Seamus Boyce is an education lawyer at a mid-size firm with offices throughout Indiana. In this episode, he tells us about routine work advising clients with one-off questions, as well as more complex work involving student services, discrimination, and legislation. Seamus also discusses his ascent to partner and the choices his firm makes in pursuit of client satisfaction. Seamus is a graduate of the University of New Hampshire School of Law. This episode is hosted by Aaron Taylor. Mentioned in...
Mar 01, 2016•17 min•Ep. 35
Kevin Karin is a United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) lawyer in the Seattle regional office. In this episode, he tells us about his role at HUD and how it differs from other types of public interest work related to affordable housing. Kevin is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania Law School. This episode is hosted by Debby Merritt. Mentioned in this episode: Access LawHub today! Learn more about Seton Hall Utah Law Learn more about Utah Law Learn more about Blu...
Feb 22, 2016•18 min•Ep. 34
Kimberley Baker Guillemet helped form the Los Angeles Office of Reentry to ensure that when someone leaves prison, limited employment options do not lead to a cycle of crime. In this episode, she discusses her work helping the formerly incarcerated rejoin society and altering conditions that lead to initial jailings. Kimberley is a graduate of the University of Southern California Gould School of Law. This episode is hosted by Kyle McEntee. Mentioned in this episode: Learn more about Baylor Law ...
Feb 15, 2016•23 min•Ep. 33
Royce Bicklein discusses his firm's practice and what's involved in proving where an injury occurred and what's to blame for the extent of an injury. Unlike almost every other state, Texas employers choose to opt in to the workers' compensation process. As such, Royce's firm handles workers' compensation and traditional personal injury. Royce is a graduate of St. Mary University's School of Law. This episode is hosted by Derek Tokaz. Mentioned in this episode: Access LawHub today! Learn more abo...
Feb 08, 2016•22 min•Ep. 32
Andy Park discusses his work as a junior associate for a mid-size business law firm. He tells us about his involvement in negotiating and originating loans, litigating and settling loan defaults, and selling commercial real estate acquired from a trial verdict or settlement. While he's still new to practice, he sees how observing issues in litigation can positively affect his work reviewing his clients' deals. Andy is a graduate of the Temple University Beasley School of Law. This episode is hos...
Dec 15, 2015•15 min•Ep. 31
Jessica Morgan discusses her areas of responsibility as vice president of Legal for Boulder Brands, a public company that owns a variety of food manufacturers. Jessica oversees a team of regulatory experts, manages outside counsel and company’s intellectual property portfolio, negotiates contracts, and continues to automate as many legal processes as she can to save and make her company money. Jessica is a graduate of the University of Colorado Law School. This episode is hosted by Debby Merritt...
Nov 23, 2015•21 min•Ep. 30
Joan Kerecz discusses the various roles she’s played in helping public entities pay for, among other public projects, school and road expansions. Joan also talks to us about the on-campus interview climate at her law school and her decision to move firms after just two years. Joan is a graduate of Duke University School of Law. This episode is hosted by Kyle McEntee. Mentioned in this episode: Learn more about Baylor Law Utah Law Learn more about Utah Law Learn more about Seton Hall Access LawHu...
Nov 09, 2015•18 min•Ep. 29
Alexis Farmer is a tax lawyer for low-income individuals at a pro bono legal services clinic and frequently finds herself talking to the IRS on behalf of her clients. Often her clients have had their identities stolen, so Alexis knows connecting to them on a deeper level can foster trust and lead to better outcomes. Alexis is a graduate of the University of Mississippi School of Law. This episode is hosted by Derek Tokaz. Mentioned in this episode: Learn more about Seton Hall Utah Law Learn more...
Oct 26, 2015•27 min•Ep. 28
Justin Bloom went to law school to right environmental wrongs via the law. In this episode, he talks about his range of experiences. While his first job was defending environmental takings cases, his career took a winding path from tort litigation to immigration. He even quit a job after a boss asked him to coach clients to lie. He also worked directly for a model environmental advocacy organization that utilized citizen action to help government agencies remedy legal violations of the Clean Wat...
Oct 19, 2015•24 min•Ep. 27
Matt Parker represents management in employment disputes. While he rarely finds himself in court, he often participates in adversarial proceedings like arbitration and administration hearings. In this episode, we'll hear about how he prepares for proceedings. We'll also learn about the finer details of employment litigation, such as burden shifting, different fee models, and venue shopping. Matt is a graduate of Boston College Law School. This episode is hosted by Aaron Taylor. Mentioned in this...
Oct 13, 2015•24 min•Ep. 26
Vail Gardner served the Middle District of North Carolina for six years as a law clerk. In this episode, she describes the various types of federal law clerks, including each position's pros and cons. Vail was a pro se clerk, which means she worked directly for the district court as opposed to an individual judge. We'll hear about her role in drafting the court's opinions, as well as her current challenge: reentering law practice after taking time off for her family. Vail is a graduate of the Un...
Oct 05, 2015•20 min•Ep. 25
Cristina Perez Hesano helps individuals struggling with debt to file for bankruptcy. In this episode, she he takes us through a Chapter 7 bankruptcy from prep to discharge, and why she decided to leave her first bankruptcy firm job to go out on her own. Cristina is a graduate of Arizona State University. This episode is hosted by Derek Tokaz. Mentioned in this episode: Learn more about Blueprint Access LawHub today! Learn more about Baylor Law Learn more about Seton Hall Utah Law Learn more abou...
Aug 17, 2015•28 min•Ep. 24
Deacon Haymond discusses his small and growing law firm that specializes in trusts and estates. Deacon talks us through his fees, how he finds clients, and what happens when he's too nice to his clients. While advances in legal services technology pose challenges to his practice long term, he's emphatic that so far, they're helping him. Deacon is a graduate of the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law. This episode is hosted by Debby Merritt. Mentioned in this episode: Learn more about ...
Aug 03, 2015•34 min•Ep. 23
Jaye Lindsay decided after 3.5 years that he’d had enough. His first job out of law school wasn't glamorous, but the steady pay and hands-on litigation experience made up for a lack of health insurance and low hourly wages. But over time, he wanted a better standard of living and work-life balance. After going solo and finding it impossible to manage his average-size debt load, he decided to become a high school special education teacher and practice law on the side. This episode also offers a w...
Jul 27, 2015•30 min•Ep. 22
Ryan Morrison created a firm centered on helping video game developers. His work greatly varies depending on what his clients need, but often involves intellectual property and contracts. In this episode, Ryan shares his biggest challenges and how he built a rare practice from a pro bono matter. Ryan is a 2013 graduate of New York Law School. This episode is hosted by Derek Tokaz. Mentioned in this episode: Utah Law Learn more about Utah Law Learn more about Seton Hall Learn more about Blueprint...
Jul 20, 2015•24 min•Ep. 21
Meaghan Hearne is involved in a variety of general practice areas, from civil litigation and criminal defense to divorces and child custody. However, much of her work revolves around LGBTQA+ clients and issues. Before the Supreme Court’s decision to extend the right to marry to same-sex couples, Meaghan protected same-sex couples who wanted the protections marriage afforded. Meaghan is a graduate of Syracuse University College of Law. This episode is hosted by Debby Merritt. Mentioned in this ep...
Jul 13, 2015•28 min•Ep. 20
Each of the five U.S. military branches has a large legal staff that handles civil litigation, criminal prosecution and defense, and more. With worldwide jurisdiction, the military justice system operates alongside our civilian system and is run by the Judge Advocate General's Corp—JAG for short. Captain Megan Mallone, a Air Force JAG officer, joined the military right after law school. While she’s not involved in combat, she does provide legal counsel of all kinds to warfighters. She discusses ...
Jul 06, 2015•23 min•Ep. 19
Laura Hughes is a project manager who is acutely aware of the fact that time is money. She immediately went to work for a public-private partnership after law school at the Gateway EB-5 Investment Center. EB-5 is a United States visa program that entitles foreigners to obtain a permanent visa in exchange for an investment in certain economic development projects. She acts as a matchmaker for foreign investors and local real estate developers. From due diligence to navigating regulations, she use...
Jun 29, 2015•18 min•Ep. 18
Meghann Joyce is an insurance defense litigator. While she's hired and paid by insurance companies, her clients are the insured defending, among other claims, professional liability and employment suits. Despite being a litigator, she's almost never in the court room. Instead, her work can be categorized as largely pre-trial practice. Her job responsibilities and expectations have evolved since she started, but the unpredictability of her days continues. A lawyer's duty of loyalty is to the clie...
Jun 21, 2015•28 min•Ep. 17
Mike Hunter is an Assistant U.S. Attorney. In this episode, he details his role in the criminal justice system. From Fourth Amendment advice for federal agents making a bust to deciding which cases to take, when to seek indictments, and who to make plea agreements with, Mike tells us how he makes choices in pursuit of justice. Mike is a graduate of Cleveland-Marshall College of Law. This episode is hosted by Debby Merritt. Mentioned in this episode: Utah Law Learn more about Utah Law Learn more ...
Jun 08, 2015•32 min•Ep. 16
Holly Carnell, a graduate of Loyola University Chicago, describes her challenge of getting a biglaw job after graduating from a regional law school. She spends a lot of time helping healthcare providers draft contracts, properly engage employees, and remain in compliance with the many applicable laws. While the job may have been difficult to get, excelling at it has more to do with doing quality work, managing junior associates, and exercising good judgment than where she went to school. This ep...
Jun 01, 2015•26 min•Ep. 15
Jessica Burke details her role in the criminal justice system as a criminal defense lawyer. From her approach to plea bargaining to her philosophy on fee arrangements, her choices underscore the importance of letting clients make informed choices about their future. Jessica also shares how expanding the geography she covers, rather than the scope of practice, allowed her firm to grow in a saturated legal market. Jessica is a graduate of Washington & Lee College of Law. This episode is hosted...
May 18, 2015•21 min•Ep. 14
Pete Barry is a consumer rights lawyer who sues debt collectors who harass or discriminate against consumers. Pete describes important criteria for taking a client, what's at the core of every lawsuit, and the federal laws that help him market to those who do not realize they’ve been legally harmed. Pete is a graduate of William Mitchell College of Law. This episode is hosted by Debby Merritt. Mentioned in this episode: Learn more about Baylor Law Learn more about Blueprint Access LawHub today! ...
May 11, 2015•25 min•Ep. 13
Marissa Olsson is a maritime lawyer who helps fishermen, ferry workers, and others injured on the job sue their employers. when they've been injured at work. Marissa's maritime practice is similar to other personal injury work: she must assess the value of potential cases to decide whether to invest her time and resources because her compensation is tied to recovery. Although her confidence and skills have grown noticeably, she often faces opposing counsel who treat her differently because she's...
Mar 23, 2015•25 min•Ep. 12
Johanna Barde is a lawyer for the Tennessee Department of Health. In her capacity as assistant general counsel, Johanna creates public health policy—researching and writing rules of conduct—and prosecutes medical professionals during administrative hearings before state health boards. For a medical professional, her property right (a license) is at stake during these hearings. When the government tries to take that right away, she's afforded due process. At the hearing, just like at a trial, Joh...
Mar 16, 2015•31 min•Ep. 11
Greg Aycock shares how he transitioned from representing defendants to representing plaintiffs. He left his insurance defense practice on a leap of faith and discusses the struggles of being your own boss and getting a firm off the ground. Until Greg gets his medical malpractice practice off the ground, he pays the rent with divorces and child custody work. For either practice, Greg spends considerable time explaining the legal process and law to clients, while keeping them under control so that...
Mar 09, 2015•16 min•Ep. 10
Nat Croumer is the discovery attorney administrative manager for the WilmerHale DiscoverySolutions team. In this role, he oversees coaching and career development, hiring, personnel matters, budgeting and finance, and marketing of the group. Nat discusses how electronic document discovery is essential to modern civil litigation. Nat is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. This episode is hosted by Debby Merritt. Mentioned in this episode: Learn more about Blueprint Access La...
Mar 02, 2015•22 min•Ep. 9
Rachel Spears is the executive director of Pro Bono Partnership of Atlanta (PBP-ATL) that organizes local volunteer lawyers to meet the non-litigation needs of nonprofit clients. She shares how organizations like PBP-ATL are rare and small but keep nonprofits within the law by leveraging the generosity of members of the legal profession. Not only does Rachel need vast legal knowledge to see what her clients don't, but she also needs to manage her board of directors and staff, develop a budget, d...
Feb 23, 2015•18 min•Ep. 8
Manuel Escobar discusses his experience representing people as an immigration lawyer. In this episode, Manuel addresses some key questions pertinent to immigration law. What options are available to those seeking relief from deportation? How does an immigration lawyer prepare for hearings? What challenges do immigration lawyers face, and which strategies can help mitigate stress from work? Manuel is a graduate of St. Mary’s University School of Law. This episode is hosted by Debby Merritt. Menti...
Feb 16, 2015•24 min•Ep. 7
Michael Morguess discusses his new appellate practice where he frequently seeks writs of mandamus—an order to a government agency or official to behave in accordance with the law—for clients terminated by government agencies. With jobs and livelihoods on the line, Michael faces a lot of pressure running his own firm, but the intellectual challenge and thrill of victory buoy his non-traditional litigation practice. Michael is a graduate of Western State University College of Law, This episode is ...
Feb 09, 2015•25 min•Ep. 6
