Lateral Legal Recruiting Manager

Lateral Legal Recruiting Manager

At Kirkland & Ellis, we are united in our ambition and drive to move forward. We share core values that help us achieve excellence: collaboration, talent empowerment, service, inclusion, respect and gratitude. Our people are our greatest asset, and we invest in the brightest talent and encourage a diversity of perspectives and strengths to create dynamic teams that operate at the pinnacle of their field. Our talented professionals show up every day knowing they will engage in meaningful work, continuous learning and professional development.

As one of the world’s leading law firms, we serve a broad range of clients with market-leading practices in private equity, M&A and other complex corporate transactions; investment fund formation and alternative asset management; restructurings; high-stakes commercial and intellectual property litigation; and government, regulatory and internal investigations. We handle the most complicated and sophisticated legal matters because we don’t just meet industry standards, we create them. We bring innovation and entrepreneurialism to every engagement and, as a result, have long-standing client relationships with leading global corporations and financial sponsors. With 6,500 employees (including 3,500 lawyers) operating from 20 offices across the United States, Europe, the Middle East and Asia, we are one of the largest law firms in the world and a top financial performer.

We are seeking a Lateral Legal Recruiting Manager to help drive the Lateral Legal Recruiting efforts in our West Coast offices (Bay Area, and Los Angeles).  As part of the Firmwide Legal Recruiting and Development Department (“LRD”), the Lateral Legal Recruiting Manager will be responsible for coordination of all aspects of lateral attorney recruiting with direction from the Firmwide Associate Director of Lateral Legal Recruiting, including, but not limited to lateral hiring; strategic direction and planning; working closely with with senior partners within all practice areas regarding lateral needs; day to day management and professional development of local recruiting team; relationship building with recruits, search firms, and vendors; budget planning; industry research.

Job Posting

This position requires a high level of collaboration with attorneys and staff and the ability to work independently.  This position requires the exercise of independent judgment.

The ideal candidate will be highly organized, possess excellent proofing and communication (verbal and written) skills; the ability to multitask in a fast-paced environment; a very strong attention to detail; and a professional demeanor.  Additionally, the ideal candidate will possess strong interpersonal skills with the ability to build relationships among lawyers and staff to achieve results.

This position is hybrid.  The individual is expected to follow the Firm’s hybrid work model, which requires in-person presence Tuesday-Thursday (with the exception of pre-approved arrangements).

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS (This list is not exhaustive and may be supplemented and changed as necessary.)

• Proactively communicate and collaborate with hiring partners within all practice areas regarding lateral needs.
• Provide strategic direction in lateral hiring initiatives and facilitate its execution.
• Support and drive firmwide lateral recruiting directives across designated offices.
• Oversee the lateral attorney hiring process, including but not limited to sourcing and reviewing candidates, scheduling interviews and distributing feedback, preparing offers, and handling pre-hire onboarding.
• Act as primary contact for lateral candidates, including judicial clerks, and headhunters.
• Ensure candidates are accurately tracked in tracking software for firm reporting and open positions are updated in job posting boards, including the firm website, accordingly.
• Coordinate judicial clerk hiring, including outreach and receptions.
• Coordinate with hiring partners and other departments in the offer negotiation and conflicts process with an awareness for market trends and conditions that may affect compensation, including bonuses and raises.
• Provide routine reporting and statistical data as needed to hiring partners.
• Collaborate with other Kirkland offices and departments to identify efficiencies and best practices in process.
• Work closely with the LRD team to assist with ad hoc projects as needed.

Education, Work Experience, Skills

The ideal candidate will have eight-plus years of recruiting experience in a law firm or professional service industry.  The candidate must also demonstrate strong leadership, problem-solving, and strategic planning skills, and the ability to work across all levels of management with various personality types; build relationships, be proactive, stay organized, and multi‑task in a fast‑paced, pressured environment.  A Bachelor’s degree is required, along with superior verbal and written communication skills.

For applicants who are based in Bay Area, visit the following link for pay range information: http://staffjobsus.kirkland.com/pages/BAJOBID7466