Simply checking an attorney’s credentials isn’t enough when deciding who to hire. You also need to find people who can do well in difficult situations.
This article explores how legal recruiters find and evaluate the best-qualified legal professionals. This helps companies and organizations make the best recruiting decisions.
How Do Legal Recruiters Find Top Talent?
Most of the time, legal recruiters start with a multi-channel sourcing strategy. They use these strategies to get candidates from both passive and active pools:
They use advanced search filters on LinkedIn and other professional networks. This helps them find qualified candidates in the legal field.
These candidates typically have extensive experience and are licensed bar members.
Getting References from Lawyers You Trust
Legal recruiters use a variety of strategies to identify and evaluate top talent.
Here are some of them:
- Looking through directories of legal associations and lists of bar associations.
- Using applicant tracking systems (ATS), legal recruitment databases, and specialized legal job portals.
- Hosting or going to legal conferences, seminars, continuing legal education (CLE) activities, etc.
- Sending targeted emails and messages to passive candidates.
Once recruiters find possible candidates, they look at resumes and do initial interviews. They also check their references and then do in-depth technical or behavioral interviews.
The Playbook for Multi-Channel Sourcing
Legal recruiters use multiple channels to attract a large pool of candidates.
This approach helps them maintain both quantity and quality in their search:
- Direct contact. Recruiters search for words like “corporate counsel” and “5–8 years” on LinkedIn. They use similar tools to find lawyers who are a good fit.
- Platforms for hiring lawyers. Dedicated platforms or niche job boards help recruiters find potential applicants. These applicants are actively seeking legal positions.
- Networks and referrals. Lawyers, previous employees, or law school acquaintances can provide good referrals.
- Talent communities and pipelining. Keeping in touch with prospective lawyers helps build a pool of candidates.
- Marketing via social media and through content. Blogs, webinars, thought leadership, and legal content draw in passive prospects. They also let them learn about your brand.
Evaluation: Going from Resume to Fit
Once a legal recruiter has a candidate, they employ a layered approach to evaluate:
- Checking resumes and credentials
- Look at their education. Did they go to law school, earn honors, undergo clerkships, and pass the bar exam?
- Look for specialists such as M&A, litigation, or IP.
Interviews about Behavior and Skills
When evaluating legal candidates, recruiters use structured interviews. They also use work reviews to gauge both professional competence and cultural fit.
- Ask questions that are based on situations or cases, like: “Tell me about a negotiation you handled.”
- Look at their leadership, communication, and conflict resolution skills.
- Look into the law, logic, ethics, and judgment.
- Review of writing samples and work products
- Ask for short memos, motions, or things that clients need to do.
- Check how well the person fits with the company’s values, the team, and the speed of work.
Scoring or Weighted Evaluation Systems
Some recruiters use standardized scorecards or rubrics. This helps them compare candidates and figure out what their strengths are. New AI technologies and ML models might also help in filtering and ranking resumes.
Trends that Affect Hiring Lawyers
Using technology to find candidates and AI to screen them.
- Some companies use AI or massive language model frameworks. This helps them read resumes and rank candidates.
- There are remote and hybrid solutions for legal jobs. Flexibility after the epidemic is now a factor in hiring at legal firms.
- Focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Legal recruiters are aggressively looking for people from groups that aren’t well represented.
- Branding your law firm. Promoting work-life balance, pro bono work, and a positive culture attracts top lawyers.
Reliable Legal Recruitment Services
They use extensive networks and thorough evaluations to find top prospects. Their personalized services ensure each candidate truly fits the role.
Their team in Seattle helps find both support personnel and lawyers. They do this by customizing each search to fit the client’s culture.
Here is one of their main service descriptions: NW Recruiting legal recruitment services.
Ready to Take Your Legal Talent Strategy to the Next Level?
If you want to fill legal roles in a law firm or a corporate legal department, work with NW Recruiting Partners. We use our extensive networks and thorough evaluations to find top prospects. Our personalized services ensure each candidate truly fits the role. You can reach us by phone at (206) 343-8732 or by email at recruiting@nwrecruitingpartners.com. Check out our website to learn more about how we can help you hire your next employee.
