Alumna Emily Weissler (Litigation, 2014 – 2015; 2016 – 2019), Litigation Counsel at Uber, practiced in the firm’s Litigation Department. Emily received her B.A. from Yale University and her J.D. from Fordham University School of Law.

1. What are the most challenging aspects of your job? Has your law firm experience helped you in any way?

Being an in-house litigator with a busy docket presents many challenges. On top of my list is having to manage many different matters, with different priorities, at one time—all while trying to preserve resources and operate as efficiently as possible. As a lawyer, it can feel difficult to focus with so many competing objectives and demands for my attention.

But my law firm experience helped me learn prioritization and time management, which I think are undervalued skills. Also, I have certainly come to appreciate working with outside counsel who can get to the answer quickly and communicate it to me clearly and efficiently!

2. Any advice on providing mentorship in the workplace?

Mentorship takes work and an organic connection. Throughout my time as a litigator at two different firms and now in-house, I have tried to be the type of mentor that I hope to have myself. To me that means taking time to explain the context behind both work assignments and office dynamics, and to try and personally connect with people about their own interests, both professional and personal. Although I respect the value and intention of formal mentorship programs, I have often found my tightest and most meaningful mentoring connections were forged across working relationships or even proximity in the office.

I would advise younger lawyers to express interest and ask questions about matters that more senior lawyers may be working on and to closely follow industry developments. It will help you feel prepared to have conversations with more senior lawyers and colleagues in your industry.

3. What traits do you think make a good in-house counsel?

Communication skills, good judgment, and the ability to make decisions. Much of my job involves providing clear, practical legal advice across a number of different stakeholders in the business, including many non-lawyers who may be unfamiliar with litigation and litigation risk. In-house counsel must be able to communicate clearly and distill complex issues and decisions into digestible advice and action items. Additionally, decisions often need to be made quickly and without excessive hand-wringing, so having the ability to make a decision and stand by it is crucial.