Articles From the Team

What does my (legal) recruiter actually do?

For most people who are asked what they do for a living, the response is met with a knowing nod - this was certainly the case during my time practising as a solicitor. Now, my job title’s a little more obscure and it’s met with “so, what do you actually do”? I’ll let you in on a secret about the ‘dark arts’ of (good) legal recruitment.

I lead on disputes roles in the South West and South East - helping to place lawyers into litigation, employment, family and risk roles at smaller regional firms to various Top 50 UK firms.

The lawyers I recruit range from NQs through to partner level. Typically, I work on vacancies where a law firm has contacted BCL Legal with an available position. We have preferred supplier relationships in place and we’re often instructed on this basis (as the role’s released).

Sometimes we hear of a legal job role on the grapevine. At this point, we get in touch with the firm to ensure the legal vacancy’s live and open up a line of communication to fully understand the requirements of the role. In doing so, we seek as many details as possible (regarding the level of the role, the particular areas of work covered within the specialism, the makeup of the team, the favoured personality traits, the background of the ideal candidate, salary levels and so on). This enables us to provide sound advice to firms on the availability of candidates, timescales, and the best methods of recruitment.

Following this, we advertise and undertake a thorough search of the legal professionals who are registered on our database, including paralegals, NQs, associates and partners who are looking for work in a relevant legal discipline and geographical area. Then we make contact - reaching out to those whose background and experience match the client’s preferences (from our earlier call). When we contact the most appropriate individuals we ask for consent to submit their CV.

So, if we do ask the question, there's most certainly method to our madness! We've had prior discussions with each candidate to ascertain their preferences and requirements.

If at this point you're thinking we sound like a glorified dating service – you'd be right. Following this comes the process of updating CVs, sending them, providing feedback, arranging interviews, and communicating offers and acceptances.

Still confused?