Chief of Talent Strategy

Our legal client in Chicago is seeking a strategic, relationship-driven  Senior Talent Strategy expert to lead the firm’s attorney talent management, recruiting, and retention initiatives. This role is responsible for attracting exceptional legal talent, strengthening the firm’s talent pipeline, supporting attorney growth and career progression, and fostering a culture of professional excellence.

The ideal candidate will possess deep knowledge of the legal industry, an established network within the legal recruiting community, and a proven track record of identifying, attracting, developing, and retaining top legal talent. This individual will partner closely with firm leadership, practice group leaders, and administrative departments to ensure the firm’s talent strategy supports both current and future growth objectives.

This role offers an exciting opportunity to build and shape the legal talent strategy of a fast-growing law firm. This position serves as a direct advisor to firm leadership on recruiting, professional development, succession planning, attorney engagement, and workforce planning.

Key Responsibilities

Legal Recruiting & Talent Acquisition

• Refine and lead execution of the firm’s strategic attorney recruiting plan across all practice groups and offices.
• Lead full-cycle recruitment efforts for partners, associates, counsel, and other legal professionals.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with legal recruiters, search firms, and industry contacts.
• Identify and proactively engage high-performing legal talent in target practice areas and markets.
• Partner with Practice Group Leaders to assess current and future talent needs.
• Manage candidate sourcing, interviewing, evaluation, offer negotiations, and onboarding processes.
• Ensure a high-touch, professional candidate experience that reflects the firm’s culture and values.
• Develop recruiting metrics and reporting to evaluate effectiveness, hiring trends, and market competitiveness.
• Monitor legal market conditions, compensation trends, and competitor hiring activity.

Law School & Industry Relationship Management

• Develop and maintain strategic relationships with top law schools, career services offices, professors, student organizations and industry organizations.
• Create and manage summer associate, internship, and entry-level recruiting programs.
• Represent the firm at law school recruiting events, career fairs, networking programs, and industry conferences.
• Establish partnerships with bar associations, legal organizations, and professional groups to strengthen the firm’s talent pipeline.
• Build relationships with affinity groups and organizations that support attorney recruitment and professional development.
• Coordinate attorney participation in recruiting, mentoring, and campus engagement initiatives.
• Enhance the firm’s reputation as an employer of choice within the legal community.

Attorney Talent Management & Retention

• Continue developing and implementing attorney talent management strategies that support engagement, retention, and career growth.
• Partner with Practice Group Leaders to identify high-potential attorneys and support succession planning initiatives.
• Refine and lead processes for attorney performance feedback, career development, and advancement planning.
• Support integration and assimilation of lateral attorneys to maximize long-term success.
• Develop programs that strengthen attorney engagement, mentorship, and professional satisfaction.
• Assist leadership in addressing attorney development, performance, and career progression matters.

Training & Professional Development

• Refine and oversee implementation of attorney training and professional development programs across all career stages.
• Partner with firm leadership to identify competency models and development pathways for attorneys.
• Manage continuing legal education (CLE) and professional development initiatives.
• Coordinate external speakers, workshops, and training resources.
• Measure training effectiveness and identify opportunities for continuous improvement.

Collaboration

• Partner closely with Practice Group Leaders, Management Committee members, and administrative leadership.
• Collaborate with Human Resources, Marketing, and Operations to support firmwide initiatives.
• Promote a culture of professionalism, accountability, inclusion, collaboration, and continuous development.

Qualifications

The successful candidate will be:

• A trusted relationship builder with credibility throughout the legal industry.
• Highly connected within law schools, bar associations, recruiting networks, and legal organizations with an emphasis on Chicago, Illinois, and other strategic locations.
• Strategic in thinking while remaining hands-on in execution. Passionate about developing talent and helping attorneys succeed.
• Skilled at balancing business objectives with people-focused leadership.
• Comfortable operating in a fast-paced, growing law firm environment.
• Focused on delivering an exceptional experience for candidates, attorneys, and firm leadership.

Required

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree preferred.
• 7–12+ years of experience in legal recruiting, attorney development, talent management, or related professional services environments.
• Strong understanding of law firm economics, practice group structures, and attorney career progression.
• Demonstrated success in recruiting attorneys across multiple practice areas and experience levels.
• Established network within the legal recruiting and law firm community with an emphasis on Chicago, Illinois.
• Experience working directly with law firm leadership and practice group leaders.
• Strong project management and organizational skills.
• Excellent interpersonal, relationship-building, and communication skills.
• Ability to handle sensitive and confidential information with discretion.

Preferred

• Experience in a mid-sized or large law firm environment.
• Experience managing summer associate or law school recruiting programs.
• Experience developing attorney training, leadership development, or mentoring programs.
• Familiarity with attorney performance management and succession planning processes.
• SHRM, HRCI, attorney development, coaching, or related professional certifications are a plus.

If you are interested in this opportunity, send your resumes to Jill Tomarken: jtomarken@friedmanwilliams.com.