What are the responsibilities and job description for the Manager, Lateral Partner Recruitment position at WilmerHale?
WilmerHale is a leading, full-service international law firm with 1,000 lawyers located throughout 12 offices in the United States and Europe. Our lawyers work at the intersection of government, technology and business, and we remain committed to our guiding principles of providing quality, excellent legal and client services; developing diversity among our lawyers and staff and cultivating an environment that promotes an ambitious spirit, collaboration and collegiality by drawing on the extraordinary talents and dynamic experience of our lawyers. Our goal is to reflect the diversity of our clients and the communities in which we practice.
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.