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.
Is the hot job market finally forcing law firms to look beyond the pedigree? The legal profession is experiencing the hottest job market in years. After putting a temporary hiring freeze on lawyers at the onset of the pandemic, law firms are trying to catch up. Business is booming and, to fill the pent-up demand,…
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“The Cavalry Isn’t Coming.” Those words caught my attention when uttered by a panelist during one of the innumerable Zoom programs I attended while working from home during the pandemic. Her message was that, unlike in the classic Western where the Cavalry swoops in to save the day, when it comes to your career, you…
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Hang on! Leaving one job for another can bring up a roller-coaster of emotions. You are excited about your new, promising opportunity, but it’s also scary and unfamiliar. So, as you embark on the job search process, expect both highs and lows, and embrace them as part of the journey. The Lows Leaving your current job…
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ESG stands for Environmental, Social, and Governance, three central factors measuring the sustainability and societal impact of an investment, company, or business. It is not a new investment strategy but, with the racial and political unrest sparked by the events of 2020 and the worsening climate crisis, more companies realize the benefits of publicly stating ESG goals. As…
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