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 Suprem...
Nov 29, 2021•29 min•Ep. 87
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 Reso...
Nov 19, 2021•28 min•Ep. 86
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 ...
Nov 12, 2021•30 min•Ep. 85
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 R...
Nov 05, 2021•27 min•Ep. 84
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 h...
Oct 29, 2021•33 min•Ep. 83
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 wha...
Oct 22, 2021•27 min•Ep. 82
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 ...
Oct 15, 2021•26 min•Ep. 81
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 su...
Oct 08, 2021•35 min•Ep. 80
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 M...
Oct 01, 2021•31 min•Ep. 79
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 ...
Sep 24, 2021•27 min•Ep. 78
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. Epis...
Sep 17, 2021•28 min•Ep. 77
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 scho...
Sep 10, 2021•27 min•Ep. 76
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 in...
Sep 03, 2021•27 min•Ep. 75
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 ...
Aug 27, 2021•26 min•Ep. 74
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 decid...
Aug 20, 2021•28 min•Ep. 73
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 Orv...
Aug 13, 2021•37 min•Ep. 72
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 ...
Aug 06, 2021•33 min•Ep. 71
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...
Jul 30, 2021•25 min•Ep. 70
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 H...
Jul 23, 2021•27 min•Ep. 69
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 h...
Jul 16, 2021•27 min•Ep. 68
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.e...
Jul 09, 2021•25 min•Ep. 67
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...
Jul 02, 2021•27 min•Ep. 66
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 Re...
Jun 25, 2021•26 min•Ep. 65
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 stretc...
Jun 18, 2021•26 min•Ep. 64
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 ...
Jun 11, 2021•30 min•Ep. 63
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 Highligh...
Jun 04, 2021•24 min•Ep. 62
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.co...
May 28, 2021•26 min•Ep. 61
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/managingpar...
May 21, 2021•26 min•Ep. 60
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/t...
May 14, 2021•28 min•Ep. 59
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 l...
May 07, 2021•27 min•Ep. 58
