New ebook explores the skills, relationships, and business responsibilities shaping today’s GC role

SAN FRANCISCO, June 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Paragon Legal, a leader in flexible legal talent solutions for in-house teams, today announced the release of The New GC Toolkit: A Practical Guide to Thriving in the General Counsel Role. Drawing on insights from experienced GCs and legal leaders across industries, survey data from more than 150 legal professionals, and benchmark research from leading industry organizations, the ebook explores how the General Counsel role has evolved beyond traditional legal advising and what today’s legal leaders need to succeed as business executives, strategic advisors, and organizational leaders.

The findings come at a pivotal moment for the profession:

• 97% of GCs reported increases in work volume over the past year, while 87% say the pace of risk and demand continues to accelerate.
• 70% of CLOs manage multiple functions beyond legal, and 58% are heavily involved in M&A and corporate transactions.
• 49% of surveyed GCs identified their relationship with the CEO as the single most important factor in their effectiveness.

The ebook highlights a growing disconnect between how lawyers are traditionally trained and what the GC role now requires. As legal leaders take on broader responsibilities across business strategy, budgets, technology, risk, and executive leadership, success increasingly depends on skills that extend beyond legal expertise alone. The toolkit provides practical guidance for navigating that transition and thriving in today’s expanded GC role.

Trista Engel, CEO of Paragon Legal, shared:

“Most lawyers step into the GC role expecting a bigger version of the job they already had. What surprises many of them is how much of the role has nothing to do with practicing law. Today’s GCs are expected to lead teams, influence strategy, manage budgets, and help businesses move faster through uncertainty. We created this toolkit to help legal leaders navigate that transition with more confidence and clarity.”

The toolkit combines practical guidance with firsthand insights from experienced GCs and CLOs, including lessons on:

• Navigating the first 90 days in the role
• Building trust with CEOs, boards, and executive teams
• Leading cross-functional business initiatives
• Structuring legal teams and rightsourcing work effectively
• Moving from legal analysis to business judgment

Featured contributors throughout the ebook include legal leaders from organizations including Ironclad, Circle, Collective Health, Flynn Group, Cargill, JFrog, GE Vernova, Credo AI, and more.

The ebook also explores how the role is evolving amid growing regulatory complexity, AI adoption, budget pressure, and increasing expectations from executive leadership.

“The GC role is no longer just about managing legal risk in isolation,” Engel added. “It’s about helping the business take smart risks at speed.”

The New GC Toolkit is part of Paragon Legal’s ongoing research and thought leadership series exploring how modern legal departments are evolving.

The full ebook is available for free download here: https://paragonlegal.com/insights/the-new-gc-toolkit-a-practical-guide-to-thriving-in-the-general-counsel-role/ 

About Paragon Legal

Paragon Legal provides legal departments at leading corporations with high quality, flexible legal talent to help them meet changing workload demands. At the same time, Paragon offers talented attorneys and legal professionals a flexible alternative to the traditional legal career path, empowering them to achieve both professional and personal goals. Learn more at www.paragonlegal.com.

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SOURCE Paragon Legal