New In-house masterclass series leads into Externships Panel with lawyers from leading organisations
This semester, qLegal launched a new In-House Masterclass Series, followed by the Externships Panel Event bringing together in-house lawyers from HubSpot, Hargreaves Lansdown, GSK and Luminance. The masterclasses and the panel were designed to show students what legal work actually looks like working inside a business.
For many years, private practice has been seen as the regular route into the profession. However, in recent years there has been growing interest in in-house roles, particularly in technology, life sciences and regulated industries. Many lawyers are increasingly drawn to roles that place them closer to commercial decision making, product development and strategic risk management.
In response to this growing interest, qLegal introduced the new In-House Masterclass Series to ensure externs see more than the traditional law firm model and understand how legal teams operate inside companies.
By the time the panel took place, students had already engaged with recorded masterclasses covering corporate governance, legal risk management, commercial contracts, NDAs and data rooms, and communicating with non-lawyers. The sessions were delivered by Harry Borovick, General Counsel at Luminance; Patrick Cahill, Lead Product and Privacy Counsel (AI) at HubSpot; Ben Millson, Senior Counsel at GSK; Sophie Cole, Principal Legal Counsel at Hargreaves Lansdown; and qLegal’s Emily Wapples and Eliza Platts-Mills.
Having already worked through the masterclasses, students arrived ready to engage at depth. The discussion moved straight into real experiences and practical tensions: how advice is shaped by risk assessment, internal dynamics and collaboration with product, commercial and leadership teams in fast-paced environments.
Sophie Cole reflected on how the in-house role differs from more traditional conceptions of legal practice:
“You're not really just a lawyer in these heavily regulated industries when you're working in-house. You're more of a business partner, and you need to guide them through and find a path through the things that you have to deal with. It’s quite grey whether you can do something or not, so you need an element of risk management where you're balancing risks versus what they want to do.”
Patrick Cahill highlighted the balance between legal accuracy and commercial momentum, particularly in areas such as AI where regulation continues to evolve:
“Part of my role is building strong relationships with internal stakeholders based on mutual trust. I want them to come to me if there’s a problem so we can work through it together. At the same time, you're constantly balancing the legal landscape with the commercial one. The business wants to move fast, and the law keeps evolving, especially now around AI. To make sure teams are set up for success, you end up acting like a mini general counsel for specific product teams and the close-knit groups you support.”
The discussion also addressed career paths. Panellists spoke candidly about moving from private practice into in-house roles, and about the different skill sets required. Communication, proactivity and the ability to build trust were repeatedly emphasised by panellists as central to long term success.
Across both the Masterclass Series and the panel, one message was clear: technical knowledge remains essential, but it is only part of the picture. In-house lawyers are expected to exercise judgement in uncertain situations, communicate clearly with non-legal stakeholders and add strategic value within their organisations.
The Externships Programme hosts two panel events each year, one each semester. By integrating the new Masterclass Series into the panel format, this year’s event offered students a structured opportunity to connect training with practice and to explore alternative pathways within the profession.
qLegal is grateful to the panellists for sharing their experience and to the externs for their thoughtful engagement throughout the session.