Senior Legal Recruiting Manager

Sidley Austin (CA) LLP; Palo Alto (CA); Hybrid; USD 150,000 - 206,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus eligibility

Comprehensive benefits

Job summary

Sidley Austin LLP in Palo Alto seeks a Senior Legal Recruiting Manager to lead all Northern California recruiting activities, including student programs, lateral hires, and related initiatives. You will strategize, manage budgets, and collaborate with firm leadership to align with firmwide objectives.

The role requires strong leadership, superior communication, and a track record in law firm recruiting. Hybrid work and comprehensive benefits are offered.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.
• Minimum of four years of experience in legal recruiting or talent acquisition.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook).

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership for all legal recruiting in Palo Alto and San Francisco offices.
• Oversee law student recruiting, Summer Associate Program, and lateral attorney recruiting.
• Manage recruiting budgets and reporting systems, ensuring compliance and efficiency.
• Advise Hiring Partners and office leadership on market trends and hiring strategies.
• Plan and execute law school relations, interviews, and candidate engagement initiatives.

Skills

Leadership

Budgeting

Stakeholder management

Communication

Confidentiality

Presentation

Team supervision

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

The Senior Legal Recruiting Manager provides strategic leadership and oversight of all legal recruiting functions for the Northern California offices, including law student recruiting, the Summer Associate Program, lateral attorney recruiting, and related recruiting initiatives and events. This position is responsible for developing and implementing effective recruiting strategies, managing departmental operations and budgets, and ensuring the Firm attracts and retains top legal talent. The Senior Legal Recruiting Manager serves as a trusted advisor and strategic partner to the Northern California Hiring Partners, Summer Associate Committee, office leadership, and the West Coast Legal Recruiting Director. This role works collaboratively with Firm leadership and recruiting professionals across the US offices to ensure alignment with Firmwide recruiting objectives, policies, and best practices.

Duties and Responsibilities

GENERAL LEADERSHIP AND STRATEGY

Provide strategic direction and leadership for all aspects of legal recruiting for the Palo Alto and San Francisco offices, ensuring alignment with Firmwide recruiting goals and business objectives. Develop, implement, and evaluate recruiting strategies designed to attract top law student, entry-level, and lateral attorney talent. Serve as a primary advisor to Hiring Partners, office leadership, and the West Coast Legal Recruiting Director on recruiting matters, market trends, hiring strategies, and candidate engagement. Oversee the annual recruiting budget, including budget development, forecasting, expense management, and identification of opportunities for operational efficiencies. Direct and oversee the candidate interview and selection process, ensuring a professional, consistent, and positive candidate experience. Establish and maintain effective processes for candidate tracking, interview coordination, feedback collection, and communication throughout the recruiting process. Oversee the management of applicant records, recruiting databases, and reporting systems, ensuring accuracy, confidentiality, and compliance with Firm policies and applicable legal requirements. Monitor legal recruiting market trends, competitive hiring practices, and industry developments, providing recommendations to Firm leadership. Collaborate with Legal Recruiting leadership and colleagues across the US offices to develop and implement Firmwide recruiting initiatives and best practices. Identify opportunities to improve recruiting processes and efficiencies and strengthen the Firm's ability to attract and secure top talent. Represent the Palo Alto and San Francisco offices in Firmwide recruiting meetings, strategic planning discussions, and other initiatives. Perform other duties and special projects as assigned.

RECRUITING COMMITTEE AND HIRING PARTNER RELATIONS

Serve as a strategic partner to Hiring Partners and in developing and executing recruiting objectives and hiring strategies. Lead the development, implementation, and ongoing evaluation of office recruiting policies, procedures, and practices in coordination with Firmwide Legal Recruiting leadership. Advise Hiring Partners on candidate selection, hiring recommendations, offer strategies, and recruiting market conditions. Facilitate recruiting committee meetings and hiring discussions, ensuring timely decisions and effective communication among stakeholders. Prepare and present comprehensive recruiting reports, hiring analyses, and market updates to Hiring Partners and Firm leadership. Collaborate with Hiring Partners to identify recruiting priorities, evaluate candidate pipelines, and address evolving hiring needs. Provide guidance and recommendations regarding candidate engagement, offer management, and recruiting outcomes.

LAW STUDENT RECRUITING

Lead and oversee all aspects of the law student recruiting process, including on-campus recruiting, direct applications, callback interviews, and offer management. Develop and execute comprehensive law student recruiting strategies that support the Firm's hiring objectives and strengthen relationships with law schools. Serve as a senior point of contact for law school career services offices, placement directors, and other key recruiting contacts. Oversee the planning and execution of law school interviews, attorney interviewer preparation, and candidate evaluation processes. Partner with Hiring Partners and Recruiting Committee members to assess candidates, facilitate hiring decisions, and develop effective offer and acceptance strategies. Monitor recruiting activity, hiring results, and candidate trends, providing regular updates and strategic recommendations to Firm leadership. Oversee the planning and execution of candidate engagement initiatives, including recruiting receptions, dinners, and other events designed to strengthen candidate relationships. Collaborate with recruiting colleagues across offices to ensure consistency in law student recruiting practices and the effective implementation of Firmwide initiatives. Evaluate recruiting outcomes and recommend improvements to enhance the effectiveness and competitiveness of the Firm's law student recruiting efforts.

SUMMER ASSOCIATE PROGRAM

Provide strategic leadership and overall management of the Northern California Summer Associate Program, ensuring a high-quality experience that supports the Firm's recruiting and talent development objectives. Oversee all aspects of program planning and execution, including onboarding, orientation, attorney mentoring, work assignments, evaluations, professional development, and social programming. Partner closely with Hiring Partners, the Summer Associate Committee, and office leadership to establish program goals, evaluate effectiveness, and ensure a successful summer experience. Lead the planning and execution of Summer Associate Committee meetings and provide guidance on program-related matters. Oversee the summer associate evaluation and offer recommendation process, ensuring timely collection of feedback and effective communication with Firm leadership. Develop and manage the Summer Associate Program budget, ensuring responsible financial oversight and effective allocation of resources. Direct the planning and execution of summer associate events, training programs, and professional development opportunities. Evaluate program feedback, identify areas for improvement, and implement enhancements that strengthen the summer associate experience. Collaborate with Firmwide Legal Recruiting and professional development teams to ensure consistency in program standards and objectives.

LAW SCHOOL RELATIONS AND OUTREACH

Develop and maintain strategic relationships with law schools, career services professionals, student organizations, and other key recruiting contacts. Identify and implement opportunities to strengthen the Firm's visibility and engagement with law students at target schools. Oversee the planning and execution of law school receptions, sponsorships, networking opportunities, and other outreach initiatives. Collaborate with school teams, attorneys, and recruiting professionals across offices to coordinate law school engagement strategies. Evaluate the effectiveness of law school outreach efforts and recommend initiatives that support long-term recruiting objectives. Represent the Firm at law school events, recruiting programs, and industry-related activities, as appropriate.

DEPARTMENT MANAGEMENT AND STAFF DEVELOPMENT

Provide leadership, direction, and supervision to the Northern California Legal Recruiting team, fostering a collaborative, accountable, and high-performing work environment. Establish departmental priorities, delegate responsibilities, and ensure the effective execution of recruiting initiatives and daily operations. Manage departmental staffing needs, including recruitment, interviewing, onboarding, and training of Legal Recruiting personnel. Conduct performance evaluations, provide ongoing coaching and feedback, and support professional development and career growth opportunities for team members. Identify opportunities to enhance team performance, improve workflow efficiencies, and strengthen departmental operations. Partner with Human Resources and Firm leadership on employee relations matters, performance management, and implementation of Firm policies and procedures. Oversee departmental workload distribution, time and attendance, and staff scheduling to ensure appropriate coverage and operational effectiveness. Promote a culture of professionalism, collaboration, responsiveness, and exceptional service to internal and external stakeholders. Serve as a resource and mentor to recruiting professionals, providing guidance on complex recruiting matters and best practices.

Education and/or Experience

Required: Bachelor’s degree (B.A. or B.S.) from an accredited college or university Minimum of four years of experience in legal recruiting, talent acquisition, or a related field Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook) Preferred: Law firm experience, preferably in Big Law At least one year of supervisory experience Law school recruiting experience, including on-campus interviewing and summer program coordination Familiarity with NALP guidelines and applicant tracking systems

Other Skills and Abilities

The successful candidate must also demonstrate the following: Strong organizational and time-management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines Strong attention to detail Sound judgment Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work collaboratively and effectively with others Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to research and think strategically Self-starter who demonstrates ownership of, and commitment to, the job Ability to maintain confidentiality and exercise discretion Outstanding oral and written communication skills, including excellent writing and editing skills Strong presentation skills Accurate proofreading and a strong command of English grammar, spelling, and sentence construction Ability to comprehend information presented in general business records, legal documents, common scientific and technical journals, and various reports

#LI-JW1 #LI-Hybrid The target salary range for this role is: $150,000 - $206,000 if located in California. Salaries vary by location and are based on numerous factors, including, but not limited to, the relevant market, skills, experience, and education of the selected candidate. Our compensation package also includes bonus eligibility and a comprehensive benefits program. Benefits information can be found at Sidley.com/Benefits. To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform the Duties and Responsibilities above satisfactorily and meet the requirements. The requirements listed above are representative of the minimum knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job. Sidley Austin LLP is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Sidley is an elite global law firm with a known reputation of deploying innovative strategies to achieve powerful results. Business professionals are essential to the firm’s ability to deliver the highest quality legal services to our clients. We are always looking for talented, motivated individuals who thrive in a performance-driven culture to join our team. We encourage you to explore current openings and check back for future opportunities that align with your skills, experience, and career goals. Sidley employs approximately 2,300 lawyers working with our clients in complex transactional, restructuring, crisis management, investigation, regulatory, and litigation matters. Our 160 years of perspective and reach are truly global, supported by 21 offices strategically situated in key commercial, regulatory, and financial centers across the world. Our lawyers and business professionals, fluent in more than 75 languages, possess the cultural awareness and cross-border legal acumen needed to bring clarity to a dynamic business landscape.