Written by Jack Horsbrugh | Director – Corporate & Funds Law Recruitment at Eden Rose USA

An up-front take from someone who’s hired in BigLaw, mid-law, and in-house roles into the Investment Sector.

Over the past decade, LinkedIn’s “Easy Apply” feature has become the default way many lawyers and law students apply for jobs. One click, upload a resume (sometimes not even that), and you’re “in.”

It’s convenient. It’s fast, but is it effective especially in the legal industry, where relationships, precision, and pedigree still matter greatly?

Let’s break down the real pros and cons of using ‘Easy Apply’.

The Pros of Easy Apply (They Do Exist Despite What you May be Told)

Volume:

• When firms post an opening publicly on LinkedIn, they often receive 150+ applications in the first 48 hours. On the candidate side, ‘Easy Apply’ is the only realistic way to get into that initial pile before the job is quietly filled via internal referrals or recruiters.

Access to “Hidden” Postings:

• Many boutique firms, regional players, and in-house legal teams now post primarily on LinkedIn instead of their own career portals. Easy Apply is sometimes the only application route.

Great for Non-Traditional Candidates:

• If you’re moving from government → BigLaw or even non-law → compliance/legal ops, recruiters are more open to diverse resumes. Easy Apply lowers the friction for them to give you a quick review of your profile.

ATS Compatibility:

• LinkedIn’s system parses your profile cleanly into most applicant tracking systems. Ironically, some firm career portals still mangle Word docs uploaded the “correct” way, believe me I still have some issues with portals after 8 years in recruitment.

Data Point for Recruiters:

• Recruiters can see “You applied X days ago via Easy Apply.” If they were already considering you (from a recruiter outreach or referral), this shows interest without looking desperate.

The Cons (And They Are Significant in Law)

The “Spray and Pray” Stigma:

• Recruiters, Hiring partners and in-house counsels know that 90% of Easy Apply submissions are generic. When your application lands with zero tailoring and no cover letter, you’re instantly bucketed with the mass applicants — the pile that gets 3-second glances, if that. If you do not match perfectly with what they are looking for then typically will just be thrown in the pile.

No Cover Letter is an Immediate Disadvantage

• In legal recruitment, the cover letter is still incredibly important (especially for lateral associate and in-house moves). Easy Apply jobs rarely allow or prompt for one. You voluntarily give up the single best tool to explain practice-fit, relocation, or why you’re leaving a “better” firm.

You Look Like You Didn’t Do Your Homework

• The best roles, the ones that actually get filled from LinkedIn, are often reposted from the firm’s website with specific instructions: “Apply via our portal and reference posting #12345.” Easy Apply candidates visibly ignored those instructions and you can come across like you have not fully thought out the application process.

LinkedIn’s Algorithm Punishes You Twice

• In-house Recruiters can filter by “Applied via LinkedIn” Many now default-sort by “referred” or “applied through company site” Easy Apply often drops you to the bottom of the list.

Clerkship and SA Roles Are Almost Immune

• Federal clerkships, elite summer associate programs, and most judicial internships explicitly say, “Do not apply via LinkedIn.” Easy Apply here is an auto-reject and despite being qualified for a role, you will lose out on even discussing your profile.

My Current Rule of Thumb

Final Advice

Easy Apply isn’t evil, it’s a tool. Just use it strategically:

• Treat it as a “foot in the door,” not the actual application, reach out to recruiters, make yourself known.

The legal industry still runs on relationships and intention. Easy Apply can get you seen, but it rarely gets you hired.

What’s your experience been? Have you ever landed a legal role purely through Easy Apply or watched hundreds of them disappear into the void without even as much as a rejection?