Fordham Law School and DLA Piper have collaborated to develop an innovative legal executive education offering that aims to meet the needs of the rapidly expanding in-house counsel community.
Over the past 15 years, the number of in-house lawyers grew 80%, outpacing the growth of the number of lawyers working for the government or for law firms. As corporations rely more on in-house teams, the role of in-house lawyers has become increasingly complex—however, the necessary skills to succeed in this position are rarely taught in a formal setting. Fordham Law’s In-House Counsel Institute provides a 14-week, online program starting in September that fills this gap in legal education.
This executive education program is designed for relatively new in-house attorneys seeking insights on how to navigate the challenges of in-house practice, experienced in-house attorneys looking to advance their role as business partners, or lawyers currently in private practice looking to transition into in-house roles.
The online program provides students with the ability to serve their companies with distinction through legal leadership, innovative problem-solving, and strategic vision. Sessions will cover a multitude of topics, including leadership and strategic partnership with business and other key internal stakeholders; managing law firms and engaging with government regulators; and advancing emerging technologies and corporate responsibility, all led by in-house professionals from leading companies. The program will also host exclusive in-person and online networking opportunities.
This program will be held via Zoom on Friday afternoons from September through December 2025. The live sessions will not be recorded for future viewing.
Registration is open now, with early bird special pricing until May 1, 2025. Firms and organizations interested in sending five or more participants should contact [email protected] to inquire about preferential pricing.
“There are very few programs focused on the skills needed to succeed in-house, and they are different from those required in other legal professions,” said Amadeu Ribeiro, LL.M. ’17, partner at DLA Piper. “The In-House Counsel Institute has been created to help in-house professionals succeed in their increasingly complex and challenging jobs, so they can rise as valuable members of their companies. We want to provide participants with a solid understanding of how legal departments can be run efficiently and as strong partners of their companies’ business and executive functions.”
Ribiero and Toni M. Jaeger-Fine, senior counselor and Fordham University School of Law adjunct professor of law, have collaborated to bring the brightest minds in corporate law to this program. They have convened a prestigious board of advisors who serve or have served as high-level in-house counsel of major organizations to build this program and develop a panel of outstanding speakers with vast in-house experience.
Program speakers come from such esteemed companies as AB InBev, Ericsson, Interpublic Group, McKinsey, Microsoft, Pepsi, TED Conferences, UBS, Verizon, Walmart, and Warner Music Group.
“We at Fordham Law always try to innovate and create educational opportunities that meet important emergent needs,” said Jaeger-Fine. “The In-House Counsel Institute is designed for attorneys working in house or those who want to transition from private practice. This is a unique program that responds to the growth in the number of in-house counsel and their increased importance as strategic partners to and leaders within their businesses.”
“The role of the in-house counsel is becoming increasingly multi-dimensional in an ever-evolving business and regulatory environment,” said Allen Waxman, of counsel at DLA Piper, former general counsel at Pfizer, and a member of the Institute’s advisory board. “Yet, there is very little in the way of formal programs to prepare lawyers for the demands of that environment. The In-House Counsel Institute is leveraging the experiences and insights of current and former in-house counsel across an array of topics in a 14-week program to prepare lawyers to succeed in these jobs.”
In addition to the In-House Counsel Institute, Fordham Law Executive Education also offers programs such as the Pre-Law Institute and the Academy for the Advancement of Women in Law, as well as online courses in Current Issues in Privacy and Technology Law and Structural Issues in Law Firm Management. Fordham Law Executive Education also provides customized training, offering tailored professional development and training programs for law firms, judicial bodies, corporations, universities, nonprofits, or government agencies.