How to crush being the 1st legal hire at a scale up

Rapid scale is not for the faint-hearted.

Building a legal function from scratch while delivering legal services at the same time is not for everyone.

If you’re currently in this boat, fear not: I’ve got you covered!

Between us, me and my incredible guest author this month, Jenny Hamilton, have been through this multiple times.

In this guide we share our tips on how to crush being first legal hire: being an early adopter, strong business enabler, mindset, what to leverage to get the resources you need, and more.

TL;DR: back yourself and go for it!

About the Guest Author, Jenny Hamilton, Chief Legal Officer, Exterro, Inc.

Jenny Hamilton is a Chief Legal Officer based in Chicago who thrives at the intersection of business, tech, and law.

As a serial “first” to building an in-house legal function from scratch, she knows that being first means aligning to business strategy, navigating resistance, and managing high-performance teams.

She writes on LinkedIn about a new kind of leadership, including how to tackle challenges with ease, and maybe even with a little joy.

One of her top tips is: embrace the critic! Jenny says: “If someone is loudly criticizing your ideas, congratulations! That means you’ve found a pain point worth fixing. The best way to win over skeptics is to solve their problems. I learned this firsthand at a computer company (pre-law) that built loyalty by fixing their own mistakes. Every problem you solve—whether you caused it or not—earns you trust and credibility.”

Another gem she told me: that progress will come, but not on your timeline.

“At a small company, expect things to take 3-5 times longer than you hoped. At a large company? Try 5-10 times longer. I’ve had projects I thought would take three months drag on for years.

At first, you’ll get a lot done alone and that will feel great. But eventually, you’ll hit a wall. When that happens, relationships will be your way forward. If you want to speed things up, start building those key relationships on day one. Don’t wait until you’re stuck.”

You can find her on LinkedIn here.

So: how do you CRUSH being first legal hire at a scale up?

1. Throw out the rulebook

Rapid scale requires fast responses. Outdated methods of delivering legal services are slow and won’t cut it. Think innovative, low cost / high efficiency solutions to minimize energy and stress levels.

2. Outsource & automate

Outsource process-heavy, time consuming, repetitive work to an ALSP. Especially if it’s low risk or involves process-building. You can start doing this within your first 90 (even 30!) days.

They provide fast access to low cost legal talent that need minimal ramping. They are honestly a godsend when you’re first legal hire.

Leverage tech to create a self-service culture for contracts and take control of your intake. Automation & AI free up your time, speed up deal cycles and decrease risk.

Use your existing tech stack (e.g. Jira) until you are ready to buy new tools. Ask technical colleagues to help.

3. Community Support

Legal is the smallest function in any business (even massive multinationals). Especially if you’re first legal hire and a team of one!

Tap into community to connect with likeminded legal professionals for quick answers and moral support.

4. Business Partner First

Get in the right mindset. You are not a siloed cost centre. You are a business partner first, lawyer second.

Aim to run a lean function that supports revenue generation. Collaborate cross-functionally to help them achieve their business aims.

5. Identify gaps & goals

Define what success looks like from day one.

Expectations will be all over the place and a lot of folks won’t actually GET what legal does, so establish 2-3 top priorities with whoever you report to (hope it’s the CEO!) as your North Star, fully aligned with company goals. These keep you lazer-focused amid the chaos and show your value to the wider business.

Not all problems are created equal. What’s broken? What’s missing? What’s being ignored? Everything comes back to company goals. Rank the gaps not just by what you think is important but by what the organization will rally behind.

6. Embrace the challenge

Being first means you’re walking into uncertainty, resistance, and long hours. Be deeply invested in the challenge of building something from scratch, or you won’t have the stamina to push through. Passion is what fuels you when the setbacks come.

If you’re unsure or feel this isn’t for you, that’s okay. so before you commit, ask yourself: Is this a challenge I care enough about to fight for, even when it gets hard? If the answer is no, pivot to something that truly drives you.

7. Learn the rules of the game

The scale up environment is constantly evolving. Company values look great on a website, but what actually drives decisions? Cutting costs, speed, simplicity?

Figure out what the wider business goals are and align legal team priorities with that.

If you don’t understand what success really looks like inside your organization, you’ll waste time on things leadership doesn’t value. Watch who gets promoted and why. Listen to how decisions get made.

Once you know the real rules, you can play to win (aka build a well-liked, efficient legal team that scales with the wider business).

8. Build your comms plan

Who do you need to get buy-in from? How often do you need to check in? What key questions do you need answered? In a scale up, legal spends a lot of time with senior sales leaders.

C-suite are very busy - if you need regular time with them, get creative. Virtual coffees. Quick hallway chats. Commenting on something they posted internally. The more access you have, the more influence you gain.

9. Actually do the work

You are now in the startup phase of your program (of building out the legal function). No one is coming to rescue you. You have to act like it’s your own money, your own time, your own business.

Build momentum. Small wins build credibility. And if you wait for permission, you’ll be waiting forever. Be proactive and data-driven in asking for the resources you need.

10. Leverage Data

Data is your best argument for more resources. Track time, cost savings, process improvements - anything that proves the business case. Decisions get made based on what can be measured. If you can show leadership that your work is moving key metrics, you’ll get more support.

Partner with your data analytics team if you have one and if not, track basic data yourself (manually in Excel is a great start until you can afford a tool to help you) - use Canva or Powerpoint to turn the data into pie charts etc that support your asks by telling the story for you.

11. Start building your “wish list”

You may not get budget at first. That’s fine. Start with what you have. Benchmarking and networking might be your best free resources. When you do get budget, you’ll still need to be scrappy.

Maybe that means using flexible consultants, contractors, unconventional tools or leveraging the company’s existing tech stack. Don’t reject a resource just because it doesn’t fit your ideal vision.

The best builders make it work.

12. And finally…celebrate your progress!

Talk up the wins. Recognise the people who helped. Give credit, give thanks, give awards. Be the group that rewards change—not the group that nags about it. Momentum builds when people feel like they’re part of something successful.

Find out more about how I can help you as an in-house legal professional.

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