WLVC Member Spotlight: Valarie C. Grossman

Meet Valarie C. Grossman, Attorney at the Norris Legal Group, APC, and Hearing Board Chairman of the Ventura County Air Pollution Control District (VCAPCD), serving the communities of Camarillo and Ventura.

Tell us a bit about yourself and your legal career.

I went to law school a bit later in life.  Prior to being an attorney, I was with the office of Compliance and Enforcement at the Environmental Protection Agency at HQ in Washington, DC and later was the Financial Manager for National Geographic Magazine.  After National Geographic, I worked for a Chumash nonprofit, where I help with joining Indigenous Tribes to important environmental cases.  This brought essential native tribal arguments to cases that were impacting sacred lands.

Aside from my "work", I have been active in wildlife rescue and rehabilitation most of my life.  I volunteered with the Marine Mammal Conservancy in Key Largo as a teen, and would rescue and rehabilitate stranded dolphins in the Florida Keys before I was 20.  I am now active with the Ojai Raptor Center.

What area of law do you practice, and what drew you to it?

I currently practice family law. I am passionate about helping my client in their greatest time of need.

What inspired you to pursue a career in law?

I was blessed to go to a University where Janet Reno taught at the law school.  I was always a legal nerd - I would go to her classes in between my undergraduate classes for fun.  She noticed me and would chat with me regularly after class.  She was a great inspiration for me.

Later I worked closely with the legal teams at the EPA in my role in the compliance and enforcement division.  This led to being active in a Supreme Court case.  Later in one of my early roles National Geographic, I managed the talent contracts, where I had a crash course in contract law.  When I took a step back and looked at the common thread in my career, it always led back to an involvement in the legal field.

What do you find most rewarding about your role?

In family law, it's the moments of being able to stand beside someone in their roughest moments and being able to help them through it.  As chairman of the board, it's making a difference and serving our community.

Have you had any mentors or role models who have influenced your career?

Janet Reno was an early inspiration for me.  Later while working with the Chumash nonprofit, I met Carmen Ramirez.  Carmen became a mentor and an inspiration for me.  She was the one who suggested that I go to law school, and later suggested I apply for the VCAPD Hearing Board.  Having Carmen be the deciding vote to appoint me to the position was one of the most memorable moments of my career. It was during Covid, so it was all on Zoom.  I still have that meeting recorded.

If you could go back in time to when you were starting out, what advice would you give yourself? 

Stop worrying about a plan and follow your passion.

What changes would you like to see in the legal profession for women?

More support and camaraderie between women of different generations.  We need to do better about holding the door open for those behind us.

What advice would you give to women considering a legal career

Make sure to pursue a career in an area of law that you are passionate about - there is no other reason.  It must come from the heart. The days are too long to not enjoy what you do.

What is one misconception about being a lawyer that you would like to correct?

That any attorney knows everything about every area of law! That just isn't possible anymore.  

How do you continue to grow and develop in your career? 

I attend as many continuing education opportunities as possible. I also continue to take on cases that challenge me in new and different ways. I'm always learning.

What motivates you to keep going during difficult times? Remember all the people you have helped and imagine where they would be without you.

What do you appreciate about the WLVC community?

I appreciate the WLVC community is a community of women who support one another.  It's so important as woman to hold the door open for the woman behind us.