Associate Recruiting Manager - Lateral Associates

Latham & Watkins LLP; New York; Hybrid; USD 150,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare benefits

401(k) plan

Paid time off (PTO)

11+ holidays per year and 23 days PTO

Well-being programs

Professional development

Employee discounts

Affinity groups

Job summary

Latham & Watkins LLP is seeking an Associate Recruiting Manager - Lateral Associates to shape how the firm attracts and hires top lateral talent. You’ll partner with practice and office leaders, lead searches, and advise stakeholders across the firm.

This role requires strategic execution, strong relationship-building, and the ability to develop and lead a recruiting team across multiple offices. Hybrid/in-office presence is available in select offices including New York, Chicago, or Washington,

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent.
• 7+ years of experience in legal recruitment.
• 2+ years of experience leading, supervising, or developing others.
• Experience using data and market information to identify trends, assess progress, and support decisions.

Responsibilities

• Partner with practice, department, and office leaders to understand hiring needs and develop tailored lateral associate recruiting strategies.
• Serve as a trusted advisor by providing market intelligence, candidate insights, and practical guidance throughout the recruiting process.
• Lead lateral associate searches from initial strategy and candidate identification through interviews, offers, and successful hiring.
• Identify opportunities to recruit qualified lateral associate candidates through direct sourcing, attorney referrals, search firms, and other channels.
• Build and manage relationships with external search firms and vendors, evaluating performance, negotiating fees, and improving processes.
• Prepare and communicate recruiting statistics, market updates, and progress reports aligned with practice group needs.
• Organize, delegate, and coordinate staff work, manage workflow, and conduct performance evaluations.
• Protect confidential and sensitive information.

Skills

Leadership

Interpersonal skills

Organizing

Planning

Problem-solving

Decision-making

Stakeholder management

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent

Tools

MS Office

Applicant Tracking Systems

Database management

Job description

About Latham & Watkins

Latham & Watkins is one of the world’s leading global law firms advising the businesses and institutions that drive the global economy. We are the market leaders in major financial and business centers around the world. Our investment in people, commitment to innovation, and focus on the future empower you to build an incredible career and thrive as an exceptional professional in a supportive culture. If you aspire to be the best, and work with the best, this is where you belong.

About the Role

The Associate Recruiting Manager - Lateral Associates is an integral part of Latham’s Associate Recruiting team. This role offers an opportunity to shape how the firm attracts and hires exceptional lateral associate talent while working closely with practice, department, and office leaders across the firm. As a trusted advisor to key stakeholders, you will provide market intelligence, develop tailored recruiting strategies, and lead searches from initial planning through successful hire. You will also manage and develop members of the recruiting team, strengthen relationships with external search firms, and identify opportunities to make our recruiting approach more effective, informed, and responsive to the needs of the business. This is an ideal opportunity for an experienced legal recruiting professional who enjoys combining strategy with execution, building strong relationships, and helping a talented team succeed. This role will be located in either our New York, Chicago, or Washington D.C. office. Please note that this role may be eligible for a flexible working schedule that allows for a hybrid and in-office presence.

Responsibilities & Qualifications

Other key responsibilities include:

• Partnering with practice, department, and office leaders to understand hiring needs and develop thoughtful, tailored lateral associate recruiting strategies
• Serving as a trusted advisor by providing market intelligence, candidate insights, and practical guidance throughout the recruiting process
• Leading lateral associate searches from initial strategy and candidate identification through interviews, offers, and successful hiring
• Identifying and capitalizing on opportunities to recruit qualified lateral associate candidates through direct sourcing, attorney referrals, search firms, and other recruiting channels
• Building and managing productive relationships with external search firms and vendors, including evaluating performance, negotiating fees, and improving processes
• Preparing and communicating comprehensive recruiting statistics, market updates, and progress reports, ensuring alignment with practice group needs
• Organizing, delegating, and coordinating staff work, managing workflow and conducting performance evaluations, ensuring experienced leadership
• Protecting and maintaining any highly sensitive, confidential, privileged, financial, and/or proprietary information that Latham & Watkins retains

We’d love to hear from you if you:

• Possess excellent leadership and interpersonal skills, including organizing, planning, problem-solving, decision-making, and effective interaction with all organizational levels
• Enjoy advising senior stakeholders and translating business needs into practical recruiting strategies
• Display proficiency in PC applications, including MS Office, database management, and applicant tracking systems, with the ability to conduct thorough analyses and reports
• Demonstrate the handling of confidential and sensitive information with appropriate discretion

And have:

• A bachelor’s degree or an equivalent
• A minimum of seven (7) years of experience in legal recruitment, preferably with ownership over lateral associate recruiting
• A minimum of two (2) years of experience leading, supervising, or developing others, whether through direct management or project leadership
• Experience using data and market information to identify trends, assess progress, and support decisions

Benefits & Additional Information

Successful candidates will not only be provided with an outstanding career opportunity and welcoming environment, but will also be provided with a generous total compensation package with bonuses awarded in recognition of both individual and firm performance. Eligible employees can participate in Latham’s comprehensive benefit program which includes:

• Healthcare, life and disability insurance
• A generous 401k plan
• At least 11 paid holidays per year, and a PTO program that accrues 23 days during the first year of employment and grows with tenure
• Well-being programs (e.g. mental health services, mindfulness and resiliency, medical resources, well-being events, and more)
• Professional development programs
• Employee discounts
• Affinity groups, networks, and coalitions for lawyers and staff

Latham & Watkins is an equal opportunity employer. The Firm prohibits discrimination against any employee or applicant for employment on the basis of race (including, but not limited to, hair texture and protective hairstyles), color, religion, sex, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status (including veterans of the Vietnam era), gender expression, marital status, or any other characteristic or condition protected by applicable statute.

Pay Range

USD $150,000.00 - USD $180,000.00 /Yr.