Associate Director of Legal Recruiting

The Associate Director of Legal Recruiting (“the Associate Director”) is responsible for providing strategic leadership in the management and advancement of the firm’s associate and student recruiting program. The Associate Director reports to the Chief Growth and Legal Recruiting Officer and works directly with the Hiring Committee and firm leadership — including department chairs, industry group chairs, and practice group leaders — to drive innovation, develop key initiatives, and shape the long-term strategy for the recruitment and hiring of summer associates, entry-level associates, and lateral associate candidates. This role carries elevated responsibility for program design, stakeholder engagement, cross-departmental collaboration, and supervision of a direct report.

Responsibilities:

• Leads the associate and student recruiting process, working directly with the Hiring Committee and firm leadership to set and achieve the firm’s associate and student hiring goals.
• Directly supervises and mentors a direct report, fostering their professional growth and ensuring high performance.
• Develops and drives diversity-focused recruiting strategies in collaboration with the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Department, identifying new pipelines and programs to strengthen the firm’s commitment to an inclusive hiring process.
• Cultivates and expands strategic relationships with law school career services offices, student organizations, and affinity groups to elevate the firm’s brand and competitive position on campuses.
• Oversees and refines the law school OCI registration process, all related logistics, and the candidate preselection process to ensure efficiency and alignment with firm hiring priorities.
• Leads the callback interview process, including the design of interview protocols, strategic selection of attorney interviewers, coordination of interview feedback, and continuous improvement of the candidate experience.
• Serves as the primary recruiting liaison to the Hiring Committee and firm leadership, including department chairs, industry group chairs, and practice group leaders, facilitating the hiring decision process and providing data-driven recommendations.
• Designs and provides strategic oversight of the firm’s summer associate program, including pre-arrival communications, orientation and training programs, mentoring initiatives, the social event calendar, work evaluations, and the extension of offers.
• Oversees all recruiting-related correspondence and manages communications with law student and entry-level associate applicants on behalf of the firm.
• Conceptualizes, plans, and manages student recruitment events and activities, and prioritizes the firm’s sponsorship and participation in mock interview programs, career fairs, and other opportunities to engage with law students throughout the academic year.
• Develops and executes a comprehensive social media and marketing strategy related to law student recruitment, and collaborates on enhancements to the legal recruiting website.
• Represents the firm in local and national legal recruiting organizations, building the firm’s reputation and contributing to industry best practices.
• Works closely with department chairs, industry group chairs, practice group leaders, and the Professional Development and DEI Departments to design and manage the orientation and training program for new associates.
• Manages and exercises fiscal oversight of the budget related to the summer program and student recruitment events.
• Monitors competitive market trends and emerging best practices in legal recruiting, and proactively recommends strategic adjustments to further the firm’s associate and student recruiting initiatives.
• Other projects and responsibilities as assigned.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree (JD, MBA, or Master’s in HR or related field) preferred.
• Minimum ten years of progressive law firm and/or law school recruiting experience, with demonstrated leadership or supervisory responsibility; recruiting experience in other professional services industries will be considered.
• Proven ability to develop and execute recruiting strategy at a program-wide level.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills, team orientation, and the ability to interact effectively and build relationships with personnel at all levels of the firm, including senior leadership.
• Exceptional organizational skills, superb attention to detail, and self-direction.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple complex projects, set priorities, and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Flexibility and professionalism in responding to shifting demands.
• Sound judgment and the ability to handle confidential and sensitive information with discretion.
• Proficiency in the use of computer programs, including Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), and recruiting database programs (e.g., LawCruit, viDesktop, Flo).

Miscellaneous:

• Ability to travel domestically to law schools and Foley Hoag offices as needed.

Compensation range is $204,100 to $255,100 commensurate with related experience and qualification. The salary of the candidate selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to internal equity, experience, specialty, and training. The above salary range (or hiring range) represents the firm's reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting.

Search firm submissions are not requested nor considered for this position.