For more than a decade, Celeritas Recruiting has represented the leading organizations and professionals at the intersection of law and technology. To support our continued growth, we’ve been expanding our firm over the past two years and recently introduced you to our newest team member, James Bickley. In this post, we invite you to get to know a few more members of our team…

Kjerstin Saarela, Senior Coordinator

Kjerstin Saarela supports the daily administrative and technical functions involved in Celeritas recruiting services. Beyond managing job postings, coordinating logistics and scheduling for meetings and candidate interviews, she plays an important role in building and maintaining client/candidate relationships.

Asked what drew her to working in the legal industry and what she most enjoys about her current position, Kjerstin offered, “I’ve always had a curiosity for the legal industry, so when the opportunity presented itself, I took the leap and transitioned into this role. At Celeritas, I enjoy being able to work with a variety of different people and learn about their professional growth. It’s always rewarding to see our team help an individual land the perfect role or find a client that top-tier candidate they otherwise couldn’t have. I’ve appreciated being able to broaden my skill set and expand my knowledge within the legal industry.”
 
Kjerstin’s tenure at Celeritas has already been one of growth, as she’s been able to learn about many different functions within the legal industry. She’s discovered a lot of what she calls “behind the scenes” areas (including legal recruiting) that she didn’t previously realize even existed and that are all important to the overall legal ecosystem and the success of law firms, corporate legal departments and legal software/service providers.

Originally from Wisconsin, Kjerstin graduated from Concordia University Wisconsin where she was a member of the women’s lacrosse team. She now lives in San Diego with her two German shepherds Loki and Thor and in her free time enjoys hiking and exploring the greater San Diego area with her fiancé.

Wyatt Blanchette, Senior Search Consultant

In his search consultant role at Celeritas, Wyatt Blanchette concentrates on placing e-discovery project managers and analysts. He also works with e-discovery attorneys and business development professionals.

Wyatt was drawn to the legal industry initially through a desire to practice law. As time went on, he developed an interest in data technology and systems and decided joining Celeritas offered a good convergence of the two. Wyatt says what he enjoys most about recruiting is placing people in new roles that are fulfilling and developing relationships that go beyond the initial placement.

Asked what has most surprised him about working in the legal industry, Wyatt shared, “It has surprised me how personable and engaging e-discovery professionals are. Most are very passionate about the work they do and are eager to discuss details, both technical and nontechnical, if you ask relevant questions.”

Wyatt is from North Carolina but currently lives in New York City where he enjoys finding pockets of Southern culture. He’s an avid reader and in his spare time also enjoys music, art and running.

Brenna Madden, Director of Recruiting 

As director of recruiting, Brenna Madden focuses on filling business development roles for Celeritas legal services, software and consulting clients. Brenna joined Celeritas in 2022, bringing previous experience as a recruiter. She says she was drawn to our firm for the opportunity to work with leadership and colleagues that possess several years of experience and invaluable expertise in the legal industry. She feels the mentorship she’s had has already provided a significant learning and growing experience in her career.

What does Brenna enjoy most about her current role, and what has she learned about the legal space? “I have the pleasure of working with some of the smartest and kindest candidates and clients who value their network and community. And it’s helped me realize that your professional network and reputation are incredibly important. This is a small and tight-knit industry, which means it’s even more important to be reliable.”

Brenna is from San Diego. She enjoys golf and travel and is passionate about making the most of summer weather, being outdoors and reading good books.

We’re grateful to have Kjerstin, Wyatt and Brenna on the Celeritas team! If you haven’t already, we hope you can meet them soon.