MLA's Hire an Esquire is a cloud-based legal hiring platform that helps law firms and legal departments identify, vet, and engage contract attorneys, paralegals, and other legal professionals on demand.

Key features and functions include:

Job Posting and Candidate Matching
Organizations create a job posting through a guided wizard, described by the vendor as a "mad lib–style" tool, paired with an hourly rate calculator. The platform then returns instant candidate recommendations drawn from its professional network.

Candidate Vetting
Attorney applicants have their bar status verified to confirm good standing, and legal professionals have education and employment history checked following an offer. All applicants are asked to supply three professional references and complete assessments intended to gauge job and cultural fit.

Review and Interview Tools
Hiring managers can review applicant hard-skills scores, written responses, and work history, and can use built-in messaging and video interviewing features to evaluate candidates before extending an offer.

Workforce Management and Payment
Once a hire is made, organizations can manage the engagement directly or use the platform's optional payment services, which support both 1099 contractor and W-2 employment arrangements.

Company and Ownership
Hire an Esquire was founded in 2011 and operated as an independent, Philadelphia-based legal staffing company prior to being acquired by Major, Lindsey & Africa in January 2023. MLA is the world's largest legal search and recruitment firm and operates as part of Allegis Group, a global staffing organization. Following the acquisition, MLA relaunched an updated version of the Hire an Esquire platform in November 2023 under the MLA's Hire an Esquire name, continuing to operate it as a subscription-based hiring tool aimed at small and mid-sized law firms and legal departments.