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 w...
Apr 30, 2021•26 min•Ep. 57
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 effo...
Apr 23, 2021•34 min•Ep. 56
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-...
Apr 16, 2021•30 min•Ep. 55
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 l...
Apr 09, 2021•28 min•Ep. 54
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 Ne...
Mar 19, 2021•31 min•Ep. 53
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 Resourc...
Mar 12, 2021•31 min•Ep. 52
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...
Mar 05, 2021•28 min•Ep. 51
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 indust...
Feb 26, 2021•31 min•Ep. 50
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 lega...
Feb 19, 2021•26 min•Ep. 49
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 progra...
Feb 12, 2021•32 min•Ep. 48
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 f...
Nov 19, 2020•29 min•Ep. 47
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...
Sep 25, 2020•24 min•Ep. 46
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...
Sep 11, 2020•32 min•Ep. 45
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...
Aug 03, 2020•27 min•Ep. 44
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 ...
Jul 20, 2020•28 min•Ep. 43
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 Ther...
Jul 14, 2020•28 min•Ep. 42
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://ww...
Jul 02, 2020•30 min•Ep. 41
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 - 3:0...
Jun 18, 2020•24 min•Ep. 40
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 ...
Jun 12, 2020•24 min•Ep. 39
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@t...
May 21, 2020•29 min•Ep. 38
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 ...
May 14, 2020•29 min•Ep. 37
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-...
Apr 30, 2020•29 min•Ep. 36
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 scho...
Apr 23, 2020•31 min•Ep. 35
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...
Apr 16, 2020•33 min•Ep. 34
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 G...
Apr 09, 2020•44 min•Ep. 33
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: h...
Apr 02, 2020•31 min•Ep. 32
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 ...
Mar 26, 2020•30 min•Ep. 31
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...
Mar 19, 2020•26 min•Ep. 30
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....
Mar 09, 2020•30 min•Ep. 29
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...
Feb 28, 2020•32 min•Ep. 28
