By: Anna Grover, Compliance Professional
Moving from a legal role to a Compliance position can seem like a leap, but for professionals with legal expertise, it is often a natural progression and a very rewarding experience. The transition combines legal acumen with a broader strategic and tactical mindset. Legal professionals can continue to hone their legal skills while developing a whole new perspective and skillset. After six years at law firms outside of the U.S. as an English solicitor, I made the move to Compliance when I returned to live in the U.S. with no U.S. bar admission and no clear career path forward. The move to Compliance has been one of the best decisions I’ve made.
Legal professionals bring several advantages to Compliance roles. Their experience with interpreting regulations (and legalese!), drafting memos and contracts, and advising on legal risks aligns seamlessly with the Compliance risk assessments that Compliance professionals undertake and the advice they provide to the business. Both roles involve significant amount of legal review (whether contracts or regulations) and drafting/advisory work. The ability to write clearly and concisely for different types of audience (call center staff vs. board members for example) is paramount in both roles. Attorneys, generally but in particular those in-house, likewise develop significant soft skills from working with multiple stakeholders across the business and other support functions. For a Compliance professional, the ability to work closely and productively with stakeholders across the company is a pre-requisite to get a “seat at the table” when business discussions are being held and can mean the difference between the success and failure of a Compliance initiative. Last but not least, an attorney’s attention to detail, so beneficial when preparing Codes of Conduct and other high profile corporate documentation, is second to none.
The springboard from legal into Compliance, in my experience, has been in one key mindset and responsibility shift: as an attorney I’m a subject matter expert that advises on the law, but as a Compliance professional I implement operational programs to practically comply with that law. Operating as a Compliance professional has been an exciting and very rewarding experience. I am able to (i) review legal/regulatory requirements, (ii) translate them into digestible proposals for Compliance and (iii) partner with stakeholders in a deep and detailed way to understand the priorities of the business and craft a nuanced risk-based Compliance program. Rather than being a “department of no”, Compliance professionals engage with stakeholders to understand their business environments and goals and chart workable solutions in a way that was not open to me as an attorney. As a result, Compliance professionals often develop expertise and experience in policy lifecycle management, training implementation, procurement, change management, operations, IT, finance and stakeholder engagement—skills that enhance professional versatility and leadership impact. Corporate Compliance roles in particular lend themselves to broader skill sets and responsibilities than are available to many in-house and law firm attorneys, who often are expected to specialize early on in their careers.
While a legal background is not a pre-requisite for a career in Compliance, and many Compliance professionals possess other backgrounds and skill sets (such as audit or operations), a legal skill set can add significant value to a Compliance role. Regulatory fines and reputational damage from Compliance failures emphasize the importance of integrating legal insight with Compliance foresight and practical know-how. Leaders with legal backgrounds, wearing both legal and Compliance “hats” are uniquely positioned to read the regulatory landscape and chart a safe course through uncharted waters. If you are an attorney looking for your next big challenge, wanting to get to know the ins and outs of a company and make a difference, then take a look at Compliance as your next career jump. In my next article, I will share some thoughts on how to make the transition from a legal to a Compliance role.