Valerie A. Fontaine earned her JD from UC Law San Francisco (formerly UC Hastings) and her BA, Phi Beta Kappa and magna cum laude, from UCLA. She was on the Editorial Board of COMM/ENT, a Journal of Communications and Entertainment Law. Valerie practiced law with a prominent Los Angeles law firm and entered the legal search profession in 1981. Valerie is past Secretary to the Board of Directors of the National Association of Legal Search Consultants (NALSC) and former Chair of its Newsletter Committee. She currently serves as a consultant to NALSC headquarters.
Marijuana is big business and continues to grow. What was once viewed as a fringe or experimental sector has evolved into a sophisticated, highly regulated industry that continues to generate significant demand for legal services. The legal cannabis industry in the U.S. topped $30 billion in annual sales in 2025 and is projected to expand…
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NASA is flying to the moon in 2026! NASA is sending astronauts around the moon with the Artemis II mission, hoping to launch as early as February 6th for a 10-day journey to test systems for future landing missions. This will be the first crewed lunar mission in over 50 years. Exactly eight years earlier,…
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Few experiences are as unsettling for a lawyer as losing a job—or realizing that your current target is unattainable. Whether the trigger is an economic downturn, a failed bar exam, or performance-related concerns, being unemployed or underemployed can feel like being in a professional free fall. Yet career interruptions are increasingly common, and—handled thoughtfully—they need…
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This post is crucial to your mental health. Wellbeing has become a major concern in the legal profession, especially, so please pay attention. Picture this: I was having dinner in Beverly Hills at a sidewalk café with my friend. The food and setting were wonderful; the company and conversation were scintillating; the temperature and golden…
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