The Jabot - SoundSage

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Kathryn Rubino chats with Olga Berson partner at Thompson Coburn. Olga shares her journey from a scientist to a top patent attorney, tackling AI’s impact on patentability and the evolving biosimilar litigation. Her unique insights and balance between law and ballroom dancing make it an inspiring episode!

Highlights

Path from science to patent law.
Patent lawyers as the geeks of the law field.
Collaborating across legal disciplines.
Day-to-day life of a patent partner.
Unique career spanning patent prosecution, litigation, and more.
Key issues: Patent eligibility and AI.
Patent law and its challenges with biotech and AI.
Balancing AI’s role in innovation and patentability.
AI hallucinations and legal implications.
Lateral move to Thompson Coburn and its appeal.
Combining a demanding career with ballroom dancing.
Advice for aspiring patent lawyers: Build client trust.

Episode Sponsored By

https://www.lexisnexis.com/lexisplus

Links and Resources

https://www.linkedin.com/in/olga-berson-phd-patent-attorney/
https://www.thompsoncoburn.com/people/olga-berson-ph-d/

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Kathryn Rubino chats with Padideh Jafari founder and CEO of Jafari Law and Mediation Office. Discover Padideh’s inspiring journey from a five-year-old aspiring lawyer to a successful family law practitioner and advocate. With fascinating insights into handling high-conflict divorce cases, Jafari offers valuable advice for budding lawyers on balancing a demanding career with personal well-being. Tune in for a dose of inspiration and practical tips.

Highlights

Inspiration to pursue law from age five.
Overcoming skepticism and pursuing legal education.
Challenges and attrition in law school leading to camaraderie.
Early passion and varied legal experiences.
Balancing personal interest with market demand.
The advantage of pre-law school attorney roles.
Choosing family law despite initial reluctance.
Importance of work experience during law school.
Specializing in high-conflict cases and mediation.
Integrating technology like AI into law practice.
Significance of community involvement in legal practice.

Episode Sponsored By

https://www.lexisnexis.com/lexisplus

Links and Resources

https://www.instagram.com/jafarilegal/?hl=es-la
https://www.youtube.com/@jafarilegal
https://www.tiktok.com/@jafarilegal
https://x.com/jafarilawfirm

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Kathryn Rubino chats with Cayce Lynch, the new national managing partner at Tyson & Mendes. Discover Cayce’s inspiring journey from paralegal to managing partner, the unique culture at her firm, and how they’re innovating in defense law. An uplifting listen for aspiring legal professionals!

Highlights

Deciding to go to law school.
Mentors and law school experience.
Discovering a passion for civil procedure.
Moving to California and taking the bar.
Discovering the right firm by chance.
Why Tyson & Mendes is the perfect fit.
Growth and transition to managing partner.
Going into the business side of law.
Breaking the glass ceiling in the legal industry.
Maintaining firm culture during expansion.

Episode Sponsored By

https://www.lexisnexis.com/lexisplus

Links and Resources

https://www.tysonmendes.com/attorneys/cayce-e-lynch/

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Kathryn Rubino chats with Jesse-Justin Cuevas, partner at Susman Godfrey, about her inspiring journey from high school debater to a successful litigation partner. Discover her insights on balancing a high-stakes legal career with personal life and why mentorship is crucial. A must-listen for aspiring lawyers and anyone curious about the legal profession!

Highlights

Decision to pursue law school
Business disputes as human disputes
Typical day for a litigation partner
Importance of mentorship
Path to partnership at Susman Godfrey
Early career realization through intense casework
Benefits of clerkship experiences
Balancing personal life with a legal career

Episode Sponsored By https://www.lexisnexis.com/lexisplus

Links and Resources

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jesse-justin-cuevas-559443174/
https://www.susmangodfrey.com/attorneys/jesse-justin-cuevas/

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Kathryn Rubino chats with Peter Bruland, a Senior Managing Associate at Sidley, who is set to argue before the Supreme Court! Discover his inspiring journey from law school to tackling crucial, high-stakes legal issues. Don’t miss this captivating episode filled with insights into Supreme Court advocacy and the balance between pro bono work and career development. It’s a must-listen for aspiring lawyers and anyone intrigued by the art of legal persuasion.

Highlights

Discovering law through criminal procedure class.
Thrill of solving puzzles in appellate work.
First Sidley associate to argue before the Supreme Court.
Stakes in criminal cases: freedom on the line.
Preparing for the Supreme Court oral argument.
Balancing pro bono work with billable hours.
Strategic impact: procedural vs. emotional appeals.

Episode Sponsored By https://www.lexisnexis.com/lexisplus

Links and Resources https://www.sidley.com/en/people/b/bruland-peter-a

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Kathryn Rubino chats with Corinna Lain who reveals the chilling realities of lethal injection as detailed in her new book, “Secrets of the Killing State.” This episode exposes the grim processes hidden from the public eye, challenging perceptions on the death penalty. A must-listen for insights into a controversial legal practice!

Highlights

Legal Academia: Balance of Teaching and Publishing
University of Richmond: Teaching Importance
Journey to Death Penalty Expertise
Initial Skepticism About Supreme Court
The Fragility of Lethal Injection
Doctrine vs. Reality: Protecting Unpopular Minorities
Changing Views on Death Penalty
Execution Process: Front-Row Seat
Case Example: Brian Dorsey Story
Victim Closure: A Misleading Promise
Surprising Findings on Lethal Injection
Non-Medical Executions: A Shocking Truth
Legal Violations in Drug Procurement
Glossop Case: Legal and Moral Implications
Supreme Court’s Unsettling Divisions
Future of Capital Punishment: A Dying System
Decline in Death Penalty Support

Episode Sponsored By https://www.lexisnexis.com/lexisplus

Links and Resources https://nyupress.org/9781479832965/secrets-of-the-killing-state/

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Kathryn Rubino chats with Joann Rezzo who shares her unconventional journey from aspiring CIA agent to law school, through big law, and eventually to mediation. Joan highlights the power of empathy, her knack for negotiation, and how varied experiences helped shape her career, enriching both her mediation skills and her personal growth. Hear Joann’s vibrant anecdotes, including a clever courtroom victory involving an unexpected witness. A must-listen for insights on navigating a diverse legal career path and finding fulfillment.

Highlights

Choosing law school over CIA.
Navigating a nepotistic law school environment.
Career path: From Big Law to small firm.
Transition to plaintiffs and defense work.
Benefits of trial experience in Big Law.
Conflicts check process at a small firm.
Importance of understanding both plaintiffs and defense perspectives.
Motivation to transition to mediation.
Financial readiness enabling career shifts.
Knowing when to jump into new opportunities.
Traits for a successful mediator: empathy and listening.
Memorable litigation story: Using a surprise rebuttal witness.

Episode Sponsored By https://www.lexisnexis.com/lexisplus

Links and Resources

https://signatureresolution.com/neutral-CPT/joann-rezzo/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/joann-rezzo-62396449/

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Kathryn Rubino chats with David Enrich, business investigations editor at The New York Times and author of “Murder The Truth.” They explore the powerful influence of big law firms and the current landscape of defamation law that threatens journalistic freedom. With insights on media regulations and Sullivan’s landmark case, this episode sheds light on the implications for free speech and democracy, a must-listen for anyone intrigued by media law and its societal impact.

Highlights

AI-powered legal research tool.
Encountering lawyers in financial scandals.
Power and secrecy of big law firms.
Importance of New York Times v. Sullivan.
Trump’s attacks on media and defamation law.
Supreme Court opinions on Sullivan.
Potential consequences of overturning Sullivan.
Impact on journalism without Sullivan protections.
Threats to local journalism and mental health.
Sophisticated pressure tactics against journalists.
Predictions on Sullivan’s future protections.

Episode Sponsored By https://www.lexisnexis.com/lexisplus

Links and Resources

https://www.harpercollins.com/products/murder-the-truth-david-enrich?variant=42734343421986
https://www.nytimes.com/by/david-enrich
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Enrich
https://x.com/davidenrich?lang=en
https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-enrich-5b2a71/

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Kathryn Rubino chats with Lisa Landy, a Principal at Therrel Baisden. Discover Lisa’s journey into law, her passion for probate litigation, and insights on mentoring and firm growth. Perfect for aspiring lawyers!

Highlights

Transition to probate litigation.
Key personality traits for probate practice.
Mentorship’s role in law firms.
Legacy of a century-old law firm.
Impact of firm growth from 4 to 14 attorneys.
Passion for courtroom experiences.
The impact of Zoom on legal proceedings.
Pros and cons of virtual and in-person court.
Memorable mediation experience.

Episode Sponsored By https://www.lexisnexis.com/lexisplus

Links and Resources

https://www.therrelbaisden.com/lisa-d-landy/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-landy-460a72a7/

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Kathryn Rubino chats with Harvard Law’s Prof. Mark Tushnet, exploring his new book, “Who Am I to Judge?” Tushnet critiques the Supreme Court’s originalism and questions the narrow experience of justices. A must-listen to rethink judicial norms and hear Tushnet’s engaging perspectives on ideal court nominations and even the question of favorite books!

Highlights

The genesis of a legal career: from political science to law school.
Critique of judicial review’s evolution since the 1970s.
Democrats rely on courts against the Trump administration.
Background of the book “Who Am I to Judge?”
Insight on Supreme Court composition change over generations.
Judges’ uniformity influencing mediocre decisions.
Originalism in academic vs judicial contexts.
Evaluating Supreme Court nominees on broader life experiences.
Predictions for Trump’s potential future nominees.

Episode Sponsored By https://www.lexisnexis.com/lexisplus

Links and Resources https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300277029/who-am-i-to-judge/

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Kathryn Rubino and personal injury attorney Edward Ortega dive into the nuances of legal careers. From unexpected courtroom experiences to the role of technology in modern law practice, Edward shares his journey from family law to the largest personal injury firm in North Carolina. Discover the highs and lows of lawyering and learn why finding your fit can make all the difference in work-life balance. Perfect for aspiring lawyers and legal professionals looking for genuine insights!

Highlights

Why Law School? A Personal Story
The Reality vs. TV: Being an Attorney
What I Wish I Knew About Law Practice
Importance of Internships in Legal Career
Deciding on Family Law vs. Personal Injury
Balancing Work and Family Life
Day in the Life: Personal Injury Attorney
Role of Technology in Legal Practice
Career Highs and Lows
Why Mentorship is Crucial for New Lawyers
Making a Difference for Clients

Episode Sponsored By https://www.lexisnexis.com/lexisplus

Links and Resources https://www.linkedin.com/in/edwardjortega/

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Kathryn Rubino chats with special guest Alreen Haeggquist, an attorney and author of “Fired Up! Fueling Triumph from Trauma.” Discover Alreen’s inspiring journey of turning personal trauma into a powerful legal career advocating for abuse survivors. It’s a heartfelt discussion on resilience, the therapeutic power of speaking out, and finding balance in emotionally charged legal work. Perfect for aspiring lawyers seeking purpose and passion in their careers.

Highlights

Importance of Sharing Personal Stories: Helping others by sharing one’s own trauma.
Emotional Connection: Relating personal experiences to client advocacy.
Speaking Out: The significance of addressing trauma through expression.
Balancing Emotion with Law: Challenges and strategies in emotionally charged cases.
Harnessing Triggers: Using past trauma to fuel passionate advocacy.
Risk of Burnout: Mitigation strategies for emotionally demanding work.
Advocacy Against Power Dynamics: Fighting against perceived power and hierarchy.
Dealing with Client Fears: Building trust and support during vulnerable times.
Victory through Voice: The importance of being believed and heard.
Business and Passion: Balancing financial realities with passionate advocacy.
Trauma Informed Lawyering: Importance of understanding trauma in client relationships.

Episode Sponsored By https://www.lexisnexis.com/lexisplus

Links and Resources

https://www.alreen.com/
https://haelaw.com/alreens-story/
https://www.amazon.com/Fired-Up-Fueling-Triumph-Trauma/dp/1544541708

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Kathryn Rubino chats with Talia Rosen, the lawyer-turned-board game creator. Her game, “First Monday in October”, offers a strategic dive into U.S. Supreme Court history. Discover her creative process and how it brings legal history alive in an engaging way. Tune in for behind-the-scenes insights into her 10-year journey from concept to a playable reality!

Highlights

Law school decision: Intentional or accidental?
First Monday in October: Supreme Court-themed board game.
Game mechanics: Historical cases and justices.
Balancing day job and game creation.
Board Game Creation: Creative process and iteration.
Game testing: Community feedback and play-testing events.
Choosing gameplay: Strategy and historical accuracy.
Historical trivia: Fascinating facts about past justices.

Episode Sponsored By https://www.lexisnexis.com/lexisplus

Links and Resources

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/314086/first-monday-in-october
https://www.fortcircle.com/first-monday-in-october/

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Kathryn Rubino chats with Rebecca Haw Allensworth, a Vanderbilt Law School professor and author of “The Licensing Racket”. Discover the untold stories behind professional licensing, the unexpected impact on various careers, and why these regulations might not always serve the public. Rebecca’s firsthand research brings intriguing insights into how licensing affects professions from barbers to doctors and potential reforms. Don’t miss this chance to rethink the system that shapes many of our careers!.

Highlights

English vs. Law: Career advice.
Antitrust: Economical dominance.
Licensing paper: Supreme Court citation.
Licensing board meetings investigation.
Self-regulation across professions.
Over-regulation: Haircuts vs. law degrees.
Professional licenses as American Dream.
Legal profession self-dealing.
Cross-disciplinary board potential.
Federalism complicates licensing reform.
Hope for future board reforms.

Episode Sponsored By https://www.lexisnexis.com/lexisplus

Links and Resources

https://www.hup.harvard.edu/books/9780674295421
https://x.com/hawallensworth

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Kathryn Rubino chats with Jackie Gardina, Dean and Chief Academic Officer of The Colleges of Law, about systemic change, legal education, and the hurdles to entering the legal profession. Gain insights on LGBTQ rights, bar exam reform, and advice for future law students. A must-listen for those interested in modern legal challenges!

Highlights

From clinical therapy to a passion for law.
Systemic change as a career theme.
Multiple pathways to change: Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.
Legal battles and the evolution of rights.
Repeal challenges for LGBTQIA rights.
Voting rights history as a movement.
State-level demonization of LGBTQ youth.
Federalism’s effect on state rights.
Bar exam as an exclusionary mechanism.
Disconnect between bar exam and legal practice.
COVID as an inflection point for bar reform.
The push for bar exam reform in California.
Critique of law school’s alignment with practice.

Episode Sponsored By https://www.lexisnexis.com/lexisplus

Links and Resources

https://www.calbar.ca.gov/About-Us/Who-We-Are/Archived-Committees/Blue-Ribbon-Commission
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sidebar-optimism-in-action-conversations-with-lawyers/id1651930609
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackie-gardina-78907b8/

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Kathryn Rubino chats with Elizabeth Kelley, a dedicated criminal defense attorney fighting for justice for individuals with mental disabilities. Kelley shares her journey from literature student to a passionate advocate in a field needing reform. Her insights into mental health law and her hands-on approach to client representation are inspiring and thought-provoking. Tune in to discover why compassion and understanding are vital in the legal world, and how her work hopes to shape a more inclusive justice system.

Highlights

Balancing humanities and law.
Outrage about mental disabilities.
Finding fulfillment in criminal defense.
Starting a law firm.
Lessons from opening a practice.
Importance of wellness and coaching.
Mental wellness in law school.
Writing practical guides for lawyers.
Value of independent forensic evaluations.
A powerful courtroom experience.
The role of problem-solving courts.
Advice for pursuing justice for mental disabilities.

Episode Sponsored By https://www.lexisnexis.com/lexisplus

Links and Resources

https://www.elizabethkelleylaw.com/
https://www.elizabethkelleylaw.com/books/
https://www.elizabethkelleylaw.com/podcast/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-kelley-14110430/

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Kathryn Rubino chats with Mary Anne Franks, a leading voice in Intellectual Property and Civil Rights Law. Uncover the essence of fearless speech and why it’s crucial in today’s world. Explore bold concepts from her new book that challenge conventional First Amendment beliefs. A must-listen for anyone intrigued by legal boundaries and free speech dynamics!

Highlights

Life and career updates since 2020.
Transition from Miami to George Washington University.
Balancing academia and publication.
Clear communication as education and writing goal.
Importance of free speech.
Why focus on the First Amendment in the second book.
The constant evolution of First Amendment discussions.
Public and legal misconceptions about censorship.
Members of Congress misunderstanding censorship.
New framework for evaluating and understanding free speech.
Definition and importance of “Fearless Speech.”
Story of Dorothy Thompson as an example of fearless speech.
Difference between protecting and promoting speech.
University campuses and the issue of controversial speakers.

Episode Sponsored By https://www.lexisnexis.com/lexisplus

Links and Resources

https://www.amazon.com/Fearless-Speech-Breaking-First-Amendment/dp/1645030539/ref=sr_1_1
https://www.law.gwu.edu/mary-anne-franks
https://cybercivilrights.org/

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In this episode, host Kathryn Rubino interviews Dale Margolin Cecka, Albany Law School professor and director of family violence litigation. Discover her journey in law, challenges in child advocacy, and insights on family law education. Gain a deeper understanding of domestic violence legislation, its impact on survivors, and potential legal reforms. A must-listen for anyone interested in law, justice, and societal change!

Highlights

Why law school: a journey to child advocacy.
Transition from child advocacy to family law.
Challenges with systems in child advocacy.
Discovering a passion for family law.
Law school clinics: bridging practice and theory.
Role of clinics in true legal education.
Traits that align with family law practice.
Violence Against Women Act's impact and shortcomings.
Critical issues with protective orders enforcement.
Need for public education on domestic abuse.
Future of domestic violence law reform.

Episode Sponsored By https://www.lexisnexis.com/lexisplus

Links and Resources

https://www.linkedin.com/in/dale-margolin-cecka-202255165/
https://www.salon.com/2024/08/21/it-ends-with-us-domestic-violence-lawyer/
https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/domestic-violence-rebecca-cheptegei
https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/IPV-Prevention-Resource_508.pdf#:~:text=Data%20from%20the%20National%20Intimate%20Partner%20and%20Sexual,etc.%29%20from%20an%20intimate%20partner%20in%20their%20lifetime
https://www.ojp.gov/ncjrs/virtual-library/abstracts/child-custody-evaluators-beliefs-about-domestic-abuse-allegations

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Join host Kathryn as she chats with Luba Shur, author of “Rule 23” about her journey from law to novelist. Discover her insights on legal ethics, the myth of class actions, and how she balances writing with a legal career. A must-listen for aspiring lawyer-authors!

Highlights

Intersection of reality and fantasy in career choice
Early reading and legal career expectations
Surprising twists and interesting outcomes in legal career
Balancing writing and legal career
Rule 23 as a skewer of legal profession dysfunction
Inspiration behind the character Vera
Creating compelling flawed characters
Challenges of legal ethics and ambition
Significance of mentorship and legal education critique
Reality of Rule 23 and litigation process
Future writing projects exploring startup culture
Advice for balancing legal careers with writing

Episode Sponsored By https://www.lexisnexis.com/lexisplus

Links and Resources

https://www.amazon.in/dp/B0D8K6SJXS?ref=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_ERPEZFRSCQ5129K0D5PJ&ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_ERPEZFRSCQ5129K0D5PJ&social_share=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_ERPEZFRSCQ5129K0D5PJ&skipTwisterOG=1
https://www.audible.com/pd/Rule-23-Audiobook/B0D9HYRMFR?action_code=ASSGB149080119000H&share_location=pdp
https://www.instagram.com/luba.shur/?hl=en
https://www.tiktok.com/@luba.shur
https://www.linkedin.com/in/luba-shur-7b73033a/

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Discover the inspiring journeys of Calyssa Zellars Kya Henley, founders of Saint Park Law, on this episode of the Jabot Podcast! Learn how these two dynamic lawyers navigated non-linear career paths, left big law to start their own firm, and stayed true to their mission. Gain insights into their unique approach to crisis management and investigations, the importance of intentional practice, and how they’ve blended personal passion with professional excellence. Don’t miss this episode for a fresh take on entrepreneurship in law!

Highlights

Why law school? Personal motivations for impactful careers.
Career transition: Becoming civil rights attorneys.
Non-linear career path: From Detroit Lions to PR.
Public defender experience: Passion fueled by Trayvon Martin case.
Entrepreneurship: Founding Saint Park Law.
Building a mission: Aligning skills with passion.
Identity in firm name: Personal maternal lineage inspiration.
Balancing work and life: Strategies for managing mental health.
Advice for new lawyers: “No one knows you better than you.”
Encouragement to be pioneers: Charting unique career paths.

Episode Sponsored By https://www.lexisnexis.com/lexisplus

Links and Resources

https://www.saintparklaw.com/
https://www.instagram.com/saintparklaw/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/saint-park-llp/about/

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Join Kathryn Rubino as she chats with Harvard Law grad and Juris Education admissions counselor Calandra Almond. Discover how to navigate law school admissions, balance career goals, and set realistic expectations. Almond’s personal journey offers invaluable insights—don’t miss out!

Highlights

Personal law school journey.
Considering what you want your life to look like.
Admissions counseling and career mistakes.
Making realistic decisions about law school.
The importance of the LSAT.
Diversity in law school admissions and potential impacts.
Be true to yourself and what you want out of life.

Episode Sponsored By https://www.lexisnexis.com/lexisplus

Links and Resources https://lc.cx/GMIpZj https://www.linkedin.com/in/calandra-almond

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In this episode, Kathryn chats with Lori Duff, author of the upcoming book, “Devil’s Defense.” Lori shares candid insights about her accidental journey into law, her love for trial work, and the striking realism that underpins her novel. Discover her struggles balancing a legal career with writing, the hilarious challenges of introducing technology to courts during COVID, and her advice for lawyers with creative passions. This episode offers a compelling portrait of a small-town lawyer’s life and the passion driving her literary journey.

Highlights

Lori’s decision to go to law school.
The connection between performance and trial work.
Building a practice in a small town.
Incorporating small-town southern life in “Devil’s Defense.”
Realistic portrayal of legal practice in the book.
Impact of politician’s confirmation hearing on Lori’s writing.
Developing the “Fisher At Law” series.
Balancing writing with legal practice.
Impact of COVID on legal practice and Lori’s role in the state-level response.
Frustrations with technology adoption in the legal field.
Technology’s lasting implications in law post-COVID.
Navigating from conception to publication as an author.
Importance of finding time for personal passions.

Episode Resources

https://www.loriduffwrites.com/
https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Devils-Defense/Lori-B-Duff/9781647427368

Episode Sponsored By https://www.lexisnexis.com/lexisplus

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Dive into The Jabot podcast with Kathryn Rubino featuring Holly J. Moore, founder of Moore Family Law! Holly shares her journey from soul-sucking construction defect cases to the emotionally charged world of family law. Learn about the realities, challenges, and rewards of starting your own firm. Find out why family law “finds you” and get inspired by her tips for aspiring lawyers. Don’t miss this engaging and honest conversation—perfect for anyone interested in the human aspect of legal practice.

Highlights

Why pursue law? Early inspiration.
“You don’t find family law, family law finds you.”
Shift from construction law to family law.
Managing high stakes and emotional cases.
The balance between personal and professional life.
Growing a solo practice and team.
Hiring a coaching company for business growth.
Memorable case with a significant age gap.
Common misconceptions about family law from fellow lawyers.
The argument against eliminating no-fault divorce.

Episode Sponsored By https://www.lexisnexis.com/lexisplus

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Kathryn Rubino chats with Jiadai Lin, author and winner of the Sandra Carpenter Prize for Creative Nonfiction. Discover Jiadai’s journey from big law to heartfelt storytelling, balancing law and literature with grace. Don’t miss this inspiring conversation on following your true passion!

Highlights

The straightforwardness of a legal career versus the uncertainty of a writing career.
Jiadai’s compartmentalization of her law career and writing career.
The emotional impact and challenges of leaving Big Law to pursue writing.
The struggle and eventual acceptance of failures in her early writing career.
The flexibility and benefits of working at a startup law firm while writing.
The significant impact of winning the Sandra Carpenter Prize.
The deep personal nature of her writing and its vulnerability.
The role of memory and its imperfection in writing memoirs.
Advice for lawyers harboring creative ambitions.
The importance of giving oneself permission to pursue passions.

Links and Resourceshttps://www.scmemorialfund.com/

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Join host Kathryn Rubino who chats with Rachel Elkin, Pro Bono Counsel at Haynes Boone. Discover Rachel’s journey from a family of lawyers to championing public interest work and navigating her unexpected transition into Big Law. Gain insights on the rewarding and challenging aspects of pro bono work and how it shapes careers and communities. A must-listen for legal enthusiasts and those inspired by impactful lawyering.

Highlights

Why Rachel Elkin went to law school.
First exposure to public interest law.
Importance of law school clinics.
Key mentorship in law school.
How Rachel secured her first nonprofit job.
Transitioning from nonprofit to big law.
Role and importance of a pro bono counsel.
Managing pro bono case selection.
Balancing billable hours with pro bono work.
Rachel’s long-term goals for the firm’s pro bono program.

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Join host Kathryn Rubino in a riveting episode with law professor Charles Moxley, expert and author of “Nuclear Weapons and International Law”. Discover the legal complexities and real-world implications of nuclear policy, deterrence, and modernization. Can law guide us towards nuclear abolition? Stay informed and engaged!

Highlights

Examining the US’s nuclear policies versus international law.
The esoteric nature of international law and its neglect.
Different alerts and readiness levels in nuclear weapons policy.
Legal principle of precaution and US non-compliance.
Distinction, proportionality, and necessity in nuclear law.
Nuclear deterrence vs. readiness explained.
Russia-Ukraine conflict’s impact on nuclear weapon risks.
Failures in US policy to reconsider nuclear weapon modernization.
The inadequate concern among younger generations about nuclear risks.
Comparison between legal treatments of nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons.
Appeal to consider law as the path to nuclear abolition.

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Kathryn Rubino welcomes Kelly Hyman, founder of the Hyman Law Firm and host of “Once Upon a Crime in Hollywood”. Journey through Kelly’s shift from a childhood acting career to making a significant impact in the legal world, advocating for victims of human trafficking and navigating the complexities of starting her own law firm. Kelly shares her passion for true crime and how her podcast, focusing on Hollywood-related cases with female victims, aims to make a difference. An inspiring listen for anyone interested in law, justice, and compelling storytelling!

Highlights

The impact of a 65-year-old law school peer.
Supported into acting career by family friend Charlton Heston.
Founding her own firm: balancing passion and practicality.
Human trafficking and mass torts: main practice areas.
Podcasting inspired by appearance on Nancy Grace’s show.
True crime podcast motivated by fascination with mysteries.
Focus on cases affecting women in the entertainment industry.

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Kathryn chats with Madiba Dennie, deputy editor at Balls and Strikes, about her new book, “The Originalism Trap”. Discover how originalist ideology affects our legal system, and why it’s crucial to challenge it. A must-listen for anyone curious about the evolving role of law and justice!

Highlights

Potential of the law to help or hurt people.
Mediba’s career path in public interest law.
Transition from legal practice to legal commentary.
Writing process of “The Originalism Trap.”
The Originalism Trap: Motivation behind writing the book.
Importance of reconstruction amendments in refuting originalism.
Modern consequences of originalism: Dobbs and Bruen cases.
Originalism’s flawed historical analysis.
Originalism’s strategic organizational success.
Federalist Society’s influence on conservative legal professionals.
Inclusive constitutionalism as a counter to originalism.
Effective communication: Making interpretations matter to regular people.
The broader impact of judicial decisions on various issues.
Emerging positive trends: Law students and optimism.
Understanding history to drive change and hope.

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Kathryn chats with Peter Bronstein, a radio show host and founder of Legal Steps. Peter shares why he became a lawyer, driven by a desire for fairness, and narrates his journey from in-house counsel to successful independent practice. Discover compelling stories of his career highs, advice for aspiring lawyers, and insights on challenges faced by small businesses today, including navigating new regulations like the Corporate Transparency Act. It’s a must-listen for anyone interested in legal careers and business law!

Highlights

Defense of a young Bitcoin exchange owner.
Making the leap to start a solo practice: motivations and challenges.
Importance of understanding law practice management before going solo.
Early strategies for building a new practice.
Challenges faced by small businesses in 2024.
Corporate Transparency Act: new regulatory requirements for businesses.
Value of regulations discussed.
Importance of legal expenses: “Pay me now or pay me 10 times later.”
Transition to radio show host and purpose behind Ask Brian.
Highs and lows of a legal career: litigation victories and bankruptcy heartbreaks.

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Dive into the latest episode of The Jabob Podcast and special guest Jane Arnold, partner at Polsinelli. Discover Jane’s unconventional path to law and her insights on mentoring, flexible work hours, and the future of diversity in Big Law. Listen for inspiring advice and a peek into the evolving legal landscape.

Highlights

Jane Arnold’s career path and flexibility in plans.
Working in DC vs. District Offices.
Mentorship and its impact on career growth.
Collaborative approach and the benefits of in-person vs. virtual meetings.
Strategies for effective feedback in a law firm.
The “team concept” and promoting diversity.
Advice for first-year associates: curiosity, precision, and hard work.
Overcoming biases and promoting women in Big Law.
Flexible working hours and managing work-life balance.
Future of diversity in the workplace and AI disruption.

Episode Resources

epanyard@greentarget.com
https://www.polsinelli.com/jane-e-arnold

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Dive into an inspiring episode as Kathryn Rubino hosts Albany law student Jonas Caballero. Discover Jonas’s incredible journey from protesting the Iraq War to overcoming incarceration and addiction, now excelling in law school and fighting for civil rights. A must-listen for a story of resilience and advocacy.

Highlights

Reporting on human rights in the West Bank.
Struggle with PTSD leading to incarceration.
Roadblocks faced in re-entry post-incarceration.
Rejection from multiple law schools due to criminal history.
Persistence and honesty leading to law school acceptance.
Overcoming 1L challenges as a non-traditional student.
Continuous self-reminder of mission for civil rights.
Role in Student Bar Association advocating for formerly incarcerated.
Positive reception and support from law school faculty.
Importance of amplifying voices of formerly incarcerated students.
Law school environment fostering change and acceptance.
Interning with the Abolitionist Law Center.
Focus on international law and prisoner rights.
Need for diversion programs over incarceration.
Favorite law school experience: supportive faculty.

Episode Resources

Class Action Challenges Denial from Prison Early Release Programs on Basis of Disability: https://www.kllflaw.com/news-articles/class-action-challenges-denial-from-prison-early-release-programs-on-basis-of-disability
Prison Rape Elimination Act at 20 – Next Steps (Speech on Capitol Hill) https://youtu.be/JgrB33WnAGM?si=6NrxQZfMN-pl9_oD&t=1194
Sexually Assaulted In A NYC Jail? Don't Hold Your Breath For A Timely Investigation https://gothamist.com/news/sexually-assaulted-in-a-nyc-jail-dont-hold-your-breath-for-a-timely-investigation
Don't Lock Me Up, Help Me Clean Up (NY Daily News) https://www.pressreader.com/usa/new-york-daily-news/20181021/281547996870524
NYC Inmates Call 311 To Report Mistreatment, But Is Anyone Listening? https://gothamist.com/news/nyc-inmates-call-311-to-report-mistreatment-but-is-anyone-listening
Caballero ’25 Speaks to National Audience on Prison Reform https://www.albanylaw.edu/spotlight/student/caballero-25-speaks-national-audience-prison-reform

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In this episode, Kathryn interviews Catherine Dawson, General Counsel at Affinipay, discusses her career transition from big law to in-house counsel, emphasizing her interest in technology. She also talks about the benefits of using AI in legal practice, such as task automation and increased efficiency. Dawson recounts her experience of working part-time while starting a family, emphasizing the possibility of work-life balance in law. She provides advice to parents on navigating their careers; suggesting reevaluation and adaptation based on changing situations.

Highlights

Insights about law school, career path, and working in an in-house role
Entering a legal career in the technology space and challenging issues with AI
Transitioning from Biglaw to in-house and understanding roles within a company
The potential of AI for lawyers and how it can help save time and do more meaningful work
Advice on prioritizing different aspects of life at different stages and making choices as per personal needs
How being full-time in-house differs from being full-time at a big law and how it was more feasible while her kids were in elementary school
How to reevaluate life stages and job demands as children grow older

Episode Resources

https://www.affinipay.com/company/about-us/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherine-d-dawson

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In this episode, Kathryn interviews Erin Gordon, author of "Look What You Made Me Do", a memoir exposing a toxic culture in a prominent law firm. Erin shares her experience of continuous micro-harassments, personal defamation, and inadequate work allocation, leading to extreme stress and impeding her professional growth. Despite having a strong legal case against the firm, practical difficulties meant she had to endure the environment with minimal improvement.

Highlights

Insights on the pressure to stay in big law firms despite negative experiences
The turning point when she consulted employment lawyers who advised her to leave the firm
The long-term impact on her career, including self-esteem issues, lack of professional growth, and financial loss
Erin's realization that she wasn't a bad lawyer, but rather a victim of a system that prioritizes loyalty over individual experiences

Episode Resources https://eringordonauthor.com/

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In this episode, Kathryn interviews Dina Segal, the Chief Legal Officer at Gusto, and discusses her personal and professional journey including her transition from a big law firm to an in-house counsel position and her experiences as a working mother.

She speaks about the Lexis Plus platform's innovative Judicial Brief Analysis tool and highlights the importance of understanding the business, building trust, and creating impactful solutions. Dina, a board member of the SunLaw Group, which supports women in-house counsel, also talks about the challenges faced by women in the legal profession.

Dina emphasizes work-life balance and advises against measuring balance on a day-to-day basis. She promotes mental health awareness in the legal industry and encourages self-forgiveness on tough days.

Highlights

Dina’s background and why she decided to attend law school, and her early interest in advocacy
Her pathway to in-house law and the importance of understanding the business you're in when working in-house
Career progression in-house and the challenges and milestones for those seeking an in-house career
Dina’s experience of transitioning the SunLaw Group's activities digitally during the COVID-19 pandemic
The importance of being present wherever you are, whether it's at work or with family and suggests viewing balance over longer time periods
The lasting impact of small but meaningful moments with children
Advice to aspiring lawyers and the importance of identifying their fundamental driver or passion
Significance of keeping the larger picture in mind during challenging periods

Episode Resources

https://gusto.com/company-news/the-rise-of-women-entrepreneurs

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In this episode, directors Cara Bain and Allison Rosner from Major Lindsay in Africa discussed the trajectory of their legal careers and the importance of workplace partnerships. While detailing their unique career paths, they stressed the benefits of diverse backgrounds and perspectives in enhancing team performance. They encouraged listeners to be receptive to diverse opportunities, stay proactive, and be open-minded in their careers.

Highlights

Allison discusses her atypical path to the legal industry. She shares how her curiosity about the private equity industry led her to join it and ultimately work as a Chief of Staff to the General Counsel in a Legal Department.
Allison talks about forming relationships with candidates early on in their careers and guiding them as their career progresses.
Challenges in the legal industry are discussed, such as the tension between companies and staff over remote work and the internal pay inequities due to the vast increase in compensation over the last five years.
Allison gives tips on how to get up the nerve to negotiate during a job transition, encouraging people to get out of their comfort zone and seek support from mentors or cheerleaders.
Discussion on the role of mentorship and peer support in retaining talent within the legal profession.
The importance of considering every opportunity and starting the job hunt before feeling ready is emphasized.

Episode Resources

https://www.linkedin.com/in/allison-rosner-b837736
https://www.mlaglobal.com/en/people/cara-bain?byconsultantorauthor=cara-bain

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In this episode, Kathryn interviewed Sejal Patel from Sage Ivy Consulting. Sejal traces her unique career from law to consulting, emphasizing that law schools should better guide students about alternative legal careers and business development. She suggests young lawyers maintain their professional relationships from law school, cultivate new ones through LinkedIn and conferences, and develop friendships with clients. Together with Kathryn, they stress the importance of early start in professional networking and continuous learning for a successful career.

Highlights

Navigating the paths after law school and confronting the realities of alternative legal careers
Encouraging business development as a part of lifestyle, exploring hobbies and fun activities with potential clients
Why you should start early with business development, ideally during law school years
How to develop networks and business for those who don't have those kinds of connections from diverse backgrounds
The importance of turning clients into friends for gaining inside knowledge and sustaining long-term relationships
The need to attend bar association conferences and events for networking opportunities
The importance of early business development network building

Episode Resources

http://www.sageivyconsulting.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sbpatel/

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Kathryn interviewed Frieda Garcia, a managing partner at BAL. Frieda shares her journey to becoming an immigration lawyer, primarily influenced by her family's legal immigration issues. Although the field is challenging due to its complexity and politicized nature, it is also rewarding, particularly in cases where she's assisted scientists and nurses.

Frieda commends her firm's intentional diversity efforts and credits this to her rise as a Latina woman. Toward the end of the episode, she reflects on the unpredictable nature of immigration law, emphasizing resilience and empathy as essential attributes. She offers advice to aspiring lawyers, encouraging resilience, forming strong relationships, treating others with kindness, and prioritizing self-care.

Highlights

Frieda Garcia and her motive behind pursuing law
Her first experience with immigration law
The intricacies of looking at immigration law from the perspective of employers
The start of her passion for immigration law
BAL's recognition as the most diverse law firm
The importance of adaptability and resilience in dealing with the unpredictability of her work in immigration law
How young professionals in law should persevere towards their goals, make and learn from mistakes, and forge strong relationships
Value of respectfulness and self-care in the demanding field of law and leadership
How aspiring law professionals should continuously work towards their goals despite the obstacles

Episode Resources

Link to Frieda’s bio: https://www.bal.com/people/frieda-garcia/
Frieda video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2L24flp-cY
BAL Insights page: https://www.bal.com/insights/

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Kathryn interviewed Elise Holtzman, President of The Lawyer’s Edge, who shares her journey from pre-med to law and discusses challenges faced by lawyers. She highlights the pressure being overwhelming leading to visible stress, but advises breaking down goals into smaller achievable tasks. Elise also points out that self-doubts often block individuals from expressing their needs or setting boundaries, and stresses the need to ignore such doubts as they are not based on reality. She encourages lawyers to seek help when stuck and to realize that progress requires new skills and habits, even if changing these seems hard.

Highlights

Why Elise decided to move from medical school to law school
The idea of conducting "mini experiments” and trying a few new things like learning to delegate more or showing up with solutions rather than just problems.
Law firms' responsibility to communicate their expectations upfront to their associates and to give them a clear roadmap for professional development
Ways individuals can develop a macro perspective on their legal career while dealing with daily tasks, such as finding quiet time to reflect or discussing with a friend
Spending time with like-minded individuals who can provide motivation and support in aspiring career advancements
The challenges of being stuck in a rut in the legal field and suggests making small changes to gradually improve the situation
The importance of pacing oneself and not trying to make dramatic changes all at once
The mental roadblocks or "gremlins" that prevent people from making much-needed changes in their careers

Episode Resources

https://thelawyersedge.com/about-us/meet-elise-holtzman/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/eliseholtzman

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Kathryn interviewed Susan Myres, a Managing Partner of Myres & Associates PLLC, who discusses the prevalence of “decision fatigue” in the legal industry. She suggests lawyers take regular breaks and maintain a work-life balance to counter fatigue and stress. She emphasizes the components of self-care and health in a lawyer’s responsibility to their clients. Susan also highlights the lack of effective tools to manage this ongoing stress within the profession. Arguing for the importance of being adequately prepared for cases and meetings, she recounts an experience where her unpreparedness negatively impacted a client. She views these scenarios as learning opportunities, warning that, without proper management, decision fatigue can lead to unsustainable legal careers. Lastly, Susan advocates for the development of effective tools to aid in managing decision fatigue and ensuring continued quality in legal service.

Highlights

What led Susan Myers to specialize in matrimonial and family law
Why the practice of family law interesting for her
Dealing with the intensity of family law cases
The notion of decision fatigue
The Harvard Business Review issue "How to Make Decisions Amid Chaos"
Managing stress and emotions amidst decision fatigue
The importance of delegation and taking breaks for overall well-being
The signs of approaching burnout in law practice
The concept of decision fatigue and the importance of checklists in managing tasks efficiently
Importance of self-awareness in managing workloads and stress in the legal profession
Why young lawyers who feel enormous pressure to do it all
The need to mentor and support them

Episode Resources

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01OU2Y5TmNw
https://www.thehoustondivorcefirm.com/our-team/susan-myres/

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Kathryn Introduces guests Douglas Letter and Shira Feldman from Brady United, an organization focused on reducing gun violence. They discuss their driving factors for practicing law, touch on their work, and explore specific gun laws, including the case of United States vs Rahimi, relevant to domestic violence prevention. Shira outlines the current state of gun laws post-Bruin decision while Doug shares optimism about the Supreme Court's potential future pro-safety rulings.

Highlights

Doug and Shira’s work at Brady, which involves legal advocacy and representation for gun violence victims
The optimistic outlook after the oral arguments in the "US vs Rahimi" case
State regulations on assault weapons and high capacity magazines
The role states play in regulating gun laws and the optimism that these measures will be upheld by the Supreme Court in the future
The significance and value of their work at Brady
Their initiatives outside of litigation, particularly working with Hollywood, to increase awareness and bring about a cultural shift on gun safety.
Shira and Doug’s work at the broader organization of Brady and their important incremental changes.

Episode Resources https://www.bradyunited.org/our-work/brady-legal/our-legal-team

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Kathryn interviewed Dylan Penningroth to discuss the intersections of Black history, law, and the civil rights movement. Penningroth, author of "Before the Movement: the Hidden History of Black Civil Rights", stresses the importance of viewing the Black community as a diverse group with various perspectives, and using the law as both an instrument of oppression and of change. He speaks on his research challenges and the impacts of corporate law on Black history.

Highlights

The hidden history of Black Civil Rights
The significance of contextual understanding of civil rights that goes beyond racial discrimination
The importance of taking a focused approach to understand the Civil Rights movement
Marriage, divorce, and inheritance in the lives of Black people
The reasons why stories involving Black people sometimes get "lost"
Black people using law as a tool in their daily lives
The tension between law as both a source of oppression and a tool for liberation
Ponders whether the law a strategy is worth pursuing for Black people
Shows mixed opinions about the law as a tool of oppression and also a tool of liberation

Episode Resources

https://www.law.berkeley.edu/our-faculty/faculty-profiles/dylan-penningroth/
https://history.berkeley.edu/dylan-c-penningroth

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Kathryn interviewed Amanda Wolfman, who shares her career transition from social work to law and advocates for diversity, equity, and inclusion within the legal field. From her experiences at various law firms, she emphasizes the importance of problem-solving skills and having these values ingrained in all facets of a firm's operations for it to be impactful. She also shares some career highs and lows and the satisfaction derived from solving clients' problems.

Highlights

Her experience on job transition and finding the right fit.
The future of diversity in the legal field and how to encourage positive change.
The need for deep commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Showing up and actively fighting for progress in diversity, equity and inclusion.
Highlights of her career in law.
More career highs, including trials won and differences made for clients.

Episode Resources https://www.nge.com/Our-Lawyers/Amanda-Wolfman

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Kathryn interviewed Melinda, a Partner based in London, who focuses on the recruitment of partners into elite international firms in the UK and Europe. In the course of her 25-year career, she has placed hundreds of partners and partner-teams into AmLaw 100 and UK 20 firms and has launched numerous offices for law firm clients. She successfully represents candidates across a wide range of practice areas and has particularly deep expertise in private equity and related areas.

Highlights

Melinda shares her journey into legal recruiting and the opportunities it has presented for her.
Discussion about the overall brand of law firms and its importance during times of change.
Discussion around making sure a firm's culture and values align with what they care about.
Discussion on how diversity impacts the compensation and origin of credit in law firms.
Statement about the success rate of the Reignite Academy program, with three participants having made partner.
Discussion about the attributes needed in candidates for successful comeback into the legal profession.
Observation of an increase in litigation partners due to a surge in restructuring special situations and distressed finance.
Anticipation of future mergers in the mid-market sector and increased transatlantic mergers.

Episode Resources https://www.macrae.com/melinda-wallman

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Kathryn interviewed experts Natalie E. Norfus and Shanté S. Gordon discussing the legal industry, the application of AI in legal research via Lexis Plus's new platform, and promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Regarding burnout, Shanté advises identifying needs and seeking support. Natalie emphasizes realism in work allocation and setting work boundaries, particularly during the pandemic. Both underline the crucial need for resources and realistic expectations.

Highlights

The AI-powered tool, Judicial Brief Analysis, and its ability to offer targeted recommendations of relevant cases
Natalie’s motivation to attend law school, wanting to advocate for people and be a civil rights lawyer
Strategy work Shanté produces for their DEI clients when she has time to focus on her work
The importance of intentionality in DEI practices, especially in the retention of diverse employees in a company
Work does not have to be a zero-sum game with winners and losers, advocating for a middle ground between full-time remote work and compulsory on-site presence
The larger structural issues in the legal profession and how it affects the profession's readiness for work-from-home setups
Steps in recognizing burnout, addressing it, and seeking support as needed
How business can start reiterate available resources and encourage employees to take advantage of them as necessary

Episode Resources

https://parade.com/author/natalie-e-norfus
https://thenorfusfirm.com/our-team/

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Kathryn interviewed Philippe Sands, who discussed his extensive law career including trade and human rights cases, his work on the Chagos Archipelago case for Mauritius, and his aim to humanize law through understanding case individuals. Philippe also provided insight into his role as a counsel for Samoa regarding nuclear weapons, diving into the realities of legal situations in international law. Offering career advice, he highlighted the importance of relevant studies, gaining experience as law school research assistants, and showed the numerous opportunities available within governmental, non-governmental, and academic roles.

Highlights

Philippe Sands’ background, experience with U.S law, and his family's background in law
His writing process and how it involves everyday people's stories
The book's potential impact and relevance to the black community in the U.S
Personal stories and connections with the people impacted mentioned in the book
A powerful moment of the Chagossian community returning to their islands after 50 years
What is the human element in law?
How law impacts communities and individuals and its importance in education
The use of nuclear weapons and France's resumption of nuclear testing in the South Pacific
An illustrative incident regarding a French judge's response during the case and the realities of law practice

Advice to aspiring practitioners of international law Episode Resources

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/authors/176809/philippe-sands/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippe_Sands

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Kathryn speaks with Tiffany Obeng, author and lawyer, who shares her journey into law and children's literature. Inspired to become a lawyer at a young age, she highlights the need for diverse portrayals of professions in children's literature, starting with her book 'Andrew Learns about Lawyers.' Tiffany challenges the notion that black boys don't enjoy reading, and despite criticism, remains committed to writing books featuring black characters. She's hopeful that her work will not only diversify children's literature but also future workplaces by opening children's eyes to various careers, with an upcoming book exploring being a chef.

Highlights

Tiffany’s decision to attend law school
Her legal career journey and how she became involved in employment discrimination law
Why she decided to write a children's book
The importance of introducing various career possibilities to children early on
Importance of introducing various career prospects to children from diverse backgrounds
The need for positive representation in children's literature
Importance of diversifying children's literature
The challenges faced in bringing diversity to children's literature
The current state of diversity efforts in the year 2023 with law firms being sued for diversity initiatives and affirmative action being dismantled
What the future holds for Tiffany as an author, advocate for diversity efforts, and a lawyer
Her plans to continue writing children's books about various careers, thus promoting diversity and knowledge in different fields.

Episode Resources https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B08GMB1M3G

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Kathryn speaks with Kelly Olivier and Allyson West, the founders of The Themis Group Trial by Women in Hale & Monico. They discussed their recent trial and its highs and lows. They remain committed despite a disappointing result. They also shared their future plans for Themis - to grow, reach more women, and serve as a powerful force for women's issues and rights. They adhere to the client-first approach and select their cases carefully. Success aside, Kelly and Allyson find their commitment, authenticity, and empathy from being women make it a rewarding profession, and they aim for Themis to be a platform where women lawyers and clients feel respected and heard.

Highlights

Allyson and Kelly’s reasons for starting the Themis group.
The structure of the Themis Group
Handling work pressures in law practice
Advice for women considering a career as trial attorneys
Working characteristics that make trial work appealing
The need for reducing pressure and accepting imperfections in law practice
Handling career lows and gearing up for the next case
The experiences of working with an all-woman legal team and the collaboration involved
The highs and the lows faced during a trial
The appeal of their work even amidst the lows experienced
Their small and big picture goals for Themis, emphasizing it as a safe space for women and trials, and expanding its reach

Episode Resources https://www.halemonico.com/themis-trial-by-women/

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Kathryn speaks with Catherine Kemnitz about her career in law. Catherine shares her journey from pursuing her law degree at 17, working at Thomson Reuters, to becoming the Chief Strategy and Development Officer at Axiom. They discuss the launch of revolutionary legal research platform, Lexis Plus, and the value of diversity in the legal profession. Catherine advises young professionals to pursue their passion, continually learn, and adapt to the transformation brought by technology. The Axiom business model, allowing creativity and flexibility in legal careers, is also discussed, along with the impact of remote working due to the pandemic.

Highlights

Catherine’s sense of justice and desire for a practical and intellectual career led her to choose law
Why she started her legal career in the US
The role of strategy, technology, and innovation in Axiom's legal services
How big law experience can be beneficial for new roles in the legal industry
The need for a programmatic response to increase diversity by addressing systemic issues in the legal industry
Her career successes, focusing on big picture strategies, and leading the growth and diversification of Axiom's legal bench
The importance of not just creating a strategy but ensuring it's understood across the organization
Her career journey, the twists and turns, and her approach towards understanding the workings of every function
Advises young lawyers to not be limited by inherited models and to seek guidance whenever needed

Episode Resources

https://www.axiomlaw.com/blog/author/catherine-kemnitz
https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherinekemnitz

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Kathryn and guest Jane Spinak, a Columbia Law School professor, discuss the issues with the U.S. court system's handling of child delinquencies. Jane argues that the system causes more harm than good, often exacerbating issues rather than resolving them. She believes the approach towards these cases should be shifted from courts to supporting communities, to provide more beneficial outcomes for families and children. Jane also calls for the abolition of family courts as they fail to address underlying problems like poverty and structural inequality. She encourages a focus on listening to and aligning with impacted communities for a more supportive system.

Highlights

The understanding of advocacy as advocating for a family, not just a child or parent
The lack of effectiveness of the court in solving issues that stem from structural inequalities
Keeping supports as much as possible within communities and examples of effective approaches
Addressing potential criticisms of the abolition proposal in regards to the reporting system
Acknowledgement that sometimes intervention and court proceedings are necessary for serious cases
Jane’s abolitionist mindset, advocating for reforms that dismantle the court, not strengthen it
The detention of extremely young children, not understanding the meaning behind their punishment
Adopting the international standard of 14 years for criminal responsibility
The need for supportive assistance for children and their parents instead of legal punishment
Why punitive measures should be ended
Proposed abolitionist agenda and that the courts should only come into play when a legal proceeding is necessary but should not attempt to solve social problems

Episode Resources

https://www.law.columbia.edu/faculty/jane-m-spinak
https://www.amazon.com/Jane-M-Spinak/e/B0CBZFWG4J/ref=zg_bsnr_g_10777_bl_sccl_19/000-0000000-0000000

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Kathryn interviews attorney Nichad Davis who shared his journey to law school and his legal work post-graduation, particularly in civil rights where he achieved policy changes and settlements for clients. Nichad emphasized the importance of supporting aspiring legal professionals, especially those from diverse backgrounds. He urged people to persist despite potential barriers, while challenging discriminatory policies and systems. Nichad also highlighted the power of networking and community support and discussed his strategies for avoiding burnout.

Highlights

Nichad’s unconventional journey to becoming a lawyer, driven by education equity issues and social justice incidents
How the reality of the legal world compares to Nichad’s expectations
How he stays grounded in his practice amidst troubling societal circumstances
The evolution of jurisprudence in the area of policing and the current state of the same
The necessity of defying societal odds and challenging discriminatory policies at both the state and national levels
The importance of building a supportive community within the field
The importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle, staying part of the community, and prioritizing mental health

Episode Resources https://www.farrin.com/attorney/nichad-davis/

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Kathryn interviews Adrienne Prentice, CEO of Keep Company, discussing work-life balance, focusing on the challenges faced by caregivers and working parents, which affect people of all genders. Adrienne, once a corporate attorney, emphasizes the need for skills in managing professional boundaries, a training lacking in many industries. She suggests the need for a review of incentive structures in law firms and professional services firms. Additionally, she shares tips for managing work-life balance, including prioritizing what's essential, and effective time management to avoid feelings of guilt and overwhelm.

Highlights

Adrienne’s transition to a corporate attorney role from an employment lawyer and her eventual shift towards management roles
Her love for the discrete work involved in technology transactions practice and her work with tech startups
Her tenure at Hewlett Packard, leading a team of about 35 attorneys across North and South America
The lack of management training in the legal industry, noting the leadership positions often go to the ones with the most business without any focus on people management
Keep Company and its goal to reduce preventable attrition by improving the working conditions for parents and caregivers in professional services industries
The importance of promoting social wellbeing in the workplace as part of Keep Company's mission
The ROI that Keep Company promises to employers, to which Adrienne emphasizes on social wellbeing and resilience
The importance of acknowledging that caregiving isn’t solely a women’s issue, but impacts all genders who are caregivers or parents
The importance of taking a step back and incorporating strategic planning, rather than falling into the grind

Episode Resources

https://www.keep-company.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrienneprentice

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Kathryn interviews Sumi Trombley, a senior advisor at UpLevel Ops, who delves into the world of legal operations. They discuss Sumi's career transition, the influence of the pandemic on workflow, the role that legal ops can play in promoting diversity, and how it bridges the gap between legal and business concerns. She emphasizes the need for authentic work and balance, and encourages listeners to be open to change and new opportunities.

Highlights

The role Legal Ops play in bringing a little bit more joy to the work of law practitioners
The impact of the pandemic on organizations
Fostering work joy, focusing on being authentic and maintaining a balance between work and personal life
Recommendation for the best DEI practices in a legal organization
Sumi's successful transition to a career path better suited to her lifestyle and personhood

Episode Resources

https://uplevelops.com/our_team/sumi-trombley/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sumi-trombley

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Kathryn interviews Margaret Klaw who is a writer, a lawyer, and a founding partner of BKW Family Law, an all-women law firm in Philadelphia. Named a Preeminent Woman Lawyer by Martindale-Hubbell, she has been recognized by Best Lawyers in America and designated a Pennsylvania “Super Lawyer” in the area of family law. Starting with day-in-the-life vignettes about practicing family law published in her own blog and then HuffPost, she has written for The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Time, and Salon and is the author of Keeping it Civil: The Case of the Pre-Nup and the Porsche & Other True Accounts from the Files of a Family Lawyer (Algonquin Books, 2013). Every Other Weekend is her first work of fiction.

Episode Resources

https://bkwfamily.com/lawyer/margaret-klaw/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/margaret-klaw-63008a108
https://margaretklaw.com/author/

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Kathryn interviews Nancy Scherer who highlights the importance of diversity in courts, covering aspects like race, gender, and minority representation. The discussion also reveals the challenges faced in increasing diversity due to opposition regarding judges' qualifications and education. However, research shows no significant difference in the quality of judges from top-ranked or lower-ranked law schools. Nancy emphasizes that a diverse judiciary better serves all Americans and should be a priority in future appointments.

Who is The Guest?
Nancy Scherer has research and teaching interests in American politics with a primary emphasis on judicial politics and public law. She is the author of the book Scoring Points: Politicians, Activists and the Lower Federal Court Appointment Process. The book explores why the federal court appointment process has become such a divisive political issue in the modern political era. Professor Scherer has also published articles in the journals Political Science Quarterly, Law and Society Review and Judicature on topics such as judicial decision-making behavior and judicial appointment politics. Currently, her research is focused on efforts to diversify the racial and gender make-up of the federal judiciary, and its potential impact on citizens' views of the justice system. She was the 2002 recipient of the Edwin S. Corwin Award, given by the American Political Science Association, for best dissertation on public law.

Episode Resources
https://www.wellesley.edu/politicalscience/faculty/scherer

Episode Highlights

Why diversifying the courts is important
The relationship between legitimacy and diversity on the court, according to research findings
Effect of increased court diversification on different demographic groups
The challenges of balancing court legitimacy with diversification
The increased importance of the Federalist Society in the court nomination process
The potential impact of diversity on court decisions, notably on affirmative action in higher education
The importance of diversity in cases related to various legal issues, particularly those involving personal experiences
Discussing the focus on race, gender, and other identity-based diversity in studies instead of viewpoints or academic backgrounds
The aspiration to achieve different types of diversity in the judiciary system
Challenges Democrats face in promoting diversity within the judiciary and the potential criticism from Republicans

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Kathryn interviews Sadiqa Reynolds, CEO of Perception Institute, who speaks about her career journey and the significance of diversity in the legal profession. Her current work involves addressing implicit bias and promoting genuine conversations about racial and gender disparities. Reynolds emphasizes the importance of having diverse representation in the judiciary, pointing out the need for law schools to recruit and retain diverse students. She finds meaning in serving and helping people and advises young attorneys and law students to pursue work that aligns with their life's purpose.

Who is The Guest?
Sadiqa Reynolds is the CEO of Perception Institute, where she leads a consortium of researchers and strategists to implement mind science solutions to reduce inequities affecting people of marginalized races, genders, ethnicities and other groups. Reynolds, an attorney and former judge, has spent most of her life advocating for access for all. She is recognized for her ability to manage crises, solve problems, and build unlikely coalitions. Because of her work, she has twice addressed the NGOs of the United Nations on the subjects of global poverty and racism.

Episode Resources
https://perception.org/staff/sadiqa-reynolds/

Episode Highlights

Sadiqa Reynolds talks about her decision to go to law school and her motivation to help people, specifically related to her mother's experiences with domestic violence
Her various career moves, such as clerking for the Kentucky Supreme Court, working as a public defender, serving as a district court judge, and her eventual role as President and CEO of the Louisville Urban League
The pressure she faces as a black woman in her career, recognizing her own achievements, and overcoming imposter syndrome
The mission of the Perception Institute and their work in helping people align their behavior with their intentions, addressing implicit bias, and promoting honest conversations instead of confrontation.
The progress made in increasing the number of black female judges in Louisville, Kentucky
Importance of being intentional in putting forward names for judicial appointments, examining campaign finance systems, and the need for law schools to recruit, retain, and graduate students of color to diversify the legal profession
Her most rewarding experiences in her career, such as the impact she has had on community members and her commitment to service

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Kathryn and Marlon Lutfiyya, Director of Talent and Diversity at Neal, Gerber & Eisenberg, discuss the advancements in legal research and the importance of DEI integration in law firms. Marlon highlights the benefits of joining a mid-sized firm like his, providing associates opportunities to work closely with senior partners and advance at their own pace using a competency-based system. He also stresses the importance of a firm's commitment to individual development and DEI initiatives when choosing the right firm for junior associates.

Who is The Guest? Marlon Lutfiyya is the Director of Talent & Diversity at Neal, Gerber & Eisenberg LLP. In that role, he helps lead and advance the ongoing development and implementation of the firm’s recruiting, professional development and diversity strategies. As a former litigator, Marlon brings strategic and innovative thinking to the areas of recruitment, professional development and diversity & inclusion.

Prior to joining Neal, Gerber & Eisenberg, he was the Director of Inclusion & Professional Development at Husch Blackwell LLP. Marlon previously practiced as a litigation attorney at Winston & Strawn LLP in Chicago and at Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP in New York. He is an active member of the National Association for Law Placement, the Association of Law Firm Diversity Professionals, and the Professional Development Consortium. He previously served as the Vice Chair of the Diversity & Inclusion Committee of the ABA’s Law Practice Division and was appointed to the Law Practice Division’s Attorney Well-Being Committee.

Episode Resources https://www.linkedin.com/in/marlon-lutfiyya https://www.nge.com/

Episode Highlights

How to integrate DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) into a firm's identity and culture by keeping it top of mind in every aspect of the firm's functions, including recruitment, mentoring, evaluations, and pro bono efforts
Strategies to implement DEI initiatives in hybrid work environment
Ensuring DEI efforts remain a priority during potential economic downturns, emphasizing the importance of non-monetary initiatives, and adapting strategies to focus on what can be controlled
Implementing hybrid work environments with added flexibility by allowing employees to come into the office an average of eight days a month, maintaining connection across practice groups and levels
Benefits of the inverted pyramid structure
The competency-based level system that allows associates to progress at their own pace, leading to transparency and individual development within the firm
Tips for young associates to ask the right questions when joining a firm or looking for a lateral move, focusing on individual development, firm culture, and commitment to DEI
Importance of understanding the individual experiences at a particular firm and evaluating the commitment of supervising attorneys to the career trajectories of junior associates

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In this episode, Kathryn, Alanna Kaufman, and Margot Hoppin discuss the Lexis Plus platform and share their experiences in the legal industry. They emphasize the importance of doing meaningful work, creating inclusive law firm environments, and networking. Alanna and Margot highlight the values of their public interest private law firms and their focus on positively impacting clients' lives. They also talk about the challenges of running a law firm, striking a work-life balance, and collaborating with individuals who value personal growth and setting boundaries.

Who are The Guests? Alanna Kaufman is an accomplished attorney with broad experience resolving civil rights and commercial disputes for her clients. A significant portion of Alanna’s practice focuses on workplace discrimination, retaliation, and sexual harassment. She is a committed advocate for women’s rights, and she has written and testified publicly about sexual harassment laws. Alanna also advises and trains on compliance with anti-harassment and anti-discrimination law.

Before co-founding Hoppin Grinsell, Margot practiced at Holwell Shuster & Goldberg LLP and Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP, where she represented clients in a wide variety of complex commercial disputes. She has also worked as a public defender and a solo practitioner, representing early-stage companies as they navigated complex regulatory and legal hurdles, plaintiffs in employment discrimination matters, and corporate entities in commercial disputes. Over the course of her career, Margot has represented hundreds of low-income clients in criminal, civil, administrative, and immigration matters.

Episode Resources

Yesakaufman@kllflaw.com
https://www.kllflaw.com/alanna-kaufman
margot@hoppingrinsell.com
https://www.hoppingrinsell.com/team/margot-hoppin Episode Highlights
How Alanna and Margot decided on their various career paths within the legal industry
The different experiences Alanna and Margot had working at big law firms, smaller outfits, and starting their own firms
Alanna discusses her decision to start her own law firm as a way to gain autonomy and focus on civil rights work
Margot shares her reasons for starting a law firm and how she aimed to approach the practice differently
Alanna and Margot describe the values that differentiate their "next generation" law firms, including a focus on public interest and work-life balance
Their experiences building their law firms and attracting clients
Advice for younger attorneys who want to start their own firms, emphasizing having faith in oneself and taking the leap
The highs and lows of running their own firms
The nitty-gritty aspects of decision-making and responsibility
Process of personal growth and development, as well as the flexibility that working in their own firms has provided them
Importance of finding balance and having a well-rounded team to prevent burnout and ensure the well-being of their colleagues

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In this episode, Kathryn speaks with Emily Poler about her experience founding Poler Legal and navigating the legal profession. They discuss negotiation strategies and managing gender dynamics. Emily shares the challenges and rewards of creating her own law firm such as gaining autonomy, selecting compatible clients, and handling the impact of the pandemic. She emphasizes on embracing her identity as a woman in the legal field during negotiations.

Who’s The Guest? Emily A. Poler is the founding partner of Poler Legal LLC. For nearly 20 years, she has managed tough legal issues through both litigation and negotiation for multinational companies and complex organizations. Her practice focuses on high growth companies and founder disputes.

Episode Resources https://polerlegal.com/

Episode Highlights

Emily shares her journey to becoming a lawyer, despite initial opposition to the idea
The transition from a BigLaw firm to a smaller practice and the benefits of working in a boutique setting
The importance of having work-life balance
Moments of reflection and importance of self-assessment in the legal profession
The process of building her own practice area and finding work-life balance
The importance of a rational mindset in negotiations and counseling clients through the process
The highs of starting and running a law firm on your own, including control over your own work and clients
Challenges faced in starting a practice, including the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
Diversity issues in the legal profession, specifically the male-dominated environment
Emily’s approach in dealing with gender dynamics, using them to her advantage

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In this episode, Kathryn interviews Jenny Hamilton, Chief Legal Officer at Exterro. They discuss the launch of the Lexis Plus Platform and its AI-powered Judicial Brief Analysis tool, Hamilton's journey into the legal profession, her experiences with e-discovery, and her perspective on being a woman in a male-dominated industry.

Hamilton shares her insights on evolving the legal industry, with a focus on finding balance in gender representation and adapting legal technology to the increasing privacy regulations and rising volumes of data that today's legal departments face. She emphasizes the importance of trusting oneself and one's instincts in both personal and professional life.

Who’s The Guest? Jenny Hamilton is respected as an innovator in the legal profession for her award- winning approach to building legal operations and data governance programs. In recent years, her practice has focused on the intersection of e-discovery, privacy and cybersecurity. After graduating from University of Texas, she went into major account sales for Gateway Computers where she was encouraged by in-house counsel to make a leap towards law school. Upon graduation from the University of Iowa College of Law, she moved to Chicago to practice commercial litigation. John Deere recruited her from private practice to spearhead the company’s e- discovery, investigations and data privacy. Early on, Hamilton’s team selected Exterro as their first e-discovery program, and Legal Technology News hailed Deere for their disciplined approach to technology acquisition. Hamilton continued on to receive c-suite recognition through the team’s transformative use of data analytics, building a scalable cross border program for forensic investigations and e-discovery, and leading a law department-wide technology initiative to achieve operational excellence. Following her 14-year career at Deere, Hamilton served as general counsel and data privacy officer for a legal services firm, HaystackID, as a strategic legal advisor to the c-suite and board while building out their legal and compliance operations.

Episode Resources https://www.exterro.com/about/leadership-team

Episode Highlights

Jenny Hamilton discusses her decision to go to law school as a way to escape the decline of the company she was working for at the time.
Jenny shares how she enjoyed learning about contracts from a legal perspective and tying it into real life experiences.
Transitioning from a trial lawyer to an in-house role, and how the learning curve differed.
The evolution of e-discovery and the significant changes in the industry.
Roles and responsibilities of a chief legal officer at Xterra, including being an advisor to the business and developing a legal strategy.
Tackling gender disparity in the legal industry, the importance of allyship, and finding balance.
The adaptation of the legal tech industry to cater to the needs of today's legal departments.

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In this episode, Kathryn welcomes Michelle Kallen, a Partner at Jenner & Block, to her journey to becoming an appellate lawyer. She explains that the more she learned about law, the more she was drawn to the field. She then goes on to talk about the appeal process and how it can be a difficult one to enter. Finally, Michelle shares her advice on how to get into the field of appellate law, including the importance of continuing to educate yourself on the legal field.

Who’s The Guest? Michelle Kallen is a former Solicitor General of Virginia who helps clients navigate complex matters before federal and state appellate courts. Leading companies in the aerospace and defense, hospitality, technology, and transportation industries benefit from her extensive government experience, unique insight into multistate and constitutional litigation matters, and award-winning appellate work.

Episode Resources

https://www.jenner.com/
https://www.jenner.com/en/people/michelle-s-kallen Episode Highlights
What made her decide to specialize in Appellate Law
Transitioning from government to private practice and working on high profile cases
Exploring different aspects of litigation and appellate practice
Breaking down the day-to-day practice of Biglaw as an appellate lawyer
Different practice models as an appellate lawyer
Finding the right fit: The pros and cons of the different practice models
Appellate practice for junior associates
Strategies for success as an associate and partner
Overcoming roadblocks and advancing in a legal career

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In this episode, Kathryn welcomes Jennifer Henderson, a Partner with the legal recruiting firm, Major, Lindsey & Africa (MLA), to discuss why she decided to go to law school and how she ended up becoming a legal recruiter. She also talks about the current lateral market and provides advice for those looking to make a move. Additionally, she shares some tips on how to effectively negotiate with the candidate and the legal world’s stand on hiring people who are working remotely.

Who’s The Guest? Jennifer Henderson is a Partner from the legal recruiting firm, Major, Lindsey & Africa (MLA). She focuses on placing associates and partners with law firms and corporations and is assisting attorneys with all stages of their career development. Jennifer has counseled, coached, recruited, and placed top talents with the legal and the tech center for more than 10 years. She uses her background as a practicing lawyer to offer valuable insights to her candidates as they consider potential career moves.

Episode Resources

https://www.mlaglobal.com/
https://www.mlaglobal.com/en/people/jennifer-henderson?byconsultantorauthor=jennifer-henderson
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-henderson-6466386 Episode Highlights
The path from aspiring to saving the world to becoming a legal recruiter
Different careers in legal recruiting
Leveraging the Biglaw experience to help others find career satisfaction
Understanding the lateral market in 2021 and 2022
Changing the legal market in 2021, 2022, and the years to come
The impact of the 2021 legal market on lateral hiring and performance-based layoffs
Remote working as a perk for career transitions
Red flags when interviewing candidates

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In this episode, Kathryn welcomes Laura Bianchi, Co-Founder of Bianchi & Brandt and a leading entrepreneur, attorney, and strategic advisor for the cannabis industry. Laura emphasizes the importance of finding areas of law that you enjoy, as it is a huge part of your life and will determine how much you get out of your career. As a lawyer who specializes in transactions and corporate work, she describes how she was determined from the beginning of her career to get the experience and work she wanted which led to her building her own law firm with her partner. Laura believes that having a good partner is essential for success, as it is a learning process and it helps to have someone to go through the process with.

Who’s The Guest? Laura Bianchi is an award-winning lawyer and entrepreneur and is one of the country’s foremost experts in cannabis law, compliance, and operations. She started her work in the discipline with the 2010 passage of Arizona’s medical marijuana law and was one of the first business/corporate transaction attorneys to specialize in the nascent legal cannabis market. She has represented clients in more than $200 million in transactions in the industry.

Laura has been featured in O Magazine, Forbes, Bloomberg, Marijuana Business Daily, Dope Magazine, Denver Post, Arizona Republic, AZ Big Media, and numerous other industry and traditional media sources. She was also featured in Authority Magazine's "Women Leaders of the Cannabis Industry" and named "Top 100 Attorneys in Arizona" by AZ BIG Media in 2020 and 2022.

Episode Resources

https://www.bianchibrandt.com/
https://www.laurabianchi.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurabianchi13 Episode Highlights
What made Laura go to law school?
Lawyer expectations and career evolution
Deciding a practice focus in law
What her journey was when starting a law firm
Building a team and letting go of what does not work
Exploring the challenges and rewards of corporate law
The evolving industry of cannabis industry
Creative solutions for the hiring challenges of the cannabis industry
Real estate law challenges
Dealing with war stories from the industry
How she negotiates on behalf of clients
Respectful practice of MMA
Advice to lawyers and individuals who want to establish a successful law practice
Balancing roles and working harder as a woman in the legal profession
Establishing boundaries and finding humor in professional settings

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In this episode, Kathryn welcomes Karine Sokpoh, CEO of the Midlands African Chamber, to talk about the highs and the lows of focusing on immigration law. Karine reveals that she did not consider other career paths because she wanted to help people and had a goal to work for an international organization in war zones and help with peacekeeping and refugee resettlement efforts. She also recalls how she started from having a very limited budget when she established her own practice to building trust with clients and having her own clientele. On a day-to-day basis, she does consultations, reviews paperwork prepares applications, and may have to take clients to interviews or represent them in court. Karine believes that being an attorney requires both legal and interpersonal skills.

Who’s The Guest? Karine Sokpoh practices in the areas of immigration law, intellectual property law, and family law. She represents individuals and businesses in a variety of immigration matters including asylum and refugee petitions; family and marriage-based petitions; removal defense and waivers; H-1 and F-1 visas; and green card and citizenship applications.

Karine also counsels clients on the protection of their U.S. and foreign intellectual property assets and provides services associated with such protection, including researching and providing opinions on the availability and/or registrability of trademarks; filing and prosecuting trademark and copyright registration applications; policing trademarks for infringing uses; and addressing actual or potential infringement of intellectual property through cease-and-desist letters and other dispute resolution mechanisms.

Episode Resources

https://402legal.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/karine-sokpoh-746aa313

Episode Highlights

Why did Karine Sokpoh decide to go to law school?
Life as an immigration lawyer: What it looks like on a day-to-day basis
Challenges she faced when starting out in the legal field
Developing soft skills in the legal profession
Making sure that she’s giving her all and her empathy to clients without burning herself out
Comparing expectations and the reality of becoming an immigration attorney
Accounting, entrepreneurship, and networking opportunities
Importance of taking time to get to know yourself
Creating opportunities for underserved entrepreneurs

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In this episode, Kathryn welcomes Jayne Conroy, a plaintiff’s attorney at Simmons Hanly Conroy LLC, to talk about the risks and rewards of being a plaintiff’s attorney, and how MDLs work, and offers advice to younger lawyers interested in similar cases. She stresses the importance of being curious and open to learning new things, recognizing the workload, and having patience.

Who’s The Guest? Jayne Conroy is a plaintiff’s attorney at Simmons Hanly Conroy and oversees practice areas in the Complex Litigation Department. With more than 30 years of experience in her legal career, Jayne has earned a superb national reputation as an elite trial lawyer, skilled strategist, and decisive negotiator. She helped secure billions of dollars in verdicts and settlements for individuals, families, and courtrooms around the world.

Episode Resources

https://www.ali.org/members/member/221397/
https://www.simmonsfirm.com/ Episode Highlights
From Pre-Med to Law: Why Jayne decided to switch to law school
What it looks like being a plaintiff lawyer before
How she used her medical background in her law career
What it looks like to be a plaintiff lawyer
The risks of being a plaintiff lawyer
Balancing the competing sides and the risks of being a plaintiff lawyer
Getting involved in hard-to-resolve cases Multidistrict litigation: How it works
Highs and lows of the plaintiff's side work Episode Sponsored By
https://www.lexisnexis.com/lexisplus

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In this episode, Kathryn welcomes Lisa Sarnoff Gochman, an appellate lawyer and author of the book At the Altar of the Appellate Gods: Arguing before the US Supreme Court, to talk about how her career shifted from being in law school to being an appellate lawyer who has spent the last 40 years writing. Lisa also discusses how an appellate attorney is different from a lawyer doing trial work. She recalls how she worked her way up from the Bronx District Attorney's office to the New Jersey Supreme Court and ended up working on a case that went all the way to the US Supreme Court.

Who’s The Guest? Lisa Sarnoff Gochman is a retired New Jersey Deputy Attorney General, with twenty-six years of experience, who specializes in complex criminal appellate litigation. She argued before the United States Supreme Court in the landmark case Apprendi v. New Jersey.

Lisa is a graduate of the University of Rochester and Cardozo School of Law in New York City. She is a career appellate prosecutor and currently serves as an Of Counsel to the Appellate Section of the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office.

Episode Resources

https://go.authorsguild.org/members/7023
http://www.lisagochmanauthor.com/
https://twitter.com/gochmanlisa
https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-gochman-36b49236
At the Altar of the Appellate Gods: Arguing before the US Supreme Court Episode Highlights
Looking back: Why Lisa Sarnoff Gochman decided to go to law school
Differences between trial and appellate work
What an appellate attorney does
How she determined how his law career will be
The case of Charles Apprendi: A New Jersey hate crime
Impact of gender diversity on the Supreme Court bar
Dealing with the decision of the case
The book writing process: What motivated Lisa to write the book

Episode Sponsored By https://pli.edu/

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In this episode, Kathryn welcomes Ishan Bhabha, co-chair of Jenner and Block's Education Practice and a member of its Appellate and Supreme Court Practice, to talk about the well-publicized affirmative action cases at the oral arguments at the Supreme Court. He discusses his experiences representing the Ivy League and other schools, as well as the importance of diversity in education and the stakes of the cases. Ishan also recalls how he found appellate law to be more interesting and exciting, as it combines logic and reasoning with the ability to do the right thing. For Ishan, the biggest appeal of appellate law is its diversity - he never knows what his clients will need help with next.

Who’s The Guest? Ishan Bhabha is one of the nation’s preeminent lawyers for institutions of higher education and technology companies. He has been recognized by both Bloomberg Law and the National Law Journal as one of the 40 best lawyers under 40 in the United States.

Ishan is the co-chair of Jenner and Block's Education Practice and a member of its Appellate and Supreme Court Practice. He represents institutions, senior executives, and boards of directors on high-stakes matters of legal, regulatory, and ethical risk. He has argued in the U.S. Supreme Court and numerous U.S. Courts of Appeals.

Episode Resources

https://jenner.com/people/IshanBhabha
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ishanbhabha Episode Highlights
Ishan Bhabha on why he decided to go to law school
The evolution of his career
Three things that make law school exciting
The allure of appellate practice
How to foster diversity in education
Impact of big cases on lawyers
The stakes of big cases on clients
What are the impacts of the Supreme Court’s decision on college admissions?
Alternatives to explicit race consideration in admissions
Effects of Supreme Court cases on legal processes
Different stakes of commercial and social litigation
Defending diversity initiatives
What the D&I task force is
Highlights of Ishan’s work as a technology lawyer

Episode Sponsored By https://pli.edu/

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In this episode, Kathryn welcomes Aliza Shatzman, an attorney, advocate, and former DC Superior Court law clerk, to talk about her experience as a clerk in the DC Superior Court where she faced gender discrimination, harassment, and ultimately retaliation by the now former judge for whom she clerked. She also discusses how she reached out to her law school for support and assistance, only to find out that the judge had a history of misconduct that law school officials were aware of. Due to her experience, Aliza co-founded and launched The Legal Accountability Project, a non-profit organization dedicated to addressing issues of judicial accountability.

Who’s The Guest?
Aliza Shatzman is an attorney, an advocate, and a former DC Superior Court law clerk. She regularly writes and speaks about judicial accountability.

Aliza is also the President & Co-Founder of The Legal Accountability Project, a nonprofit aimed at protecting law clerks from workplace mistreatment and holding judges accountable for misconduct.

Episode Resources

https://docs.house.gov/meetings/JU/JU03/20220317/114503/HHRG-117-JU03-20220317-SD005.pdf
https://www.legalaccountabilityproject.org/
Untouchable Judges? What I've Learned about Harassment in the Judiciary, and What We Can Do to Stop It
The Conservative Case for the Judiciary Accountability Act
https://www.linkedin.com/in/aliza-shatzman-58b55223/
https://twitter.com/AlizaShatzman

Episode Highlights * What was Aliza Shatzman’s clerkship experience like? * The Legal Accountability Project: From clerkship to advocacy * The impact of clerkship misconduct on law students' career prospects * Importance of the Clerkship Whisper Network * Why law schools should be open with the reports of alumni and students * The best way of data transparency and sharing * Conducting a workplace assessment and reporting any data on workplace culture * Getting assessments from non-lawyers working in the legal field. * How persuasive harassment can be

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https://pli.edu/telecomregulation

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In this episode, Kathryn welcomes Laurette Mulry, an Attorney-in-Charge at the Suffolk County Legal Aid Society, to talk about working with different clients as legal aid attorneys. Laurette breaks down the principles that guided her when working with clients, as well as her advice to those who are in a legal job that requires a lot of attention and time. She also explains how it really is working as a legal aid attorney, as well as her most memorable representation throughout her career.

Who’s The Guest?
Laurette Mulry is the Attorney in Charge at the Suffolk County Legal Aid Society (SCLAS), which plays a vitally important function in the criminal justice system in Suffolk. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Chief Defenders Association of New York, an organization of Chiefs of institutional and assigned counsel defender programs statewide.

Laurette is married to her husband Cliff and they have three children: David, and Aidan, who are both attorneys, and her daughter, Ali, who is attending nursing school.

Episode Resources

Trial Lawyer: A Life Representing People Against Power
https://sclas.org/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurette-mulry-2bb00710

Episode Highlights * Why Laurette decided to go to law school * What got her interested in pursuing legal aid? * The principles that guided Laurette when working with client * Advice for people who are in a legal job that requires a lot * What is it really like being a legal aid attorney? * Laurette’s most memorable representation throughout her career * The biggest challenges when dealing with or being able to serve indigent populations and their legal needs

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In this episode, Kathryn welcomes Richard Zitrin, a trial lawyer and lecturer at the University of California, Hastings College of Law, to talk about how he became a criminal justice advocate and shares some advice for aspiring lawyers. He explains his involvement in the San Quentin Six Case, which became the impetus for his career in criminal justice. Richard has dedicated his career to fighting for justice, first as a criminal defense lawyer, and then as a civil lawyer representing poor people. He has seen firsthand the injustice that poor people and people of color face in the American legal system and he has written a book about it. Additionally, he describes how the cases he handled opened his eyes to the way in which prisoners were treated and how this motivated him in writing his book, Trial Lawyer: A Life Representing People Against Power.

Who’s The Guest?
Richard Zitrin has been practicing law for over 47 years. He started his career in the early ’70s, representing Johnny Spain in the San Quentin Six Case.

Currently, Richard is a consultant to other lawyers on ethical issues. He is also a Lecturer in Law at the University of California while maintaining his position as the President of the Arthur & Charlotte Zitrin Foundation and Principal at the Zitrin Law Office. He is an accomplished author, sharing some anecdotes from his book, Trial Lawyer: A Life Representing People Against Power, which also includes details of his product liability case against the Chrysler Corporation as well as his personal opinions regarding Roe v. Wade and the Supreme Court.

Episode Resources

Trial Lawyer: A Life Representing People Against Power
https://www.richardzitrin.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-zitrin-19771114

Episode Highlights * Why Richard Zitrin decided to go to law school and then drop out after a year * What is his role in the San Quentin Six Case * How he used his role to fight the inequality and injustice in the American Legal System * Shifting his focus from criminal defense to civil rights * The impact of systemic racism on the American criminal justice system * What his process of writing a memoir is * How he balances burnout, compassion, important work, and mental wellness to have the kind of longevity in his career * The benefits and drawbacks of courtroom tactics * The importance of connecting with your jury

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https://pli.edu/taxstrategies

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In this episode, Kathryn welcomes Grant Sovern, a Partner of Quarles & Brady LLP, to talk about his area of concentration: Employment immigration. Grant recalls how he shifted to immigration law and describes the challenges of working as an immigration lawyer. Additionally, Grant shares his work with Afghan refugees and where the immigration law stands on this.

Who’s The Guest?
Grant Sovern is the chair of Quarles & Brady's national business immigration practice. He works primarily on managing the employment immigration issues for employers and employees, specifically, nonimmigrant visas such as the H-1B, L-1, O-1, TN, and immigrant visas (permanent residence) through employment means such as outstanding researcher, extraordinary ability, and labor certification. He also counsels companies on developing, maintaining, and defending immigration compliance programs. Grant speaks on panels and at seminars on immigration issues affecting employers and employees across the country and has served as an Adjunct Professor, teaching Immigration Law at the University of Wisconsin Law School.

Episode Resources

https://www.quarles.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/grantsovern

Episode Highlights * Why Grant Sovern decided to go to law school * The process of shifting to immigration law * Grant’s work with Afghan refugees * The challenges of working as an immigration lawyer * The legalities of the Afghan refugees: Where the immigration law stands on it?

Episode Sponsored By
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In this episode, Kathryn welcomes Linda Benfield, an environmental lawyer, and Partner from Foley & Lardner LLP, to talk about how she became wanting to be a problem solver in law school to be on top of the profession. Linda also recalls the different programs created in partnership between Foley and the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, as well as how other organizations can help. Additionally, she shares how Biglaw firms can get their lawyers more engaged in helping and giving more opportunities to others.

Who’s The Guest?
Linda E. Benfield is an environmental lawyer, with over 36 years of experience in permitting, counseling, and litigation in all aspects of environmental law, including air and water permitting and compliance issues and solid and hazardous waste handling and disposal. She has extensive experience on the cutting edge of the regulation of “emerging contaminants,” the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, Superfund, and RCRA enforcement, as well as citizen suit litigation, settlement strategies, and related cost recovery, insurance coverage, and indemnity disputes. Linda is a member of the firm’s Management Committee. She is the former chair of the Environmental Regulation Practice. She is also a member of the firm’s Government Enforcement Defense & Investigations Practice and the Manufacturing Industry Team.

Episode Resources
https://www.foley.com/en/people/b/benfield-linda-e
https://www.linkedin.com/in/linda-benfield-3ab48b179

Episode Highlights

Despite having no lawyers in the family, why did Linda decide to enter law school?
The coverage of Linda’s responsibilities as a “problem solver.”
How she became wanting to be a problem solver in law school to be on top of the profession.
Advice to lawyers who are still making their path and figuring out exactly where their footprints will be.
What are the different programs created with the partnership between Foley and the Boys & Girls Clubs of America?
The challenges of being a mentor.
What are the best practices that Biglaw firms can have to get lawyers more engaged in helping and giving more opportunities to others?

Episode Sponsored By
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In this episode, Kathryn welcomes Shirley Jefferson, the newly appointed Vice President for Community Engagement and Government Affairs at Vermont Law and Graduate School (VLGS), and together, they talk about how the law is an effective tool to affect change in the world. Shirley, being the first person of color to be appointed as the VLGS’s VP, also shares the twists and turns of her career and how she’s able to pitch and convince people not just to go to law school, but to enter Vermont.

Who’s The Guest?
Shirley Jefferson is the newly appointed Vice President for Community Engagement and Government Affairs at Vermont Law and Graduate School (VLGS). She is the school’s first Vice President of color.

Prior to her appointment, Shirley Jefferson is a 1986 VLGS graduate who has been a long-time professor and administrator at VLGS. She was also the associate dean for student affairs and diversity and also became the special assistant to the admissions department and director of alumni affairs.

Episode Resources
https://www.vermontlaw.edu/directory/person/jefferson-shirley

Episode Highlights

Why Shirley Jefferson decided to go to law school.
How the law can still be an effective tool to affect change in the world.
The twist and turns of her career: How she went from being very involved in the civil rights movement to where she is today.
How does she pitch and convince people not just to go to law school, but to go to Vermont?
What does the Vice President of Community Engagement and Government Affairs do? How is that an evolution of Shirley’s mission for diversity?
What are the highlights of Shirley’s legal career?

Episode Sponsored By
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Who Are The Guests?
Rena Paul and Margaret Gandy are the founders of Alcalaw, a women-founded legal consultancy comprised of former federal and state prosecutors who believe that the most effective advocates are those whose legal acumen and depth of experience are matched by their emotional intelligence. Alcalaw provides legal guidance to individuals, organizations, institutions, and corporations who are facing cases of sexual misconduct, harassment, and discrimination.

Summary
In this episode, Kathryn welcomes Rena Paul and Margaret Gandy of Alcalaw to talk about how they started building a practice around trauma-informed lawyering. Rena and Margaret describe how the route was from studying in law school to navigating their way into the world of law to establishing their own practice. They also give a piece of their mind surrounding the effects of cultural awareness and the dissolving of NDAs.

Episode Resources

https://alcalaw.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/alcalaw-llp

Episode Highlights * Getting to know the guests: Why Rena Paul and Margaret * Gandy decided to go to law school * How different are their experiences in law school from the way their careers played out * The evolution of their careers from graduating to navigating the ups and downs of their chosen fields * What Alcalaw is: How they started and what their focus is * Practices that Rena and Margaret use to integrate concepts of wellness into their day-to-day practice and how you can make it work for you * The effect of cultural awareness in the world of law that opens the practice of dissolving NDAs * What are the up and coming issues that might arise due to the trends in the trauma space * Words of advice from Rena and Margaret to a person who wants to enter the world of law

Episode Sponsored By * https://www.lexisnexis.com/lexisplus

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In this episode, Kathryn welcomes Shana Simmons, a General Counsel at Everlaw, to talk about how her career in the world of law started. Shana leads the legal department and is responsible for all legal, regulatory, privacy, risk and compliance, and governance issues around the company. She describes the transition from working as the Head of Google’s Cloud Go-To-Market Legal team, to being a General Counsel. Additionally, Shana talks about how their own practice ensures that the culture at their workplace is inviting to people of all backgrounds and colors.

Episode Resources

https://www.lexisnexis.com/lexisplus
https://www.linkedin.com/in/shana-simmons-02295498

Episode Highlights * Why Shana Simmons decided to go to law school * The differences that happened as her career evolved * What helped Shana drive her career * Her career transition * The concept of culture * How she makes sure that the culture of the workplace is truly inviting to a diversity of background * What being a General Counsel (GC) at a legal tech company is about

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In this episode, Kathryn welcomes Jessica Martin, a lawyer, and a published novelist, to talk about balancing life as a lawyer, a writer, and having a family. Jessica recalls how she got into the world of law, and how she slowly transitioned from big law to working as an in-house lawyer. She also describes the process she underwent to be a published author and shares her advice with those who want to give writing a try.

Episode Resources

https://www.lexisnexis.com/lexisplus
For the Love of the Bard
https://www.facebook.com/ohfortheloveofbard

Episode Highlights * Who Jessica Martin is * Why Jessica decided to go to the law school * Why litigation is not a choice for her * The work-life-family balance: How she balances writing, being a lawyer, and having a family * What the process was for leaving big law * What the pros and cons of going in-house are * What the process is to be a published author

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In this episode, Kathryn welcomes Imani Maatuka, a Commercial Litigation Associate at Sidley Austin LLP, to talk about Bridging the Gap Scholarship. Imani recalls how what made her decide to follow in the footsteps of her other family members and what the big difference is between what she expected and the reality now that she’s working as a litigation associate. She describes how she picked litigation as the law area to specialize in. Additionally, Imani shares more information about Bridging the Gap Scholarship: How it started, what their goals and steps to reach these goals are, and how it continues to help other students.

Episode Resources

https://www.lexisnexis.com/lexisplus
https://bridgingthegapscholarship.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/imanimaatuka

Episode Highlights * Why Imani Maatuka made the decision to go to law school * What is the difference between what she expected and the reality now of being an attorney * What Bridging the Gap scholarship is * What she really learned once she started practicing law * What keys made this year work * How she picked litigation * What are the goals she set for herself and what steps she’s taking to reach them * Where can people find more information about the Bridging the Gap scholarship?

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In this episode, Kathryn welcomes back Laura Leopard of Leopard Solutions to talk about their white paper, Women Leaving Law. Laura narrates their experiences writing and running the survey: How depressing it is knowing the reasons why women are leaving the law space and how unfair some firms are to them. She shares how culture affects the work environment. Additionally, Laura describes why a lateral move is important and why law firm leaders should start taking a closer look at what’s going on internally.

Episode Resources

https://www.lexisnexis.com/lexisplus
Women Leaving Law
https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauraleopard
https://www.leopardsolutions.com/

Episode Highlights * What the motivation is behind the white paper: Women Leaving Law * What the most depressing thing is when running the survey * How culture affects the work environment * Is the industry becoming more transparent when it comes to making decisions? * Why a lateral move is important * Why law firm leaders should start taking a closer hard look at what's going on internally

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In this episode, Kathryn welcomes Alexandra Brodsky, a staff attorney at Public Justice and author of Sexual Justice Supporting Victims, Ensuring Due Process, and Resisting the Conservative Backlash, to talk about the differences between a dog whistle and real concerns with the due process and what the Title IX is. She shares her thoughts on what’s next in the MeToo movement too. Alexandra also narrates what survivors of sexual abuse are going through after the incident and what we can do to help them live through the changes.

Episode Resources

https://www.lexisnexis.com/lexisplus
https://www.alexandra-brodsky.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandrabrodsky
https://twitter.com/azbrodsky
https://www.publicjustice.net/team/alexandra-brodsky/
Sexual Justice: Supporting Victims, Ensuring Due Process, and Resisting the Conservative Backlash

Episode Highlights * Who Alexandra Brodsky is * Why Alexandra decided to go to law school * How she charted the path that made the most sense for her * What her writing process is * What the difference is between a dog whistle and real concerns about process * What is next on the MeToo movement * How you can help the survivors who are living through the changes * What the Title IX is

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Sexual Justice: Supporting Victims, Ensuring Due Process, and Resisting the Conservative Backlash

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In this episode, Kathryn welcomes Danielle Caminiti, a Per Diem Attorney and local counsel for New York Law Firms. With 7 years in a malpractice defense firm, 5 years as a prosecutor, and 2 years in commercial litigation experiences under her belt, Danielle narrates how she went from law school to where she is right now. She shares how she balances all the different things in her life to make the best use of her time. Danielle also describes how the process of writing her first cookbook went and shares helpful advice to people who want to start their own firm and place their best foot forward.

Episode Resources

https://www.lexisnexis.com/lexisplus
https://haveucovered.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielle-caminiti-6aa73518
https://www.instagram.com/haveucoveredinthekitchen
From Courtroom to Cucina

Episode Highlights * Who Danielle Caminiti is * Why did she decide to go to law school in the first place? * How she went from law school to where she is now * How she balances all the different things in her life to make the best use of her time * What Per Diem coverage is * How she got into Per Diem * What’s the process of writing her first cookbook * Having the responsibility of carrying on the legacy of your family and of your ancestors in the book * All about food: Her go-to recipe, her favorite meal to impress, and what reminders most of her family * What part of starting your own firm you should know at the beginning

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From Courtroom to Cucina: 70 Authentic Recipes that Took Me From Litigation to Salivation

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In this episode, Kathryn welcomes Joann Selleck, a mediator from Selleck Mediation, to talk about the ins and outs of being a mediation professional. Joann narrates how she came into the practice area. She cites the qualities a person should have to be a facilitator, as well as why people are handling litigations differently. Joann also describes what challenges specific to the mediation practice she faced, as well as the greatest accomplishments she had in her career.

Episode Resources

https://www.lexisnexis.com/lexisplus
https://www.selleckmediation.com/joann-selleck-esq.html
https://www.linkedin.com/in/joann-selleck-6727aa125

Episode Highlights * Why Joann decided to enter the law school * The twists and turns: What the course of her career is and how she ended up being a mediation professional * What qualities should a person have to be a facilitator * What challenges specific to the mediation practice Joann faced throughout the years * Why people are handling litigations differently * What Joann’s perspective on the role of diversity is * What the greatest accomplishments in her career are

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In this episode, Kathryn welcomes Kellie Johnson, the Enforcement Chief Public Ethics and former Deputy District Attorney of Oregon. Kellie shares the very unique reason why she decided to go to law school to how other people around her helped and guided her, despite the hardship of women and people of color studying the law. She also talks about how her interest in international policies shifted to criminal and prosecution and how she became the first African-American DA in Eugene. Additionally, Kellie discusses what she thinks the changes should be in the world of law and how to keep other people invested in the profession.

Episode Resources

https://www.lexisnexis.com/lexisplus
https://www.oaklandca.gov/staff/kellie-johnson
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelliefjohnson-esq

Episode Highlights * Why Kellie Johnson decided to go to law school * How she made the decision about how to chart and where her career should develop and grow * What skill set matches up with where her career has gone * How she transitioned into her current role from prosecution to the public ethics commission * What her work looks like on a day-to-day basis * What some of the challenges are of keeping people invested in the profession * How they are making the change in the profession

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In this episode, Kathryn is joined by Elizabeth Platt, the Director of the Law, Rights, and Religion Project at Columbia Law School. Together, they talk about what the career path is once you make the decision to go to law school. They also discuss what the connection is between law rights and the practices of other religions.

Elizabeth shares her findings after making different research on abortion access and abortion rights. Additionally, she cites the other areas people should be thinking about in terms of religion not actually with other liberties, and why people should care that religion is getting the way it’s being treated by the court.

Episode Resources

https://www.lexisnexis.com/lexisplus
https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-reiner-platt-9705a09

Episode Highlights * Why Elizabeth made the decision to go to law school * What her career path is from making the decision to go to law school to where she is now * What makes a particular legal job the right fit for you * Law rights and religion projects: What the big picture goals are for this kind of a think tank * What Elizabeth found from doing research on abortion access and abortion rights * What is the effect of the dismantling of Roe in the course interpretation of religious liberties * What other areas people should be thinking about in terms of religion not actually with other liberties * How religion and the COVID regulations played out over the last couple of years * Why should people care that religion is getting the way it's being treated by the court?

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In this episode, Kathryn speaks with Bridget Crawford and Emily Waldman, the authors of the book Menstruation Matters: Challenging the Law's Silence on Periods. Bridget and Emily narrate how they came into the path of academia, as well as the pros and cons for other people who are considering the same path. They share where the idea for the book came from and what they found out in the course of doing their research. Bridget and Emily also talk about the role of technology surrounding pregnancy, abortion, and menstruation and what their takeaways are regarding the future of the law administration.

Episode Resources

https://www.lexisnexis.com/lexisplus
Menstruation Matters: Challenging the Law's Silence on Periods

Episode Highlights * Why Bridget Crawford and Emily Waldman decided to go to law school * How they choose the path to academia * What options are available for those who graduated from law school * What the pros and cons of taking the academic path are * How the idea for the book came about * What kind of co-author relationship do Bridget and Emily have * What they find out in the course of doing their research about menstruation, the health and safety of feminine hygiene products, and the taxes and laws surrounding them * What other areas we should be advocating around * What history of advocacy around menstrual issues Bridget and Emily documented * What are the role of technology and AI in issues surrounding pregnancy, abortion, and menstruation? * What their big picture takeaways are regarding the future of the law administration

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In this episode, Kathryn welcomes Linda Priebe, an EU US data privacy/protection compliance and government relations attorney and a partner in Culhane Meadows PLLC, a nationwide woman-owned and woman-managed technology and business law firm. Linda shares how her career evolved: From working in a small boutique firm to working in the federal government. She also shares her experiences working for people who are filing cases against the government to helping service providers, due diligence providers, technology firms, agencies, and contractors in avoiding costly legal mistakes from falling out of compliance with the new law and regulations.

Episode Resources

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindapriebe
https://www.culhanemeadows.com/attorney/linda-v-priebe/

Episode Highlights * Why Linda Priebe decided to go to law school * What her orientation was once she got into law school * How her career evolved * How she made the transition from a small law firm to working in the federal government * How her experience was arguing in front of the Supreme Court * Government Work vs Private Practice: What’s her perception of the pros and cons of the different kinds of legal work she’s done * Her favorite part of her current firm

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In this episode, Kathryn speaks with Carmen Rosas of the Your Legacy Protection Firm, regarding the tough truth of growing your own firm. Carmen narrates how she came into the practice area of being an estate attorney and what the pros and cons are for people who are considering being in the practice area. She also shares how the experience was owning a firm and how she grew it from having a paralegal slash legal assistant to delegating the tasks to her paralegal, executive assistant, and partner, and focusing on marketing.

Episode Resources

https://yourlegacyprotectionfirm.com/
https://www.carmenrosas.com/

Episode Highlights * Why Carmen Rosas decided to go to law school * What does being an estate attorney mean and why she come into this practice area * What are the pros and cons for people who are considering being into estate planning * How Carmen navigates through clients and potential clients who are hesitant to plan for their estate * How the experience was like opening her own firm * What were the things she considered worth it and which ones are considered mistakes? * What the benchmarks in her career are * How she grown from her experiences: Her career highs and lows

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In this episode, Kathryn speaks with Yvette Ostolaza and Mike Schmidtberger of Sidley Austin LLP, about the rationale behind dedicating different resources to the members of the firm without fearing them leaving. They also share what the twists and turns of their careers were to where they are now. Yvette also talks about her goals and priorities as she takes over the role of the first female chair of Sidley's management committee. Together, Yvette and Mike describe how they keep the balance between all of their responsibilities as leaders and everything that’s on their plate right now.

Episode Resources

https://sidley.com/
https://www.sidley.com/en/people/o/ostolaza-yvette
https://www.sidley.com/en/people/s/schmidtberger-michael-j

Episode Highlights * What the rationale is behind Yvette Ostolaza and Mike Schmidtberger’s decisions to go to law school * What sort of twists and turns did their career take off to get them to where they are now * How it’s been like being the first woman chair of Sidley's management committee * What Yvette’s goals and priorities are as she takes over the role as the female chair of a top seven firm * Why it is important to dedicate different resources to the members of the firm * What were the challenges the firm faced during the pandemic * The firm’s highest priority is to make sure everyone feels comfortable and fully functional in the new normal * What goes into creating the kind of firm culture that they want to see at Sidley * How do they balance all of the responsibilities of leadership and everything else that’s on their plate

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In this episode, Kathryn speaks with Katharine von Ter Stegge, a circuit court judge for the Multnomah County in the Oregon Judicial Department, about the best lessons on being a judge. Katharine talks about how the law has always interested her and how her career changed her view on what law really is. She also shares the skills she's learned throughout her career that helped her in being a judge, as well as her own advice to somebody who wants to be one. Additionally, Katharine narrates the highs and lows of her career and what her takeaways from these situations are.

Episode Resources

https://www.linkedin.com/in/katharine-von-ter-stegge-b58b83a9

Episode Highlights * What made Katharine von Ter Stegge decide to go to law school * How the law has always interested Katharine * How her career has changed her view on what the law really is * What skills she has learned throughout her career that helped her in being a judge * Switching from being an advocate to being the adjudicator: * What the unexpected challenges were * Advice to somebody who wants to be a judge * What the career highs and lows she experienced and what are her takeaways from these processes are

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In this episode, Kathryn speaks with Anne Cortina Perry of Jenner & Block, and how she balances her work at the firm, her personal life, developing her practice area, and even writing her book of business. Anne shares her transition from going to law school to her path to partnership, and her own advice to people who want to take the same path. She also runs down the different red flags in a toxic work environment and how the development of the culture risk and sensitive investigations practice can help a firm.

Episode Resources

https://jenner.com/people/AnneCortinaPerry
https://www.linkedin.com/in/anne-cortina-perry-b1904a15

Episode Highlights

Why Anne decided to go to law school
What her path to partnership is like
Advice to people to fit in or do well at a law firm
How her work at Jenner appeals to her
The development of the culture risk and sensitive investigations practice and what are the legal risks it is designed to do
What the red flags are in a toxic work environment
How she maintains the balance between her work at Jenners, her personal life, developing her practice area, her billable hours, and her book of business
How the pandemic impacted the big law
What were your experiences like before people cared about flexibility and still staying in that partnership?
The highs and lows: The best of the best and the worst of the worst parts of her career

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In this episode, Kathryn speaks with Samantha Barbas, a University at Buffalo School of Law professor and Director of the Baldy Center for Law and Social Policy, about the future of the first amendment. Samantha talks about who Morris Ernst is and how he got recognition in the field. She also discusses how she was able to go through all the materials and documents left by Morris Ernst to share his work and life to other people. Additionally, Samantha shares about the contents in the first amendment and the issues that people should be paying attention to in this modern time.

Episode Resources

https://www.lexisnexis.com/lexisplus
https://www.law.buffalo.edu/faculty/facultyDirectory/barbasSamantha.html
https://samanthabarbas.com/

Episode Highlights * Why Samantha Barbas decided to go to law school in the first place * The reason behind her decision to be a law school professor * How she places Morris Ernst in terms of the history of the first amendment and the legal history in general * What are the things that stuck out to Samantha about Morris Ernst as a person * How she went through all the 600 boxes of materials and documents left by Morris Ernst * The sunset of Morris Ernst’s career * Is there a flashpoint under the first amendment jurisprudence? * The contents in the first amendment and the issues that we’re currently seeing in the first amendment that people should pay attention to

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In this episode, Kathryn speaks with Donna Edbril, a Certified Leadership Coach, about how she helps female lawyers find the balance between their personal lives and working in a law firm. Donna also shares her transition from starting out in law school, working in different companies to being a career coach. She also runs down the different advice she can give to people who are finding it difficult to set boundaries and the proven methods for them to take control of their career paths.

Episode Resources

https://www.donnaedbril.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dedbril

Episode Highlights * What is behind Donna’s decision to enter law school * How she get from starting out in law school to being a certified leadership coach * Why lawyers come for a career coaching * The differences between working in house and career coaching * How COVID amplified the eternal battle for a work life balance * What the other methods are that people can use to take control of their career path * Advice to people who are finding it difficult to set boundaries * What are the big problems that are plaguing * What questions do they need to be asking so that they know that this next move works for them

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In this episode, Kathryn speaks with Hannah Brenner Johnson and Renee Knake Jefferson about their book focusing on the research on the women who appeared on the presidential shortlist back in history. Hannah and Renee not only share the stories of the women who represent the gender on the court, but also how the nomination impacted the lives and careers of those who did not make the transaction. They also discuss the biggest takeaways they learned from these women and the process they underwent to share the story to the world.

Episode Resources

Why Hannah and Renee decided to go to law school
Finding their way into the legal space: How the path happened to them, considering they are not from a family of lawyers
How the idea of delving into the women’s names who are not in the tip of everyone's tongue or the front of everyone's memory came from and why does it matter
The process of determining who appeared on the presidential shortlist back in history
Who Florence Allen is
Why is the representation of women on the court so important
Life after the short list: For the women who didn’t make the transition, how did it impact their career
The big takeaways they learned from these women

Episode Highlights * Gender, Power, Law & Leadership * https://reneeknake.com/ * https://www.law.uh.edu/faculty/main.asp?PID=5141 * https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannah-brenner-johnson-7b3b6637 * https://www.cwsl.edu/faculty-staff-and-campus-directories/faculty-and-staff-directory/h/hannah-brenner

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In this episode, Kathryn speaks with Jodi Schwimmer, partner at Reed Smith and global co-lead of the Financial Industry Group, about how she balances firm leadership responsibilities with her practice. Jodi shares how the Financial Industry Group has changed because of the pandemic, and some firm priorities for this year. She also discusses some of the biggest successes and failures of her career.

Episode Resources

https://www.lexisnexis.com/lexisplus
https://www.reedsmith.com/en/professionals/s/schwimmer-jodi-e
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodi-abramowitz-schwimmer-108b40b3

Episode Highlights * What made Jodi Schwimmer decide to go to law school * How she wound up to where she is now * How Jodi made it on her own and developed relationships with her clients * The responsibilities that her practice entails * How she manages everything, including getting the right people * Changes COVID-19 brought to her practice area and managing the team as a whole * Advice from her experiences from her own career

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In this episode, Kathryn speaks with Tamra Moore, partner at King & Spalding, about the twists and turns of her career that led her to her role at K&S. Tamra shares what latering during a pandemic was like, and how she decided on a firm that worked for her. She also discusses the differences between Biglaw, in-house, and government service. Tamra additionally talks about what a day in the life of a Government Matters attorney is like.

Episode Highlights

Why she decided to go to law school
An incredible intimidating industry
Where is the best place to be a lawyer
What is being a healthcare lawyer
There are many different paths to take when you’re in healthcare
One of the biggest challenges
The process of joining a new firm
Tips for people that are starting their career
Working In-house

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In this episode, Kathryn speaks with Renauld Clarke, Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at Brown Rudnick, about the biggest diversity challenges in Biglaw. Renauld discusses the most relevant benchmarks for diversity in the legal profession, and why he launched the Racial Justice initiative. He also shares how he is approaching recruitment and retention given the intensity of the lateral market right now.

Episode Resources

https://brownrudnick.com/
https://brownrudnick.com/people/renauld-clarke/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/renauldclarke2

Episode Highlights * Why Renauld Clarke decided to go to law school * How he went from practicing as a lawyer to where he is now * The biggest challenges in the legal industry or in big law in particular * The possible solution for the influx of surveys many firms needed to participate in * Renauld’s perspective and experience for that has changed because of COVID * The most important thing to do to have a sustainable supportive environment * The next big horizon for law firms, diversity, equity, and inclusion

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In this episode, Kathryn speaks with Jodi Warren, a partner at Capell Barnett Matalon & Schoenfeld, about a day in the life of a Real Estate, Corporate and Commercial Transactions, and Religious and Charitable Organizations attorney. Jodi shares her biggest career successes and failures, and what she learned from them. She talks about what virtual lawyering has looked like for her during the pandemic, and whether it has been easier or harder to balance that with the rest of her life. Jodi shares her tips for balancing work and life, and how the pandemic has brought that balancing act into focus for her.

Episode Resources

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodi-warren-14141b55
https://cbmslaw.com/team/jodi-warren/ Episode Highlights
The reason why Jodi Warren decided to go to the law school
Is having a time off gave her a better perspective that allowed her to approach law school differently
How Jodi found her specialty and what she loves about it
The process to get to a partnership
Getting the support from her firm when handling clients
Learnings from the pandemic: What she can take with her into the post and what she’s happy to be
Biggest career successes and failures

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In this episode, Kathryn speaks with Leslie Garfield Tenzer, a professor at Pace University School of Law. Professor Tenzer discusses how she decided to get into legal academia and the twists and turns of her career that have led her to this point. She tells Kathryn why she decided to write the Legal Emoji Dictionary, and speaks about how emojis have been used in legal cases. She shares which emojis have a surprising legal definition, and talks about some of the pitfalls for lawyers if their cases do involve emojis.

Episode Resources

https://law.pace.edu/faculty/leslie-y-garfield-tenzer
https://www.linkedin.com/in/leslie-garfield-tenzer-7704588 Episode Highlights
The reason Leslie Garfield Tenzer went to law school
Her path in legal academia
The journey to bring a new program and the benchmarks she used to demonstrate that it’s very valuable to law schools
Some of the big changes in law schools
The idea behind the emoji legal dictionary
The biggest obstacle for attorneys
Different (surprising) meanings behind the emojis
How lawyers should go about navigating the ever-evolving tech that impacts the practice of law
Becoming the experts for where evidence lives
The consequences of social media
Using emojis on emails: Is it a concern?

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In this episode of The Jabot Kathryn chats with Elizabeth Williamson, author of Sandy Hook: An American Tragedy and the Battle for Truth. They chat about the ins and outs of the defamation cases filed by families of the victims of the tragic Sandy Hook mass shooting against the infamous Infowars host Alex Jones. What was billed as an epic First Amendment showdown fizzled to a default judgment with a lot of money potentially on the line. Elizabeth and Kathryn discuss the role of lawyers on both sides of this legal battle.

Episode Resources

Sandy Hook by Elizabeth Williamson
https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-williamson-252014b6
https://twitter.com/NYTLiz
https://www.nytimes.com/by/elizabeth-williamson

Episode Highlights * The motivation to deciding to write her book * What was behind the families’ motivation for suing for defamation * The legal strategies that families used to stop what’s happening * How the whole saga begins with going after Alex Jones * The kind of level of distinction between fake news, the hoax is that we're seeing propagated and this sort of bright shining ideal of what the first amendment should be * In Elizabeth’s opinion, what’s the optimal outcome for each family * Other legal avenues that people should be pursuing in order to stern the tide of disinformation * How Elizabeth feels the case will end

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In this episode, Kathryn speaks with Stephanie Wachman, CEO and founder of Symetree, about the evolution of her career and the founding of Symetree. They discuss pressing issues in the industry, such as balancing a law career and "real life," dealing with the stress of career challenges, and strategies for business development. Stephanie also speaks about how she helps women lawyers grow their practices and achieve leadership roles in their firms.

Episode Resources

Connect with Stephanie Wachman
https://www.linkedin.com/in/coachsteph
https://stephaniewachman.com/

Episode Highlights * The power of being consistent in business development * The importance of awareness in professional development with law firms * Why lawyers are expected to be managers simultaneously * What it takes to thrive in the legal industry * The Rule of Five in networking

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In this episode, Kathryn speaks with family law attorney Aliza Shatzman, who recently submitted a Statement for the Record for the House Judiciary Committee hearing about harassment in the judiciary. Aliza discusses her Statement, what happened with the judge, why the system that currently exists is insufficient, and what should be done to change it.

Episode Resources

Statement for the Record of Aliza Shatzman
Connect with Aliza Shatzman:
https://twitter.com/alizashatzman?lang=en
https://www.linkedin.com/in/aliza-shatzman-58b55223/

Episode Highlights * Possessing Strong Sense of Moral Outrage on Women Injustice * Handling Red Flags During Judicial Clerkship * Why Lack of Workplace Protection for Law Clerks Enables Misconduct to Fester * Judiciary Accountability and Conducting Workplace Culture Assessment

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In this episode, Kathryn speaks with author and professor Gilda Daniels, about the process of writing her book, Uncounted. Gilda speaks about the current voter suppression efforts and the throughline from Jim Crow era efforts to what we are seeing today. Gilda discusses whether there is any hope that the Supreme Court will protect voting rights, and what Congress can do to protect such rights.

Episode Resources

https://www.lexisnexis.com/lexis-plus
http://www.gildadaniels.com/
http://law.ubalt.edu/faculty/profiles/daniels.cfm
https://www.linkedin.com/in/gilda-daniels-2382a79

Episode Highlights * Why did Gilda Daniels decide to go to law school? - 1:46 * The impetus in writing the book. - 4:13 * Most outrageous examples Gilda encountered. - 7:08 * How she connects to different independent small things to come together to have a larger impact on specific communities. - 12:07 * The evolution of the Voting Rights Act. - 15:54 * What can we do about the crisis of voting rights? - 22:05 * Important reminder: The war for voting rights is not over. - 27:16

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In this episode, Kathryn speaks with Sahar Aziz, author, and Professor of Law at Rutgers Law School. Sahar shares how she first became interested in her book, The Racial Muslim. She details some historical examples of how the book's hypothesis is supported and discusses how far back the ideas go. Sahar also talks about the dichotomy between belief in the First Amendment and how that squares away in modern political discourse with the reality of how Muslims are treated.

Episode Resources

https://twitter.com/saharazizlaw
https://www.facebook.com/saharazizlaw
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sahar-aziz-0b3b764
https://www.ucpress.edu/book/9780520382299/the-racial-muslim

Episode Highlights * Why did Sahar enter law school? - 01:11 * Career: Twist and Turns - 02:47 * The Racial Muslim: the historical basis which culminated in 9/11 - 06:07 * Racialization as a negative phenomenon - 12:05 * Impact of war on terror to the civil rights of Muslims and Arabs in the US - 15:26 * War is a device for government power expansion - 19:48 * The critical race theory - 23:45 * Where do privileges come from?: Why Muslims fell down the hierarchy after 9/11 - 25:28 * A center for security, race, and rights - 29:16

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In The Jabot's 100th episode, Kathryn is joined by Jennifer Schramm, a partner at King & Spalding. They discuss Jennifer's career highs and lows, and how she balances her professional life with other interests. Jennifer also speaks about what it was like to make partners during a pandemic, and how to make the best of your career during tumultuous times.

Episode Resources

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferschramm
https://www.kslaw.com/people/jennifer-schramm

Episode Highlights * The reason why Jennifer decided to go to law school. - 0:45 * How she wound up to where she is now. - 1:50 * What does a typical day look like for Jennifer? - 4:27 * The impact of societal influences on how she views her career. - 6:09 * Perspective on firm life: From moving to being a counsel to a partner, did her perspective change? - 9:24 * The highs and lows of Jennifer’s career. - 12:26 * Figuring out the work-life balance. - 16:14 * One of the biggest frustrations people can have first thing in their careers. - 17:26 * The lessons of management Jennifer learns from her career. - 19:11 * How working from home has allowed or makes it harder to balance all the work that she does. - 20:55

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In this episode, Kathryn speaks with Michelle Quinn, partner at Gallet Dreyer & Berkey, about the twists and turns of her career that led her to her current role, and how she decided on her practice area. They also discuss how her practice has been impacted by COVID. Michelle talks about some career highs and lows and what she learned from them, and also shares her favorite war story from her practice.

Episode Resources

https://www.gdblaw.com/michelle-quinn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-quinn-23a5919

Episode Highlights * Why did Michelle decide to go to law school? - 0:44 * Perspective in her law school experience. - 3:26 * How Michelle’s career developed. - 4:58 * Things about the current firm that makes it a good fit for her. - 7:28 * The niche and practice that works: What is real estate litigation? - 9:07 * Issues that arise due to the pandemic. - 12:36 * Reality and impact of working with big multinational companies. - 18:25 * Advice to people who are interested in the same line of work or those who are starting their career in general. - 20:23

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Kathryn speaks with Mansi Shah, author of "The Taste of Ginger" and Senior Vice President of Legal at Warner Bros., about how she balances her writing and legal careers, and what the process of writing is like for her. Mansi discusses the biggest challenges she faces when writing a novel, and why she decided to root her book in the immigrant experience. She also talks about how she decided what to draw on to create the main character of her book.

Episode Resources

https://mansikshah.com/
The Taste of Ginger: A Novel

Episode Highlights * Why Mansi Shah decided to go to law school. - 0:51 * How did she wind up in the area of being an entertainment lawyer? - 2:20 * Things in the area of her specialty that spoke to Mansi. - 4:58 * Balancing other pursuits of interest while still managing a legal career. - 7:13 * The inflexibility of the big law. - 13:04 * Making decisions on what to include and what not to include while writing her book. - 18:07 * Advice to those who want to do something similar: Balancing their legal careers and writing at the same time. - 20:02

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In this episode, Kathryn speaks with Ting Ting Cheng, Director of the ERA Project, and Kati Hornung, Director of VoteEqualityUS, about the current status of the ERA and why the amendment is so vital in 2022. Ting Ting and Kati discuss their varying perspectives and skill sets when tackling the ERA, and what they say to people that think gender equality is a passé issue or something that's already been achieved. They also discuss the motivations behind the new and improved pocket constitutions, and what things they believe would be different in this country if the ERA was part of the constitution. Ting Ting and Kati also speak about the litigation strategy for the ERA and the best ways for others to get involved.

Episode Resources

https://voteequality.us/
https://gender-sexuality.law.columbia.edu/content/era-project

Episode Highlights * The ERA Project, their involvement, and how it all started. - 0:40 * The VoteEquality. - 3:08 * Litigation strategy for getting the ERA out there - 5:59 * The constitutional argumentor or the synopsis of the constitutional argument that talks about time limit. - 10:46 * Why is it so vital in 2022? - 14:06 * The ERA has been impacting our laws and accords for some time now. - 21:59 * Pocket constitution: The thought process behind this project. - 22:23 * The best ways for people to get involved? - 23:44

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In this episode, Kathryn speaks with Heather Weigler, Assistant Attorney General at the Oregon Department of Justice, about escaping big law and making the world a better place. Heather tried to eliminate the existential dread and unhappiness from work that affected her life and well-being. Gender imbalance in the legal realm further motivated her to volunteer to help women gain their place in the industry.

Tune in to know how Heather manages to be more than her last achievement, finding that unicorn of a legal job and using stand-up comedy and TikTok as a release from job stress.

Episode Resources

https://www.tiktok.com/@moreofaveronica

Episode Highlights * Getting to know Heather Weigler: her reasons behind entering law school - 0:32 * Prioritizing well-being over paychecks - 2:03 * Leaving big law: looking for other opportunities - 4:50 * Heather’s current day-to-day work - 6:24 * Figuring out what’s best for the client - 10:48 * Gender inequity in the legal industry: developing passion and involvement - 12:20 * The split between workers and networkers in volunteering - 14:36 * Dealing with stressors in year three of the pandemic - 16:57 * Balancing being a lawyer with stand up comedy in TikTok - 22:36 * Leveraging the highs to avoid the lows in the legal industry - 24:08 * What other careers Heather wants to take on? - 26:18

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In this episode, Kathryn talks to Peter Lynch, Cozen O'Connor's Office Managing Partner, on why he went to law school and how he chose his practice area. Peter discusses why he values D&I programs at business and bar association levels. He shares why he founded DisabilityRightsNow along with the organization's objectives. The legal profession has fallen behind in the hiring of people with disabilities. Thus, Peter poses some solutions that the legal industry may implement to correct this historical error.

Episode Resources

https://www.disabilityrightsnow.com
https://www.paypal.com/donate/

Episode Highlights * Who is Peter Lynch and why did he enter law school? - 0:28 * The shift from marines to law - 2:54 * Training and practices experienced by Peter - 4:56 * Importance of the initiatives on diversity and inclusion - 8:21 * Founding of DisabilityRightsNow: fair treatment to people with disability - 10:20 * Education and employment on people with disability - 15:23 * The diversity fellowship program - 16:59 * What is the real blockade?: the unconscious bias and blatant discrimination - 19:20 * The solution to the problem: employment, accommodations, and inclusivity - 23:43

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Kathryn sits with Emer Simic, partner with Neal Gerber Eisenberg Intellectual Property Practice Group, to discuss her reason for shifting from the field of science to law. Emer shares why she chose IP as her specialization and what a typical day in her office entails. She also outlines some of the diversity challenges she sees in IP and the legal sector in general. And she elaborates some of the steps and efforts she recognizes as effective to address the said adversities. This episode also explains the differences between practicing law in Ireland and the United States.

Episode Resources

https://www.pli.edu/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/emer-simic-1a454289
https://www.nge.com/Our-Lawyers/Emer-Simic

Episode Highlights * Why did Emer Simic decide to go to law school? - 0:42 * Differences between practicing law in Ireland and America- 2:25 * Figuring out what she wanted to do: Taking a leap in Patent Law -3:23 * Working with and against the people: understanding the science of law - 4:32 * Breaking down science into understandable parts: a crucial part for most attorneys - 7:35 * Finding a career that you truly enjoy - 9:59 * The career highlight: early collaboration and strategizing with the clients - 11:02 * Challenges of diversity in the field of law - 15:45 * Does the pandemic amplify the challenges faced by women in the workforce? - 18:09 * Concrete steps to take to foster diversity in the legal firm - 20:12 * Hope from seeing the efforts made for diversity: more women in leadership roles- 26:23

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In this episode, Kathryn speaks with professor and author Ruth Colker about her path to legal academia and how she came up with the concept for her new book. Ruth discusses why conservatives have been able to win the rhetorical battle on so many issues using insults, and how progressives can flip the script. She also talks about how the insult playbook has played out in relation to #MeToo cases, and the current SCOTUS term.

Episode Resources

https://wgss.osu.edu/people/colker.2
https://directory.cbalaw.org/profile/ruth-colker
https://www.amazon.com/Ruth-Colker/e/B001HPGCJK%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share

Episode Highlights * Why did Ruth decide to go to law school? - 1:03 * Does she think that the liberal and progressive idea that the courts can save us has led us to a dead-end fundamentally? - 2:11 * As an academic, how does she balance the need for a dichotomy between practicality and the academic sort of answer? - 3:51 * The twist and turns: The process of how Ruth went into the academic path. - 5:17 * Shaping the political landscape took hold on Ruth. - 7:24 * Tracing the effectiveness of strategies through multiple avenues. - 9:03 * With the #MeToo and Black Lives Matter Movements, is the power of insult still going to be important? - 10:39 * Ruth worries that the best responses show the positive attributes of victims and create an image of what the victims should look like - 13:06 * Is there a moment for hope in terms of reproductive freedom in this court? - 14:43 * Conceptualizing the different tools to use to respond to insults. - 20:14 * Are there any chances for a Supreme Court reform? - 21:49 * The big issues that we should be looking at besides reproductive freedom - 23:14 * Advice or hope for those who want to get involved or not feel terrible about some of the news we’re hearing all the time. - 25:23

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In this episode, Kathryn speaks with entrepreneur Gabriela Isturiz about the ups and downs of working in the legal tech space. They discuss what led to the founding of Gabriela's Fund XX, and why it is so important to harness the power of women investors and entrepreneurs. Gabriela also shares the advice she has for folks getting involved in the legal tech space.

Episode Resources

https://thefund.vc/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabrielaisturiz Episode Highlights
The twists and turns of Gabriela Isturiz’s career. - 1:14
Some of the challenges she faced while being in a male-dominant field. - 3:41
How the transition went and what skills are needed to make that transition. - 5:58
Dealing with lawyers having difficulties handling technology. - 7:57
Pitching attorneys to transition them to the new technology. - 10:54
The founding of The Fund and the goals behind it. - 12:27
The goal of be able to harvest and harness all of the folks that are traditionally left out in the sector of the economy. - 16:09
How much diversity is needed to get into the space? - 17:18
Advice to women who want to get involved in the space, but are apprehensive to take the jump. - 19:32
Reflection: The moment when she said “This is the leadership I’m meant to be doing!” - 21:01

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In this episode, Kathryn speaks with Elizabeth Todd, an attorney with the law offices of James Scott Farrin, about the twists and turns her career has taken to get her to where she is today. Elizabeth shares what a typical day looks like for her, and discusses how COVID has impacted the personal injury and nursing home negligence space. She also shares her biggest battles as a result of COVID and speaks about what nursing home policy should look like. Additionally, Elizabeth talks about the biggest successes and failures of her career and what she has learned from them.

Episode Resources

Connect with Elizabeth Todd
https://www.farrin.com/attorney/elizabeth-todd/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-beall-617a0813

Episode Highlights * Why did Elizabeth Todd decide to go to law school? - 1:02 * Understanding the practice and what the actual daily work really is. - 4:32 * Helping other people during the emotional times in their lives: Is it always what she thinks is included in her skill set? - 7:38 * What the typical day for Elizabeth looks like. - 8:57 * How the pandemic has impacted Elizabeth’s practice area and what are the trends she’s seeing as a result. - 12:29 * The policy in the nursing home. - 18:21 * The highs and lows and what she felt she'd taken from those. - 20:07 * Every step back is a chance to step up. - 22:12

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The transition to parenthood is not easy if you belong in the legal industry. How to survive working as a parent?

Kathryn speaks with Lori Mihalich-Levin, a health care lawyer in private practice at her firm. She is the founder of The Mindful Return, a platform that helps parents in planning a radiant, empowered, and smooth return from leave. Lori shares her reason for entering law school and the twist and turns in her career. Being a mother of two was not easy for her. However, she will discuss how it brought her to conceptualize her passion project.

Episode Resources

https://www.mindfulreturn.com/

Episode Highlights * Who is Lori? - 0:37 * What was Lori's reason for entering law school? - 1:22 * Her story within her area of practice - 2:25 * Twist and turns and wonderful results - 4:00 * Lori’s niche: conceiving a big law firm - 5:37 * The Passion Project: the multiyear long decision on the process - 7:33 * The Mindful Return - 9:22 * The 4 Themes of Mindful Return - 11:03 * People’s reaction to change and tools that can help - 12:45 * What should the legal industry be doing for the parent labor force - 13:50 * Opportunities, recruiting, and retention tools - 15:48 * Mindful mindset for a post-pandemic life - 17:03 * How can you show up as a leader? - 18:41 * Structural Reasons Why Legal House is Slow to Adapt with the Changes - 19:30 * Balancing and living by mindful returns - 22:24 * Advice for parents who are in transition - 24:27

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Kathryn speaks with Yvonne Cort, partner at Capell, Barnett, Matalon & Schoenfeld, about how her law school career goals matched up with her actual career. Yvonne discusses how she settled on her practice area and the process of making a lateral move during a pandemic. She also speaks about the benefits of small firms, and what it's like being the only woman partner at her firm. Yvonne also shares her advice for folks just starting their legal career.

Episode Resources

https://cbmslaw.com/team/yvonne-r-cort/

Episode Highlights * Why did Yvonne Cort decide to go to law school? - 1:10 * The twists and turns: What’s her experience like diving into the world of law from where she thought she’d be to where she is today? - 2:46 * What tax lawyers do: What attracted her to it. - 5:09 * Demonstrating the range of activities that a tax controversy attorney does. - 6:30 * Balancing the role: Handling people who are facing adversaries - 10:09 * Benefits of working in a smaller firm. - 11:48 * What working as the only female in the firm feels like. - 13:12 * The highs and lows of Yvonne’s career and how she learned from them. - 15:40 * How can other people make a legal career work for them? - 20:49 * What she knows about her job makes her think “This is the job.” - 22:53

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Kathryn speaks with Judge LaDoris Hazzard Cordell about how she made her way onto the bench and the decision behind writing her recent book. They also discuss some of the biggest responsibilities and challenges Judge Cordell has faced during her time on the bench, and she shares some of the hardest cases she has presided over. Judge Cordell also details how her experience as a Black queer woman has shaped her opinion on the justice system, and what she thinks is broken about our judicial system (and how it might be fixed).

Episode Resources

Her Honor
https://judgecordell.com/
https://abawtp.law.stanford.edu/exhibits/show/ladoris-h-cordell/biography

Episode Highlights * Why did Judge LaDoris Hazzard Cordell decide to go to law school? - 1:20 * Navigating the mind field. - 4:12 * The twists and turns of her career: How did she manage to be a judge? - 5:49 * What were the obstacles to writing the book? - 8:20 * Identifying specific issues in the system as a judge. - 12:53 * Balancing the legal standards that she’s imposing and her obligations in the profession with an ideal judge image. - 16:29 * Making the bench more diverse: How do we fix the system? - 20:18 * What can affect her decision to leave the seat knowing that it will unlikely be replaced by somebody who looks like her? - 24:59

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Her Honor: My Life on the Bench...What Works, What's Broken, and How to Change It

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In this episode, Kathryn speaks with journalist and author Joshua Prager about why he chose Roe as the subject of his most recent book, and what is so compelling about Norma McCorvey's story. They also discuss what we know now about the deal Justice Souter struck to save Roe in Planned Parenthood v. Casey. Josh also explains why he thinks it is important to excavate the history of the cases that established and codified reproductive rights when those freedoms are very much in peril at the Supreme Court.

Episode Resources

The Family Roe
https://www.joshuaprager.com/

Episode Highlights * Why is Reproductive Freedom an important topic to dig into? - 1:09 * How does he bring people in to get behind the caption? - 4:13 * Learnings from Parker and how that mythology really starts to take hold within the right? - 8:19 * Justice Souter and the Pro-Choice Movement. - 12:29 * How it developed. - 15:02 * One of the things that’s fascinating for Joshua and how his eyes got opened as he wrote his book. - 18:22 * Takeaway: What are the things that can be used as a North * Star to move forward? - 20:41 * It’s easier to become laissez-faire to something if it’s legal. - 26:31

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In this episode, Kathryn and Terrie Campbell, the Chief Executive Officer at Esquire Deposition Solutions, discuss how the pandemic has impacted the legal tech space and the biggest lessons of the past two years. Terrie shares why she believes it's so challenging to embrace change, and what it means to find your personal North Star. Terrie also talks about whether it’s possible to actually achieve work/life balance in the Biglaw space, and why she established the Council for Action.

Episode Resources

https://www.esquiresolutions.com/about-us/executive-leadership/terrie-campbell/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/terrie-campbell-000a413

Episode Highlights * The twists and turns of being a CEO in a prominent company. - 1:02 * How the pandemic has impacted the legal tech space. - 2:38 * The lessons learned on how to do a quick scale-up. - 5:06 * Advice or bright lines for these kinds of cases and factors to consider when working remotely or in person. - 9:26 * Hesitancies she sees in her career. - 11:23 * The concept of finding your personal North Star. - 13:18 * Why is it important for people working in the legal industry to keep with the notion of finding and knowing your North Star at all times? - 16:51 * Finding the balance between the projects and the other desperate areas of need. - 24:23 * Why is it important for people to fully share who they are in the workspace? - 27:02

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Kathryn speaks with Meghana Shah, partner at Eversheds Sutherland, about why her practice area was appealing and what an average day looks like for her. They discuss how the pandemic impacted Meghana's practice and what she thinks is on the horizon for the cannabis industry. Meghana shares her tips for others hoping to become a Biglaw partner and some of the highs and lows of her career. Kathryn and Meghana also chat about why diversity has been such a challenge for the legal industry, and what Meghana thinks can be done to improve D&I efforts.

Episode Resources

https://us.eversheds-sutherland.com/People/Meghana-D-Shah

Episode Highlights * Why did Meghana decide to go to law school? - 1:02 * How the arc worked for her. - 3:38 * Meghana’s practice area and why she got into this area. - 5:49 * Plotting out the practice area. - 8:41 * What’s on the horizon in the industry, especially because of the pandemic. - 11:20 * The state and federal interactions impacting the client base. - 14:04 * The highs and the lows: Learning from the best moments of her career. - 16:31 * Why are there still a lot of challenges with diversity, especially in the legal space? - 23:28

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This week, Kathryn speaks with Fran Perdomo, partner at Gallet Dreyer & Berkey, about why she went to law school and how she decided on her practice area. They discuss Fran's biggest career success and failure, and what she learned from both of those. Fran shares what virtual lawyering has been like during the pandemic, and whether she thinks that makes it harder or easier to balance the rest of one's life. Fran also talks about how the pandemic brought that balancing act in focus.

Episode Resources

https://www.perdomolaw.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/francelina-perdomo-73b82622

Episode Highlights

Why did Fran decide to go to law school? - 1:03
Finding her practice compared to her idealized image of what a lawyer does back when she was a kid. - 2:05
The twist and turns of her career and how she got to where she is today. - 4:28
The reasons why the practice of IP law is attractive to her. - 8:36
A day in her life as an IP attorney. - 12:38
How she keeps everything in balance. - 16:10
The highs and lows of her career and what she has learned from them. - 20:01

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What’s the biggest social issue that you’ve heard? How were the people, even the government, decided to handle it?

In this episode, Kathryn chats with lawyer, cultural historian, and author Linda Hirshman about her decision to go to law school and the evolution of her career from labor attorney to best-selling author. They discuss how Linda picks what subjects to delve into for her books, and why her latest book, about the abolition movement, is such an important story to tell. They chat about how Linda views the legacy of Sandra Day O'Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the Court, and the potential legacy of Amy Coney Barrett.

Episode Resources

Reckoning
The Color of Abolition
Sisters in Law
https://lindahirshman.substack.com/

Episode Highlights * Why did Linda decide to go to law school? - 1:29 * The evolution of Linda’s career. - 2:16 * Process of figuring out which stories need to be told and which ones need more digging into. - 5:15 * Experience with the society agreeing with her now regarding the Bill Clinton sexual harassment case. - 10:05 * Why her book, The Abolition, is right about writing right now. - 14:16 * Reasons why religions are so powerful. - 21:37 * The legacy of Sandra Day O’Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg continues. - 24:31 * Predictions or advice to people who want to organize social movements linking to what to do next if reproductive choice or rights is lost. - 29:19

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Sisters in Law: How Sandra Day O'Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg Went to the Supreme Court and Changed the World

Reckoning: The Epic Battle Against Sexual Abuse and Harassment

The Color Of Abolition: How a Printer, a Prophet, and a Contessa Moved a Nation

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Surveys are not just a way for a law firm to know the numbers and to gain information. It also helps strengthen the firm’s relationship with its associates.

One of the top legal news services in the country, Law360, conducts the Glass Ceiling Survey — and this centers Kathryn’s discussion with Law360’s Kerry Benn. Kerry presents not only the numbers that result from the Glass Ceiling Survey, she also talks about the disparity between the law school numbers and the actual law firm numbers and what she thinks are the reasons why there are fewer women, especially women of color, in the field.

Episode Resources

https://muckrack.com/kgbenn1
https://www.law360.com/

Episode Highlights * How Kerry Benn entered Law 360 and her background. - 1:12 * Deciding on her priorities needs more in-depth surveys. - 2:37 * How Kerry came up with the questions to use for the Glass Ceiling Survey. - 4:14 * Is there a difference between the actual lived experiences of the associates than the lofty statements that others put out? - 10:22 * The big results and the surprising data from the Glass Ceiling Survey. - 12:00 * Women of color: The disparity between law school numbers and law firm numbers.- 14:37 * Tracking the differences between equity partnership and non-equity partnership and why the numbers are dropping. - 16:35 * Which pieces of data are useful for law firms who want to do better? - 17:24 * Kerry’s experience being a champion of Jeopardy in the past. - 23:15

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It is all being in the right place at the right time: However, there are some life decisions that we already have in place, which can change easily without you knowing.

Kathryn welcomes Anna Brook, whose life changed even if she already made several plans for her future. Set to be an engineer, Anna decided to take a leap of faith and go to Law School in Harvard — and now, she’s a successful patent lawyer. Anna and Kathryn chat about the twist and turns of her career that got her to where she is now. They also discuss how she settled on her practice area and some of the benefits of working in patent law. Anna also shares what the patent law STEM requirements are really like, and how she balances her career and home life.

Episode Resources

https://www.culhanemeadows.com/attorney/anna-brook/

Episode Highlights * Why did Anna decide to go to law school? - 1:05 * Reaction when she wrote her stem coursework. - 2:47 * Becoming a patent attorney. - 3:53 * How Anna’s STEM background plays a role in her day-to-day life and her skills in litigation. - 6:09 * Balancing Math and Science: Are people who can balance these two sides rare or more sought after in the legal world? - 9:02 * The benefits of working as a patent lawyer. - 10:27 * Highlights of this very niche but important area of law. - 12:21 * How Anna’s career winds through to where she is now. - 13:41 * Working through making the decision and how she weighed the decision to move on. - 19:00 * Looking back: What’s her advice to her younger self to make things a lot easier for her? - 20:50 * Tips, tricks, and philosophies can make sure that all the balls stay up in the air. - 23:05

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Corporate, civil rights, criminal, family, and intellectual: These are just a few of the fields of law that you can specialize in. If you get to choose, which one would you like to focus on?

In this episode, Kathryn and Christi discussed the advice that Christi has for those trying to decide what practice works best for them. She also shares her advice for others on the path to partnership. Christi talks about what it was like working with clients on their brands during the pandemic, and what surprises she faced during that process. She also discusses how she balances pro bono work with her billable work.

Episode Resources

https://www.duanemorris.com/attorneys/christianeschuman.html

Episode Highlights * Why did Christi Campbell go to law school? - 1:36 * Breaking it down: The process of starting at a law school to where she’s at today. - 3:33 * How did she decide where to start her legal career? - 6:20 * The representation of luxury brands going together with her legal practice. - 10:24 * What parts in her practice area made it appealing to her? - 14:49 * The process of being a partner in a big law firm. - 19:04 * Biggest surprises and things that Christi’s clients started doing because of COVID. - 22:24 * Tips, processes, and non-negotiables for Christi when she’s trying to balance every part of her life. - 25:45 * How did spreading herself, beyond the immediate needs of her clients, help her in reaching her broader work goals? - 28:56

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It is challenging to start a career in the legal industry, especially for women. In what was believed as a men-controlled community, how can female lawyers and legal counsels make a name for themselves?

Kathryn sits down with Michelle Browning to talk about making a voice not only as a female lawyer but also as a working mom, in the legal industry. Michelle shares her success story of building an all-girls network that started with MothersEsquire. She also discusses the different programs that MothersEsquire started to promote gender equality.

Episode Resources

Good to Great
My Mom, The Lawyer
https://www.mothersesquire.com/

Episode Highlights * Why did Michelle decide to go to law school? - 1:10 * Struggles as a working Mom: Moms feel more restricted in the ability to pick up their families and move for their careers. - 5:58 * Did her personality help her in her career and the transitions she made within it? - 7:11 * How did she think through and figure out what her legal practice would look like? - 9:24 * Starting with MothersEsquire. - 13:00 * The programs of MothersEsquire deal with gender equality. - 20:38 * Why is writing a book important? - 26:26

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Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don't

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When it comes to being a lawyer, what are the adversaries and challenges that you might face?

In this episode, Kathryn welcomes Betiayn as she shares the twists and turns of her career that got her to where she is today. Betiayn talks about how the legal industry has evolved, particularly in respect to diversity, during the course of her career. They also discuss what led up to the founding of WILEF and the work she's most proud of. Betiayn also shares about why WILEF decided to change the Gold Standard criteria, and the main takeaways from the most recent Gold Standard List. She gives her thoughts on the most important diversity benchmarks for the profession.

Episode Resources

https://www.linkedin.com/in/betiayn-tursi-37950115a/
https://wilef.com/

Episode Highlights * The twist and turns that lead Betiayn Tursi’s career to where it is now. - 0:51 * Joining ADA catapulted Betiayn’s career. - 3:13 * How did her background in legal marketing play a role as she started shifting her focus into diversity issues? - 7:35 * The major evolutions in the legal industry, particularly as it relates to the question of diversity. - 9:31 * Works and programs that Betiayn participated in that she’s most proud of. - 10:47 * How did the Gold Standard evolve over time? - 12:07 * How Betiayn sees the two-tier partnership in law firms impact the goals of diversity. - 15:56 * Takeaways from the most recent iteration. - 17:52 * The most important benchmarks for law firms to be hitting or for people who are thinking of latering or starting their legal career. - 20:31 * Money makes you feel good. If you’re compensated correctly and you have a role in the firm, it makes all the difference in the world. - 21:56 * “I don’t want people to think that being a lawyer is easy and that partnering with a law firm is easy. It’s not easy. However, the people I surround myself with are all very grateful, happy, and balanced.” - 23:51 * Advice that Betiayn has for people who want to be in the brass ring path. - 24:35 * Difference between a sponsor and a mentor. - 25:28

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Building a career in the law field can be both challenging and rewarding: Especially if your field of interest is uncommon. In today’s episode, Kathryn interviews Linda Kornfeld. Linda shares why she attended law school and how she landed in her practice area: As an Insurance Recovery Attorney. She also gives advice for others who are looking for their career niche, as well as her experiences with business interruption insurance over the past year and what Biglaw can do to foster diversity.

Episode Resources

https://www.blankrome.com/people/linda-kornfeld

Episode Highlights * Why did Linda go to law school in the first place? 1:01 * How did she decide to work as an Interest recovery attorney? - 3:15 * Checkmarks that Linda went through to see if the interest recovery area is the career of her future. - 4:59 * How she wound up on the path of her current job. - 7:43 * Balancing two hats amidst the pandemic. - 16:23 * Good and bad things in 2020 and 2021 that can help build stronger institutions in the backend. - 18:58 * The only way you can make change happen is by forcing it. - 23:20 * You got to put the right people in the room where it happens and the benefits will flow from there. - 26:52

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Is having a law degree a great tool that opens up a lot of doors and opportunities? In this episode, Kathryn welcomes Lindsay to discuss her pivot to writing from her career in law. They discuss her process of writing her second novel and how different it is from the process of her first book. Lindsay also shares her advice for lawyers and legal professionals who are looking to break into writing.

Episode Resources

Just One Look by Lindsay Cameron

Episode Highlights * Why did Lindsay join law school? - 1:14 * Beyond writing, what’s the actual practice of law that Lindsay misses? - 3:53 * What’s her background and how was she able to capture the feeling of the people in the room without necessarily being where they want to be? - 11:05 * Her fascination with the hierarchy of law firms. - 12:12 * When there’s no competition, if temp workers don’t have anywhere to go to, they accept any projects available. 14:40 * What people who are new in the industry should know? 15:59 * Is it true?: A law degree is a great tool as it opens up a lot of doors. - 17:40 * Is the “eat what you kill” system, where associates with large clients act bigger and with a toxic attitude, should still thrive in the industry because they’re bringing in money? - 20:55 * What skills from being an associate was she able to take when writing day to day? - 24:11 * Pieces of Advice to people who want to get started in legal writing. - 25:11

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Can someone who’s not a lawyer get involved in the legal industry? In this episode, Kathryn and Ritu discussed the twists and turns of Ritu’s career which led her to her current role in the male-dominated space of the legal industry. Ritu spoke about whether she ever felt her accomplishments were undermined because of her race or gender and how she dealt with those feelings. She also shared her advice for others who are coming up in white or male spaces as well as her perspective on the legal industry.

Episode Resources

https://www.lexisnexis.com/en-us/about-us/leadership/global-leadership/ritu-khanna.page
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ritu-khanna-70a4004/?originalSubdomain=uk

Episode Highlights * How does a non-lawyer get involved in the legal industry? - 1:25 * Ritu Khanna’s role at LexisNexis. - 2:36 * The twists and turns of Ritu’s career got her to where she is now. - 4:26 * The stumbling blocks in the industry. - 11:45 * How did Ritu navigate the male-dominated space? - 14:39 * Practical advice for people who experience a lack of reception to their ideas because of who they are. - 17:41 * Biggest career challenges. - 19:46 * Why is diversity such an asset in Ritu’s industry? - 23:31

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Kathryn interviews Patricia Cain, one of the authors of Paving the Way, about the twists and turns of her life and career: from going to law school, being part of a circus troupe to starting a career in the legal academia. Patricia highlights her experiences not only as a teacher but also her experiences in law school. She also shared the best lessons she learned, especially for those who want to start a life in legal academia.

Episode Resources

Paving the Way

Episode Highlights * Introducing the guest: Patricia Cain. - 0:38 * The reasons why Patricia decided to go to law school. - 1:24 * The twists and turns: How she went from law school, a theater member, to being a teacher. - 4:20 * Patricia’s involvement in the Paving the Way book project. - 9:14 * A shift from being introduced to Herma Hill Kay to continue writing the book. - 12:08 * Linking histories: Knowing the difference of the process back in the ’70s to her experience. - 17:16 * It wasn’t until other women joined the faculty that Ellen Peter’s voice could be heard during faculty meetings. When you’re the one woman in the room, you say something and nobody says anything back then 5 minutes later a man says the same thing and everybody thinks it’s brilliant. I experience that every time. - 18:57 * The adoption process. - 21:17 * The best lessons that people who want to start a life in academia can take away. - 23:46

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Kathryn spoke with Mark Hsu about his experiences as a lawyer, author, and father. They also discussed how Mark drew a line and a balance between legal practice and parenthood. Additionally, they talked about some of the challenges that Mark faced while starting as a lawyer up to creating different lessons for his book that he can pass down to his children.

Episode Resources

Please Open in the Event of My Death
Please Open in the Event of My Death Audio Book

Episode Highlights * Why did Mark decide to go to law school? - 1:00 * Starting from rejections: The start of Mark’s career. - 4:54 * What is the initial impulse to start writing down his advice to his children? - 8:20 * Balancing parenthood and legal practice. - 10:35 * We don’t want work to completely consume our lives. - 11:11 * How it all started: What is Mark’s process when writing his book? - 11:52 * What are the most important lessons that he created to pass down to his kids? - 16:30 * There are several obstacles you can’t overcome simply by the force of will. But if you don’t try, you’re losing half of the battle there. - 18:05 * Using pop culture references in his book makes it more relatable to the readers. - 22:13 * To be a positive person, you need to look at the bright side of life, you need to look at positive things. - 26:37

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I spoke with Vernon and Armand about the initiation of their partnership and writing a book together for both a general audience and for lawyers. We discussed why they chose the Supreme Court as the lens to examine racial justice in this country, and why it is important in the current political climate to examine the Court's history on racial justice. We spoke about their research process and surprising or unexpected findings.

Episode Resources

Justice Deferred: Race and the Supreme Court by Orville Vernon Burton and Armand Derfner
Case of Jones v. Alfred H. Mayer Company

Episode Highlights * The present goes out of the past - 4:40 * How the guests are writing for a general audience and somebody with a legal background - 8:20 * The 13 to 15 Amendments were developed to argue equality and end the badges of slavery - 24:30 * The progressing wing of the government are the people we elect in every 2 to 4 years - 27:47 * It’s the President and the congress that lead the way to turn the court around for a very reactionary court in a way out of respect to the people of the country - 28:00 * The court will get better but it will not do it by itself - 28:20 * We can shape the future - 31:19

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Kathryn spoke with Nancy Leong about why she went to law school, and the career twists and turns that resulted in her winding up where she is. They also discussed how she came up with the term “identity capitalist”, and the personal anecdotes included in her book. They also spoke about hidden in-group agendas and strategies she recommends for those in out-groups.

Episode Resources

https://www.law.du.edu/about/people/nancy-leong

Episode Highlights * Why she went to law school - 1:30 * Her legal path - 2:27 * Moving to the Academia - 4:04 * Explaining some concepts of her book - 7:01 * Law and identity - 13:41 * Employment discrimination - 15:04 * Identity capitalism - 17:05 * The story from which Nancy initiated the book - 22:59 * What matters is what you do in the dark - 28:31 * The notion of diversity - 28:31 * Diversity is not the end goal - 30:05

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Stacey speaks with Stacey Breen about the twists and turns of her career that led her to her role at MLA, and the motivation behind their recent Return to Office Survey. They discussed the most surprising results of the survey, including generational differences in pandemic experiences. Additionally, they spoke of some of the challenges women faced during COVID and what the industry can do to fix them as we return to the office.

Episode Resources

Why she decided to go to law school - 1:19
Taking control of your career when you know that you’re not happy - 4:15
The return to office survey - 7:27
Working on a tech-focused firm - 14:48
The challenges that women faced during COVID - 15:28
The back to the office element - 20:06
Interviewing remotely - 21:15

Episode Highlights

Stacey Breen, sbreen@MLAGlobal.com
https://www.mlaglobal.com/en/people/stacey-breen

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Kathryn spoke with Kelly and Heather about the process of opening up their own firm, and the values they believe to be the most important when establishing a practice. They also discussed the particular benefits and challenges of being best friends and business partners, as well as the biggest changes to their firm due to COVID. They also spoke about tips for practicing law virtually.

Episode Resources

https://www.culhanemeadows.com/all-attorneys/
Kelly Culhane (krc@cm.law) and Heather Clauson Haughian (hhaughian@cm.law)
Episode Highlights
“Getting back to normal” - 1:06
Knowing their backgrounds - 2:07
Opening up a law firm - 6:17
The core values - 8:20
Challenges that the firm has faced - 14:13
Having a work-life balance - 20:24
Practicing virtually - 24:55

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Kathryn interviewed Lauren Drake where they discussed, among other things, how her career evolved to her position at Macrae. They talked about how the "Female Law Firm Leaders Roundtable" got started and how the pandemic shaped that launch. They also discussed how FLFL benefits its members and issues tackled by the roundtable over the last year. Additionally, they dive into how women leaders can leverage the hot lateral market to benefit their careers.

Episode Resources

Lauren.Drake@macrae.com
https://www.macrae.com/lauren-drake
https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurendrake/

Episode Highlights * Wanting to learn more about the business side - 2:21 * A candidate and the right recruiter - 6:13 * The recruiting space - 8:06 * A different strategy - 9:38 * A difficult year that we just survived - 15:53 * Planning the topics in advance - 18:27 * Business development in a virtual world - 19:57 * A different legal market - 20:43 * Taking control of your career - 22:38

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Kathryn interviewed Shailini George about her experiences as a legal writing professor and the process of writing The Law Students' Guide to Doing Well and Being Well. They also discuss how distraction addiction became an interest for her. Their conversation includes Shailini's thoughts on how law students should use wellness practices to improve their law school experience, as well as some tips for law students to get into the studying zone.

Episode Resources

Shailini George, sjgeorge@suffolk.edu
https://www.suffolk.edu/academics/faculty/s/j/sjgeorge

Episode Highlights * Having an A-HA moment - 2:49 * Her legal experience and her desire to teach - 3:06 * So many demands that lawyers face - 4:50 * When she decided to publish this book - 5:45 * Finding focus and being able to be productive - 7:02 * Sometimes the words come easily, sometimes they don’t - 8:47 * What distraction-addiction means - 10:03 * Talking about multitasking - 15:22 * Creating a mental space for you to be able to work - 20:43

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Kathryn interviewed Thomas Douglas about his role as a community and industry leader. They discuss the process of opening his own firm, as well as the biggest challenges and rewards of that experience. They also chat about how to create a tolerant and affirming law firm culture. Additionally, they speak about balancing the pressures of the business side of the firm with the legal practice.

Episode Resources

tdouglas@douglasmcdaniel.com
https://www.douglasmcdaniel.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-douglas-781a7010/

Episode Highlights

Why he went to law school - 1:19
Why he decided to open up his law school - 3:02
Starting your firm - 7:31
The skills that he has learned since he opened his firm - 10:50
Treat people with respect and do good work - 17:01
The client should always come first - 21:53

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Kathryn chats with Elle McCulty, partner at Waller Law and chair of the firm's Women's Leadership Council. They discuss balancing firm leadership with her practice, the programs the Council implemented, the firm's recognition by Working Mother magazine, and how the firm supports the re-entry of new parents into firm life. They also talk about why it is important for firms to make a concerted effort to support parents in the workplace and advice younger attorneys trying to have it all.

Episode Resources

https://www.wallerlaw.com/our-people/51/Elle-McCulty

Episode Highlights * Why she made the decision to go to law school - 1:08 * Being a law student - 3:42 * Having an equal perspective - 5:43 * Being a junior attorney - 7:22 * Women’s multidimensional initiatives - 11:16 * Time commitments for being a successful lawyer - 13:19 * The re-entry after vaccination - 18:29 * Working from home - 20:08 * Having a more diverse group of attorneys together - 23:09 * You have to do what’s best for yourself - 24:48

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Kathryn talks with Maria Melendez about why she Ieft the practice of law to become Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer at Sidley. They chat about the unique challenges in this role and how she leverages her past experience. They discuss setting goals and benchmarks in the D&I space, the kinds of programs that pay the biggest dividends in the D&I world, and how a firm encourages attorneys to participate in D&I efforts, particularly during a pandemic when attorneys are already stretched thin.

Episode Resources

https://www.sidley.com/en/people/m/melendez-maria

Episode Highlights * Wanting to earn some money - 3:59 * The demands of a big law career - 4:58 * Being a big law attorney - 6:32 * Her current role at Sidley - 6:51 * Advancing diversity in the legal profession - 7:34 * Her goals and benchmarks to achieve - 9:39 * The lack of inclusion - 13:47 * We need to have more inclusion - 14:30 * The diversity and inclusion department - 15:47 * The culture of the firm - 18:21 * It’s so important to learn and listen - 20:05 * Let’s learn from each other more - 21:40

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MiAngel Cody and Kathryn chat about her passion for criminal defense work and the problems with the three-strikes law. They talk about the role of social media and Kim Kardashian in justice work, about how the #90DaysOfFreedom Campaign got started, and why The Decarceration Collective is so important. MiAngel has been labeled a "Legal Legend" a "Changemaker" and a "Powerhouse Litigator" and it turns out she's great at giving advice to lawyers who are getting started in their careers and want to work on reform issues. They chat about the successes she's had in this work and also the setbacks. MiAngel also describes how she balances the work with her personal life and recharges so she's able to take on the next fight.

Episode Resources

https://www.instagram.com/lawyermiangel/?hl=en
https://www.thedecarcerationcollective.org/

Episode Highlights * Why she decided to go to law school - 1:15 * Deciding to change her major - 2:58 * Working for a Federal Judge - 3:46 * Getting into the mind of judges - 6:14 * She loves telling stories - 7:48 * Some systemic injustices - 11:51 * Making the process better - 13:00 * 90 Days of Freedom campaign - 14:57 * The power of social media - 17:07 * What justice means - 19:10 * Treat every case as new - 21:30 * Being a traveler and loving live music - 24:19 * The lowest low she had experienced - 26:17 * What she can say to younger lawyers - 28:01

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Kathryn speaks with Jennifer McGlone, co-founder of Law Champs. They chat about why she decided to start the organization, how that experience was impacted by the pandemic and the goals of Law Champs. They also discuss the Biden administration's recent change in transgender healthcare protections and what that means for folks on the ground and why they’re so important.

Episode Resources

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-mcglone-ab98858
https://www.lawchamps.com/lawchamps-team

Episode Highlights * Why she decided to go to law school - 1:14 * Choosing to pursue law school - 1:48 * Understanding the procedure aspects - 4:02 * Social justice issues - 8:10 * People being bullied - 14:53 * Women’s reproductive rights - 17:59 * Wanting to make a difference as a lawyer - 19:03 * Challenges from starting Law Champs from scratch - 20:53

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Kathryn talks with Becky Greenfield and Cristina Rodriguez of Wolfe Pincavage about the new normal -- working from home. They chat about how WFH has changed the way you practice and to figure out how to grow professionally in the virtual environment, and how business development plays a role in that. They discuss what firm leaders can do to better mentor team members and foster collaborative environments.

Episode Resources

https://wolfepincavage.com/team/becky-greenfield/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/becky-greenfield-83b0a988
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cristinarodriguez22/
https://wolfepincavage.com/team/cristina-rodriguez/

Episode Highlights * Why Becky went to law school - 1:21 * Why Cristina went to law school - 3:35 * Taking knowledge from cases - 6:34 * Moving to a more transactional firm - 7:57 * A piece of advice for younger lawyers - 9:38 * Law school tries to prepare you - 10:17 * Your work matters - 12:33 * It all depends on the type of work that you want to do - 13:50 * Finding people to connect with - 16:44 * How working from home has changed the way to practice - 17:37 * The flexibility that it creates is fantastic but you’re always “on” - 18:04 * Improving opportunities for diversification - 23:01 * Promoting diversity is a matter of communication - 24:13

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Kathryn chats with Jenner & Block’s Co-Managing Partners, Katya Jestin, and Randy Mehrberg. They discuss their overall philosophy for managing a Biglaw firm, prioritizing diversity, the challenges in trying to create a unified culture across a giant firm, and how the pandemic heightened those issues. They also talk about Jenner & Block representation of Stacey Abrams’ Fair Fight Action and the need to modernize the Voting Rights Act.

Episode Resources

https://jenner.com/about/managingpartner
https://jenner.com/people/RandallMehrberg
https://jenner.com/people/KatyaJestin
Episode Highlights
Starting with a vision - 1:24
How diversity became a pillar for the firm - 2:55
The challenges of creating a culture - 6:31
Create an environment of trust - 7:32
Prioritizing the well-being of our people - 10:44
Growing during the pandemic - 11:49
Being a part of something bigger - 14:42
There are great law firms - 22:10
Their long-term goals - 23:14

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Kathryn talks with Sona Pancholy, president of Meritas about the twists and turns of her career that took her to Meritas. They also talk about her goals as president and how she leverages her own personal story in achieving it. Also, they discuss the recently launched Black Lawyers Forum and Women’s Leadership Congress and why that was such a priority in the wake of the murder of George Floyd.

Episode Resources

https://twitter.com/spancholy?lang=en
spancholy@meritas.org
https://www.meritas.org/team
https://www.linkedin.com/in/spancholy/

Episode Highlights * What’s going on at Meritas - 1:30 * The benefits of joining a network like Meritas - 2:20 * Remaining strong and competitive - 3:12 * Where she started her career - 6:13 * Her strategic vision for the network - 10:35 * Having a global perspective - 12:52 * A comprehensive way to serve firms - 13:50 * George Floyd’s murder - 14:58 * Providing something that would add value to firms - 16:02 * Accountability and actionable items - 21:17 * We want firms to be competitive - 24:40 * The practice of law is fascinating - 27:00

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Kathryn talks with Brandi Russell, Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer at Balch & Bingham about her new position and how her career has twisted to bring her here. They also talk about the goals and benchmarks for the firm and two D&I initiatives the firm is passionate about -- the Balch Business Boost and Susan B Livingston Boot Camp. They discuss how to sell the ROI on diversity for those that may take a more lukewarm approach and how to bridge the gap between diversity efforts in law schools and law firms.

Episode Resources

https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandi-a-russell-25b11457

Episode Highlights * How she used her degree to get her where she is today - 2:22 * Setting goals and benchmarks for the firm - 3:25 * Focusing on recruiting - 4:31 * The beauty of this program - 5:56 * Focusing on internal growth first- 8:01 * Supporting diversity efforts - 11:51 * Recognizing keys to success - 12:52 * Her perspective about the inclusive culture - 15:49 * You need problem-solving skills - 18:04 * Why did she go to law school? - 18:44 * Some of her failures and successes in her career - 20:10 * Hosting a program virtually - 24:40
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Kathryn is joined by Berkeley Law Professor Amanda L. Tyler. She’s also a former clerk of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and the co-author of the Justice’s final book JUSTICE, JUSTICE THOU SHALT PURSUE: A Life's Work Fighting for a More Perfect Union. They discuss how Amanda went from clerk to writing this book with Justice Ginsburg. They dive into the book as Justice Ginsburg's final work, and how it frames her legacy. They talk about Justice Ginsburg's penchant for writing powerful dissents and what RBG's perspective was on that. They chat about what it was like working with Justice Ginsburg and how clerking was different than putting the book together.

Episode Resources

https://www.law.berkeley.edu/our-faculty/faculty-profiles/amanda-tyler/

Episode Highlights * How the idea of the book came about - 1:12 * Working as hard as ever - 2:45 * Several publishers did not want to publish the book - 5:03 * Loyalty to a friend - 6:13 * Her final speeches - 8:30 * Characterizing her legacy - 10:00 * The bigger points of legacy - 11:03 * She hates to lose - 15:25 * She was speaking to the future - 16:39 * A special message that she wanted to leave - 22:11 * Opening the door to help students - 23:47 * How to think about the law - 24:13

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Kathryn talks with Kerry Shad and Sharita Whitaker, both partners at Smith Anderson. They talked about why they went to law school in the first place and how they found the practice areas that are right for them. They also get into Diversity & Inclusion nitty gritty like what D&I means to them, what D&I initiatives are necessary for law firms, the advantages of D&I programs in mid-sized firms compared to Biglaw, the impact of D&I on recruiting efforts, and how recruiting efforts compare to retention efforts. Also, they discuss how they balance the D&I efforts and firm management generally with their legal practices.

Episode Resources

swhitaker@smithlaw.com
kshad@smithlaw.com

Episode Highlights * Being a lawyer - 4:17 * Wanting to do real estate work - 7:24 * The opportunity to work in real estate - 9:14 * Being interested in litigation - 9:07 * Trying to prevent people’s problems - 10:30 * What does diversity and inclusion mean to them - 11:32 * D&I is everything - 13:32 * Seeing the growth of D&I efforts - 22:04 * Recruiting and retention - 23:43 * It’s all about opportunity - 25:25 * Being a part of a very diverse team - 32:50

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Kathryn is joined by Jacqueline Duval, a Partner with New York-based law firm Herrick, Feinstein’s Tax Department, and the leader of the firm’s Family Office group. They talk about why she went to law school in the first place, how she settled on tax law as a specialty. Jacqueline also has advice for associates trying to figure out their ideal practice area. They also talk about the twists in her career before achieving the brass ring of the profession, law firm partner, and about Jacqueline co-founding an accelerator law firm for women entrepreneurs and how she uses her current platform to help create space for women in male-dominated spaces like tech and family office investing.

Episode Resources

jduval@herrick.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacqueline-duval-58672810 Episode Highlights
Her legal career - 4:59
Finding where you belong - 7:23
Being an expert generalist - 9:17
Skills that she had developed in her career - 12:05
Credibility is really important for a lawyer - 17:59
Thinking like a lawyer - 19:08
What your client objective is - 19:56
Creating relationships with your colleagues - 22.31
Finding a way to be authentic - 24:09

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In this episode, Kathryn talks with Dr. Anjali Vats about the intersection of race and IP law -- something that may not strike the average person as particularly obvious. They delve into how do the seemingly colorblind patent and copyright laws continue to favor white men, the role of American mythos in maintaining that system, and the stories about invention we should be telling. They also talk about the key moments or decisions that locked the white gaze in as the dominant one in American IP law. They also discuss the concept of IP citizenship and look at the copyright infringement case against Robin Thicke, Pharrell Williams, and TI, and how race and IP law work in that historic case.

Episode Resources

anjali.s.vats@gmail.com
https://www.bc.edu/bc-web/schools/mcas/departments/communication/people/faculty-directory/vats--anjali.html

Episode Highlights * Taking some IP classes - 2:43 * Intellectual property laws - 3:24 * Racial stereotypes emerging - 6:12 * Women and color - 10:00 * The copyright law - 15:10 * Having collaborative processes - 17:06 * Maintaining a racial power - 25:12 * Language and capitalism - 26:12

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Kathryn talks with author and lawyer Robyn Gigl, who has a legal thriller being released at the end of March - By Way for Sorrow. They talk about Robyn's long-time dream of being an author, and how she balanced her legal practice with writing. They also delve into Robyn's process for developing the characters in her novel and share tips for aspiring writers out there. In addition to being a lawyer and writer, Robyn is also a speaker and activist who was honored by the ACLU-NJ and the NJ Pride Network for her work on behalf of the LGBTQIA+ community. They talk about her activism and being one of the founding members of the Trans Affirming Alliance.

Episode Resources

Robyn Gigl, rgigl@glucklaw.com
https://robyngigl.com/
Episode Highlights
Deciding to go to law school - 1:19
Being a lawyer for something good - 2:38
Starting to write novels - 5:25
Experience as a transwoman - 9:37
The justice system - 12:11
About her novel - 12:55
So many trans issues - 14:04
A piece of advice for aspiring authors - 18:20
Never give up! - 18:57
Do not let a failure make you feel that you’re a failure - 20:07
Being an activist and attorney - 20:57
Being free to take the path that she wanted to follow - 26:39
Being in an alliance for the trans community - 28:52
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Kathryn chats with Iffy about how she settled into an estate planning practice, and the turns her career has taken to get to this place. Iffy also offers advice for lawyers that struggle with finding the right practice area for them. They talk about how estate planning can embolden women, and why estate planning is an important tool for building generational wealth. Plus, they discuss how Iffy balances her legal practice, being an entrepreneur, family life, and her creative side.

Episode Resources

Iffy Ibekwe maya@ibekwelaw.com
ifeoma@ibekwelaw.com
https://ibekwelaw.com/about
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ifeoma-iffy-ibekwe-esq-7b319238
Episode Highlights
Why she decided to go to law school - 1:28
Being in education law - 4:48
A great way of learning - 6:22
Law and estate planning - 14:22
Estate planning is freedom - 15:06
Estate planning is for everybody - 15:53
Preserving your voice - 17:40
Using estate planning to protect an asset - 21:22
Loving art - 23:25

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Kathryn talks with David about diversity in Biglaw and the challenges of recruiting and retention of diverse attorneys. They discussed his recent lateral move to Brown Rudnick, the things he looked for in making that jump, and advice for others looking to move firms. They also talk about David's passion for pro bono work and why is that so important for the legal industry.

Episode Resources

David Moreno dmoreno@brownrudnick.com
http://brownrudnick.com/people/david-a-moreno-jr/
Episode Highlights
A unique journey and path - 1:22
Discrimination practices - 2:55
Empowering the community - 5:49
Building trust - 7:43
His change to Biglaw - 9:27
What information are you looking for? - 11:28
It’s all about the relationships - 11:57
Promoting diversity - 12:27
Diversity in Biglaw - 14:33
We need unity not uniformity - 16:02
Wanting to promote diversity - 16:47
What he is passionate about - 20:42
Learning to be resilient - 22:09
A memorable moment in his legal career - 22:25
Always work towards your goal - 26:38

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Kathryn talks with Laura Leopard, founder, and CEO of Leopard Solutions. They talk about Leopard's recently rolled out ethnic diversity data in your law firm index and why it’s vital for the legal industry, they discuss the state of gender and ethnic diversity within the top 200 law firms in the US and the biggest takeaways from that work. They also talk about the newly launched Law Firm Transparency Directory and about transparency generally and why it’s so important to improve the legal industry. Laura also notes what data can raise a red flag for prospective employees — either from a law firm health perspective or something about a firm’s culture.

Episode Resources

Laura Leopard laura@leopardsolutions.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauraleopard/ Episode Highlights
Leopard Solutions and its place in the legal industry - 1:22
The driving force behind creating this company - 2:36
Law firms online for the first time - 3:34
The availability of data for more people - 4:00
What represents the data in the legal industry - 5:15
What’s going on in the industry - 7:22
How data is collected and what’s important - 9:25
Firms that are losing money - 11:53
It all begins and ends with data - 12:48
The lack of innovation and transparency - 14:22
Building diversity numbers - 16:21
Using data in a good way - 18:09
Having a good diversity score - 19:31
Women in law firms - 20:42
Transparency leads to better decisions - 23:31
Make recruiting more successful - 25:08
What would be a big red flag - 26:21
A more transparent data - 27:24

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Kathryn talks with Leigh Vickery about her work as Chief Strategy & Innovation Officer at LevelLegal. They discuss the ways the legal industry is changing as a result of COVID-19 and why this is a moment for innovation in the industry. They also delve into creating a culture of care as it applies to the legal industry and how things will be different under this model.

Episode Resources

Leigh Vickery carolyn@plat4orm.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/leighvickery/

Episode Highlights

Making legal human - 4:55
About her work - 5:39
Improving efficiency - 7:20
Covid19 and the legal industry - 11:03
The importance of freedom - 24:27

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Kathryn talks with the plaintiffs' attorney, Anabel Rosa, about her work fighting for Hispanic/Latinx causes in state and local governments. They talk about how her policy work dovetails with her legal career and why she recommends law school to those that care about social justice issues.

Episode Resources

Anabel Rosa arosa@farrin.com
https://www.farrin.com/attorney/anabel-rosa/

Episode Highlights

What motivated Anabel to get started - 2:07
Being in Puerto Rico - 2:57
A poverty reduction program - 3:54
A success story - 5:23
She’s still learning - 11:11
Her working private practice - 14:21
How she loves her job - 24:11
She loves being an attorney - 27:33

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Kathryn speaks with Molly J. Bowen and Julie Goldsmith Reiser of Cohen Milstein about their representation of Alphabet shareholders in a case over the company’s handing of sexual harassment claims that led to a $310 million settlement that’s been hailed as precedent-setting.

Episode Resources

https://www.cohenmilstein.com/professional/molly-j-bowen
https://www.cohenmilstein.com/professional/julie-g-reiser

Episode Highlights

Violations of law - 2:01
The sexual harassment laws - 3:20
An evolving form of litigation - 5:49
Policies and procedures - 7:20
Making compensation decisions - 9:21
What addresses the settlement - 12:55
Hopes of the settlement - 13:46
The flip of mindset - 16:35
An industry typically male-dominated - 25:53
It is inspiring to fight for our clients - 27:32

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Kathryn interviews Arent Fox partner Eva J. Pulliam about the firm's newly launched Center For Racial Equality. They chat about the creation of the Center and what motivated the firm to do so, the firm's role in racial equality, the goals of the Center, and which projects she is initially focused on.

Episode Resources

Eva Pulliam
eva.pulliam@arentfox.com
https://www.arentfox.com/attorneys/eva-pulliam

Episode Highlights

The firm’s motivation about launching a Center for Racial Equality - 0:39
The firm’s work - 4:14
Top priorities of rights - 5:30
Partnering with organizations - 6:00
Hours for strategic planning - 9:08
It feels good to be able to do something - 10:30
The goal is to start something - 14:27
Developing a culture - 15:34
Programs that firms had initiated - 17:55
Biglaw’s role today - 21:14

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Kathryn interviews Kalpana Kotagal, partner at Cohen Milstein and co-author of the Hollywood “Inclusion Rider” (made famous by Frances McDormand during her 2018 Oscars acceptance speech). They talk about strategies for diversity in the workplace and race and gender discrimination.

Episode Resources

kkotagal@cohenmilstein.com
https://www.cohenmilstein.com/professional/kalpana-kotagal#:~:text=Kalpana%20Kotagal%20is%20a%20Partner,Ms.

Episode Highlights

The night of the Oscars - 1:07
Working behind the scenes for a while - 2:01
Diversifying the profession - 8:07
Access and inclusion issues - 9:42
How to use inclusion writers - 11:08
Increasing litigation in the law space - 27:03
What Big Law is doing about inclusion - 28:51
Pressure points - 29:25

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Kathryn Rubino talks with Jessica S. Henry, author of “SMOKE BUT NO FIRE: Convicting the Innocent of Crimes that Never Happened”, about the prevalence of no-crime convictions, some of the worst examples of no-crime convictions, how racial injustice exacerbates the issue, and finally what can be done, particularly within the current criminal justice reform zeitgeist.

Episode Resources

Jessica S. Henry: jessicahenryjustice@gmail.com
https://www.amazon.com/Smoke-but-No-Fire-Convicting/dp/0520300645
https://jessicahenryjustice.com/

Episode Highlights

Jessica’s new book - 0:37
Her background - 1:31
Being a teacher and learning about crime cases - 5:34
Crimes that never happened - 6:18
Being convicted about something that never took place - 8:36
Some of the worst cases about convicted persons with no crime - 10:48
How prosecutors do their job - 15:56
Wrongful convictions - 17:17
What we can do to stop this problem - 18:58
Aggressive police tactics - 19:58
What would help this problem - 22:09
Focusing on this issue - 25:33

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Smoke but No Fire: Convicting the Innocent of Crimes that Never Happened

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Kathryn talks with Thomasina Real Bird, Angelique EagleWoman, Paulene Abeyta, Christina McDonogh, and Aidan Graybill about the exclusion of Native voices in The Center for Women in Law and The NALP Foundation's study, “Women of Color – A Study of Law Student Experiences”. They discuss the NALP study, then walk through the 4 identified issues with the survey. They also talk about the NALP response to the criticisms and why that isn't a sufficient response. Finally, they discuss the unique issues facing Native American law students and what work is needed to address them.

Episode Resources

https://www.nalp.org/research
Thomasina Real Bird: TRealBird@nativelawgroup.com
Angelique EagleWoman: Angelique.EagleWoman@mitchellhamline.edu
Paulene Abeyta: nnalsa.president@gmail.com

Episode Highlights

The guests for today’s episode - 0:46
A Women of Color study - 2:30
Native voices - 5:05
Exclusion of Native Americans from the study - 5:53
Concerns with the study - 6:47
Their feelings about the study - 12:25
Having a wrong reaction - 13:40
Law school students - 16:28
Increasing diversity in the legal profession - 17:51
Trying to increase visibility - 21:02
Working and being inclusive - 24:00

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Kathryn Rubino talks with Linda Coberly, Chicago Office Managing Partner for the law firm of Winston & Strawn and Chair of the ERA Coalition’s Legal Task Force, about the ongoing fight for the adoption of the Equal Rights Amendment.

Episode Resources

lcoberly@winston.com
https://www.winston.com/en/who-we-are/professionals/coberly-linda-t.html
https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindacoberly

Episode Highlights

The adoption of the ERA - 0:47
The right to vote - 2:07
The proposal of the ERA - 4:36
There are protections against discrimination - 5:30
The ERA inside the Constitution - 14:48
Working cases - 22:23
Expectations about a case - 23:23
The Congress and the Department of Justice - 26:40

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Kathryn talks with Danielle Barondess (a federal law clerk in Hawaii) and Steven Arango (a federal law clerk in Texas) founders of a new program Law Clerks for Diversity. Law Clerks for Diversity connects diverse candidates with current and former law clerks, practitioners, and judges for mentorship and assistance applying for federal clerkships.

Episode Resources

https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8945625/
https://twitter.com/clrks4diversity
https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniellebarondess
https://www.stevenarango.com/

Episode Highlights

Founding a new program - 0:57
Never giving up - 4:25
Steven and Danielle’s background and story - 5:22
Diversity in the legal world - 6:38
School’s diversity and minority students - 8:26
Types of diversity - 8:49
Why diversity is important - 10:01
Diverse school background - 10:54
Using the program to create more opportunities - 14:14
A barrier for diversification - 17:07
Paying yourself back - 21:58
Why use the program? - 23:51
Law Clerks for Diversity for the legal profession - 26:58

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Kathryn talks with Tai-Heng Cheng, global co-head of the international arbitration and trade practice at Sidley, about his recent pro bono efforts. He represents journalist Linda Tirado, who was struck in the eye with a rubber bullet while covering the protests following the murder of George Floyd, in her lawsuit against the city of Minneapolis.

Episode Resources

https://www.sidley.com/en/people/c/cheng-taiheng

Episode Highlights

Why focus on pro bono - 1:28
The George Floyd demonstrations - 3:02
Being in an inflection point in our society - 3:43
Lawyers must step up now - 4:44
Getting involved in pro bono cases - 5:47
The first pro bono case he did - 8:04
A recent pro bono case - 10:50
The horrific killing of George Floyd - 12:09
A very diverse group - 12:51
Journalism and the George Floyd demonstration - 18:08
The expression of free speech - 21:33

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Kathryn Rubino talks to Lia Dorsey, newly elected President of the Association of Law Firm Diversity Professionals, and Director of Diversity and Inclusion at Dentons, about Biglaw's response to the violent deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery, and to Black Lives Matter.

Episode Resources * lia.dorsey@dentons.com * https://www.dentons.com/en * https://www.linkedin.com/in/lia-dorsey-b770511

Episode Highlights

A difficult topic - 1:13
Tangible actions behind words - 2:34
Lia’s role and Biglaw’s role - 3:20
All the firms' different statements - 4:25
Lia’s piece of advice for law firms - 7:20
The culture of a firm - 9:13
An opportunity for the firms’ leaders - 10:06
Everybody has a role to play - 11:42
How we can move forward - 14:11
Having access to money and resources - 18:49
Promoting diversity - 19:57
Nobody has the right answer right now - 23:36

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Kathryn Rubino talks with Christina Moore, partner at Taylor English Duma LLP, about balancing home life with a thriving legal practice during the pandemic. They discuss COVID-19's impact on work/life balance, tips for dealing with the health crisis and a flourishing legal practice, what she's learned in becoming the firm's PPP point, and what challenges the legal industry faces as we continue to deal with the ramifications of the pandemic.

Episode Resources * Connect with Christina Moore cmoore@taylorenglish.com * https://www.taylorenglish.com/people-Christina-L-Moore.html

Episode Highlights * The global pandemic and its challenges - 1:54 * How her company challenges the pandemic - 3:53 * Teaching kids and balancing remote learning - 4:54 * A moment in our lives - 6:34 * Getting frustrated - 7:19 * How businesses are working today - 10:25 * Biggest takeaways from the firm’s PPP point -11:19 * The relationship with your bank - 13:07 * What’s happening now during the pandemic - 19:14 * Aspirations when she graduated from law school - 22:49

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Kathryn Rubino speaks with Kori Carew, Seyfarth Shaw’s chief inclusion and diversity officer and leader of The Belonging Project initiative. They talk about why the middle of a pandemic is the right time for Biglaw to double down on diversity.

Episode Resources * https://www.seyfarth.com/the-belonging-project.html * kcarew@seyfarth.com * https://www.seyfarth.com/about-us/firm-leadership.html

Episode Highlights * What’s the project all about - 1:00 * Offering webinars - 2:39 * A coaching culture and program - 3:59 * The pandemic and the program - 7:23 * People impacted by COVID_19 - 8:13 * The legal field in 2008 - 9:04 * A mental health issue with the pandemic - 10:29 * This is the time for diversity inclusion - 14:34 * Marking sure people are okay - 15:02 * Impact how people feel at the end of this pandemic - 21:30 * Uncertainty and the pandemic - 22:36 * Serving the legal community - 24:56 * The goal of the project - 25:13

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Kathryn Rubino interviews Eliza Stoker, Executive Director of MLA’s In-House Counsel Recruiting group, about Major Lindsey & Africa's new In-House Compensation Survey which reveals a gender pay gap. We discuss what folks need to understand about the in-house space that may contribute to the pay gap, what can/should be done to fix the pay gap, and what does gender equity looks like in the in-house space.

Episode Resources * https://www.mlaglobal.com/en/knowledge-library/research/2020-global-in-house-compensation-survey * https://www.mlaglobal.com/en/people/eliza-stoker?byconsultantorauthor=eliza-stoker * estoker@mlaglobal.com

Episode Highlights * Today’s guest! - 1:14 * The survey and why she did it - 2:05 * The results of the survey about the gender pay gap - 3:41 * Looking at compensations - 5:03 * More men in leadership roles - 6:55 * The level of disparity - 7:44 * The in-house legal practice - 10:02 * We can narrow the pay gap - 11:59 * The results of the survey and negotiations - 13:23 * Tips to move in-house - 13:35 * What can we do to help the gender pay gap - 21:12 * Are women leading teams? - 24:25 * Diversity efforts - 26:08

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Kathryn talks with Kyle McEntee of Law School Transparency about their new report that identifies --- and charts a way forward --- the problems with diversity and debt in legal education.

Episode Resources * https://www.lawschooltransparency.com/ * kyle.patrick.mcentee@gmail.com

Episode Highlights * Law school transparency - 1:28 * How everything started - 2:04 * Kyle’s background - 2:45 * Diversity and debt and why they’re important - 5:52 * Law School Transparency vision and goal - 7:00 * Lawyers and law schools - 9:00 * Increasing diversity - 9:49 * Law school rankings - 15:35 * The transparency index - 18:40 * Working with law schools - 19:35 * Hosting diversity and inclusion workshops - 21:06 * Kyle’s experience in increasing transparency - 23:43 * Unhappiness in big law - 29:47

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Kathryn Rubino talks with Kelly Rittenberry Culhane and James Meadows, two of the founding partners of Culhane Meadows, about what it was like to start their firm in 2013. They also discuss why their firm cares so much about diversity and what can be done to make the profession more diverse. They also chat about the firm's growth plans, which continue despite the economic downturn created by the global pandemic.

Episode Resources * https://www.culhanemeadows.com/attorney/kelly-culhane/ * https://www.culhanemeadows.com/attorney/james-meadows/

Episode Highlights * Today’s guests - 1:20 * Opening a new firm - 2:04 * COVID_19 and legal firms - 5:59 * The strategic vision of the firm - 6:44 * Diversity and inclusion are key - 8:20 * Why diversity is so important for their firm - 11:20 * Being able to support an online work - 18:14 * Figuring out how to work from home - 20:08 * Expanding their firm - 21:50 * The practice of law - 25:30 * The goal for everyone to succeed - 28:49 * Their number 1 piece of advice for attorneys - 29:10

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Kathryn talks with Stephanie Wilkins who said “No” to the Biglaw brass ring of partnership in favor of a freelancer's life. Hear what it is like to choose to be happy over money and how she makes the uncertainty of freelance work for her.

Episode Resources * https://www.stephaniewilkinsphotography.com/about * https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-wilkins/ * https://www.instagram.com/swilkinstravels/

Episode Highlights * Being a writer at Above The Law - 1:54 * Leaving Biglaw - 2:15 * Her background - 2:20 * Going to law school - 5:06 * When she decided to leave biglaw - 7:31 * Making a decision to not being unhappy anymore - 8:54 * Being miserable at biglaw - 10:08 * Feeling that your work is not valued - 11:25 * The idea of being a photographer - 16:26 * Being determined to not being an attorney anymore - 20:12 * Stephanie’s routine - 25:04 * Dealing with the uncertainty of a freelancer - 27:27 * Enjoying to travel the world - 30:18 * Her favorite travel - 34:19 * A low point in a freelancer live - 34:38 * Not hating the law, just hating being a lawyer - 37:37 * Now she understands what it means to be happy - 39:27 * Stephanie’s regrets - 40:05 * The craziest project that she had - 41:33

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Kathryn talks with Cassie Chambers, author of the new book Hill Women: Finding Family and a Way Forward in the Appalachian Mountains. Cassie is a graduate of Yale College, the Yale School of Public Health, the London School of Economics, and Harvard Law School. They talk about the strong women in her family and the emphasis on education, stereotypes of Appalachia and how her book is a response to that.

Episode Resources * cassie.h.chambers@gmail.com * https://www.cassiechambers.com/ * Cassie’s book: https://www.amazon.com/Hill-Women-Finding-Appalachian-Mountains/dp/1984818910

Episode Highlights * Cassie’s story - 1:53 * The value of education - 2:48 * Stories of women in Kentucky - 3:53 * Writing a book to honor women - 4:45 * Being a practicing lawyer and author - 6:13 * Telling part of her story in the book - 8:01 * Seeking external validation - 9:04 * Her experience after graduating from law school - 11:02 * Growing up in Appalachia - 11:30 * She thought that “all law was law” - 13:02 * The power of being a lawyer - 14:39 * Her background influences the kind of lawyer that she is today - 14:51 * How Appalachia is a part of her - 17:41 * The cost associated with law school - 20:46 * Caring deeper about poverty - 22:59 * Her experience making the world better - 25:17 * The democratic party in Kentucky - 26:52 * Figuring out the new economy in Appalachia - 28:48 * Innovating in times of crisis - 29:59

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Hill Women: Finding Family and a Way Forward in the Appalachian Mountains

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Kathryn talks with Summer Eberhard, managing director in the Associate Practice Group at Major, Lindsey & Africa and a working mother who advises young lawyers on negotiating their parental leave, and about the intersection of mental health issues and parenthood. They discuss the challenges of working as a lawyer and parent amid the COVID-19 outbreak, how associates should ask for and take parental leave, and some of the mental health issues that accompany both challenging tasks. Enjoy this episode!

Episode Resources * Summer Eberhard: seberhard@mlaglobal.com https://www.mlaglobal.com/en/people/summer-eberhard?byconsultantorauthor=summer-eberhard * kathryn@abovethelaw.com

Episode Highlights * Mental health and working parents - 1:44 * Living in a world with coronavirus - 2:07 * Full-time working parents - 3:02 * Stress - 4:08 * Mental health during the coronavirus - 5:45 * Prioritizing your mental health - 6:11 * Working parents at home - 6:40 * Summer's background - 7:39 * The role of mental health issues - 9:05 * Balancing stress and anxiety - 10:24 * Worried about the coronavirus pandemic - 12:58 * Having the support that you need - 13:47 * One of the biggest mental health problems for working parents - 15:30 * The other side of parental leave - 22:33 * Mental health issues after taking parental leave - 22:50 * Being a full-time attorney again - 24:01 * A piece of advice for parents that need to talk with their firms after parental leave - 27:17

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Sara Eng is the VP of Legal Partnerships at InCloudCounsel. Kathryn and Sara talk about implicit bias and how that creates and maintains the diversity gap in the legal profession. They discuss concrete steps that can be taken and technology that can be used to stop the impact of implicit bias. Be sure to stay tuned and enjoy!

Episode Resources * https://www.linkedin.com/in/sara-eng-82432342 * https://www.incloudcounsel.com/about/

Episode Highlights * All the Coronavirus craziness - 1:09 * Sara's company goals and mission - 1:55 * Pursuing other passions outside of the Law - 2:42 * Sara's background - 3:22 * What's happening in the Legal industry - 5:35 * The biggest problem in the legal industry - 6:29 * Transitioning from the legal industry to the technology side - 7:49 * A game-changer for women and minorities - 8:46 * Technology and the diversity gap - 12:42 * Alternatives for legal services providers - 16:03 * Inefficiency in law firms - 17:10 * Focusing on corporate transactions - 18:28 * Future for the legal technology space - 19:15 * Being proud of the work that her company is doing - 22:34 * The opportunity of being a partner of law firms - 23:50

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Mary Anne Franks, Professor of Law and Dean’s Distinguished Scholar, teaches criminal law, criminal procedure, First Amendment law, Second Amendment law, family law, and Law, Policy, and Technology. Professor Franks is also an Affiliated Faculty member of the University of Miami Department of Philosophy. She also serves as the President and Legislative & Tech Policy Director of the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative, a nonprofit organization dedicated to combating online abuse and discrimination. In today’s episode, Kathryn Rubino talks with Mary Ann about her recent book The Cult of the Constitution: Our Deadly Devotion to Guns and Free Speech. Enjoy!

Episode Resources

mafranks@law.miami.edu
https://twitter.com/ma_franks
https://www.cybercivilrights.org/

Episode Highlights

Her recent book - 1:33
Being a Law Professor - 2:03
Her experience with Legal teaching - 3:40
More justice for everyone - 4:20
How she decided to write her book - 4:45
What's the cult of the Constitution? - 6:06
The nature of our Constitution - 7:40
The founders of our Constitution - 8:34
About slavery - 9:45
The rights for women and minorities - 13:47
The idea of Constitutional fundamentalist - 14:10
Talking about the Second Amendment - 14:55
Her thoughts about fundamentalists on free speech - 20:42
Abuse, women, privacy, and law - 21:50
Freedom and liberty of expression can not be separated - 22:18
Liberty of expression and abuse - 22:48
The idea of libertarianism - 24:04
The dynamics of power and free speech - 24:42

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Andrea Freeman studies the intersection of critical race and class theory with issues of food policy, health, feminism, and consumer credit. Many of her articles explore her pioneering theory of food oppression, which examines how facially neutral food-related law, policy, and government action disproportionately harm marginalized communities. She also studies the effects of racism by credit card companies against consumers. Freeman teaches Constitutional Law, Federal Courts, and Race and Law at the University of Hawaii William S. Richardson School of Law. She is a member of the ACLU of Hawaii Litigation Committee and received the Community Faculty of the Year award in 2015.

Episode Resources * afree@hawaii.edu * Andrea’s book: https://www.amazon.com/Skimmed-Breastfeeding-Injustice-Andrea-Freeman/dp/1503601129

Episode Highlights * Being a Law Professor - 1:36 * Spending more time protesting than being at school - 2:22 * Her background - 4:04 * When she started to study law - 4:54 * Wanting to be a Law Professor - 7:29 * Food, racial discrimination, and injustice - 8:47 * Connections between food and racism - 9:37 * About her book: Skimmed - 12:25 * Food and racism - 15:17 * Stereotypes and injustice - 17:53 * Breastfeeding discrimination - 20:13 * The type of issue that needs a social movement - 26:32 * We need a cultural change - 26:55 * Areas that need reform - 28:03

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Roberta D. Liebenberg and Stephanie A. Scharf are the co-authors of a joint-report by the American Bar Association and ALM Intelligence called Walking Out the Door: the facts, figures, and future of experienced women lawyers in private practice. This report addresses why senior women are far more likely than men to leave the practice of law. Stay tuned!

Episode Resources * https://www.americanbar.org/products/inv/book/391971040/

Episode Highlights * Talking about their research study - 1:31 * the percentage of women at different levels and their income - 3:06 * The everyday experience for women practicing law - 3:48 * Demonstrating their research - 4:27 * Is everything impacted by gender? - 5:09 * Everyday experience for women and men - 6:34 * Law firms management - 7:53 * What happens with meritocracy? - 10:10 * Results of the research when it comes to women’s salary - 11:53 * Payment differences are defined by gender? - 12:06 * Clients are increasingly demanding - 14:13 * Law firms addressing the issue of retaining women lawyers - 15:30 * To implement a change, you'll need a strategy - 16:44 * Programs to keep women at law firms - 17:52 * A gender pay gap - 18:15 * The importance of transparency in the compensation system - 21:44 * Areas in which innovation is needed - 24:36

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Dana Rosenfeld is a Managing Partner at Kelley Drye Advertising Law. She is a member of the firm’s Executive Committee and past chair of the firm’s Privacy and Information Security practice. In the area of privacy and data security, Dana assists clients in complying with state and federal privacy and information security laws, as well as advice on best practices and self-regulatory programs. Furthermore, Dana advises major consumer financial services companies and service providers in connection with FTC and CFPB investigations involving marketing and billing practices, debt collection and data security. Enjoy this episode!

Episode Resources * https://www.kelleydrye.com/Our-People/Dana-B-Rosenfeld * https://www.facebook.com/KelleyDryeAdvertisingLaw/ * https://www.linkedin.com/company/kelley-drye-&-warren-llp * https://twitter.com/kelleydrye

Episode Highlights * Wanting to work as a lawyer - 2:33 * Being specialized in the area since College - 2:47 * Representing companies under investigation - 3:21 * Figuring out how to change law firms - 5:22 * Why she decided to come to Kelley Drye - 5:48 * Feeling comfortable working at Kelley Drye - 6:03 * Using technology tools to assist better the clients - 8:20 * Why transparency is so important - 9:08 * How she decided to manage and be the leader of the firm - 10:31 * Having great mentors in her career - 14:04 * Two main things the firm is focusing on - 17:11 * The client service innovation community - 20:23 * The value of diversity in a Firm - 21:01 * The role of women in the firm - 23:07 * Having a lot of training programs for diversity - 25:52 * The first step is focusing on being an excellent lawyer - 27:02

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Jessica Robinson is the Vice President of Client Services at Casepoint. She plays an important role as Casepoint continues the expansion of its user base and resources it dedicates to client relationships and needs. Casepoint is a technology company focused on the digital transformation of litigation discovery. Jessica shares her background, her company mission, and other insights about her role at Casepoint. Enjoy!

Episode Resources * https://www.linkedin.com/company/casepoint-llc * https://twitter.com/CasePoint * https://www.casepoint.com/careers/

Episode Highlights * How Jessica decided to go to law school - 1:43 * Having multiple advanced degrees - 2:49 * Her career experience - 4:23 * The legal field is expanding - 6:09 * Aren't law firms just for lawyers? - 6:59 * Jessica's MBA story - 8:40 * Her first exposure to an old school law firm - 11:59 * Being project manager - 13:05 * Do not be scared to lose a job - 14:10 * What she thinks about project management - 15:07 * What Casepoint does - 17:24 * Casepoint's culture - 18:40 * The future of the industry on the technology side - 19:40 * Applying her skill set to add value to the company - 23:49 * Describing her management style - 24:38 * Leadership is more than management - 26:43 * A piece of advice for those people who are working at legal technology - 29:47

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Kate Reder Sheikh is a Managing Director at Major, Lindsey & Africa. She covers San Francisco and Silicon Valley. Her focus is on providing a concierge level of service to associates and clients alike. Leveraging her background as a litigator in San Francisco, Kate has unparalleled access to roles and firms in the Northern California market. Kate is an avid traveler—she and her husband have been to 27 countries together since 2011. A San Francisco native, Kate spent three years as an expat in Singapore and London before returning to the Bay Area in 2017. Stay tuned and enjoy!

Episode Resources

https://www.mlaglobal.com/en
https://www.mlaglobal.com/en/people/kate-reder-sheikh
kredersh@mlaglobal.com

Episode Highlights

Kate's expertise and background - 1:16
Moving to Singapore - 2:11
Being a legal recruiter - 3:10
Transitioning to another job while pregnant - 5:16
Difference between what is on paper and what you communicate - 6:35
HR needs to take some issues seriously - 9:50
Coaching people - 10:52
Be firm and do not show weakness - 11:22
Encouraging her clients - 12:45
An issue that happens in big law - 14:07
Kate's thoughts and challenges - 18:48
Are women a default? - 20:00
There's an issue with the word “unlimited” - 21:02
Parent Programs - 24:56
An issue that is not a women's issue - 25:39

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Lisa Kirby is the Chief Intelligence & Knowledge Sharing Officer at Diversity Lab. Lisa brings 20 years of experience in the legal profession: served as a practicing attorney, talent management professionals, and law firm consultant. Lisa began her career as a litigator, practicing at two large law firms. At Diversity Lab, among many other duties, Lisa has led the creation and implementation of the needle-moving Mansfield Rule, now in its second certification year. She is a sought-after speaker who has been featured as a keynote speaker, presenter, and panelist on a variety of topics related to diversity & inclusion in the legal profession. Lisa is also a prolific author, having contributed articles on innovative ideas in diversity and professional development to publications like The American Lawyer, Law Practice, and Professional Development Quarterly.

Episode Resources

https://www.diversitylab.com/
https://www.diversitylab.com/team_members/lisa-kirby/
https://twitter.com/DiversityLabCo

Episode Highlights

What is Diversity Lab - 1:32
Diversity and Inclusion in the legal profession - 1:44
Working with law firm partners - 3:19
Diversity Lab's crew - 10:06
Doing research - 10:20
Their goal - 15:10
Having a resource library - 15:31
Some common misconceptions - 16:40
Considering people - 17:47
Future for the industry - 20:02
Be as inclusive as possible - 20:40
Lawyers with disabilities and inclusive practices - 21:33
New considerations about the legal industry - 23:49
Diversity of law schools - 24:56

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Kristin Tyler is a mom, wife, lawyer, legal tech entrepreneur, domestic enthusiast, and co-founder of LAWCLERK. She runs on coffee, wine, and all things gluten-free. Kristin is launching LAWCLERK's marketing and business development efforts, with a focus on helping busy attorneys to rethink their workflows with the LAWCLERK marketplace. Stay tuned and enjoy!

Episode Resources * https://www.lawclerk.legal/ * https://twitter.com/kristintyler?lang=en * https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristin-tyler-49755713

Episode Highlights * Kristin's background - 2:03 * Having political aspirations - 3:29 * Happy to be a lawyer - 4:57 * The process of leaving the bigger firm - 7:49 * LAWCLERK's foundation and services - 8:57 * A Freelance lawyers network - 11:30 * Attorneys with decades of experience - 13:11 * Her creative brand - 17:58 * Do your homework and talk to smart people - 18:44 * LAWCLERK's future - 10:13 * Focus on helping new customers - 20:47 * Tell people when you need help - 22:18 * Hiring freelance lawyers - 24:15

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Andrea (Andie) S. Kramer has a sophisticated and unique multidisciplinary legal practice that covers all aspects of financial transactions and derivatives: with a focus on taxation, regulation, contract design, trading operations, and documentation. She and Al Harris are lawyers and the authors of “It’s Not You, It’s your Workplace”. They talk about their book that offers a fresh approach to understanding why women’s relationships with other women at work can be difficult. Andie and Al challenge the positions that women are inherently nasty back-stabbers who cannot get along with each other. Stay tuned and enjoy!

Episode Resources

https://andieandal.com/about/
info@andieandal.com
https://www.facebook.com/breakingthroughbias/
https://twitter.com/AndieandAl
https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreaskramer
https://www.amazon.com/Its-Not-You-Workplace-Conflict/dp/1473697263

Episode Highlights

Andie and Al's background - 1:52
Being married - 2:52
Stereotypes and women in work - 4:04
Hating working with women? - 12:16
Women do not get along well with other women - 5:58
Complex relationships in the workplace - 6:48
No evidence that women are mean - 8:17
It's not women, it's the workplace - 9:04
What is a gendered workplace? - 9:27
Gender and workplaces - 12:16
Stereotypes about women and social identities - 12:44
Not me distinctive in expectations or race - 14:55
What do we need to do? - 17:29
Gendered workplaces - 18:20
We need a new approach: diversity and inclusion training - 19:00
Being prepared to try - 24:30
The objective is to understand the other person - 25:03
It’s not about you, it’s about understanding the other person - 25:32

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It's Not You It's the Workplace: Women's Conflict at Work and the Bias that Built It

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Jen Dawson is the Managing Director at Hemington Wealth Management, she helps clients get crystal clear about what’s most important in life and feel connected to the financial plan that supports their vision. She advises clients with a focus on financial freedom, college funding tactics, tax reduction strategies, and proactive planning ahead for worst-case scenarios such as death or disability. Today, she’s here to share with us her most recent experience as one of the authors of a new paper: What Do Breadwinner Women Lawyers Want? Stay tuned, learn, and enjoy!

Episode Resources * http://www.hemingtonwm.com/?team=jen-dawson * jen.dawson@hemingtonwm.com * https://www.hemingtonwm.com/breadwinner-women-lawyers/

Episode Highlights * A study of women and wealth - 1:47 * Defining a “Breadwinner Woman” - 1:57 * 65% of their advisors are women - 2:25 * Focusing on financial planning - 2:32 * Breadwinner Women Lawyer - 2:45 * Talking about the survey - 3:14 * Women associates and female doctors - 4:04 * Starting late and in debt - 6:00 * A key frustration that appears in the survey result - 7:00 * Leveraging your time - 10:02 * Download the study online - 11:09 * The second frustration that the survey identifies - 11:36 * It’s all about progress, not perfection - 14:07 * Income and expenses - 16:05 * By the time you are 45 it is important to have a formal financial plan - 16:35 * Dissatisfaction with women lawyers? - 17:40 * Law firm mentality and the pressure of time - 20:05 * Helping clients with financial health -21:19 * Being clear of what is most important in life - 21:47 * Counsel for a brand-new lawyer - 23:07

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Lynnette D. Espy-Williams serves as the Cozen O’Connor Firm Chief Diversity Officer. Lynnette has experience in litigating a wide variety of civil and commercial matters including: those pertaining to mass and complex torts, professional liability, premises liability, products liability, contract disputes, and extracontractual disputes including defending bad faith claims. Lynnette also frequently defends various entities in premises liability matters involving acts of negligent third parties, negligent or improper maintenance of premises, and inadequate security.

Episode Resources

https://www.cozen.com/people/bios/espy-williams-lynnette
lespy-williams@cozen.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/lynnetteespywilliams

Episode Highlights

Lynnette’s decision to go to law school - 1:46
Wanting to be a lawyer before knowing what that meant - 2:17
Lynnette’s background - 2:56
Growing as a lawyer in a firm - 3:59
Getting involved as a Chief Diversity Officer - 5:05
Balancing being a Chief Diversity Officer and practicing law - 6:14
Helping women and diverse culture - 10:18
Is there a problem with diversity? - 10:40
Educating and providing training for lawyers - 13:50
Decisions made by two people behind closed doors - 17:26
Sometimes all you need is consideration - 18:18
What does true diversity look like in big law -21:56
Making an impact on diversity inclusion - 25:00
Bringing more diversity to the firm - 27:00
A piece of advice for young diverse lawyers - 28:05

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Kate Baxter-Kauf is an attorney at Lockridge Grindal Nauen P.L.L.P. her practice focuses on firm’s data breach, antitrust law, business litigation, and securities litigation practice groups. She represents individuals, consumers, financial institutions, and small businesses in litigation to protect their rights.

Episode Resources

https://www.locklaw.com/kmbaxter-kauf/
kmbaxter-kauf@locklaw.com
https://twitter.com/kbaxterk
https://www.linkedin.com/in/katebaxterkauf?trk=author_mini-profile_title

Episode Highlights

Why Kate decided to study Law - 1:27
Kate's background - 2:30
Kate's experience with her first child - 4:14
Doing the assignments in the library - 5:56
A piece of advice - 6:55
Getting everything done in college - 8:50
Kate's legal work - 10:33
Working for a firm - 15:08
The challenges of litigating- 18:05
The plaintiff's work - 18:36
Policies for attorneys - 23:03
Kate's feminist teaching work - 24:30
The gay marriage legalization - 26:30
Kate's favorite feminist t-shirts - 29:00
The feminist t-shirt Friday experience - 30:00

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We live in a world today where it’s even more important to focus on diversity in the workplace. Merle Vaughn, of Major, Lindsey & Africa tells us the importance of building a legal team that is not only diverse in race ethnicity, and gender but also in thought, experiences and perspective.

Episode Resources

https://www.mlaglobal.com/

Episode Highlights

Working as a partner recruiter - 1:40
Focusing on diversity - 2:05
Merle shares her background - 3:11
The focus on recruiting - 4:10
When she started to focus on diversity - 5:22
Lawyers that undersell themselves - 7:30
Merle recommends minorities be more confident in their legal skills - 8:11
Talking about diverse candidates - 9:18
Increasing diversity within partnerships - 11:11
We need to re-evaluate the recruitment system - 11:41
Being subjective while hiring somebody to work in a law firm - 12:30
Sometimes a big firm is not a fit for you - 17:26
What to do if you do not feel well at a big law firm - 18:00
Creating the career that you want for yourself - 19:00
Trying to change diversity patterns at top levels - 20:30
Merle tells us she wants to see diverse candidates to hire - 23:33
Investing in diverse talent - 24:03
Diversity advice for law school students - 24:35

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Amy Impellizzeri is here today to talk about her journey transitioning from a corporate job in Big Law to becoming a novelist. Stay tuned to hear how it all started as a sabbatical year, how she found her first publishing contract and her recommendations for those who want to take the leap out of Big Law as well!

Episode Resources

http://www.amyimpellizzeri.com/why-we-lie.html

Episode Highlights

How Amy ended up going to law school - 1:50
Why did she decide to leave the law - 3:20
How a sabbatical year became an exploratory exercise for Amy - 5:00
She started to get ideas for a book - 6:00
Four years later Amy got her first publishing contract - 6:30
How the practice of law is different from what she expected a a child - 7:00
A law degree can be very versatile - 9:00
Amy’s advice for other litigators wanting to publish a novel - 9:30
It isn’t a 1-2-3 steps process - 10:00
Litigators are a good fit for this road because of their perseverance - 11:20
There are hundreds of amazing manuscripts that don’t make the cut - 12:00
How this era of “self-publication” has changed the journey - 13:00
How Amy keeps up with her writing - 15:10
They discuss why Amy’s fourth book focuses so much on abused women - 17:20
Amy’s thoughts on the legal clerk scandal - 20:00
The social media app in her book and the recent college scandal - 22:10
The story behind her non-fictional novel: Lawyer Interrupted - 23:12
Her advice for people who are wanting to leave Big Law but are too afraid to do so - 26:20

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Is there room for fashion in the practice of law? Join us and find out on this new episode, as we are joined by Victoria S. Nugent, who is a Partner at Cohen Milstein and Co-Chair of the Public Client practice group. She has been with Cohen Milstein since 2000, and her work has been primarily focused on consumer protection and public health and safety, but she also has a hobby: writing a fashion blog. Stay tuned to listen to Victoria’s amazing experience and to get some great tips on how to dress for work in style.

Episode Resources

https://www.cohenmilstein.com/professional/victoria-s-nugent
vnugent@cohenmilstein.com

Episode Highlights

Why start a style blog? - 1:25
Help from her husband - 1:55
Starting law school - 2:42
A classic courtroom litigator - 4:00
When she decided to create a blog - 4:34
Getting dressed for work - 4:49
Spending an hour to write a post - 5:47
Victoria's style philosophy - 6:29
Expressing yourself by the way that you dress - 7:39
Women lawyers and fashion - 8:05
All work days are not the same - 8:35
How to dress for a client meeting - 9:07
Accessories and colors to wear for work - 10:10
Where she buys her clothes - 11:40
Doing most of the shopping online - 12:40
The best fashion finding that Victoria has made - 14:26
Styles that she doesn't like - 15:39
Using crop tops and why - 17:00
Clothes that Victorias uses for work - 18:30
A blazer is always worth spending money on - 19:50
Colors for a bag - 21:25
How big the bag should be - 21:55
Scared of using bright colors at work? - 22:56
Victoria's fashion disasters - 25:08
Experiment with a new style - 27:18
The stomach should never be shown at work - 28:27

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On this new episode of the Jabot Podcast, we are joined by Jill Diamond, lawyer and children’s book author. Jill is here to share some details about her background in Biglaw as well as how she came to the realization that she wanted to write children’s books.

Episode Resources

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jill-diamond-90239611
https://www.upcounsel.com/attorney/profile/5b697068245c7d7cdad87e42

Episode Highlights

A successful lawyer and writer - 1:23
Jill's background - 1:47
What she wanted to be - 2:36
Love for law school - 3:06
Practicing commercial law - 4:30
A fulfilling outlet - 6:06
Working for boutique firms - 6:42
Starting a career in Biglaw - 7:16
Not a long-term Biglaw person - 8:06
The flexibility of working remotely - 9:17
The worst part of practicing law - 9:55
Love for writing - 11:07
Leaving Biglaw - 12:12
Attending a writing workshop - 13:57
Motivation to finish the book - 14:40
Don't give up until you finish writing - 15:18
Balancing lawyering and writing - 16:33
The inspiration for her children's book -18:08

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Jonathan Masur, law professor of The University of Chicago, joins us to discuss an article he wrote along with two colleagues on how implementing a diversity policy and having a multi-diverse membership is good for the quality of the articles selected for publishing in law reviews.

Episode Resources

https://www.law.uchicago.edu/faculty/masur

Episode Highlights

Jonathan explains to us his article's subject - 1:57
The article's inspiration - 2:04
The use of diversity policies - 2:13
Different types of law reviews - 2:50
The quality of a law review article - 4:02
Law schools and law reviews - 4:27
Which law reviews have diversity policies - 4:48
Reactions against his law reviews article - 7:40
The pre-policy period before 2006, and the post-policy period after 2006 - 10:23
The benefits of diversity on law reviews - 12:18
Liberal articles reviews and conservative articles reviews - 13:07
The impact of law reviews articles - 14:09
Increasing diversity on law reviews - 15:37
Trying to collect information about more law reviews - 16:14
Jonathan gives a piece of advice for increasing the diversity on law reviews - 17:04

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Elena Deutsch is a career coach to women lawyers who are looking to transition to a new professional path through her professional training program WILL: Women Interested In Leaving (big) Law. She also shares with us how she is helping clients identify their own skills to face this new stage and helps us understand the difference between a fixed mindset and a growth mindset.

Episode Resources

https://www.linkedin.com/in/elena-deutsch/

Episode Highlights

Elena talks about her background as a coach - 2:38
How she transition in her career and how the idea of “WILL” was born - 3:42
In Big Law, people may feel underappreciated so they look for a change - 4:22
What happens when attorneys are bored and want a change - 8:11
Elena talks about her client’s strengths and how in some cases they love law school but hate practice - 8:46
The benefits of working with a coach - 10:29
People don't know what it is they want to do next - 10:56
Elena helps people identify their path - 13:36
Is it a failure if you decide to leave a Big Law? - 14:31
A fixed mindset and a growth mindset - 16:40
What are the alternatives for a person that wants to use their skills in the law in a different way? - 19:16
Helping clients figure out what makes sense on their next role - 21:09
Elena shares with us her favorite success story - 24:19

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Wife, mother, and corporate attorney Julie-Anne Lutfi joins today to talk about her book named: Diapers, Date Nights and Deadlines. According to Julie-Anne, you don’t have to choose between any of these, you can always achieve a successful career and a happy personal life.

Episode Resources

https://www.amazon.com/Diapers-Date-Nights-Deadlines-Survival/dp/1544513003
https://www.authorhour.co/diapers-date-nights-and-deadlines-julie-anne-lutfi/

Episode Highlights

Julie-Anne explains how to be a working mom - 0:42
Creating new ways for developing a new business - 1:42
Balancing your career and home life - 2:06
Her experience as a working mom - 4:24
Balancing the needs of your husband, kids and job - 7:35
Working to make yourself indispensable to the clients - 13:37
Working from home - 16:10
How Julie's work supported her when her son was sick - 20:01
Understanding the first part of Julie's book - 29:12

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Cori A. Robinson runs her own trust and estate law firm in the New York and New Jersey area. She talks with Kathryn Rubino about the pressures of starting your own firm and what it feels like to take on this responsibility.

Episode Resources

https://www.robinsonestatelaw.com

Episode Highlights

How to deal with the pressure of starting your own law firm.
Why Cori chose trust and estate law vs matrimonial law.
Navigating the business mechanics of running a solo practitioner business.
The most unexpected things she’s experienced with the startup.
How she creates balance and boundaries between work and family.

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Joe Patrice and Kathryn Rubino talk about the Urban Meyer investigation and how Ohio State and Mary Jo White whitewashed the violence done to women.

Episode Resources

https://abovethelaw.com/author/joe-patrice

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Meaghan McDermott saw a safe space for people in a Maryland community library. From following that intuition she shares her experience with Kathryn Rubino about helping people solve their legal and justice problems.

Episode Resources

https://www.mdlab.org/get-help-services/community-lawyering/meghan-mcdermott

Episode Highlights

Why Meaghan has focused on access to health care for low-income women.
How she started the Lawyers in the library program.
Why some of the community members benefit from these programs.
What Legal Aid is doing in Maryland.
Meaghan shares advice for people in law school.

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Khiara Bridges, author and law professor at Boston University School of Law talks with Kathryn Rubino about the social justices often overlooked by the majority. They go in-depth about the privacy rights of the poor and minorities.

Episode Resources

https://www.bu.edu/law/profile/khiara-m-bridges
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khiara_Bridges
https://www.amazon.com/Poverty-Privacy-Rights-Khiara-Bridges/dp/1503602265

Episode Highlights

Her discoveries of unequal care and privacy rights for poor women.
Understanding the pockets of individuals without rights.
How people are stripped of their privacy rights.
The ways our society reacts to the vulnerabilities of people's welfare.
Different types of privacy and how it affects families.
How we can provide support to families so children aren’t neglected.

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Federal Bar Associate president-elect Maria Vathis talks with Kathryn Rubino about her goals and special projects while acting as President of FBA. Maria also shares strategies for younger associates to create balance between work and life.

Episode Resources

http://www.fedbar.org/Leadership/Board-of-Directors/Officers/Maria-Z-Vathis.aspx
https://www.bryancave.com/en/people/maria-z-vathis.html

Episode Highlights

How the Federal Bar Association is different than other associations.
Why Maria was interested with FBA.
Her goals as President of FBA.
Strategies for younger associates to create balance for work and life.
Why she decided to go to law school.
FBA’s outreach project.
Maria’s focus on increasing diversity within FBA.
Challenges Maria has faced as a young female attorney.
Why young associates should consider finding a mentor and sponsor.

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Donna Wilson was recently elected as the CEO and managing partner at Manatt. Kathryn and Donna talk about the need for firms to take the initiative and embrace diversity, the importance of emotional IQ in your career and her advice about clerking.

Episode Resources

https://www.manatt.com/Donna-L-Wilson

Episode Highlights

What Donna brings to the firm as managing partner.
Industry pitfalls to watch for in the future.
Why laws firms need to take the initiative and embrace diversity.
Creating a supportive environment for all genders.
War stories from court room.
Why you have to take bets on yourself.
The importance of emotional IQ.

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Sienna Babb understands first hand the perils of Corporate America and the challenges women face in the workplace. Instead of caving in and being pacified, Sienna instilled an entrepreneurial spirit and created WMN Legal, which specifically focuses on helping women in the legal space.

Episode Resources

https://www.wmnlegal.com
https://www.wmnlegal.com/our-founder
https://www.linkedin.com/in/siennababb

Episode Highlights

How she got kicked off the corporate ladder and what she did about it.
The one conversation that changed her entire career.
Overcoming her burnout from corporate.
Why she started WMN Legal and what they do for women.
Her process of recruiting in the legal space.
Future plans for WMN Legal.

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If you’re frustrated with the Trump Executive Order impacting children and families then you must listen to this special episode with KIND: Kids In Need of Defense.

Episode Resources

https://supportkind.org
https://www.nyic.org

Episode Highlights

What we can do to help.
How KIND will teach you what to do with immigration relief.
What KIND does with their donations.

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Jennifer Koza and Kathryn Rubino talk about how women can deal with a variety of troubling situations they may find at work.

Episode Resources

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-koza-6a061226/
https://www.psychologytoday.com

Episode Highlights

Dealing with the expectations of hours.
Where the #metoo movement fits in the legal industry.
Understanding the mental burden women have to face in the workplace.
How to raise awareness and approach uncomfortable conversations.
Why taking notes of an incident is your first step.
Toxic work environments and dealing with screamers.
Dealing with your personal imposter syndrome.

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Author Kathryne M. Young shares insights about the new book ‘How To Be Sort Of Happy In Law School’. Host, Kathryn Rubino and Kathryne Young talk about how to make law school more bearable or even create a win. If you’re in law school or thinking about taking up law school check out Kathryne’s book.

The Jabot podcast focuses on women and underrepresented groups in the legal profession.

Episode Resources

https://www.umass.edu/sociology/users/young
https://www.sortofhappy.com

Episode Highlights

How the imposter syndrome plays out in law school.
Why law school presents a different set of challenges for diverse populations.
Why there’s constant uncertainty in law school.
The hazing of law school and trial by fire.
Is big law the default safe option?
Why law school and sociology became a good fit for Kathryne.

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Kat Griffin created the site Corporette.com to provide fashion, lifestyle and career advice for overachieving moms and moms-to-be. Kat and Kathryn Rubino talk about dress codes, fashion rules for different body types and much more fashion advice for young professionals.

The Jabot podcast focuses on women and underrepresented groups in the legal profession.

Episode Resources

https://corporette.com
https://corporettemoms.com

Episode Highlights

Is fashion perceived as frivolous in the workplace?
How to deal with sexist dress codes.
Words to live by for young professionals.
Fashion rules for different body types.
Warmer weather fashion advice.
Fashion faux pas to avoid.

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