The Career Development station is about creating structured, strategic pathways for in-house lawyers to grow, evolve, and realise their full professional potential. It’s not just about promotions or training - it’s about building careers that align with both individual aspirations and the legal department’s long-term goals.

Lawyers are high-achieving professionals. They didn’t get into law school, graduate top of their class, and land competitive roles by accident. They are wired for progress. But in-house environments often lack the clarity, structure, and intentionality needed to support that growth. The result? Frustration, disengagement, and attrition.

This station challenges legal leadership to think differently. Career development must be proactive, not reactive. It must be visible, not implied. It must be strategic, not incidental. Whether through mentoring, secondments, skills mapping, or structured development plans, legal teams must show their lawyers that growth is possible - and supported.

GLS recognises the strategic importance of this capability through its broader Human Capital Line. Career Development is the station where performance review becomes action, where potential becomes progress, and where retention becomes reality.

The scope of the Career Development station typically includes:

◼️Career Pathway Mapping – Defining progression routes across legal roles and functions.

◼️Skills Gap Analysis – Identifying development needs and opportunities.

◼️Individual Development Plans (IDPs) – Structured plans tailored to each lawyer’s goals.

◼️Mentoring & Coaching Programs – Facilitating knowledge transfer and career guidance.

◼️Training & Upskilling – Providing access to relevant learning resources.

◼️Secondments & Rotations – Offering exposure to different teams, jurisdictions, or business units.

◼️Performance Review Integration – Linking career development to review outcomes.

◼️Succession Planning – Identifying and preparing future leaders within the legal team.

In GLS legal ops speak – the Career Development is considered a “Foundational” resource within the process ecosystem of an in-house legal team.

The Foundational Resource is a CRE that is responsible for determining the overall performance capabilities of a “critical” legal function. If it is not optimised, the function can never be optimised. 

The best practice features of Career Development are as follows:

◼️Visible Career Pathways – Lawyers can see how they can grow within the team.

◼️Structured Development Plans – Each team member has a tailored roadmap.

◼️Mentorship Frameworks – Senior lawyers actively support junior development.

◼️Skills-Based Training Access – Learning resources aligned with career goals.

◼️Cross-Functional Exposure – Opportunities to work across departments and regions.

◼️Leadership Development Tracks – Clear pathways for future legal leaders.

◼️Performance-Linked Progression – Career growth tied to measurable outcomes.

◼️Retention Strategy Integration – Career development is central to talent retention.

The Career Development station delivers the following value to the Business:

◼️Talent Retention – High performers stay longer when they see a future.

◼️Improved Legal Output – Lawyers grow into more capable, confident contributors.

◼️Reduced Recruitment Costs – Internal development reduces external hiring needs.

◼️Stronger Business Alignment – Lawyers understand and support strategic goals.

◼️Leadership Continuity – Succession planning ensures stability and resilience.

For the legal team, Career Development provides:

◼️Morale Boost – Lawyers feel valued and invested in.

◼️Accelerated Growth – Structured support drives faster development.

◼️Team Cohesion – Shared growth journeys build stronger teams.

◼️Operational Resilience – Cross-trained lawyers can flex across functions.

◼️Leadership Pipeline – Future leaders are identified and nurtured.

◼️Performance Culture – Development becomes part of the team’s DNA.

The Career Development station is essential for:

◼️Legal Department Leadership

◼️In-House Counsel

◼️Legal Operations Teams

◼️HR & Talent Managers

◼️Executive Management

◼️Risk & Compliance Officers

◼️Internal Audit Functions

A legal team operating without a Career Development strategy will face a wide range of inefficiencies including:

◼️High turnover of top talent

◼️Low morale and disengagement

◼️Poor succession planning and leadership gaps

◼️Slow development of junior lawyers

◼️Increased reliance on external hires

◼️Difficulty aligning legal skills with business needs

Career Development is technology-leveraged, especially when integrated with HR and legal operations platforms:

◼️HR Talent Systems – Track development plans, training, and progression.

◼️Learning Management Systems (LMS) – Host training and development content.

◼️Performance Dashboards – Link development to performance outcomes.

◼️Collaboration Tools – Support mentoring and coaching relationships.

◼️Skills Mapping Engines – Identify gaps and recommend development pathways.

Technology makes career development scalable, measurable, and personalised.