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.
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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Job seekers recognize the need to network but self-marketing within your organization is just as important when you’re gainfully employed. Excellent performance is not enough; you need to distinguish yourself in the office to earn promotions and recognition or, in some cases, avoid layoff. Don’t wait for others to notice what you do well. Proactively,…
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