Two key forces are reshaping the in-house legal landscape: ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) priorities - and the rapid advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies.
Both these factors are redefining the skill sets and mindsets required to thrive in corporate legal departments and this in turn is influencing how businesses go about hiring legal talent.
ESG: The strategic legal advisor emerges
Companies across all industry verticals are under increasing pressure to demonstrate ESG commitments to a range of stakeholder groups, including regulators, investors, customers and employees. This is no longer just a compliance issue, it’s a reputational and strategic imperative.
What does this mean for in-house lawyers?
- Legal teams must now understand ESG frameworks, disclosure obligations, and reporting standards, including regulations like the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) or the UK’s Modern Slavery Act.
- General Counsels are expected to collaborate with sustainability teams, helping shape policies on supply chain ethics, carbon reduction strategies and governance reform.
- In-house lawyers are becoming advisors on corporate purpose, diversity & inclusion, and whistleblower protections; balancing legal risk with moral leadership.
Leonid observations:
ESG experience is fast becoming a differentiator in candidate profiles, especially for mid- to senior-level roles. GCs increasingly seek lawyers who are fluent in ESG trends, even if they come from more traditional legal backgrounds.
AI: from risk management to legal innovation
AI is another disruptive force, offering both opportunities and regulatory complexity.
In-house teams are being called upon to:
- Assess legal risks of AI usage, from data privacy to intellectual property and algorithmic bias.
- Review vendor contracts involving machine learning, generative AI and automated decision-making.
- Guide internal policies on AI governance, usage standards, and ethical safeguards.
But it’s not just about managing risk. AI is also transforming how legal departments themselves operate. Legal ops teams are embracing AI tools for contract review, e-discovery, and legal research. Meanwhile, in-house counsel are expected to understand legal tech ecosystems, evaluate tools and support digital transformation agendas.
Leonid observations:
Legal candidates who demonstrate exceptional tech-savviness, AI literacy and openness to innovation stand out in the current market. Legal teams are increasingly multidisciplinary; therefore individuals who can bridge the gap between law, technology and business are highly sought-after.
In-house legal skill sets are shifting
As the role of a modern in-house lawyer becomes ever-more strategic and intersects multiple internal teams, including compliance, IT, sustainability, data privacy and cyber security, it’s only natural that what hiring companies are looking for is changing.
The key ‘soft skills’ which businesses seek are:
- Agility: The ability to navigate changing ESG regulations and emerging AI issues.
- Business acumen: Understanding how legal advice aligns with commercial objectives.
- Collaborative mindset: Willingness to work across multiple departments.
- Forward-thinking perspective: Not just reacting to change, but helping to drive it.
At Leonid, we specialise in in-house legal recruitment and we also have extensive knowledge of the full corporate governance spectrum, thanks to consultants who specialise in risk, compliance, audit and data privacy.
To find out more about how we can help you find the right in-house legal talent with the right skills to deliver ROI in a market underpinned by ESG and AI, please get in touch with Phil Redhead.
