It wasn’t long after Morgen Cheshire was named a partner at Schnader, Harrison, Segal & Lewis L.L.P. that she realized she would soon face a wrenching decision. Making partner at a big firm is a dream for many young lawyers, and finally she was there. In that role, Cheshire wanted more than anything to represent the rich tapestry of foundations, institutes, and other nonprofits that call Philadelphia home — she had been working hard to develop that client base.

Over the years, I’ve concluded that there is not a non-profit way to practice law. We in-house lawyers for non-profits do all the things other in-house counsel do. But, while they might have to deal with the Securities and Exchange Commission, we spend time with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). And our corporate cultures tend to be different because profit is not our motive. Otherwise, we have pretty much the same roles in our respective organizations.