This article is a direct translation of the original Dutch article by the Orde van Vlaamse Balies (OVB).
🔗 You can read the full article in Dutch here: Interview: "JustLawyers geeft iedereen de kans om een voet tussen de deur te krijgen."
Author:
Dagmar Vanbergen, Communications Specialist at OVB
The recruitment process within the legal field presents many challenges, both for candidates and firms looking for the right talent. What if there was a solution that could eliminate obstacles like high costs, lack of transparency, biases, and time-consuming selection procedures? This question formed the basis for the creation of JustLawyers, a Legal Tech platform that promotes diversity and transparency in the recruitment process within law firms. We spoke with Isabel Rosendor, co-founder of JustLawyers, about the vision behind the platform and how it's transforming the way lawyers and law firms connect.
Why did you decide to start JustLawyers?
My experience as a lawyer was the key to the idea behind JustLawyers. When I first entered the legal field, I quickly noticed the shortcomings of traditional recruiters. This led me to step into the recruitment world, where I discovered how outdated and inefficient the system was.
Because I knew both sides of the process—both as a candidate and a recruiter—I saw exactly what was missing. Young lawyers primarily need transparency and access to the right information, while firms want to recruit more efficiently and fairly. The idea of making recruitment more anonymous fascinated me: without biases in the initial selection process, surprising matches and more opportunities can emerge. Additionally, candidates can discreetly explore without immediately being in the spotlight.
When I realised that such a platform didn't exist yet, I knew: I had to build it! If I hadn't been in the legal field myself, I would have never started this. Never.
Why are platforms and legal tech solutions like JustLawyers needed to move the legal industry forward, and how do they make a difference?
It's a fact: even recruiters have – consciously or unconsciously – certain biases. No matter how good their intentions, filters always sneak into their selection process. Our platform removes that first barrier and ensures that everyone starts on equal footing.
The algorithm matches candidates based on objective factors, without allowing things like nationality, gender, or sexual orientation to unconsciously influence the decision. This gives every talent the opportunity to get a foot in the door, without the first selection being influenced by human biases.
Of course, a personal meeting is still crucial – no one signs a contract without a conversation. But the fact that the first screening is entirely objective and anonymous is something a recruiter simply can't guarantee. Even if they claim to be free from unconscious biases, the reality is different.
Do you see your platform primarily as a solution for young starters, or can it also help senior professionals who want to anonymously explore what opportunities are out there?
The dynamics between young and senior lawyers differ greatly. For partners and senior lawyers, a move is a strategic decision that takes time. Such a process often lasts a year and is a serious investment for both parties. Once that step is taken, the person typically stays at the new firm for a long time. With young lawyers, it’s completely different. The turnover rate in the legal field is incredibly high. Firms sometimes pay €20,000 to a recruiter for a second- or third-year associate, without any guarantee that they’ll stay for more than five years. This makes the investment hard to justify.
Additionally, young lawyers often have little visibility of the market. They don’t know the firms well and have to figure out their options on their own. What a recruiter does – quickly giving an overview of the firms that are hiring – we offer in one central platform. That’s why JustLawyers is such an attractive alternative. We don’t work with high recruiter fees, but instead have a model based on accessibility and volume. This makes the process more efficient by providing transparency. The more firms there are, the more interesting it becomes for candidates.
An extra advantage is the anonymity. Lawyers can discreetly search for new opportunities, and firms can select candidates more objectively. This creates a fairer playing field, making diversity and equal opportunities no longer empty promises, but something that is concretely applied. The platform is all about transparency and equal opportunities.
"Things like gender, nationality, or birthdate don’t matter – it’s purely about experience and qualifications." — Isabel Rosendor
How does the JustLawyers algorithm help eliminate bias?
The algorithm is based solely on anonymised profiles and asks for only the information that is truly relevant to the job. Things like gender, nationality, or birthdate don't matter – it’s purely about experience and qualifications.
Imagine you present a candidate who is 40 years old and has just started their traineeship as a lawyer. In a traditional process, that person might be immediately excluded without considering their impressive career, a doctorate, or relevant experience in other fields. That’s exactly where unconscious bias plays a role.
With JustLawyers, that first impression is filtered out. The platform only sees a second-year trainee with a strong track record, without irrelevant factors playing a role.
How do you guarantee the quality of the anonymous screening?
JustLawyers offers a quality guarantee: candidates know that every job listing is legitimate, and they can ask direct questions. All profiles on JustLawyers are actually from law students, lawyers, or law firms – and this is carefully verified. Recruiters cannot just snoop around on our platform because that’s the point: ‘No recruiters, just lawyers’. Firms know that they are only speaking with genuine, motivated profiles – without hidden costs or intermediaries.
How does the platform select the firms that participate? Does a firm need to meet certain requirements, or can anyone join?
Any firm can participate in the platform as long as they are willing to commit to more diverse and accessible recruitment. We don’t have a ‘blacklist’: any firm that registers shows the intention to embrace change, and I welcome that. Even with firms we’re unsure about in terms of their openness to change, I believe it’s never too late to evolve. I don’t want to be the one from an ivory tower deciding who is ‘good enough’.
However, it’s important to emphasise that JustLawyers is not a marketing tool. This platform isn’t meant to give firms a better image than they deserve, but to drive concrete action. Firms that truly seek and want to attract talent are in the right place.
We notice that some firms proudly embrace JustLawyers, both from genuine conviction and from a desire to embrace technology and innovation. Firms that position themselves as supporters of start-ups or as the place for young talent can’t remain credible if they don’t use a platform that addresses the recruitment issues in their sector. Often, these firms are the first to join, and that’s great to see.
"Those who truly seek and want to attract talent are in the right place at JustLawyers." — Isabel Rosendor
What different advantages does the platform offer for both smaller and larger law firms?
Smaller firms often don’t have the budget to hire recruiters or struggle to reach the right candidates. This platform creates equal opportunities for everyone. The matching algorithm works objectively, whether you’re a small niche firm or a large international firm. Candidates get to know smaller firms they might not have otherwise considered. This helps break the tunnel vision many candidates have, where they often only look at well-known firms and might miss out on the ideal firm.
For larger firms, the platform offers efficient filters, which is essential when dealing with a large number of applications. Candidates often apply without ever receiving a response, which negatively impacts their experience and the firm’s employer branding. JustLawyers makes it easy to quickly assess, reject, or accept applications. This ensures that a candidate who may not be a fit now could be the perfect match in the future. By staying visible to the right candidates, firms increase their chances of never missing out on top talent.
What impact do you hope JustLawyers will have on the legal field in the long term, and is this primarily focused on Belgium or is it international?
Going international with JustLawyers is my absolute dream. Belgium is our test market – a way to figure out if the concept works and if there’s enough interest from both sides. But once that’s confirmed, we want to expand as quickly as possible.
International firms are already asking questions: "Is this coming to London soon?" or "Will it be available in the US?" – and that’s obviously great to hear. But at this point, it’s just a bit too early.
I hope to create an algorithm that’s so refined that a match automatically means: "We MUST have a conversation." No CV needed, no extra information – just based on data and matching scores. A system that breaks down biases and opens doors that would otherwise remain closed. That’s the ultimate goal.