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Manager, Lateral Partner Recruitment

Company
WilmerHale
Location
New York, NY
Work type
Full Time · Hybrid
Posted
2026-08-20

Job description

About the Role

The Manager, Lateral Partner Recruitment, is responsible for partnering with the Director of Lateral Partner Recruitment to drive the firm's strategic growth through the identification, recruitment, hiring, and integration of lateral partners and partner-level groups. Working closely with the Director, firm leadership, practice group leaders, finance, conflicts, business development, and external search consultants, this position manages all aspects of the lateral partner recruitment lifecycle and serves as a trusted advisor on partner hiring initiatives.

Demonstrates a strong commitment to professionalism by setting clear expectations and ensuring the delivery of high‑quality service. Fosters and reinforces a positive, solution‑oriented (‘can‑do’) approach across the team. Ensures effective support of internal departments, external clients, and vendors by modeling and requiring clear, courteous communication through electronic correspondence, telephone, and in‑person interactions.

What You Will Be Doing

Partners with Director, practice group leaders and firm management to identify strategic hiring opportunities. Coordinates targeted partner outreach initiatives.
Manages relationships with preferred legal search firms. Engages with search firms to coordinate candidate submissions, interview scheduling, and feedback loops.
Manages communication among candidates, recruiters, and firm leadership. Ensures recruiting processes are executed with a high level of professionalism and confidentiality.

Coordinates and owns the scheduling of candidate interviews, across multiple practice groups and offices, often involving complex, multi-party calendars.
Maintains awareness of partner movement trends and legal market developments. Manages a robust pipeline of qualified candidates using market intelligence, legal directories, alumni networks, and firm relationships.
Tracks scheduling and pipeline metrics (e.g., time-to-schedule, interview volume) and report status to the Director. Tracks and analyzes lateral market trends, competitor moves, and practice group growth opportunities.
Manages the end-to-end lateral partner recruitment process, ensuring a smooth, high-touch candidate experience.
Assists in preparing materials for Partner Admissions/Management Committee presentations.
Maintains accurate records in the firm's recruiting CRM/database; produces regular pipeline and metrics reports for firm leadership.
Supports budget tracking related to search firm fees and recruiting expenses.
Assists the Director with basic research on prospective candidates, practice groups, and market trends.

Required Skills
What You Will Bring to This Position

Demonstrated ability to pivot with last minute scheduling issues and multitask in stressful situations.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
High degree of discretion with sensitive and confidential matters.
Exceptional project management and organizational abilities.
Strong analytical and business judgment skills.
Strong teamwork skills with a collaborative approach to working with others at all levels of seniority.
Extensive knowledge of recruiting, law firms and practice of law.
Detail oriented and high attention to quality.
Remains open to technological change as generative AI becomes more integrated into the firm’s practice, actively develop comfort with new tools, and adapt how work is performed to support efficiency and innovation.
Required Experience
5–8 years of experience, including 2+ years in legal recruiting

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