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Hillary Vaillancourt

About Hillary Vaillancourt

Hillary Vaillancourt is a lawyer and writer at The Vaillancourt Law Firm, LLC. She has experience in a wide variety of matters including food law, education law, real estate law, family law, criminal law, contracts, and estate planning. She earned her JD from New England Law|Boston and is licensed in Virginia.

Three Things To Clean Up About Social Media When Job Hunting

January 5, 2022 By Hillary Vaillancourt Leave a Comment

Three Things To Clean Up About Social Media When Job HuntingIn this day and age, it’s common for potential employers to scope out job applicants on social media. Some employers even require applicants to include their social media handles in the application so that it is easy for the employer to find the applicant on all the platforms.

As a manager responsible for hiring personnel, I have often done this myself. Once an employee is hired, a lot of investments are made of both time and money. It’s important to get the hire right the first time.

But, how do you know you’re making the right choice? Who is the applicant really? Some people are exceptional at the interview process, turning on the charm and presenting a persona, but when starting the job, the person’s character changes. I’ve witnessed that first hand.

As an employer, one of the best ways to gauge a person’s true character is to see the type of things they share on social media.

[Read more…] about Three Things To Clean Up About Social Media When Job Hunting

How To Prepare For Virtual Court Hearings

December 1, 2021 By Hillary Vaillancourt Leave a Comment

How To Prepare For Virtual Court HearingsAfter a year and a half of virtual court, I finally experienced what it’s like to attend a virtual court hearing. Most of my practice is in estate planning, which doesn’t involve court appearances. However, I occasionally take on matters that do require some time in the court room. Recently, an adoption case that I wasn’t expecting to require a court appearance ended up having a hearing.

The judge set the hearing as a virtual event, and although courts have been conducting virtual hearings for well over a year now, this was my very first experience participating in a virtual court hearing. I had absolutely no idea what to expect.

If you plan to litigate any kind of case, chances are virtual court hearings are here to stay. Many judges (including the one that presided over my hearing) have indicated that they enjoy being able to conduct virtual hearings for some kinds of cases.

If you expect to participate in a virtual court hearing, here are a few tips to help you prepare.

[Read more…] about How To Prepare For Virtual Court Hearings

What Is an LLM And Do I Need One? 

September 15, 2021 By Hillary Vaillancourt Leave a Comment

What Is An LLM And Do I Need One? After I passed the New York bar exam in 2019, I began researching opportunities to gain more legal education and credentials in a field of law I was particularly interested–food law. That’s when I found a Master of Laws (LL.M) degree from the University of Arkansas in food and agricultural law and policy.

The program is a hybrid of virtual and in-person classes and allows students to attend on a part-time basis. I was excited about the program, because I am passionate about food law and want to be an advocate for individuals with food allergies. I felt the program would help me better understand the nuances of food law and policy and help me better advocate for change in food policy.

But, do you really need an LL.M? After all, you finished your law degree, graduated, passed the bar exam, got yourself a great job, why would you need another degree? [Read more…] about What Is an LLM And Do I Need One? 

The Hidden Costs of Law School

September 1, 2021 By Hillary Vaillancourt Leave a Comment

The Hidden Costs of Law SchoolThroughout law school, I was continuously surprised about how much money everything cost and how many extra expenses there were. Of course, I knew I would pay for books and office supplies like highlighters, pens, and legal pads. I figured I’d have to pay for public transportation as I lived in Boston. Basic necessities were a given, as well. Food, shelter, clothes. And, let’s not forget, obviously tuition. Yet there were items that I never expected to have to pay for as well.

What were those unexpected expenses, and how can you plan for them? [Read more…] about The Hidden Costs of Law School

Three Ways To Get To Know Your Professors

August 18, 2021 By Hillary Vaillancourt Leave a Comment

Three Ways To Get To Know Your ProfessorsI’ll admit, I was never good at getting to know most of my professors in school. There were some with whom I clicked and built a solid professional relationship with, but most of them I only ever saw in class.

As I grew as a student and especially as a professional, I realized how important those relationships were. Not only are those connections valuable for letters of recommendations to jobs, clerkships, or other similar professional opportunities, but also because your professors are a wealth of knowledge.

There’s only so much material that can be covered in class, especially in a large class setting. Having taught a few small sections at the higher education level, I can attest to this fact. There’s so much more that professors have to offer, about the material, about the subject, about life experiences that can be missed if you never take the time to get to know them.

Here are a few easy ways to break the ice and start getting to know your professors.

[Read more…] about Three Ways To Get To Know Your Professors

How To Study While Doing Chores

August 11, 2021 By Hillary Vaillancourt Leave a Comment

How To Study While Doing ChoresWith a busy law practice, a marriage, two small children, and a home to run, I am always looking for ways to multitask. Mealtime is a great excuse to talk to my preschooler about measurements and numbers, colors of fruits, and shapes of vegetables. Laundry is a great opportunity to review textures and sizes. Even sweeping the floor can be educational if we talk about what happens to crumbs when they get left on the floor.

Admittedly, preschool learning is certainly not the same thing as studying for law school, but that doesn’t mean you can’t take advantage of household chores as a time to also gain a little legal practice. The truth is that there’s no limit to what you can accomplish with your time if you’re willing to commit even small increments of your day to studying. [Read more…] about How To Study While Doing Chores

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If you find law school tough, you are not alone! The Law School Toolbox team is here to help you through it. Check out our helpful free content, podcasts, courses and one-on-one tutoring. Thanks for stopping by and drop us a line if you have any questions. We also invite you to join our weekly mailing list, for advice right to your inbox.

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