I recall, from the days when I was on the “other side of the fence,” i.e., when I was a practicing lawyer, that it was a bit mysterious as to how recruiters operated. This was especially the case as to in-house openings, as it seemed a lot murkier than law firm opportunities, which appeared to be more skill-set focused (for associates) and portables driven (for partners).
As I have been conducting searches for 13 years now, the process has been demystified for me, but it likely may remain a puzzle for most readers. I’ll temporarily lift the veil, at least as to how in-house searches are operated. In so doing, I do not write this on behalf of all legal recruiters who conduct in-house searches; I have no such position of authority and suspect some recruiters may have differing views. Nevertheless, after having worked in a large, national legal recruiting firm and having spoken to many other recruiters over the years, I am confident that the points raised here will ring true for most.
