owner of a contract stack covering customers, vendors and resellers. Built the sales playbook that halved deal review time, advises product on privacy questions, and manages outside counsel on disputes and trademarks. Admitted in New York and looking for a broader commercial remit.
Skills to list on a In-House Counsel resume
- Commercial contract drafting
- Master service agreements
- SaaS and software licensing
- Data processing agreements
- Vendor and procurement contracts
- Corporate governance
- Board minutes and resolutions
- Employment law advice
- Intellectual property portfolio management
- Outside counsel management
- Legal budget tracking
- Contract lifecycle management systems
- Regulatory compliance
- Risk assessment
- Deal negotiation
- Policy drafting
What actually gets this resume read
- Lead with the contract types you own end to end, because a legal department hires for the specific paper it signs every week.
- Give the business context in every job: company size, industry, revenue model and how many internal clients you support.
- Show volume and cycle time on contract work, since those are the two numbers a general counsel checks first.
- Name your bar admissions and the states in the header, and add any registration you hold in another jurisdiction.
- Separate the legal advice you gave from the process you built, because in-house hiring rewards both and firms only test one.
- Keep litigation on the resume but frame it as management of outside counsel, budget and business exposure rather than motion practice.