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.
“Why is there ‘Esq.’ after your name?” asked my grandfather, who had moved to the United States from England, “You’re not a gentleman!” I had proudly handed him one of my first post-Bar-admission business cards, and that was not the reaction I expected. I informed him that, in the U.S., “Esquire” denotes lawyer, irrespective of…
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Virtual job interviews became the norm following the nationwide business shutdown prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Legal industry employers learned, by necessity, that virtual working and hiring was effective and, perhaps, even preferred. With law firms and corporations spanning the nation and the globe, interviewing via videoconference will remain an important part of the hiring…
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Remote working for lawyers became the norm when COVID-19 hit the U.S. in mid-March 2020 and businesses closed to comply with local stay-at-home orders. Quite a few law firms don’t expect to return to the office officially until early 2021, especially in major markets such as the Northeast and California. Many see remote working as…
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The word “sales” makes many lawyers uncomfortable, but you’re in sales every day whether you realize it or not. You sell yourself and your expertise to your firm or company, current and potential clients, colleagues, opponents, and judges. And, when searching for a new position, you are the product you want the prospective employer to…
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