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While Marybeth Herbst-Flagstad has the same client everyday, no two days are ever the same.
As general counsel for Rogers Behavioral Health System, she handles a variety of legal duties from drafting employee contracts to real estate dealings.
"As an-house attorney I get to know the business on an intimate level and can learn its strategies," Herbst-Flagstad said. "I also get to see and interact with my client everyday in a very literal sense."
Herbst-Flagstad began working on an internal legal team right out of law school.
"I knew I didn't want to be a litigator and I viewed in-house counsels as being very transactional, which appealed to me," she said.
As Rogers' first general counsel, a position she started last year, Herbst-Flagstad is "writing her own job description," determining what work she can do in-house and where she needs to seek outside counsel. Previously, the organization outsourced all of its legal work.
"There's a very wide range of work that crosses my desk," she said. "The day is never the same and I plan that there really isn't a plan. I need to be ready for anything."
Staying up-to-date on the latest changes inside the various law specialties, such as health care or real estate, can be challenging, said Herbst-Flagstad, who is also on the Health Law Section Board of Directors of the State Bar of Wisconsin. She subscribes to different summaries and updates to stay...