In-House Counsel

The Meybe On In-House Life

The career path to in-house and when you’re in-house is not clear –- and it necessitates being open to the maybes, the possibilities.

By  
on

Ed. note: Please welcome Meyling “Mey” Ly Ortiz to the pages of Above the Law, where she’ll be writing about her experiences as an in-house attorney.

Confession: I didn’t plan for this.

And while I am sure many of you are rolling your eyes in disbelief at the thought that I never planned to “live the dream” and work in-house at the amazing company I am now, it’s 100% true.

In fact, looking back, I specifically remember being asked during my interview for Biglaw whether I was only wanting to join Biglaw so I could make the jump in-house –- and I feel like such an idiot now for my immediate response then -– which was, “What do you mean in-house?”

Because when I worked in SmallLaw (is that even a coined term?), I didn’t work with in-house lawyers. And when I use SmallLaw, I really mean small.  There were only two partners and one secretary, and I was the only associate. And my lived experience as a young lawyer at that time was working directly with business owners, so I didn’t understand that being a lawyer at a company was even a thing.

I also distinctly remember going into law school with one goal –- to work in an office setting and make at least $50K. And while that may also be met with some skepticism, it may make better sense as you learn more about me.

I am the first generation in my family to go to college, a second-generation American, and proud to be the daughter of refugees from the “Killing Fields” of Cambodia. This means that my early life experiences included translating for my family when filling out school and doctor forms, paying for groceries with food stamps, taking public transportation because it was our only option, and watching my parents work really hard — doing work that some would never do — for not a lot. And while my parents eventually fared better, owning and operating a gas station/convenience store as I started middle school, they still work seven days a week, 365 days a year today. I basically grew up behind the counter of a Mom & Pop gas station in a small country town, where we were the only Asian Americans.

Sponsored

The reason why I’m sharing this is because it may explain why my lens may be different than other in-house counsel –- and may even appear to be more naïve than others, as I share my insight with you on what being in-house is like for me.

Second, there is a why to my column name –- The Meybe on In-House Life.  The Meybe is a play off of my nickname -– Mey and “maybe.” But I also intentionally love the word “maybe” in this space for two reasons. One is because it is a juxtaposition of what people think lawyers do (dispense black letter law) and what we actually do (start most advice with “it depends”). The other is that in contrast to the hierarchy of career progression at most firms, which can be very ladder-like, the career path to in-house and when you’re in-house is not as clear –- and it necessitates being open to the maybes, the possibilities.

‘Cause that’s how I landed this dream job in-house. It wasn’t planned. I didn’t have a five-year strategy. I just had a really bad day in Biglaw — and out of anger and resentment at my situation, I got online and applied.  For the networkers out there, I hate to disappoint you as I share that I didn’t know anyone at the company. I didn’t know anyone I interviewed with. And I didn’t believe that I had 100% of the qualifications. I literally just applied.

And while that may invite yet another eye roll, I think my lack of strategy of how to get in-house and my lack of expectation with what in-house life should be, really allowed me to be open and experience it for what it is.

As we explore the Meybe on In-House Life together, please feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn, on Twitter, or at themeybe@gmail.com, especially if you have any questions on in-house life.

Sponsored

Meyling “Mey” Ly Ortiz is in-house at Toyota Motor North America. Her passions include mentoring, championing belonging, and a personal blog: TheMeybe.com. At home, you can find her doing her best to be a “fun” mom to a toddler and preschooler and chasing her best self on her Peloton. You can follow her on LinkedIn. And you knew this was coming: her opinions are hers alone.

Topics

,