Finding a legal recruiter for a consumer law practice

Choosing a reliable legal recruiter for a consumer law practice requires patience and due diligence. It involves speaking with a couple of different recruiters, verifying their legitimacy, and narrowing it down to those with a presence in the specific region of interest. It also involves asking potential recruiters the right questions, checking their reviews online, and seeking feedback from their previous clients.

Speaking with Several Different Recruiters

Speaking with a few different recruiters enables a candidate to explore his or her options. The candidate can identify at least three recruiters who seem to be a perfect fit. The right recruiter doesn’t talk about himself or herself the whole time. Instead, he or she listens to the candidate’s needs and goals, appears responsive, and is willing to enter a real partnership. If a candidate practices construction defects law, the recruiter should be ready to submit his or her resume to the best construction defects lawyers in the market.

Confirming Whether the Recruiter is Authentic

A candidate should google the name and company of the potential recruiter to see whether everything seems authentic. He or she should also check out the recruiter’s LinkedIn and official Facebook page for additional verification. By reviewing comments and testimonials on those platforms, the candidate can get an idea of what working with the recruiter is like.

Choosing a Recruiter with a Presence in the Market of Interest

Building meaningful relationships is crucial in the legal recruiting sector. Legal recruiters, therefore, build powerful local client connections by communicating regularly with the local law firms and attending in-person meetings. Local recruiters obtain information (usually unpublished) regarding prospective opportunities and jobs from local firms. Those in other regions cannot access such information. The right recruiter can adequately represent a candidate in a local market because he or she is always up-to-date with the local legal news. If a candidate is looking for a partner-level position in a local firm, for instance, a local recruiter that focuses on recruiting law firm partners would be a perfect choice for him or her.

Choosing a Recruiter Who Was a Practicing Attorney

A legal recruiter who was a practicing lawyer will typically have a better understanding of what a candidate needs from a new position. If the candidate wants to join a team of tax lawyers that handle IRS tax problems, he or she will know the right questions to ask and provide valuable information about the legal profession. He or she will also speak rationally regarding law firm life and the area of practice.

Asking the Right Questions

By asking well thought out questions, a candidate can determine whether a recruiter is a perfect fit. For instance, a candidate can verify if a prospective recruiter works in a specific area of interest such as estate planning by asking about his or her latest placements. If the recruiter has never done placements for estate planning lawyers, then the candidate may consider moving on to the next recruiter on the list.

Seeking References

Previous candidates can speak to a recruiter's work. The recruiter should avail these references. That way, the candidate can reach out to determine firsthand how responsive and hands-on the recruiter is. Who initiated communication most of the time? How attentive was the recruiter when the candidate was talking about goals? Asking previous candidates these questions will give the new candidate a clear picture of what to expect from working with that recruiter.

A focused, reliable, responsive, and reputable legal recruiter can be a valuable resource for any candidate seeking placement in a consumer law practice. However, finding such a recruiter requires hard work and due diligence.