Start with the work that will be owned
A legal title alone is not a recruiting brief. For a Washington, DC search, define the matters, clients, authority, reporting line and work model before outreach starts. Separate required experience from experience that would be useful but trainable.
Define the legal remit
Identify the contracts, regulatory questions, litigation management, privacy, product or commercial work the counsel will own. State what stays with outside counsel and which internal leaders rely on this hire.
Show the operating environment
Clarify reporting relationship, board or executive interaction, commercial tempo, team size, budget responsibility and required office cadence. General counsel, product counsel and commercial counsel are distinct searches.
A permanent hire needs a decision-ready brief
BEGHR helps employers scope direct-hire searches. The employer makes the employment decision and directly employs the hire. Scope, fee, candidate ownership, timing and any replacement terms are set in the agreed engagement before a search begins.
How BEGHR screens in-house counsel candidates for Washington, DC employers
Every candidate on the shortlist is screened against the written brief, not a title. The screen covers the actual work performed, seniority and supervision, admission or certification where the role requires it, work model and compensation fit. Employed in-house counsel candidates who are not applying anywhere are contacted directly, because law school enrollment is down roughly 30% since 2010 and the strongest lateral candidates are passive. You receive 3 to 5 screened candidates, each with a written summary of fit against the brief.
Timeline and milestones
BEGHR’s published placement timeframe for permanent legal roles is 23 to 35 days from the signed engagement. The discovery call sets scope and fee; sourcing and screening follow; the shortlist is reviewed before interviews; the employer interviews, selects and makes the offer. Interview availability on the employer side is the most common cause of a longer search.
Fees, billing and guarantees
The legal placement fee is roughly 50% less than contingency recruiters. Billing is milestone-based: it starts after applicants are sent, with invoices at least monthly during billable service delivery, within the range agreed in your client agreement. A 45-day replacement guarantee applies, and a repeat hire for the same role is 50% off. Use the pricing form for the estimate on this role.
Verify District of Columbia credentials before the offer
Confirm admission and standing through the District of Columbia Bar. For court-facing roles, use the District of Columbia Courts. Record the status and the verification date, and resolve any discipline or restriction with the authority directly. BEGHR does not determine admission status or eligibility to practice.
What the employer keeps control of
The employer owns the hiring decision, the offer, credential verification, employment terms and the start date. BEGHR runs the search, screens candidates and coordinates interviews. Scope, fee, candidate ownership, timing and replacement terms are set in writing before an in-house counsel search begins.
From vacancy to candidate interviews
BEGHR’s published placement timeframe is 23 to 35 days. The search runs in four steps.
- Discovery call: Discuss the role, practice or business context, compensation range, the actual Washington, DC work location and the people who will interview. BEGHR confirms the search scope and the fee before sourcing begins.
- Direct candidate sourcing: BEGHR contacts candidates directly, including employed attorneys and paralegals who would consider a move but are not applying through job boards. Law school enrollment is down roughly 30% since 2010, so the strongest lateral candidates are usually passive.
- Screened shortlist: Review 3 to 5 screened candidates measured against the agreed brief: practice work, seniority, admission in District of Columbia where the role requires it, work model and compensation fit. Your team interviews, selects and hires directly.
- Offer and start: BEGHR coordinates interviews, candidate communication and offer support. The employer makes the offer, verifies credentials through the official authority and employs the hire directly. A 45-day replacement guarantee applies under the engagement.
Follow the search. Understand each invoice.
Billing is milestone-based and starts after applicants are sent. The fee is roughly 50% less than contingency recruiters, with a 45-day replacement guarantee and 50% off a repeat hire for the same role.
- Kick off and agree the billing plan: Define the role, required experience and candidate profile. Confirm the fee, billable milestones, invoice schedule and payment terms in your client agreement before work starts.
- Build qualified candidate leads: The recruiting team sources prospects and screens them against your brief. Weekly calibration reviews candidate quality, the pipeline and any change needed to the sourcing strategy.
- Approve candidates; billing begins: Review qualified candidates and confirm which meet your criteria before interviews. BEGHR’s published process starts billing after applicants are sent; your agreement defines the billable work, milestones and amounts.
- Interview, select and hire: The recruiter coordinates interviews, candidate communication and offer support. You select the hire. BEGHR invoices on your agreed cadence, at least monthly during billable service delivery.
For a broader overview, see our legal recruiting services, direct-hire process, and BEGHR’s legal placement service.