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 Secretary to the Board of Directors of the National Association of Legal Search Consultants (NALSC) and Chairs its Newsletter Committee.
Since the onset of the “Great Recession”, law firms hire fewer lawyers and vet candidates more thoroughly before extending an offer. Recent polls of NALP (National Association of Law Placement) and NALSC (National Association of Legal Search Consultants) members, show an increasing number of law firms now use behavioral interviewing to better assess candidates’ qualifications.…
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It’s not when you graduated, but what you know. Most law firms, unlike other businesses, categorize associates by JD graduation year rather than level of expertise for purposes of hiring, compensation and promotion. Until recently, the lockstep model made some sense, assuming that associates who enter law practice at the same time gain like experience…
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Leaving your current law firm or legal department, like the lyrics to “So Long, Farewell” from “Sound of Music”, means bidding adieu to many people. Although you may wish to give notice only once and get it over with, you need to apprise all appropriate parties and in the right order. Meanwhile, keep any hint…
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Interviewers are only human and, therefore, not always perfect. In your job search, you may encounter good interviewers having a bad day, inexperienced or unprepared interviewers, or those who have ineffective methods for eliciting the information they need to make the best hiring decisions. Unlike skilled corporate HR professionals, in the legal marketplace, many of…
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