Overview

Position summary This position is responsible for the direction, coordination and overall management of lateral associate and law student recruiting, including but not limited to: recruitment and integration of lateral lawyers, management of the campus recruitment process, summer associate program, and new associate program in the Washington, D.C., Tysons, VA, and Richmond, VA offices. Also responsible for attorney integration, mentor program, and various related talent management duties. Job duties and responsibilities Exercises independent judgment in day-to-day and local strategic decisions. Sets clear direction for the recruiting function, balancing local office needs with firmwide priorities and championing a one-firm approach to ensure consistent standards and unified execution. Engages in substantive discussions about the business of law including realization, utilization, write-downs, and write-offs to inform recruiting strategy. Coaches, develops, and mentors junior team members; provides constructive feedback with confidence and effectiveness. Coordinates with recruiting managers across the firm's markets to share best practices and drive the strategic development of recruiting and summer programs. Maintains a strong working knowledge of the legal market, including peer firms, hiring trends, and reputable search firms; develops reports and projections on market trends and retention for team leadership. Cultivates peer networks at other law firms for benchmarking; maintains professional visibility through speaking engagements, NALP membership, and participation in conferences, professional organizations and local city groups. Interacts regularly with partners, Department Heads, Practice Leaders, Office Managing Partners, and other senior members. Serves as the primary contact with legal search firms, NALP, local recruiting associations, and other outside organizations involved in the recruiting process. Partners with the Assistant Directors of Entry-Level Legal Recruiting and Assistant Director of Lateral Partner Recruiting, Department Heads, Practice Leaders, and Office Managing Partners to identify and attract lateral candidates. Manages the full lateral hiring lifecycle, including prescreening applications, due diligence, approvals, offers, onboarding, and integration while maintaining accurate records in ViRecruit. Designs, implements, and oversees all components of the summer associate program, including on-campus and callback interviews, orientation, training, work assignments, social and educational events, mentoring, and evaluations. Counsels summer associates on firm policies and procedures; follows up with assigning attorneys for timely feedback. Prescreens all law student applications and coordinates law school recruiting efforts, including receptions and targeted outreach with the hiring partner and summer chair. Manages new associate pre-employment correspondence, bar application communications and reimbursements, mentor pairings, and onboarding logistics in coordination with the firmwide recruiting team. Sets and manages budgets for all relevant cost centers. Reviews application materials to assess candidate qualifications against practice needs. Identifies and implements process improvements to streamline internal recruiting procedures. Participates in HR, Recruiting, Summer Associate Committee, and firmwide attorney meetings as scheduled. Ability to travel for meetings and training as required. Performs other duties and projects as assigned. Requirements Education: Bachelor's degree is strongly preferred. Experience:A minimum of five years of management-level recruiting experience in a law firm and prior supervisory experience is strongly preferred. Should have a demonstrated understanding of current law firm industry, market trends and philosophies. Skills: Strong leadership, management and organizational skills. Requires excellent interpersonal, communication and organizational skills, good judgment,