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Naomi House’s interview with LAC Group’s Michele.

Naomi:  How did you come to work for LAC Group?
Michele:  LAC Group, http://www.lac-group.com/, placed me at me in my former position at the LA Law Library. I had always heard and known about LAC from association events and conferences I had attended. LAC provides services in consulting, information management, expense reduction and staffing & recruiting. At the time of my layoff, I reached out to LAC to assist me with placement in a new position. I immediately was impressed with my experience with the organization and maintained a relationship with LAC. I began work for LAC in November 2011 when the Director of Recruiting position became vacant.

Naomi:  How can librarians connect with LAC Group?
Michele:  I always recommend information professionals become connected with LAC Group even if you do not currently see an immediate need for our services. Information professionals can connect with LAC Group through various channels including our website, social media, & via phone/email.

If a librarian is interested in consulting, other service offerings, or wants to contact us you may submit your query directly through our website, http://www.lac-group.com/contact-us/, or call any of our offices.

We offer free newsletters about happenings, stories and latest news – individuals can register to receive these on our website, http://www.lac-group.com/newsletter/. Candidates that are interested in employment can register for free directly through our website, http://careers.lac-group.com/ and upload a resume & apply for jobs.

Additionally, LAC utilizes social media to share jobs, articles & news in the industry. We can be found on Facebook, LinkedIn, Google + and Twitter.

Naomi:  Can you speak a little about your experiences with libraries?  Any favorite libraries or experiences with them?
Michele:  I began my career in the public sector – working in the public library district for 10 years. While I loved working in the public sector, I always had a dream to pursue a career in the legal profession. I blame the public library for making me into a librarian (thank you!), and decided to move into law librarianship working within law firms. I then decided to transition into the legal vendor sector, marketing and client services. I describe my experience with libraries as a non-traditional adventure, where my vision and dreams have been expressed and accomplished. I love to visit any library that I have the opportunity to — specifically the Library of Congress and the presidential libraries. Only 8 more of the Presidential libraries to go!

Naomi:  Favorite book(s)?
Michele:  This is a hard question. I want to say I have too many to list! I follow and read a lot within the business, conflict resolution and legal sectors.

Naomi:  Are there any blogs or websites we should be following?
Michele:  There are so many depending on your interest & expertise. Below are just a few that I regularly follow:

Everything Information:

http://lac-group.blogspot.com/ (Rob Corrao, COO’s blog)

Interest in arbitration, conflict resolution & dispute resolution:

http://arbitration101.blogspot.com/ (my very own blog!)

Full directory of great legal blogs – I follow at least 12 of these on a regular basis:

http://www.abajournal.com/blawgs/

Naomi:  Any job hunting advice?
Michele:  Network, network, and network! I cannot over emphasize how import networking is — building relationship connections and maintaining these is a great tool for helping pursue your career endeavors. I encourage information professionals to put themselves out there, follow their passion and become involved. Join your associations. Utilize social media to shine. Publish articles and present at conferences to promote your name and organization. Have a mentor that you can turn to for advice.

Michele A. Lucero – Director of Business Development & Client Services, LAC Group
Michele A. Lucero is part of LAC Group’s executive team as Director of Business Development and Client Services. Michele has more than 18 years of experience including work with the LA Law Library, West (Thomson Reuters), Mayer Brown, Weil Gotshal, Lionel Sawyer and the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District. As an accomplished law librarian and business, leadership and dispute resolution professional, Michele is adept at combining her in-depth knowledge with skillful relationship building. Ms. Lucero earned her undergraduate degree in Management & International Business from the University of Nevada Las Vegas, her M.L.S. degree in Legal Informatics from the University of North Texas, and her M.B.A. in Strategic Management from the University of North Texas. At Pepperdine University, she completed a Certificate in Dispute Resolution and is currently pursuing her Doctorate of Education in Organizational Leadership and a Masters  of Dispute Resolution.