Senior Legal Recruiting Manager

Sidley Austin LLP

. Provide strategic leadership and oversight of all legal recruiting functions for the Northern California offices .

Posted 10/27/2026full-timePalo Alto • California • United StatesSenior💰 $150,000 - $206,000 per yearWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

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

Demonstrates expertise in legal recruiting strategies, candidate engagement, and team leadership while managing recruiting budgets and operational efficiencies. Proficient in developing relationships with law schools and overseeing summer associate programs.

Highest-signal resume keywords

Legal Recruiting ExperienceTalent AcquisitionMicrosoft Office Suite ProficiencySupervisory ExperienceLaw School Recruiting Experience

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

Tip: use these terms in your resume and cover letter to boost ATS matches.

Hard Skills

Recruiting StrategiesCandidate Selection ProcessesBudget ManagementData AnalysisOnboardingPerformance EvaluationsMarket Trend AnalysisConfidentiality MaintenanceProofreadingStrategic Thinking

Soft Skills

Organizational SkillsInterpersonal SkillsAnalytical SkillsCommunication SkillsTime Management

Tools & Technologies

Applicant Tracking SystemsRecruiting Databases

Industry Keywords

Big LawNALP GuidelinesLaw Student RecruitingOn-Campus InterviewingSummer Program Coordination

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Provide strategic leadership and oversight of all legal recruiting functions for the Northern California offices
Develop, implement, and evaluate recruiting strategies for law student, entry-level, and lateral attorney talent
Advise Hiring Partners, office leadership, and the West Coast Legal Recruiting Director on recruiting matters, market trends, hiring strategies, and candidate engagement
Oversee recruiting budgets, forecasting, expense management, and operational efficiencies
Direct candidate interviews, selection processes, tracking, feedback collection, and communications
Manage applicant records, recruiting databases, and reporting systems
Collaborate with Legal Recruiting leadership and colleagues across US offices on Firmwide initiatives and best practices
Lead recruiting committee meetings, hiring discussions, reports, analyses, and market updates
Oversee law student recruiting, on-campus recruiting, callback interviews, offers, law school relationships, and candidate events
Manage the Northern California Summer Associate Program, including onboarding, mentoring, assignments, evaluations, professional development, events, and budget
Develop relationships with law schools, career services professionals, student organizations, and recruiting contacts
Lead and supervise the Northern California Legal Recruiting team, including staffing, onboarding, training, performance evaluations, coaching, workload distribution, and scheduling
Partner with Human Resources and Firm leadership on employee relations and policy matters

Requirements

What you’ll need

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)
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
Preferred: Law firm experience, preferably in Big Law
Preferred: At least one year of supervisory experience
Preferred: Law school recruiting experience, including on-campus interviewing and summer program coordination
Preferred: Familiarity with NALP guidelines and applicant tracking systems

Benefits

Comp & perks

Bonus eligibility
Comprehensive benefits program
Reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities