Manager, Legal Recruiting

Goodwin; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 119,000 - 179,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental, and vision insurance

Life and disability insurance

Retirement & Savings Plan

Paid vacation, sick time off, andholyd

Job summary

Goodwin seeks a Manager, Legal Recruiting to lead strategic sourcing, hiring, and relationship management for summer and lateral associates across California and national offices. The role reports to the Senior Manager, Legal Recruiting and collaborates with multiple business units to drive growth and inclusive hiring practices.

Key responsibilities include developing pipelines, onboarding candidates, budgeting, and maintaining metrics, with travel to other Goodwin locations as needed.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree and 5–7 years of direct recruiting experience, preferably in a law firm.
• Professional, client-service oriented with excellent communication.
• Ability to manage multiple assignments and protect confidential information.
• Familiar with Workday, ATS, and Lawcruit.
• Willingness to travel to other Goodwin offices and conferences.

Responsibilities

• Source and hire summer and lateral associates; implement creative strategies.
• Develop candidate pipelines with business units for growth.
• Onboard and integrate new hires across offices.
• Analyze market data to identify potential candidates.
• Maintain relationships with local and national search firms.
• Pitch the firm’s strategy and manage recruitment budgets.
• Oversee California Summer Program and entry-level hiring.
• Promote inclusive recruitment practices and report metrics.

Skills

Recruiting experience

Client service

Communication

Interpersonal skills

Organization

Discretion

Research

Education

Bachelor's Degree

Tools

Workday

ATS

Lawcruit

Job description

Join Goodwin’s Global Operations Team, and make a real impact on a global scale. At Goodwin, we work with some of the world’s most successful and innovative investors, entrepreneurs and disruptors in the life sciences, private equity, real estate, technology and financial industries, and where they converge. As part of the Global Operations Team – all business professionals at the firm – you’ll collaborate with colleagues from varied backgrounds and experiences, fostering an environment where cross‑functional learning, networking, and collaboration are at the core of what we do.

Here, we’re not just supporting a law firm; we’re partnering with attorneys and clients to deliver cutting‑edge solutions in high‑stakes litigation and dispute resolution, world‑class regulatory compliance and advisory services, and complex transactions. Our commitment to integrity, ingenuity, agility, and ambition drives us, and we’re proud to have been recognised as the "Best Business Team" by The American Lawyer.

This is your opportunity to grow professionally in a dynamic, global environment, surrounded by forward‑thinking peers.

The Manager, Legal Recruiting will be joining our highly collaborative team and reporting to the Senior Manager, Legal Recruiting. This role will provide strategic direction to the firm, office, and practice area recruitment plans; act as primary hiring contact for summer associate hires for the Los Angeles and Santa Monica offices; and act as firm‑wide Legal Recruiting liaison for multiple business units (major practice groups).

What You Will Do

• Work with the Senior Manager and Managing Director of Legal Recruiting to implement creative strategies and processes for sourcing and hiring summer associate and lateral associate candidates
• Work with business units on strategic growth initiatives and development of summer associate and lateral candidate pipelines
• Collaborate with business unit leaders and directors to effectively onboard and integrate summer associate and lateral candidates
• Analyze data and trends in key markets to identify potential candidates
• Keep current with industry updates and changes at competitive firms that could result in potential lateral opportunities
• Actively develop and maintain relationships with local and national search firms
• Pitch the firm by articulating the firm’s interests, strategic focus, and growth strategy
• Oversee the firm’s internal due diligence processes for all local summer associate and lateral hires
• Work closely with the firm committees and other internal constituents to promote inclusive recruitment practices
• Maintain the appropriate metrics to report and measure success as it relates to lateral recruitment
• Manage all aspects of the local Legal Recruiting budget
• Manage and develop the local Legal Recruiting team
• Work with the Senior Manager and Managing Director on strategic projects and initiatives to support various office committees and goals
• Oversee Southern California Summer Program and entry‑level hiring efforts, including law school relations efforts on behalf of the California offices.
• Actively participate in the Firm’s community to enhance the collaborative culture.

Who You Are

• Bachelor’s Degree and 5-7 years of direct recruiting experience, with a strong preference for law firm experience.
• Professional, outgoing demeanor with a client service‑oriented approach.
• Excellent communication (verbal and written) and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to interact effectively with candidates, all levels of firm personnel and a variety of external entities.
• Exceptional organization skills, ability to manage multiple assignments simultaneously and smoothly.
• Must possess superior judgment and discretion and be able to protect and maintain highly confidential information.
• Sophisticated and strategic research skills to identify lateral and summer associate candidates
• Working knowledge of recruiting software, Workday, and applicant tracking systems (ATS), Lawcruit.
• Travel required to other Goodwin office locations and professional conferences, as requested.
• Flexibility to work extended hours as needed.

Benefits And More

At Goodwin, you will discover your next career opportunity with a rewarding compensation package and comprehensive benefits, including:

• Health, dental, and vision insurance
• Life and disability insurance
• Retirement & Savings Plan
• Emergency back‑up child and adult care
• Paid vacation, sick time off, and holidays
• Professional development and career advancement opportunitiesEmployee recognition and reward programs
• Employee wellness and assistance programs
• Employee discounts and perks

This position is eligible for overtime: No

The target salary range for this position varies by location and is commensurate with relevant experience: Boston $103,700 - $155,600 | Los Angeles $111,500 - $167,300 | New York $111,500 - $167,300 | Orange County $111,500 - $167,300 | Philadelphia $101,600 - $152,500 | San Diego $111,500 - $167,300 | San Francisco $119,300 - $178,900 | Santa Monica $111,500 - $167,300