In this Office Hours episode, Stacy answers listener questions about: (1) how to get up to speed in your first General Counsel job – including tips for holding successful meetings with your CEO; (2) whether you can switch industries and how to do so; and (3) in-house fundamentals on how to deliver a winning board presentation.

Thanks to Filejet for supporting the Office Hours series!

Submit your question to hello@legaldepartmentpod.com.

Guarding the Attorney Client Privilege is an in-house fundamental, but it's also tricky. As we "level up" as in-house lawyers, taking on new functions and becoming a "strategic advisor," the lines are blurred.

In this episode, veteran white collar litigator Diana Feinstein is back in The Legal Department to share step by step tips on how to maintain ACP and work product protections as an in-house attorney. We talk about the basic blocking and tackling of privilege hygiene and explore how AI is impacting this core legal protection.

This is Diana's second tour of duty in The Legal Department--check her out on Episode 3!

Attention Goal Getters! Have you ever done a day-by-day review of your calendar to help you set goals for your future? Executive Coach Michael Melcher recommends using the "lookback method" to determine what's important for you in the new year. Instead of making a list of resolutions from what is top of mind, Michael recommends going through your calendar and reflecting on your wins for the prior year. Find out what gives you energy, joy and purpose and do more of it!

An expert on building and cultivating relationships, Melcher also shares his suggestions for building a professional network that will transform your career.

Level-up on legal ethics for in-house lawyers on this episode with former state bar prosecutor, Ryan Little, founder of Little Legal. In this episode, we talk about some of the ethical traps in-house lawyers should watch out for, how to handle conflicts of interest, navigating who your client is, Upjohn warnings in internal investigations, and much more.

Do you feel like you're on a hamster wheel? Or climbing a career ladder that you're not sure you want to be on? In this Goal Getter episode, Executive coach and former public company GC Marla Persky joins Stacy Bratcher to share how setting career goals that align with your "happiness factor" can help us build the career we actually want. She urges lawyers to "own their careers" and set goals that align with what makes us happy. Get off the wheel of endless achievement and build the career you want.

Is your company branching out into influencer marketing? Is your Chief Marketing Officer dying to engage with the latest TikTok sensation? Put down that red pen and prepare to approach marketing deals with a different eye. Brittany Ratelle of Ratelle Law has been representing creators for more than a decade. She's in The Legal Department to share tips on how to approach creator deals in a way that benefits your company and the creator.

In this episode, you'll learn the difference between User Generated Content and traditional Influencer brand deals; the allocation of intellectual property rights (Spoiler Alert: your company isn't going to own the IP); how negotiating a "Creative Brief" at the outset can ensure alignment and brand consistency in the future; and resources to find market rates/terms for #Influencer deals.

You're at a great company, with a fancy title and what seems from the outside to be exciting work. But all that glitters is not gold. No matter where you are in your career--whether you're just starting out or at the top of the career ladder, you can feel stuck.

Ellen Yang shares advice for attorneys and managers alike on how to recognize that you (or your team) might be feeling stuck and how to break through that to find something more fulfilling. She has specific advice for senior level lawyers, deputy GCs and associate GCs, about how to fill out that resume to get GC ready.

Ellen also did the unheard of: she returned to a law firm after more than a decade in-house. Tune in to learn about that experience and whether a return to the "dark side" is right for you. Lots of great stories and advice here to help you level-up, whatever that means to you.

In-house legal professionals are more than advisors – they’re strategic leaders. This episode of The Legal Department is a replay of a dynamic discussion about how personal branding and influence can elevate your impact, visibility, and career. Listen to the real-world strategies, lessons learned, and tools for building your brand authentically – both inside your organization and across your network. Whether you're climbing the ladder or looking to lead from where you are, this session will help you position yourself for influence and opportunity.

Topics:

1. Why Influence Matters

Why personal brand and internal influence are strategic assets

1. Personal Brand in Practice: How We Built Ours

Tactics used to define and project their brand (internally and externally)

Mistakes made and lessons learned along the way

1. Making Yourself Visible Without Being Self-Promotional

Strategies for subtle self-advocacy and internal visibility

Communicating your value to non-legal stakeholders

Leveraging internal wins to grow reputation

1. LinkedIn, Leadership, and Leverage: Career Opportunities Through Branding

Using LinkedIn and networking to create inbound opportunities

How branding helped panelists navigate job transitions or promotions

Advice for in-house lawyers at different stages of their careers