Flexible legal resourcing helps general counsel bring experienced lawyers into their teams for a defined period, project or workload. Through secondments and other interim arrangements, legal leaders can cover leave, add specialist skills and manage changing demand without committing to a permanent hire every time the business needs more support.
Why flexible legal resourcing helps in-house teams
An in-house legal team needs to understand the business as well as the law. The Law Society of NSW highlights commercial awareness and relationships with business stakeholders as important parts of in-house practice.[1] lawsociety.com.au
However, the mix of work can change quickly. A transaction may arrive alongside a contract backlog, while a team member prepares for parental leave.
In these situations, a seconded lawyer works within your team and supports agreed priorities. For example, you might need:
- Commercial contracting support during a busy period.
- Cover for parental leave or another extended absence.
- Additional capacity for a transaction or major project.
- Specialist expertise in employment, privacy or regulatory matters.
At Aclaria, these are among the needs we support through our legal secondment service.[2]
Plan capacity around the work ahead
Start with the work you need to complete. Then identify the experience, availability and level of independence the role requires.
For instance, a senior commercial lawyer could manage negotiations while your permanent team focuses on a major transaction. Alternatively, a part-time secondee could help clear a defined contract backlog.
You can also use temporary support to create space for longer-term improvements. These might include updating templates, improving how the business submits legal requests or documenting internal processes.
Importantly, agree on priorities and review points early. This helps you assess whether the arrangement still matches the workload.
Choose lawyers for commercial fit
Technical skills matter. Equally, a secondee needs to communicate clearly, understand your risk appetite and build relationships with colleagues.
At Aclaria, we consider commercial awareness and collaboration alongside legal experience. Many lawyers in our network also bring previous in-house or secondment experience.[3] Aclaria
Nevertheless, every organisation has its own systems and expectations. A focused induction should explain key contacts, current matters, approval processes and when to escalate concerns.
Support your team beyond the immediate gap
Extra capacity can give your team more room to focus. However, it works best alongside clear priorities and realistic expectations.
Before the engagement ends, plan a handover of outstanding matters and useful knowledge. This way, your permanent team can retain the benefit of the work after the secondee leaves.If you’re considering flexible legal resourcing, explore how our secondment service works or speak with Aclaria about the work ahead. We can help you clarify the experience and support your team needs.
References
1. The Law Society of NSW, Moving In-house: A resource on in-house legal practice, updated March 2021. Read the guide.
2. Aclaria, Find a lawyer, undated. View service information.
3. Aclaria, Become an Aclaria lawyer, undated. View lawyer information.
