The Corporate Counsel Survival Guide

Making the decision to pursue an in-house counsel position can be a daunting experience, in part because in-house positions are so different from working in a firm and can vary by company and industry. Written by William E. Kruse, Regulatory Compliance Officer and in-house legal counsel at Gallup, The Corporate Counsel Survivor Guide offers helpful insights into the unique aspects of serving as in-house counsel and provides a foundation for anyone who wants to learn more about in-house counsel life.


But beyond the book's wise counsel, the author’s witty and clever words make his advice fun to read and easy to follow. As he puts it in the Preface, this is a book that passes "on valuable advice for new in-house counsel that won't bore anyone to death in the process." Topics cover the essentials for anyone starting or considering an in-house counsel position, including:



How to get your bearings during your first hundred days

Managing an internal crisis, from not overreacting to understanding the critical importance of the signs that are being sent

Getting work done and how to use time wisely

Avoiding land mines

The business of law in a business

Working with others in your company and how to make arguments to convince people of what's in their best legal interest

Surviving a crisis, adapting to change, relocation, training, mentoring, and other challenges of corporate life


"Bill Kruse's book is exactly what both in-house and outside counsel need. It not only reveals the unvarnished reality and challenges that in-house face on a daily basis, but it does so entertainingly, with humorous flair. The Corporate Counsel Survival Guide also confirms, to outside counsel, that no in-house counsel actually wants to hire a lawyer. Rather, they want outside counsel who understands the organization’s industry, business, and goals. In other words, inside counsel wants to engage outside counsel as business partners who will help them achieve the organization’s goals."
-- Robert T. Rhoad, Sheppard Mullin, Washington, DC