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When we put a business partner on the panel, their opinion holds as much if not more weight than the legal team interviewers. They’re the ones who will be relying on this person most, they need to have a good rapport.
This part makes sense to me. I guess I’m more curious about what kinds of opinions the business partner could have that would tank a legal interview. Beyond the obvious, like the candidate being abrasive or seemingly hard to work with
Legal serves the business. Maybe there's an existing relationship with a candidate where you can vouch for a candidate to directly address concerns you know to be a misunderstanding you can explain away. Otherwise, if the business says "I don't want to work with Candidate X", then Candidate X is not moving forward.
Rising Star
My team just hired a new Product Counsel and unless the business had a serious problem with them, they were getting the job. But I referred them personally and they were a former colleague and great candidate. If it was a rando then business input is important.
I would assume that if they are part of the interview process, they’re important. I’ve had it both ways, where they are part of the panel/interview rounds, and also where I get a chance to meet them after receiving an offer or late in the process where it’s clear it’s for my informational purposes only.
Unfortunately, in-house lawyers often have more people who have to buy into their being hired. In house, you are on the expense side of the ledger, in law firms you are on the profit side. We all know the value an attorney brings in house ( like subsequent reduced business and regulatory risk) but it's hard for the bean counters to quantify that. Accordingly, you see more people even at a junior level. From the outside it's always hard to determine how much political capital any person-- in this case, the business head who likes you---has and whether they are willing to put any of it on the line to hire you. I will say that in-house there is a greater emphasis on playing well with others. This would weigh against any one person countering a group decision which is otherwise leaning against you.
This is very true. Legal is just another cost center as in house
In our process, the non-legal people are the “client” that the lawyer will support.