Associate Director of IP Legal Talent

Cooley LLP

. Oversee legal recruiting and associate development for the Intellectual Property Litigation and Patent Prosecution & Counseling practice groups .

Posted 10/26/2026full-timeUnited StatesSenior💰 $200,000 - $240,000 per yearWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

Use this summary to align your resume positioning with the role.

Demonstrates expertise in legal recruiting and associate development, with a strong focus on managing full life-cycle recruitment processes and developing effective strategies for talent acquisition in the legal sector. Proficient in budget management, candidate tracking, and fostering relationships with law schools and recruitment firms.

Highest-signal resume keywords

Legal Talent DevelopmentFull Life-Cycle RecruitmentBudget ManagementInterpersonal CommunicationPatent Practice Experience

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills

Legal RecruitingAssociate DevelopmentCandidate TrackingBudget ManagementHR/Recruiting SoftwareMicrosoft Office SuiteIManageTalent Pipeline ReportingProject ManagementCompliance Management

Soft Skills

Attention to DetailProblem SolvingOrganizational SkillsCollaborationProfessionalism

Tools & Technologies

Applicant Tracking SystemsWorksite Data ManagementRecruiting Software

Certifications & Qualifications

Bachelor's Degree

Industry Keywords

Intellectual Property LitigationPatent ProsecutionProfessional Services FirmLaw FirmDiversity Events

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Oversee legal recruiting and associate development for the Intellectual Property Litigation and Patent Prosecution & Counseling practice groups
Manage full life-cycle recruitment for law students, lateral associates and patent professionals
Develop and implement recruiting searches and strategies with recruitment leadership, practice group leaders and stakeholders
Respond to applicant and search firm inquiries
Oversee candidate tracking, interview scheduling, travel/accommodation coordination and evaluation collection
Manage attorney offer processes, including recommendations, approvals, offer terms, due diligence, bar admission status and risk-management compliance
Track and process recruitment expenses
Prepare and maintain candidate pipeline reports
Represent Cooley at recruiting, law school, clerkship and diversity events
Maintain relationships with law school career professionals and lateral search firms
Oversee summer associate assignments and evaluations and participate in reviews
Coordinate new attorney and patent agent arrival, orientation and onboarding
Coordinate local office integration and mentoring programs
Conduct check-ins regarding satisfaction, engagement and productivity
Advise practice group leaders and associates on work allocation, productivity, performance and morale issues
Conduct focus groups and report findings to department leadership
Oversee inter-office transfer and relocation requests
Oversee the patent law school tuition program and patent bar policy compliance
Support associate and patent professional compensation and review processes
Coordinate skills, development training and professional development initiatives
Maintain applicant tracking and Worksite data and audit reports
Prepare and audit monthly practice group talent budget variance analyses
Build relationships with firm departments and participate in recruiting associations
Provide lateral partner recruiting support as needed
Develop practice-specific recruiting materials and website information
Supervise and develop direct reports and manage staffing coverage, time logs and time-off requests
Support business professional development and continuing education
Participate in hiring, appraisals, counseling, termination and other employee lifecycle events

Requirements

What you’ll need

After orientation at Cooley LLP, proficiency in the Microsoft Office suite, iManage and other firm applications
Ability to work extended and/or weekend hours, as required
Ability to travel, as required
8+ years’ directly applicable legal talent and/or associate development experience
4+ years’ management experience, with some at senior manager level, within a professional services firm, preferably a law firm
Bachelor's Degree
Experience working with a patent practice in a law firm preferred
Previous experience with HR/recruiting software preferred
Previous experience managing a budget preferred
Supervisory experience preferred
Entrepreneurial nature
Excellent attention to detail
Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills with ability to facilitate and solve problems
Ability to organize, prioritize and coordinate multiple activities under tight timelines
Ability to drive projects to completion and achieve goals
Strong judgment
Collaborative team-player mindset
Ability to handle and maintain confidentiality regarding firm information, projects and client data
High level of professionalism
Demonstrated ability to lead through influence and develop talent
Proactive, analytical mindset
Effective presentation skills

Benefits

Comp & perks

Medical insurance
Health savings account
Dental insurance
Vision insurance
Health and/or dependent care flexible spending accounts
Pre-tax commuter benefits
Life insurance
AD&D
Long-term care coverage
Backup care for children and/or adults
Other parental support benefits
Firm-paid life insurance
Firm-paid AD&D
LTD
Short term medical benefits
25 days of Paid Time Off (PTO)
10 paid holidays each year
Generous parental leave
Fertility benefits
Competitive compensation
Detailed benefit orientation for new employees