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.
In this very competitive legal marketplace where law firms increasingly are run like businesses, lawyers need to have a plan. When experienced attorneys wish to find new employment opportunities in private practice, one of the first things a prospective employer inquires about is that attorney’s client base. How much business will move with that lawyer?…
Read article
Beyond good pay, interesting work, and reasonable hours, what does it take to keep associates happy? According to the National Association for Law Placement (NALP), approximately 43% of associates will change jobs within their first three years of practice. Many of those who leave are looking for a place where they believe they can make…
Read article
The partnership track at most major law firms is seven to ten years long, and wise associates will make use of the entire time to position themselves for the nod. Making a concerted effort during the last year or two may be too little, too late. At the beginning of an associate’s career, the top…
Read article
A great lawyer is one with clients that pay! Excellent work is not enough to guarantee your long-term success in the legal profession. If you want to have control over your destiny, you must control business. With a significant client following, you will dramatically increase your chances of becoming partner, keeping your position within your…
Read article