What Do You Do As a Legal Recruiter in the US?
Of course, legal recruiter jobs can take the form of what we usually think of when we think of a recruiter. It's true that a recruiter goes out and finds suitable candidates to fill job positions. However, that's not all they do. They may also actually work to help candidates with interview skills, help with resume construction, and in general work with candidates to help them actually get the jobs they're being recruited for.
Legal recruiter jobs in the US can involve several different "hats" of sorts. One type of recruiter may work for a recruiting company that contacts a variety of clients to find for them, including lawyers. Alternatively, a legal recruiter may also work for one particular law firm and recruit just for that firm and no one else. Still others may be freelance and work for themselves.
It's Not Just About Recruiting With Legal Recruiter Jobs in the US
Some legal recruiter jobs in the US don't actually entail going out and finding candidates to fill jobs, though. In many cases, those in legal recruiter jobs in the US actually act more in managerial roles, coordinating the various aspects of the hiring process instead. For example, recruiting directors may review resumes, set up interviews, arrange travel for the candidates coming in for interviews, do background and reference checks, and so on. People in managerial positions may also act as liaisons between the firm or the recruiting company, and the candidates or clients themselves. In some cases, these types of managers also work with law schools to find students for summer student oriented legal positions, too.
Upholding Antidiscrimination Laws Can Also Be a Key Part of the Job
It's not something many people often think about, but in fact one of the responsibilities a legal recruiter has in the US is to uphold antidiscrimination laws. It used to be true, for example, that employers could avoid hiring someone because of race, gender, or disability, no matter how qualified they were for the job. Women, for example, could be discriminated against because employers thought that they would not be as fully focused, especially if they were mothers. It was often thought, for example, that women couldn't be counted on to be dedicated employees if they had or were going to have children.
Today that is no longer true. Of course, discrimination still happens. The change has come such that it's much more subversive in nature and is not legally supported. For this reason, legal recruiters must take care that the candidates they consider for hire are not discriminated against for any reason not related to their talent and skills for the job in question. In other words, if someone is qualified for a particular job, he or she is to be considered regardless of race, gender, or disability. Increasingly, too, sexual orientation is also protected by antidiscrimination laws, such that a candidate's sexual orientation cannot disqualify them for a particular job.
Educational Requirements for Legal Recruiter Jobs in the US
Legal recruiters in the US are usually required to have a college degree. A degree in recruiting is a bonus, but it's not necessary. Many recruiters have backgrounds in business or psychology, for example. Those who employ legal recruiters consider it a bonus that someone has worked in a law firm, but this too is not usually necessary. Most importantly, if you are considering working as a legal recruiter, you have to like people, be very organized, be able to put people at ease, and be able to help people with interview and resume skills, as well as helping follow-up when job offers are made to prospective candidates.
How Is the Job Market for Legal Recruiters in the US?
Jobs everywhere are hard to find right now because of the economy, which means that the legal industry and by default recruiters, too, are affected. Most law firms are not hiring and in fact are laying people off as they downsize to save money. Before the recent economic downturn, though, recruiters were in demand, as were lawyers themselves. Because legal recruiters' jobs are directly related to the demand for lawyers and other legal staff in the US, this job sector will remain soft as long as the legal industry in general is slow.
However, before this recent economic slowdown, lawyers and therefore recruiters were in great demand. It was expected that this would continue until about 2014, in tandem with the rest of the employment sectors. This is still expected to be true if the economy recovers.
Conclusion
Because the economy is bleak everywhere, job availability across all sectors is soft, including for legal recruiter jobs in the US. Because lawyers are less in demand, legal recruiters are, too. However, if the economic downturn rights itself and lawyers are once again in demand, recruiters will be, too. Legal recruiter jobs in the US can be very rewarding and fun, especially if you like to work with people, and are good at relating to people and communicating with them.
