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.
Figuring out how to successfully juggle multiple offers is one of the best problems a job seeker can face. In an ideal situation, all offers will be on the table at the same time, and only after interviews with all prospective employers are completed, so you can make an informed choice between them. In the…
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Prospective employers expect you to do your homework before you set foot in their offices (or show up on video) for your first interview. If you ask or answer questions in such a way as to reveal a lack of easily acquired information about prospective employers, they will react negatively. With the Internet, there is…
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The hidden dangers lurking in virtually any interview are those tough questions for which there seem to be no right answers but many wrong ones. When one rears its ugly head, listen carefully, determine what underlying information is being sought, and answer directly and succinctly without giving away any negative information. Attempt to sell yourself…
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Although legal employers should know better, sometimes an interviewer may ask a questionable question. In this era of heightened sensitivity to inappropriate language or actions, interviewers generally are more careful, but there may be an unintentional slip-up. When this occurs, what is the best way to handle the situation? In all instances, it is best…
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