Job Description
Legal Recruiting Manager:
Buckingham Search is representing a Chicago-based law firm seeking a Legal Recruiting Manager to lead attorney hiring and support the firm's summer associate program. This is a high-visibility, individual contributor role for a recruiter who enjoys owning searches from beginning to end and building trusted relationships with senior stakeholders. The ideal candidate likely began their career in agency recruiting before transitioning in-house, preferably within a law firm or professional services environment. The position is based in Chicago and follows a hybrid schedule with three days in the office, including Tuesday as a consistent team day. MUST BE LOCATED IN CHICAGOThe RoleYou will serve as a primary recruiting partner to firm leadership, working directly with the hiring partner, practice group chairs, and members of the HR team. Your responsibilities will span lateral attorney recruiting, summer associate hiring, and onboarding. This person will independently manage the full recruiting lifecycle while creating a thoughtful and professional experience for candidates, interviewers, and new hires.
Key responsibilities will include:- Leading lateral attorney searches from initial intake through accepted offer
- Partnering with practice group leaders to understand hiring needs and develop effective search strategies
- Identifying and engaging legal talent through direct sourcing, referrals, external relationships, and recruiting platforms
- Managing candidate screening, interview coordination, feedback, offer development, and closing
- Building relationships with promising candidates who may not be ready to make an immediate move
- Overseeing the summer associate recruiting process and helping deliver a well-organized summer program
- Coordinating onboarding activities to ensure new attorneys have a seamless transition into the firm
- Maintaining accurate candidate records, recruiting data, and pipeline updates
- Using LinkedIn Recruiter, Leopard Solutions, and other resources to research and engage prospective candidates
- Evaluating current recruiting practices and recommending ways to improve efficiency, communication, and the candidate experience
- Representing the firm professionally with candidates, law schools, search firms, and other external partners
- The Ideal Background
We are looking for a confident, relationship-driven recruiter who understands how to identify talent, influence stakeholders, and keep complex hiring processes moving.
The strongest candidates will bring:
Full-cycle recruiting experience within an agency, and/or law firm
A background that includes agency recruiting followed by an in-house recruiting role is ideal
Experience recruiting lateral attorneys or other specialized professional talent
Exposure to summer associate recruiting, campus programs, or early-career hiring
The ability to advise and build credibility with partners, practice leaders, and senior stakeholders
Strong sourcing and candidate-development skills, including experience engaging passive talent
Excellent organization, judgment, communication, and follow-through
The ability to manage multiple searches and competing priorities without sacrificing candidate experience
Experience with LinkedIn Recruiter; familiarity with Leopard Solutions is helpful
A collaborative approach and comfort working as an individual contributor without direct reports
