Litigation Episodes

In Episode 75, Northwestern Law alumna Yvette Diaz, a personal injury attorney at Freese & Goss, PLLC in Dallas, Texas, shares her inspiring journey from legal assistant to trial attorney, and highlights the challenges and triumphs that shaped her path. Yvette emphasizes the importance of community in law school, shares her passion for trial preparation, and explains why she has dedicated her career to personal injury and mass tort law. Yvette also discusses how she has developed her lawyer persona and the significance of small wins in her legal practice.

If you're getting ready for On Campus Interviewing (OCI) or are trying to pick a law firm job more generally, this is the episode for you! In episode 69, we chat with Bryan Nese about why choosing a law firm should be more like choosing a law school or college, why you should pay attention to the culture and vibe of law firms, and why networking isn't really a "dirty word." Bryan also shares with us why he is an aspiring rock star (and why you should be too), and why legal writing is a skill that we can all practice and improve on. Not to mention that Bryan gives us an in-depth perspective into what it's like to be both an IP associate and partner at a large law firm.

Jessica Paduganan is back! During S2:E31, Jessica was a 3L at Michigan Law. Back then, she joined us for the Student Clinic Spotlight Series to share her experience in the Civil-Criminal Litigation Clinic and the Workers' Rights Clinic at Michigan Law. Today, Jessica is a Litigation Associate at Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP in New York City and she's back to share her insight into what working at a large law firm in New York City has looked like in her first ten months. She discusses the transition from law school to practice, what aspects of law school were most valuable in preparing her for work at a firm, strategies for maintaining some balance while in a high-paced litigation environment and why that looks different from week to week, as well as why consistently doing quality work and remaining authentically yourself are two of the most helpful things a young associate can do.

Attention law students and new lawyers! If you are interested in working at a law firm of any size, Episode 57 with Rachel Levick is a must-listen. Rachel Levick is an environmental litigator and enforcement defense specialist practicing in Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher’s Litigation Department and in the firm’s Environmental Litigation and Mass Tort Practice Group in Washington, DC. During this episode, Rachel shares her thoughts on gaining trial experience as a new associate, explains environmental litigation and enforcement defense (including examples of cases she has worked on), and reflects on what it means to be a true mentor and advocate.

On episode 52 of Personal Jurisdiction, we chat with Kate Ferlic, managing partner at Egolf, Ferlic, Martinez and Harwood in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Kate shares why she believes it is important to be your authentic self and strive for excellence when practicing law, tips for starting and building a successful law firm, and why striving for balance in legal practice and life is key. Kate also highlights several major cases she has been involved in, including the case that paved the way for legalizing same-sex marriage in New Mexico. This is not one to miss!

Have you ever wondered what it is like to be a partner at one of the premier law firms in the United States? Sharonmoyee Goswami is a partner at the law firm of Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP in New York City. In Episode 38, Sharonmoyee shares her journey to partnership at Cravath. In particular, Sharonmoyee explains why there is no specific type of person who ends up being successful and how she has achieved her version of success by continuing to be herself.

Season 3 continues with guest Nathan Brenner, who is currently an attorney at the Federal Trade Commission. Nathan specializes in antitrust work and if there's anyone who can break down the complicated nature of this work, it's Nathan! In addition to providing a helpful guide to antitrust work, Nathan shares why he enjoyed law school activities that involved working with his peers, what led to his decision to clerk at both the district and appellate court levels, and insights from his time at the U.S. Department of Justice in the Antitrust Division. Thanks to Nathan for a wonderfully engaging conversation! **Please note that all views presented in this episode are those of Nathan Brenner alone and do not reflect the views of the Federal Trade Commission.

In the second episode of Season 3, Allison and Hallie chat with Abimbola Oladokun, who is currently Lead Counsel of General Litigation at Meta (formerly known as Facebook). Abimbola shares her experience as a Black woman in big law, her non-linear path to Meta, and why she thinks it's important to like yourself and be who you are no matter what legal job you're in. Cheers to a wonderful conversation with a truly authentic guest!

What does it mean to practice international law? Join us for a conversation with Juan Perla, Partner at the law firm of Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle LLP in New York and an appellate and international disputes attorney. Juan discusses the mentorship that changed the path of his legal career, what it means to represent foreign governments in different forums around the world, the pre-law career that gave him a leg up in his role as a new law firm partner, and his involvement in United States v. Vaello-Madero, which is currently pending before SCOTUS.

Lindsay Dubin developed the courage early on to push back against other people's expectations. Join us for Episode 21 and hear from Lindsay about her experience as an environmental law litigator, what made her say "No Thanks" to OCI, and her essential tips for students interested in public interest careers. We also talk about some fascinating environmental protection cases, including the story behind a current case involving horseshoe crabs (and their blue blood!) and red knots (a type of bird). Don't miss our conversation with Lindsay Dubin!

On Episode 18, we chat with Jonathan Jacobson, a Trial Attorney in the Public Integrity Section at the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. Jonathan shares the story of how he charted his own course to law school, provides his candid take about government service through the DOJ Honors Program, and discusses his transition from civil to criminal practice, including a year as an AUSA in Puerto Rico. Stay tuned for the entire episode to hear about Jonathan's advice for a balanced life and legal practice (hint: it relates to a beagle named Teddy).

If you're interested in clerking, this episode is for you! During Episode 15, we chat with Donya Khadem, a University of Michigan Law School graduate who embarked on two clerkships right after graduation. She first clerked on the Eastern District of Michigan and is currently a judicial law clerk on the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. Donya shares her perspective on clerking for two different federal courts, including what she learned from each clerkship, the differences between a district court and an appellate court clerkship, and how the stereotypes about different types of clerkships may not tell the whole story. Enjoy the show!

Have you ever dreamed about what it would be like to start your own law firm? In Episode 10 of Personal Jurisdiction, we chat with solo practitioner and civil rights litigator Tom Kayes. Tom shares his path to solo practice and reminds us that law degrees travel! Tom's helpful insights in this episode remind us that there is no one path to success. You know what goes great with turkey? Podcasts! We wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving! We're taking a break the week of 11/22 but we will be back in your feed on 11/30.

On Episode 9 of Personal Jurisdiction, we speak with Jordan Matthews about her career as an Assistant United States Attorney in the United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Illinois. Jordan's career path is so exciting that it may remind you of some of your favorite legal dramas! Tune in this week as Jordan shares what inspired her to go to law school, what she has focused on to develop her skills as an excellent litigator, and how she built authentic connections to help her along the way.

On Episode 6 of Personal Jurisdiction, we speak to Amy Chapple, U.S. Commercial Brand Counsel at AbbVie. Amy demystifies the path from litigation associate to in-house counsel, shares the benefits of authentic networking, and describes her role in Diversity and Inclusion efforts at her former firm and in her current role. Don't miss this episode!

My Khanh Ngo is a Staff Attorney at the ACLU Immigrants' Rights Project (IRP) in San Francisco, California. In this excellent episode, My Khanh shares how a variety of experiences before and during law school shaped her current legal career, what she does on the day-to-day at IRP, her views on direct services vs. impact litigation work, and so much more. Don't miss her insights and advice for law students and new lawyers too!