Episodes

For our 45th episode and the final episode of Season 3, we speak with Adria Kimbrough, Laura Rose, and A.J. Bellido de Luna, three of the mock trial coaches who appeared on the Class Action with Katie Pfang podcast. We thought it would be great to hear from Adria, Laura, and AJ to learn more about their career journeys, why they have dedicated their time to coaching mock trial teams, and the advice they have for aspiring lawyers. Adria, Laura, and A.J. help us to end Season 3 with a bang! Don't miss this special conversation with our friends from Class Action.

On Episode 44 of Personal Jurisdiction, we chat with Rachel Easter, Senior Counsel and Director of Federal Abortion Policy Initiatives at the National Women's Law Center in Washington, D.C. Rachel shares insights about the reproductive rights movement and how her work has changed since the Supreme Court's ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, which overruled Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey and held that the United State Constitution does not confer a right to abortion. She also provides insight into per passion for this work and a well as strategies for how she maintains a healthy relationship with the work during difficult times. This topic could not be more timely and we hope you enjoy this episode as much as we do!

"Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?" You may remember Bridgette Carr and Vivek Sankaran from our Mental Health Awareness Series last spring. Bridgette and Vivek are both clinical professors of law at the University of Michigan Law School where they teach a course called Designing a Fulfilling Life in the Law. Our conversation with Bridgette and Vivek last spring was one of our most popular episodes! So we decided to ask them back and try something different. In this episode, we flip the mic and let Bridgette and Vivek guide us through a few of the exercises that they use with their students and clients. We talk about what is important to us in life, what work means to us, what we see ourselves doing in the future, and what we would do if we could do anything.

In this episode of Personal Jurisdiction we chat with Jeena Cho, JD, Legal Mindfulness Consultant and Coach. Jeena shares how her tendency to outwork everyone around her led to a mindfulness and meditation practice that became integral to her legal practice and ability to continue working in a demanding legal career. She also discusses her transition from bankruptcy lawyer to Legal Mindfulness Consultant and Coach, how becoming a mother has impacted her career and personal life, and why she unexpectedly decided to write The Anxious Lawyer - an 8 Week Guide to a Joyful and Satisfying Law Practice. Don't miss Jeena's tips for new lawyers and law students on maintaining a healthy, thriving legal practice as well as the due diligence portion of the show, where we share one of Jeena's meditations!

We love having the opportunity to speak with law students - and Noah Nix is no exception! Noah Nix, a 3L at the University of Georgia School of Law and our guest on Episode 41 has had remarkable law school journey - and he's just getting started with his legal career. Noah has already argued before the Second Circuit Court of Appeals as part of UGA's Appellate Litigation Clinic and he is spending his third year of law school as a legal intern in the Appellate and Trial Groups at the Office of the Federal Public Defender in Denver, Colorado. During our conversation, Noah shares about what was happening in the country that drove him to apply to law school, how he found his anchor (and what it is!), and what he loves about appellate advocacy. We hope you enjoy our conversation with Noah Nix!

For our 40th Episode (!), we asked Jonah Perlin, Georgetown Law Professor and host of the #HowILawyer Podcast, to switch roles and let us interview him about his journey to law school, what lights his fire about teaching legal writing, and why he decided to challenge himself to publish one podcast interview per week for his popular podcast about the legal profession. Join us for this thoughtful and fun conversation as we catch up with Jonah Perlin and learn more about what he does, why he does it, and how he does it well.

In this episode of Personal Jurisdiction, we chat with Mark Feldman, Senior Litigation Attorney at the National Immigrant Justice Center, in Washington, D.C. Mark shares how his federal clerkships, Equal Justice Initiative fellowship, and time at the Capital Area Immigrants' Rights Coalition all helped him develop different skills that have been invaluable in his current role at NIJC. He also highlights what kept him in law school after wondering during 1L if law was the right path for him, and why it's important to never sell yourself short!

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.

In this episode of Personal Jurisdiction, we chat with Wookie Kim, Legal Director at ACLU of Hawaii, about what it means to be an active law student, how he benefitted from his time as a litigation associate at a large law firm, finding your "WHY," and the life-threatening experience that changed his career trajectory and drove his move to beautiful Honolulu, Hawaii.

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!

Season 3 of Personal Jurisdiction kicks off with a conversation with David Lat. David Lat is a lawyer turned writer and commentator on the legal profession. He writes about law and the legal profession for his own newsletter and website, Original Jurisdiction, and for newspapers and magazines. You also know David as the founder of Above the Law, one of the largest legal news websites in the country. Hallie and Allison talk to David about what he enjoyed about the practice of law, how he developed his love of writing, the role of Above the Law in encouraging important changes in Big Law, and his thoughts on the role of prestige in the legal profession. We hope you enjoy the first episode of Season 3!

In the final episode of our Student Clinic Spotlight Series, we speak with Analy Ayala. Analy is a rising 3L at the University of Illinois College of Law and a student attorney in the Immigration Law Clinic. Analy shares why she knew she wanted to be a lawyer from an early age, how she has developed her lawyer persona through her experience in the Immigration Law Clinic, and what she has done to continue to help other LatinX, First Generation law students find success in law school.

In this third episode of our Student Clinic Spotlight Series, we talk with Francisco Maldonado Andreu, a 2022 graduate from The George Washington University Law School. Francisco participated in the Civil and Human Rights Law Clinic, gaining experience with both international and US domestic clients while working on a wide variety of cases. Francisco was also the Co-President of the Latin American Law Student Association, and he was active in Lambda Law. Francisco shares details about his clinic experience, provides helpful advice for law students, and speaks about his perspective on what success means at this early stage in his career.

In this second episode of our Student Clinic Spotlight Series, we talk with Jessica Paduganan, a 2022 graduate from the University of Michigan Law School. Jessica participated in a clinic almost every semester during law school! She was a student-attorney in the Workers' Rights Clinic during the second semester of her 1L year and student-attorney in the Civil-Criminal Litigation Clinic during her 2L and 3L years. Jessica shares how participating in the clinic helped her to develop her lawyer persona, why she was intentional in seeking a position on the Michigan Law Review and how she found a supportive, authentic community in the First Generation Law Students group.

Join us for the first episode in our Student Clinic Spotlight Series! During this episode, we chat with Derick Wallace who just graduated from The George Washington University Law School in Washington, D.C. During law school Derick participated in the Small Business & Community Economic Development Clinic. Derick shares details about his transactional clinic work, the skills he learned from clinic, the impact that the Black Law Students Association (BLSA) had on his law school experience, and advice he has for law students.

In the final episode of our Mental Health Awareness Month collaboration with Jonah Perlin and the How I Lawyer podcast, Jonah speaks with Doron Gold, a psychotherapist and former practicing lawyer (primarily in the area of family law) from Toronto, Canada. Doron works primarily with lawyers, law students, and judges as well as other professionals. His personal experience working in the legal profession, coupled with his many years of experiences working with lawyers in distress at the Ontario Lawyers' Assistance Program (OLAP) give him a unique and valuable perspective on the challenges faced by these individuals. In addition to treating lawyers, Doron presents regularly on issues related to mental health for lawyers. Thank you so much to Jonah Perlin for collaborating with us for #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth and for his efforts in helping us to contribute to the goal of destigmitizing mental health challenges in the legal profession.

Dr. Diana Uchiyama is a lawyer and psychologist helping people struggling with mental health and substance use issues as Executive Director of the Illinois Lawyers' Assistance Program. In this special conversation with Hallie and Allison, Dr. Diana shares her personal journey from public defender to clinical psychologist and provides insight into how we can build healthy mental health habits for ourselves and those in our communities.

**Please note this episode covers several topics that some might find disturbing including substance abuse, eating disorders, and suicide.** This month, May 2022, Personal Jurisdiction and the How I Lawyer Podcast are teaming up to feature five interviews on the important topic of mental health in the legal profession. In the third episode of our series, #HowILawyer Host Jonah Perlin speaks with Brian Cuban. Brian is a Dallas-based attorney, keynote speaker, writer, and addiction recovery advocate. Brian has been in long-term recovery from alcohol, cocaine and bulimia since April of 2007. Brian is well known and speaks across the country at law schools & law firms both to tell his story and to offer advice on how our profession can better improve mental health awareness, awareness of substance abuse problems, and building more compassionate communities. He is the author of three books: Shattered Image, the Addicted Lawyer, and most recently his debut novel: The Ambulance Chaser. B…

Are you pursuing a particular career path simply because you feel like you should? If so, it might be time to pause and listen to this conversation with University of Michigan Law School Professors Bridgette Carr and Vivek Sankaran about why being curious, trying new things, and staying connected to people you care about can help you to design a fulfilling life in the law. There is no yellow brick road, there is no checklist - but Bridgette and Vivek share many pieces of advice and personal reflections for anyone who is not quite fulfilled in their career. We hope you enjoy this special episode in the Mental Health Awareness Month series!

This month, May 2022, Personal Jurisdiction and the How I Lawyer Podcast are teaming up to feature five interviews on the important topic of mental health in the legal profession. In the first episode of our series, #HowILawyer Host Jonah Perlin speaks with Professor Heidi Brown who is the Director of the Legal Writing Program at Brooklyn Law School. Having grappled with extreme performance anxiety as a law student, attorney, and new law professor, Heidi ultimately untangled her fears, and embraced authenticity as a powerful asset in teaching and practicing law. She is the author of two fantastic books on the subject, The Introverted Lawyer: A Seven-Step Journey Toward Authentically Empowered Advocacy, and Untangling Fear in Lawyering: A Four-Step Journey Toward Powerful Advocacy. Professor Brown’s brand new book, The Flourishing Lawyer, analogizes law students and lawyers to athletes and performers & offers a fresh lens through which to view the palpable challenge of enriching an…

Join us for the last episode of Season 2 as we chat with Ally Coll, President and Co-Founder of The Purple Campaign. Ally shares how she became interested in politics and saw the power of grassroots organizing before law school (hint: Ally worked for Obama before he was President Obama), why she chose not to write on to law review or apply to clerkships during law school (hint: upon graduation she went to work for Hillary Clinton's legal team), why she chose to share her #MeToo story in the Washington Post, and how this ultimately led her to found the Purple Campaign, a non-profit organization whose mission is to address workplace harassment. Ally also discusses her recent testimony on Capitol Hill in support of the Judiciary Accountability Act, which would apply certain civil rights and employee protection laws to judicial branch employees. Although this concludes Season 2, we're not going far. Stay tuned for our mental health awareness collaboration, which will be released as a ser…

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.

What song describes your career? On Episode 22, we chat with David Dormon, General Counsel at Downtown Music Holdings. David takes us through his journey from corporate associate at two large law firms to the creative ways he was able to discover a career that combined his expertise in transactional work with his love of music.