Director - Legal Talent

Description:

Lathrop GPM LLP, one of the nation's leading law firms, is currently seeking a Director – Legal Talent in either our Kansas City, MO or Minneapolis, MN office. The Director - Legal Talent is a senior leadership role responsible for executing the firm’s attorney talent strategy across multiple offices and practice groups. Reporting to the Chief Legal Operations Officer, this position drives recruitment, hiring, integration, and development of top-tier legal professionals to support firm growth and deliver exceptional client service. Working closely with firm leadership, and practice group leaders, the Director ensures alignment between talent initiatives and business objectives while leading innovative programs to attract, retain, and engage attorneys.

Lathrop GPM is a full-service, Am Law 200 law firm with offices in Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Overland Park, Redwood Shores, St. Cloud, St. Louis, Sacramento, San Jose, and Washington, D.C. Our clients are at the heart of everything we do. We offer a competitive compensation and benefits package, and a professional, challenging, yet comfortable, hybrid working environment.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Talent Acquisition & Recruiting

• Direct the firm’s recruiting and hiring efforts for lateral partners, counsel, and associates across all offices in alignment with firm needs.
• Build and maintain relationships with law schools, recruiters, and industry networks.
• Develop and implement employer branding strategies to position the firm as a premier destination for legal talent.
• Collaborate with firm leadership to identify experience gaps and capacity needs that can be addressed through external hires.
• Lead the attorney recruiting team in designing creative approaches to source and evaluate high-quality lateral equity partners, counsel, and associates through lateral and on-campus recruiting efforts.
• Establish and oversee a recruitment process that ensures exceptional candidate experience.
• Determine and direct recruitment methods, including ad placements, use of recruiters, and strategic involvement in external organizations.
• Build and manage strong, positive relationships with third-party recruiters.

Integration & Onboarding

• Manage initial onboarding and long-term integration of legal talent, working closely with firm leadership during integration period.
• Collaborate with the Chief Client Officer to enhance lateral integration programs, focusing on expanding lateral partners’ business and improving assimilation and productivity.
• Design and implement internal training programs and strategies to assist new partners, counsel, and associates in acclimating to their roles within the firm.

Retention & Engagement

• Foster a recruiting culture among attorneys to identify and connect with strong candidates through professional interactions.
• Monitor engagement metrics and implement programs to enhance attorney satisfaction and well-being.

Performance Management & Analytics

• Maintain awareness of law firm trends, client industry issues, and geographical challenges to inform hiring strategies.
• Review and analyze financial and statistical data, including profitability metrics, and provide actionable insights to firm leadership.
• Use data-driven insights to forecast talent needs and measure program effectiveness.
• Report key metrics to executive leadership, including hiring trends, attrition rates, and diversity benchmarks.

Supervisory Responsibilities

• Lead and manage a team of recruiting professionals, including hiring, training, performance evaluations, and professional development.
• Ensure compliance with firm policies and applicable laws while addressing employee concerns and resolving issues effectively.

Requirements:

Education

• Bachelor’s degree required; JD or MBA preferred.

Experience

• Minimum of 8 years of experience developing strategy and programs for professional recruitment, with at least 5 years in a law firm environment.
• Extensive experience in budgeting, forecasting, and expense management preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to lead, motivate, and develop high-performing talent teams.

Skills & Competencies

• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, tailored to diverse audiences.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage competing priorities and deliver high-quality work under deadlines.
• Collaborative approach with the ability to build positive relationships across departments, firm leadership, and clients.
• Analytical and problem-solving skills to identify issues, generate innovative solutions, and implement effective changes.
• Curiosity and adaptability to reinvent workflows in response to evolving firm needs.
• Ability to align talent practices with business objectives and recommend best practices.
• Networking skills to develop and maintain relationships with internal and external stakeholders, valuing diverse perspectives.

Current anticipated salary range for applicants as required by applicable state laws is $142,000 - $200,000 in Minneapolis, MN. Actual salary will vary and may be above or below the range depending on experience and location. Full comprehensive benefit plan including health care, retirement plan, and paid days off, including PTO, parental leave, and short/long term disability. The application window is anticipated to close on or after April 19, 2026.

We celebrate and support diversity and the benefits it brings to our workplaces, clients, and communities. We are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace. It is the employment policy and practice of Lathrop GPM to recruit and hire employees without discrimination because of race, color, sex, gender, religion, age, national origin, military status, genetic information, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other status protected by applicable law.

Lathrop GPM LLP offers a competitive compensation and benefits package, and a professional, challenging, yet comfortable working environment. Lathrop GPM does not accept unsolicited resumes from recruiting agencies. Any resume submitted to any employee of Lathrop GPM without prior approval from an HR Manager will be considered unsolicited and the property of Lathrop GPM.

EOE/M/F/D/V NO PHONE CALLS