Jessica Hernandez

pronouns: She/Her
e: jlhcoach@gmail.com
w: Jlhcoachingconsulting.com

Specialties

Business Development
Career Management
Career Transitions
Executive
Leadership/Management
Outplacement
Parental
Returning to Work
Work/Life Management

Background & Certifications

I graduated from George Washington Law School in 1997, and practiced corporate law for 11 years in New York City – at an AmLaw 100 firm, a smaller firm, and as in-house counsel at a hedge fund. My practice centered on public and private debt and equity financings, mergers and acquisitions, securities, and compliance work.

As I became a seasoned corporate attorney, I realized the areas that energized me most were those that focused on relationships and connecting – networking both in and out of the profession, teaching and mentoring junior attorneys, and supporting clients through crises.

In 2008, I found a way to capitalize upon these strengths by transitioning into attorney professional development. I first served as career advisor at Georgetown Law, and then moved to an attorney development position in-house at a major law firm in 2010. As a result, in addition to my many years of coaching and counseling experience, I am experienced in a broad range of professional development issues, including career counseling, coaching, performance management, career progression, professional and substantive training, and the advancement of women in the profession.

I earned the Certified Professional Co-Active Coach (CPCC) credential after a rigorous 14-month course of study with the Coaches Training Institute. I am also credentialed as an Associate Certified Coach (ACC) with the International Coaching Federation.

Coaching Clientele

I work primarily, but not exclusively with lawyers, and have worked with partners, associates of all levels, and in-house lawyers. I have experience with coaching clients in a variety of other industries, including public relations, education, military, the performing arts, and information technology.

Coaching Process

My work is characterized by two main goals: providing value and momentum to my clients. I keep myself just as accountable to these goals as I keep my clients to theirs.

When a client decides to work with me, I begin the engagement by sending some preliminary questions to the client in order to take a ‘snapshot’ of challenges and mindset at that point. Our first session will then be a 60 to 90-minute ‘deep dive’ into what makes the client tick. This initial work is important not only for us to create structure for our work together, but also for me to understand the client’s goals, motivations and values, which will be important in our work together.

I then meet with clients twice a month, for either 30- or 45-minute sessions (at the client’s option). I ask clients to bring a topic to each session for us to work through. At the end of each session, we will come up with action items and homework.

In order to keep both of us accountable, I will send follow-up questionnaires to my clients during the course of the work to ensure that we are on track in accomplishing their goals. This is an opportunity both to gauge growth and to redirect towards new goals, if appropriate.

Expectations & Benefits

The clients who get the most value out of the process tend to be those who approach it with honesty, accountability and seriousness of purpose. A key factor in a coaching relationship is the client’s volition.

Momentum and accountability are two sides of the same coin. Successful clients tend to be those who treat the coaching process like any other commitment, by keeping track of our work together, completing the action items we set forth at the end of each session, and being open to the learning process that comes from doing that work.

Background Information on Clients

I don’t need to gather background information on clients in advance, but I am happy to do so if the client or organization would like me to.

Case Studies

Case Study #1: An associate came to see me after receiving feedback that partners were pleased with her work, but her time management skills were holding her back. Partners were frustrated that at times she had procrastinated and missed some important deadlines.

In our initial work, we spent time mining her values, motivations and passions. In working through various work scenarios, we talked about her worries about her anger at certain work situations, and her concerns about the perceptions of others and how that might impact her chances for advancement at the firm. We also explored how successful she was when she brought her full authenticity, personality, and ability to connect into her work. This led to a shift, as she became acutely aware of how her work styles served her, and she became much more intentional about how she wanted to show up in the workplace.

This led to a natural transition towards better time management, which was noted by her superiors in his next performance review.

Case Study #2: An attorney sought coaching about a difficult relationship with an important supervising partner. He found the partner to be difficult, unreasonable and unpredictable. The attorney had transitioned to the firm fairly recently when our work began.

In our work together, he became aware that he was not showing up as his full self in the workplace. He felt intimidated and self-conscious about his knowledge base in coming from another environment where the work had been somewhat different. We worked to reconnect with the strength and assuredness he had brought to his work in previous environments. He realized that his fear of others’ impressions of him, of being transparent about what he did and didn’t know, and of making a mistake was hampering his ability to build strong relationships and add value in ways in which he knew he was capable.

After coming to this realization, the attorney made significant changes in the way he was showing up in the office and approaching his work. He began to feel more confident again, and actively worked to strengthen his professional relationships outside of work, including socializing on more ‘neutral’ territory where he was able to more naturally be his authentic self. His naturally social and caring personality eroded the walls in his office relationships. He began opening up and having more meaningful dialogue about his assignments with his supervisors.

Over time, this strategy paid off – he felt more comfortable and confident in the office, which allowed him to be more productive. He also made a practice of seeking constructive criticism about his assignments that enabled him to develop his skill set further. His relationship with the supervising partner improved, as did his relationship with other supervisors in the group.

The single most important factor that leads to a successful coaching relationship

The clients who get the most value out of the process tend to be those who approach it with honesty, accountability, and seriousness of purpose. A key factor in a coaching relationship is the client’s volition.

Fee Structure & Ranges

My fees vary, depending on the engagement. I generally charge an hourly rate, but packages are available if that is the client’s preference.