Blog Archives
Knowing Who’s Who in the Job Search Process
August 18, 2017
By Valerie Fontaine – Job seekers in the legal marketplace find a myriad of online and in-person resources of varying uses and value. Do-it-yourselfers might stick to Internet options such as social media, job boards, and employer listings with great success; others seeking the more human touch might reach out to one or more of the
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Laterals Must Take a Proactive Role in Their Onboarding
June 15, 2016
By Valerie Fontaine – Much is written about the lateral lawyer onboarding process from the employer’s point of view, but the newly hired lateral must play an equal or greater role in the process. Most large law firms have an established protocol yet, once everyone gets busy, it’s not always followed or completed. As a lateral
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What’s Your Hook?
January 21, 2016
By Valerie Fontaine – A narrative hook grabs readers’ attention at the beginning of a story and draws them in so they continue reading. Similarly, in a job search, your hook or Unique Value Proposition (UVP) states the clear benefit you provide to a prospective employer. It communicates who you are, what you do, what differentiates
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Looking into My Crystal Ball . . . Hot Practice Areas for 2016
November 23, 2015
By Valerie Fontaine – Hot and cold areas of law practice fluctuate with economic cycles. Areas that are hot right now may be completely cold in the future, and vice versa. Right now, and for the foreseeable future, real estate and corporate transactional practices are absolutely hot. Real estate finance, development, construction, purchase and sale, and
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What Associates Want
September 3, 2015
By Valerie Fontaine – Associate attorneys are the unhappiest workers in America, according to a 2013 CareerBliss study reported in Forbes magazine. Citing the structured environment, heavy emphasis on billable hours, and the long and uncertain path to partnership, associates ranked their satisfaction with the way they work and the rewards they receive lower than workers
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Changing Jobs Without Making a Move
April 21, 2015
By Valerie Fontaine – It’s possible to change jobs without leaving your desk. With today’s frenetic pace of partner moves, practice group divestitures and acquisitions, new firms spinning off, and law firm mergers, you might find yourself working for a progression of different employers without really changing jobs. This can impact your career advancement, however, as
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Thinking Like a Lawyer Isn’t Enough
February 21, 2015
By Valerie Fontaine – Law school teaches you to think like a lawyer but, to succeed in today’s legal marketplace, you also must think like a businessperson. As the legal profession becomes increasingly business-oriented, successful lawyers need to know more than just law. Business and management skills are essential to advancement, whether you practice in a
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New Year’s Resolution: Create a “Me File”
January 5, 2015
By Valerie Fontaine – Like most people, you probably made New Year’s resolutions to lose weight, eat healthier, and exercise more. But did you make some resolutions to get your professional life in shape as well? January is a good time to take stock and plot some moves to advance your career. To thrive in good
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Maximizing Face Time
October 27, 2014
By Valerie Fontaine – Technological advances constantly improve connectivity, increasing the expectation of lawyers’ availability to work 24/7, while decreasing their need to spend time in the office to do so. A 2010 American Bar Association survey found that 71 percent of the respondents sometimes work remotely from hotels, cafés, their homes, and libraries. In the
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What Headhunters Must Know to Land the Top Lateral Partners for Your Firm
September 4, 2014
By Valerie Fontaine – Law firms compete for a limited number of top lateral partner candidates with significant portable books of business and look to legal search consultants help them identify and hire the best. The more information your headhunters have up front, the more effectively they can land top prospects on your behalf. When a
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