Michelle Baird-Johnson

Senior Director of Talent Acquisition and Integration

The people are the focus, not the paperwork.‎

How I represent clients at Schwabe

I direct the firm-wide acquisition of ‎lawyer talent in conjunction with our strategic plan, ‎from law students to practicing attorneys. Additionally, I lead ‎the onboarding and integration activities for lateral attorneys, and oversee the firm’s Summer Associate Program.

With over 25 years of experience in legal recruiting, I am able to identify talent growth ‎needs and opportunities—working directly with the firm’s Chief Executive Officer ‎and leadership—to hire and ‎integrate new talent, ensuring a smooth transition to the firm.

Experience

  • Over 25 years of experience in lawyer recruiting.
  • Has mentored and coached associate attorneys in their career development.
  • Developed and administered numerous Summer Associate Programs.
  • Worked as a Bankruptcy Paralegal before transitioning to lawyer recruiting.

Education

  • Society for Human Resource Management Senior Certified ‎Professional (SHRM-SCP)
  • University of Utah, Bachelor of Science degree, Behavioral and Social Sciences

Memberships

  • Society for Human Resource Management, Member (2017-present)
  • National Association for Law Placement (NALP), Member (1999-present), Regional Coordinator (2005)
  • Oregon Legal Recruiting Association, Member (1999-present), President (2001-2004, 2014)
  • Seattle Area Legal Recruiting Administrators, Member (2009-present)
  • Professional Development Consortium, Member (2010-2019), Annual Conference Planning Committee (2018)

Community Activities

  • Portland Art Museum, Member (2018-present)
  • Feral Cat Coalition of Oregon, Board Member (1999-2024), Board Secretary (2016-2022), Board Vice President (2022-2024)

Outside Interests

As a 4th generation Oregonian, I enjoy exploring Oregon's wineries and visiting our extraordinary coasts, mountains, and deserts throughout the Pacific Northwest.

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