Despite efforts to adapt and evolve, in-house counsel continues to confront an enduring perception of being both slow-moving and overly cautious. A recent study dissecting this issue divulged that such an image is so prevalent, business segments deliberately exclude legal from new proposals until vital decisions have already been made.
A prominent 70% of the 373 U.S. based in-house legal professionals participating in the study expressed their chief goal as endeavoring to be better integrated with business operations. However, a significant 58% of cross-functional associates voiced that legal tends to stall projects, with 41% attributing an excessive risk-aversion to it.
The characterization of in-house counsel as blockade rather than an asset is potentially the result of an ingrained mindset in the legal profession. As observed by legal department consultant Ken Callander, the dominant perspective of in-house attorneys is to prevent entanglements, essentially looking at the world as a minefield of potential legal problems Law.com reported. This attitude further fuels the perception of in-house legal professionals being roadblocks rather than facilitators of progress, necessitating a significant shift in approach to foster a more harmonious relationship between legal and corporate units.