Many attorneys start their careers in a law firm setting. Often, those roles require working with in-house counsel to provide legal services to a company. How can attorneys transition from a client service role into working directly for the client? Join Todd Smith and Jody Sanders as they visit with Karen Delaney of Delaney Legal PLLC about her experience going from law firm to in-house to solo practice. Karen provides advice for attorneys who are looking to change their practice or role and how...
Jun 23, 2022•49 min•Ep. 98
For the lucky few who get them, U.S. Supreme Court clerkships provide a lifetime of memories in a single year. But imagine if your clerkship included not only working for a Supreme Court Justice, but also with a future Supreme Court Justice. For Professor Erin Busby , the Co-Director of the Supreme Court Clinic at the University of Texas School of Law , that turned into a reality when her co-clerk, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, was confirmed to replace Justice Stephen Breyer. Professor Busby jo...
Jun 09, 2022•48 min•Ep. 97
Serving clients as their advocate takes a toll—mentally, emotionally, and physically. Bree Buchanan , Senior Advisor at Krill Strategies and former director of the Texas Lawyers’ Assistance Program, is all too familiar with this problem. After years of representing clients in traumatic cases, Bree relied on alcohol to cope. As she began her recovery, Bree developed a passion for helping other lawyers take care of their own well-being. In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, Bree joins Todd Sm...
May 26, 2022•52 min•Ep. 96
The military veteran community has lots of legal needs, including legal assistance in handling veterans’ claims stemming from their service. These brave men and women often lack access to experienced advocates to help in this area, including the appellate process. In this episode, Todd Smith and Jody Sanders discuss veterans’ claims and appeals with Chris Attig , a founding partner of Attig, Curran, Steel. Chris and their team are some of our nation’s leading veterans’ advocates and are well-ver...
May 12, 2022•56 min•Ep. 95
While lawyers are used to reading and speaking legalese, breaking complex legal concepts into digestible bits is a talent not all lawyers have. But, with legal issues and court proceedings frequently in the news, it’s becoming an increasingly necessary skill set. This is particularly true when attorneys need to speak to the media about legal issues and cases. This episode’s guest, David Coale , a partner at Lynn Pinker Hurst & Schwegmann, LLP, has developed a talent for addressing hot legal ...
Apr 28, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 94
Employment cases present unique challenges in both state and federal courts. Attorneys who practice in that area have to operate comfortably in both forums and understand some of the traps that less experienced practitioners might miss. Sole practitioner Jason Smith has been practicing employment law in trial and appellate courts for most of his career. Jason joins Todd Smith and Jody Sanders to discuss how he handles those cases and ways to thrive in solo practice. He also discusses the impact ...
Apr 14, 2022•51 min•Ep. 93
This episode features the Texas Appellate Law Podcast’s first three-time guest, M.C. Sungaila . She joins Todd Smith and Jody Sanders to discuss her new podcast, The Portia Project , which chronicles the careers of women judges and lawyers and their impact on the legal profession. M.C. discusses what drove her new project, as well as her goal of inspiring a new generation of women lawyers and law students. Join us to hear about the podcast and how we can continue to make the legal profession mor...
Mar 31, 2022•41 min•Ep. 92
To practicing attorneys, the pandemic seemed to change the legal system overnight. These changes, along with preexisting systemic issues, underlie the mental-health crises that affect attorneys throughout the profession—depression, anxiety, burnout, and substance abuse. Attorneys need to acknowledge and understand those conditions, as well as how to address them properly. This episode features Katie Rose Guest Pryal , an author, educator, and attorney who researches and writes on disability and ...
Mar 17, 2022•58 min•Ep. 91
Attorneys sometimes struggle to set themselves apart from their peers. One way is to find a niche and develop expertise. This is true for appellate lawyers, who, though already focused on appellate law, can cultivate unique areas of knowledge within that specialty. In this episode, Todd Smith and Jody Sanders find out what it takes to carve out a niche with non-compete and trade-secret litigation lawyer Zach Wolfe . Zach shares his experience in litigation and transitioning from working at a law...
Mar 03, 2022•57 min•Ep. 90
Sometimes an appellate attorney’s most important work never reaches an appellate court. Appellate counsel can play a critical part in trial court proceedings—helping make a record, making legal arguments, and assisting trial counsel with issues that might come up on appeal. Kirk Pittard , one of the founders of Durham, Pittard & Spalding, LLP , relishes that role. He specializes in civil appeals, but spends much of his practice helping trial lawyers in state and federal trial courts. In this...
Feb 17, 2022•54 min•Ep. 89
The right to criminal defense counsel is a cornerstone of our justice system. This is particularly true in federal courts, where the stakes in criminal trials are very high. One of the ways we meet this constitutional guarantee is through the federal public defender system, which provides trial, appellate, and post-conviction services to criminal defendants in federal courts. In this episode, Todd Smith and Jody Sanders talk with Matthew Wright , an Assistant Federal Public Defender for the Nort...
Feb 03, 2022•54 min•Ep. 88
Texas attorneys know the Pattern Jury Charges as valuable guide to properly instructing a jury at trial. But most don’t know all the work that goes into creating and updating the various volumes. In this episode, Todd Smith and Jody Sanders visit with Judge Dan Hinde , Chair of the State Bar’s Pattern Jury Charge Oversight Committee, about the process by which new editions are developed and published every two years. A board-certified civil trial lawyer who spent more than 10 years as judge of H...
Jan 20, 2022•48 min•Ep. 87
The Texas Bar is a self-regulating entity—it handles attorney discipline through a unique procedural process. Although most attorneys steer clear of professional discipline, it’s important for practitioners to know about the disciplinary system and how it works. This week, Todd Smith and Jody Sanders sit down with an expert on this topic, Seana Willing , Chief Disciplinary Counsel for the State Bar of Texas . Seana provides a helpful primer on the attorney disciplinary system and the number and ...
Jan 06, 2022•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 86
As 2021 comes to a close, co-hosts Todd Smith and Jody Sanders pause to thank listeners and followers of the Texas Appellate Law Podcast. During the holiday break, we recommend revisiting our 2020 interview with Chris Ritter on Well-Being Strategies for the Pandemic and the Holidays . See you in 2022! Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Here’s How » A special thanks to our sponsors: Court Surety Bond Agency Thomson Reuters Join the Texas Appellate Law Podcast Community today: texa...
Dec 22, 2021•2 min
Although Texas has more than 100,000 licensed attorneys, many of its residents’ legal needs remain unmet. This is particularly true in appellate courts, where fewer attorneys practice. Luckily, Texas lawyers, judges, and bar leaders have worked to connect unrepresented litigants with counsel willing to handle their appeals pro bono. In this episode, Todd Smith and Jody Sanders visit with appellate specialist Michael Truesdale about pro bono appellate services and programs in Texas, Mike’s involv...
Dec 16, 2021•46 min•Ep. 85
As technology becomes more sophisticated, so too do the security issues its users encounter. These challenges impact attorneys and law firms particularly, as they regularly deal with confidential data and privileged information. Often, however, attorneys and law firms remain unaware or unprepared for potential traps. But there are resources to address these threats. That's what Dennis Van Metre , this week’s guest, aims to do as Chief Information Officer at Vinson & Elkins in Houston. Dennis...
Dec 09, 2021•56 min•Ep. 84
People take many paths into the practice of law. These varied experiences provide important perspectives that enrich and improve the legal industry. This week, Todd Smith and Jody Sanders talk with Texas Supreme Court Justice Rebeca Huddle about her path to legal practice and, ultimately, a place on Texas’s highest civil court. Justice Huddle discusses her experience as a teacher, in private practice with a large firm, as a Justice on Houston’s First Court of Appeals, and at the Texas Supreme Co...
Dec 02, 2021•52 min•Ep. 83
Balancing professional obligations with self-care is a major challenge for lawyers. It’s easy for attorneys to overload themselves with work, activities, and commitments, often stretching themselves too thin and straining their personal relationships. This week, Karen Vladeck a partner at Wittliff | Cutter PLLC and co-host of the In Loco Parent(i)s , podcast, joins Todd Smith and Jody Sanders to discuss how attorneys can find the right balance for themselves in the law. Karen talks about ways to...
Nov 18, 2021•56 min•Ep. 82
There are many different ways to practice law and many types of law to practice. Law students and young attorneys often don’t know where to turn for advice about their options. Luckily, in addition to his teaching and scholarship, Jonah Perlin , a Legal Practice Professor at Georgetown University Law Center, provides a unique resource for the public through his How I Lawyer Podcast . In this week’s episode, Jonah trades his role as a podcast host for that of a podcast guest. Sitting down with To...
Nov 11, 2021•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 81
In Texas, district attorneys’ offices appear as counsel in the courts of appeals more than almost any other litigant. Beyond simply appealing or defending appeals, district attorneys have unique responsibilities as prosecutors that impact the positions they take and the arguments they make. In this week’s episode, Todd Smith and Jody Sanders sit down with Andrew Warthen , an attorney with the Appellate Division of the Bexar County District Attorney’s office. Andrew discusses his background and p...
Nov 04, 2021•48 min•Ep. 80
Attorneys spend a lot of time choosing the right words to use in briefs and motions. But they often neglect thinking about how their words actually look on the page. Layout and typography can impact how legal work product is perceived and read. This week, Todd Smith and Jody Sanders interview an expert on how lawyers can combine solid arguments with visual appeal—writer, typographer, programmer, and lawyer, Matthew Butterick . Through books like Typography for Lawyers and Practical Typography , ...
Oct 28, 2021•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 79
Lobbying can have an outsized influence on which bills get passed and, sometimes more importantly, which ones do not. But many people don’t know what lobbyists actually do. In this week’s episode, Amy Bresnen and Steve Bresnen of Bresnen Associates explain to Todd Smith and Jody Sanders how their careers combine legislation, public policy, and advocacy in ways that most people don’t consider. They share experiences both passing and preventing bills, and how lobbyists can help shape legislation t...
Oct 21, 2021•56 min•Ep. 78
This week, Todd Smith and Jody Sanders welcome back Jerry Bullard , an attorney at Adams, Lynch & Loftin, PC , for a rundown on new statutes from the Texas Legislature’s regular and special sessions that affect trial and appellate practitioners. In this episode, you'll receive updates on bills concerning business organizations, healthcare for medical workers during the COVID pandemic, and more. The discussion includes revisions to Texas Civil Practice & Remedies Code Section 38.001, whic...
Oct 14, 2021•52 min•Ep. 77
Most appellate practitioners deal with direct appeals from trial court rulings. But criminal practitioners know that direct appeals are only part of the process. At the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, writ practice takes up a large portion of the docket. Todd Smith and Jody Sanders sit down with an expert on writ practice, Michael Falkenberg , Supervising Attorney at the Court of Criminal Appeals. Michael overviews the types of writs the Court considers and how the process works. He also explai...
Oct 07, 2021•50 min•Ep. 76
Over the last several decades, appellate practice has transitioned from a part of general legal practice into its own discrete specialty. Luther T. Munford , an attorney in Butler Snow LLP ’s appellate and written advocacy group, has been a part of that specialization and has directly influenced its development over the last 40 years, including a term as the President of the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers . From clerkships on the Fifth Circuit and the US Supreme Court, Luther has seen app...
Sep 30, 2021•42 min•Ep. 75
In this week's episode, co-hosts Todd Smith and Jody Sanders visit about ways in which the podcast has helped them engage with other media, including hosting Twitter Spaces with previous guests, appearances on other podcasts, and interviews for online publications. They also discuss their upcoming live oral arguments and try out a "mailbag" segment by answering a question posed over Twitter. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Here’s How » Join the Texas Appellate Law Podcast Comm...
Sep 23, 2021•39 min•Ep. 74
As technology improves, it opens new opportunities to change the way attorneys practice. From rethinking roles, tasks, and strategies to providing assistance in ways we’ve never contemplated, each year brings new opportunities for change. In this episode, Todd Smith and Jody Sanders talk to one of the people leading the technological revolution in law, Jake Heller , co-founder and CEO of CaseText . Jake explains his background in technology and law and how it led him and others to develop CaseTe...
Sep 16, 2021•55 min•Ep. 73
For more than a century, oil and gas has remained the backbone of Texas’s economic growth. Despite repeated rumors that oil and gas is on the way out as an energy source, the industry continues to adapt and grow to meet new economic and technological developments. As a result, disputes over oil and gas remain an important part of Texas jurisprudence, something that today’s guest, Wesley Lloyd of Freeman Mills, PC , follows closely. Wesley’s practice focuses on litigation and appeals in energy, w...
Sep 02, 2021•53 min•Ep. 72
Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Here’s How » Join the Texas Appellate Law Podcast Community today: texapplawpod.com Twitter Facebook LinkedIn YouTube...
Aug 26, 2021•9 min
While emerging technology has created new opportunities for the way both lawyers and the public interact with the judicial system, judges haven’t been left behind. On today’s show, Judge John Owens of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals joins Todd Smith and Jody Sanders, along with special guest co-host M.C. Sungaila , to discuss just how technology has helped from a judicial perspective. Judge Owens discusses how judges can embrace technology to better engage with attorneys at oral argument and pr...
Aug 19, 2021•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 71
