Valerie A. Fontaine earned her JD from UC Hastings College of Law 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 Secretary to the Board of Directors of the National Association of Legal Search Consultants (NALSC) and Chairs its Newsletter Committee.
In the past, once a lawyer went in-house, there was virtually no going back to the law firm environment. That’s no longer the case. Law firm employers realize that in-house attorneys often have credentials, sophistication, practice experience, and demanding work schedules similar to those the firms require. Corporate counsels often bring valuable connections, business insight,…
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In addition to doing copious amounts of excellent legal work, lawyers who wish to progress in their careers have a few extra tricks up their sleeves. Have “the talk” A crucial step to getting ahead is to find out exactly what you need to do to achieve success in your particular organization. Sit down with…
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There’s good news and bad news for those transitioning from a military legal career to the civilian legal job market. First, the bad news: JAG recruiting websites for all branches of service state that JAG experience will make your move to a civilian legal career “seamless” or “effortless”. That’s not true. Entering the legal job…
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The harsh reality is that most cover letters are not even read. Most recruiters and hiring partners flip to the résumé first and read your cover letter only if your credentials merit further consideration. While your cover letter can’t make you, it certainly can break you. Thus, it should be perfect in terms of grammar,…
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