Director of Legal

Job Description Summary

The Director of Legal Recruiting is responsible for overseeing attorney recruiting firmwide, including lateral associates and counsel, entry level attorneys, clerks, and summer associates. The Director of Legal Recruiting will develop strong internal relationships across all practice groups and business departments and become a strategic advisor on all matters relating to legal recruiting. This position will also require investment in relationships with search firms and other recruiters, employing successful tactics for sourcing and contacting potential candidates.

As a senior member of the Legal Talent team, the Director of Legal Recruiting works in close partnership with Hiring Partners, Legal Personnel, Legal Training, and Practice Management; collaboration across these functions is imperative, as the team works together to support the full lifecycle of an attorney at the Firm. The role also champions the adoption of AI-enabled recruiting tools and practices to strengthen sourcing, candidate evaluation, and market intelligence across the recruiting function.

This position can be based in any of our U.S. offices, and will require 2–3 days of in‑office presence per week, with additional onsite days as needed to support business and client requirements. This is a full‑time exempt role.

• In close collaboration with Practice Group Leaders and the Practice Management leads, understand and identify lateral associate and counsel needs, and define and execute recruitment strategy for meeting those needs.
• Work with them to develop understanding of the Firm’s practice areas to ensure that there is alignment on hiring criteria, particularly when specialized expertise is targeted.
• Implement best practices in lateral associate recruiting, interviewing, hiring, and offer processes.
• Establish strong, effective relationships with third-party search firms.
• Regularly communicate hiring priorities and strategy, articulating the value proposition for various key hires.
• Through relationship building, create brand ambassadors for the Firm in the marketplace.
• Manage search firm agreements.
• Leverage AI-enabled recruiting tools to surface market and compensation intelligence, and streamline pipeline tracking and reporting — freeing the team to focus on high-value relationship building and strategic decision-making.
• Facilitate strategic decision-making throughout the hiring process and implement scalable structures and processes for lateral recruiting.
• Work with the talent team on attorney integration, including partner integration, to keep the new hire experience cohesive and seamless.
• Oversee efforts to improve candidate experiences, from initial application submission through onboarding.
• In collaboration with Legal Personnel, deep understanding of associate market compensation, bonuses, and competitive lateral associate offer packages.
• Work collaboratively with the Legal Personnel and Practice Management to ensure each hire makes a smooth transition into the firm.

• Work with Hiring Chair and Hiring Partners to ensure that entry level hiring needs are met, based on Practice Group projected needs.
• Advise and lead efforts to hire summer / entry-level associates that are exceptionally qualified for Fenwick’s legal practices and locations.
• Facilitate strategic decision-making throughout the hiring process and implement scalable structures and processes for law student and entry-level associate recruiting.
• Build and deepen law school relations.
• Oversee communications and engagement.
• Help ensure development of Firm ambassadors within law schools.
• Direct the Firm’s summer associate program, including onboarding, work assignment…