#United States #New York #Career Growth #Axiom #Deputy General Counsel

The Legal Career Conundrum

In a surprising twist, Deputy General Counsels (DGCs) are experiencing an extraordinary level of job satisfaction while simultaneously grappling with stalled career advancement. A recent study entitled the 2025 Deputy General Counsel Report has revealed that a staggering 96% of DGCs express satisfaction in their roles, up from 70% in 2023. This sharp increase indicates that many DGCs genuinely enjoy their work environment and responsibilities. However, there's a catch: a significant 80% believe that to achieve significant career growth and skills development, they might need to leave their current positions.

This paradox emerged from a survey conducted by Wakefield Research, commissioned by Axiom, which sampled 200 DGCs across both the U.S. and U.K. The research paints a troubling picture of limited opportunities for upward mobility and a lack of necessary resources, which are essential for career development in the legal sector. DGCs report feeling constrained by excessive daily tasks that consume their time and energy, leaving little opportunity to engage in strategic work that could have long-term benefits.

David McVeigh, CEO of Axiom, highlighted the core issue: “Today's DGCs feel stuck. They love their jobs but feel constrained by heavy day-to-day workloads that leave little time for strategic work.” This disconnect could pose significant challenges in succession planning when current General Counsels (GCs) depart, as there may not be adequately prepared successors within the organization.

The report identifies three essential skill sets crucial for DGCs to advance into GC roles. These include strategic leadership and governance, people management, and legal department management. However, the reality is that many DGCs feel driven to prioritize immediate operational legal needs due to resource constraints, placing strategic development on the back burner.

Barriers to Advancement

The 2025 Deputy General Counsel Report provides critical insights into the barriers that DGCs face on their path to becoming GCs. The survey highlights that over 38% of respondents lack adequate exposure to board-level decision-making and strategic planning, with similar numbers reporting insufficient opportunities to develop people management and leadership skills. Notably, managing organizational technology innovations, such as legal AI, remains a significant hurdle. Even though 94% of DGCs recognize the potential benefits of legal AI, only 43% feel their organizations provide adequate training for practical use.

These findings indicate a crucial skills gap among DGCs, as failing to develop strong communication and management capabilities can stall career growth and hinder succession planning. With 31% of DGCs lacking communication skills development opportunities, the implications for future leadership in legal departments are pronounced.

Resource limitations also play a pivotal role in career progression. Almost half of the DGCs surveyed reported that their departments are under-resourced, and this scarcity significantly impacts their professional development. A staggering 98% of those working in resource-constrained environments face challenges in career progression, suggesting that resources are directly linked to their ability to rise within the legal hierarchy.

Conclusion

As the landscape of legal careers continues to evolve, the insights gathered in the 2025 Deputy General Counsel Report underscore pressing challenges faced by current DGCs. While they exhibit impressive job satisfaction levels, the persistent barriers to advancement require urgent attention from organizations. Addressing these issues through strategic resource allocation and leadership development initiatives could empower DGCs, enhance workforce readiness, and ultimately lead to a more robust talent pipeline for General Counsel roles. For further reading, the complete report is available for download.

To learn more about how Axiom supports legal teams or to access the full report, visit Axiom Law.