J’lene has been in the legal recruiting world since 2019 and has loved growing her practice. Before joining Lateral Link, J’lene practiced litigation and estate planning law at several law firms, including Jones Day, Quinn Emanuel, and McGuireWoods. As a recruiter, she has placed associates and partners at several AmLaw firms and has built strong relationships with law firm lateral hiring teams through the process. J’lene enjoys getting to know her candidates and their practices so that she can suggest options that would provide a stronger foundation for their future development. Moving can be quite challenging, so J’lene strives to be a rock of support for her candidates as they explore ways to expand their practices on a different platform, which could give them access to new and untapped resources. J’lene understands how stressful these transitions can be and guides her candidates through each step of the process to reach their next career goal.
J’lene previously worked as a legal recruiting manager at Ballard Spahr LLP, where she gained real-time insights into what makes a successful candidate in the eyes of firm management. Lateral Link holds a special place in J’lene’s heart, as she was once a Lateral Link candidate herself many years ago when she relocated back to Los Angeles. As a candidate, J’lene was impressed with Lateral Link’s professionalism, market expertise, and firm connections and strives to provide that same high level of service to her candidates.
J’lene received her law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law and completed her undergraduate education at the University of California, Berkeley. When she is not recruiting, J’lene is a devoted outside runner, moonlight writer, cookbook lover, and hockey/lacrosse/football parent to her three sons. J’lene’s three dogs – Mary Margaret, Lettie Jane and River – also keep her happy and busy! While she was born and raised in LA, J’lene has been living on the East Coast for over a decade and she is proud of herself for having adapted to running in the freezing cold without complaints. 🙂
