Director of Law Student Recruitment

Alston & Bird • New York City, NY

2d

About The Position

Alston & Bird LLP is seeking a Director of Law Student Recruitment to oversee strategic law student and entry-level attorney recruiting initiatives across all offices, including summer associate, entry-level, and judicial clerk hiring. Under the direction of the Chief Legal Talent Partner, the Director leads the firmwide recruitment team, sets strategy and procedures, supports hiring partners and firm leadership, and advises on recruiting trends and competitive market intelligence. The position also oversees recruiting budgets, technology, vendor relationships, on-campus engagement, recruitment communications, and compliance. The role works closely with attorney and administrative groups across the firm, sits on the Executive Staff, and serves as a member of the National Association of Law Placement. Travel between offices is required as needed.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree required.
• At least 10 years of prior law firm experience or related professional experience.
• Sufficient work experience and personal leadership abilities to plan, implement, and supervise recruiting functions and staff.
• Effective oral and written communication skills.
• Ability to establish effective working relationships throughout the firm.
• Ability to handle telephone contacts with candidates and agencies effectively.
• Thorough knowledge of firm standards, practices, and procedures.
• Strong organizational skills, including prioritizing workload and recruiting efforts.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to work under pressure and meet demanding deadlines.
• Strong attention to detail and a team-oriented attitude.
• Excellent command of English, including spelling, grammar, punctuation, forms, and syntax.
• Maintain a cheerful and friendly disposition within and outside the firm.

Responsibilities

• Manage the firmwide recruitment team responsible for law school engagement and summer associate, entry-level, and judicial clerk hiring.
• Provide day-to-day work direction and professional development; conduct periodic performance evaluations and annual reviews.
• Share responsibility with the Director of Attorney Hiring for hiring, training, and evaluating department members.
• Support the Chief Legal Talent Partner and Hiring Partners with information gathering and procedural guidance.
• Formulate, administer, and maintain recruiting policies, procedures, and practices consistent with firm objectives.
• Oversee firmwide law school recruitment, including 1L and 2L hiring, on-campus engagement, relationships with career services personnel, and on-campus entertainment.
• Advise on law student recruiting trends, judicial clerk hiring strategies, and competitive market intelligence.
• Identify ways to improve the firm's visibility and appeal among law schools and judicial clerk candidates.
• Guide adoption of technology, software, and efficient processes for law student recruitment.
• Identify legal requirements affecting recruiting practices and ensure compliance.
• Plan summer program recruiting, entry-level hiring, and judicial clerk hiring across all offices.
• Consult practice group leaders about incoming class sizes and pipeline hiring needs.
• Review materials provided to law schools and applicants, including NALP Forms, firm resumes, questionnaires, and reports.
• Create and manage a plan for using social networking in firmwide recruitment.
• Coordinate with Marketing & Business Development and Human Resources to align recruitment with firm practices and policies.
• Maintain relationships with attorneys and staff across all offices.
• Oversee the on-campus recruitment strategy and ensure appropriate firmwide representation on engagement teams.
• Coordinate firmwide management of client referrals and prior contacts across offices and schools.
• Manage the firmwide recruitment budget and promote compliance and sound financial stewardship.
• Maintain fresh and relevant recruiting content on the firm's website.
• Manage relationships with vendors including Vault, Flo Recruit, and Chambers Associate.
• Oversee completion of survey information requested by Business Development, Finance, and the Diversity & Inclusion team.
• Build collaborative relationships with Human Resources, Attorney Professional Development, Marketing & Business Development, Finance, Practice Management, and Practice Innovation.
• Conduct industry research to keep recruitment practices current and aligned with peers.
• Serve as a member of the Executive Staff and the National Association of Law Placement.
• Travel between offices as needed and perform other duties requested by the Chief Legal Talent Partner.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director