In this episode, we explore the transformative experience of law school clinics and their pivotal role in shaping the careers of aspiring lawyers. Today, we have the privilege of hearing from three exceptional graduates of Loyola Law School of Los Angeles' Ninth Circuit Clinic: Tina Kuang, Sydney Wong, and Molly Okamura. Under the guidance of our host, M.C. Sungaila, these talented alumni share their remarkable journeys, where they, along with their law school teammates, took on the challenge of briefing, arguing, and ultimately prevailing in immigration appeals before the esteemed Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Their stories exemplify how participation in law school clinics can sharpen legal skills, nurture professional growth, and accelerate careers in the legal arena.

This episode also marks an exciting collaboration between the Portia Project and the Personal Jurisdiction podcast. Together, we strive to shed light on the significance of law school clinics, judicial externships, and judicial clerkship experiences, illuminating the path for future law students to find their own trajectories of success. Tune in for a captivating exploration of the possibilities that unfold when ambition, mentorship, and opportunity intertwine in the pursuit of legal excellence.

What are no crime wrongful convictions? In this episode, Jessica S. Henry shares thought-provoking insights from her new book, Smoke but No Fire: Convicting the Innocent of Crimes that Never Happened. Jessica is a professor, legal commentator, social justice advocate, and blogger. Her award-winning book highlights a prevailing yet underlooked issue in the legal justice system that impacts the victims of such phenomena and society at large. Along with host MC Sungaila, the two discuss the various downstream effects of wrongful convictions and how we can remedy the system to help the community instead of punishing already disadvantaged individuals who are innocent. Today’s episode is filled with eye-opening insights that encourage us to ask more questions as to how the legal system works and doesn’t work.

For the first time, the podcast features a trailblazing guest who, despite having had a major impact on law and policy globally, does not have a law degree. Join your host MC Sungaila as she dives deep into a conversation with Deborah R. Hensler, Ph.D., the Judge John W. Ford Professor of Dispute Resolution at Stanford Law School, and former inaugural chair of the RAND Institute for Civil Justice. Professor Hensler discusses her pathbreaking research and policy work on asbestos litigation and class actions, and describes her unique approach top identifying and addressing emerging issues and global trends in the law.

As part of a Girls Inc. Of Orange County "Girls Meet the Workforce" job readiness and Externship program, 100 11th grade girls from Orange County gathered at Santa Ana College for a live recording of the Portia Project® podcast, which featured prominent female lawyers and judges from Southern California.

This live event featured previous podcast guests and was tailored for Girls Inc. of Orange County attendees. In addition to podcast host M.C. Sungaila, panelists included Justices Eileen Moore and Joanne Motoike of the California Court of Appeal; Judge Kimberly Knill of the Orange County Superior Court; Orange County Senior Assistant Public Defender Tracy LeSage; and Loyola Law School professor, Rebecca Delfino.

Girls Inc. of Orange County has been a respected member of the non-profit community since 1954. The mission of Girls Inc. is to inspire all girls to be strong, smart, and bold. We put our mission into practice through the Girls Inc. experience that equips girls to navigate gender, economic, and social barriers and grow into healthy, educated, and independent adults. Health, education, and independence are the three main areas that surround its program curricula.

We’re in for a treat as MC Sungaila dabbles a little bit more into legal academia as a career option for lawyers and law students. Joining her is Professor Rebecca A. Delfino of the Loyola Law School in Los Angeles. Professor Delfino wears many hats in the school, most notably as a Professor of Law and Faculty Adviser of the Moot Court program. She takes us back into her storied journey from law school to law firm, the Court of Appeal, and eventually, back to law school where she’s now busy molding a new generation of law professionals. Listen in and take a peek at the career path of an amazing woman who has an impressive resume of experiences both in academia and in the courts.

Host M.C. Sungaila sits down with Lyrissa Lidsky, Dean of the University of Missouri School of Law. Lyrissa discusses her passion for teaching and her career journey from a small town in Texas to leading a major law school. Listen as she shares the challenges and rewards her academic career has brought her -- and how surviving breast cancer while serving as Dean impacted her, her family, and her academic community.

Michelle Hanlon is a maven of all things involving space law. She is Co-Director of the Center for Air and Space Law at Ole Miss and an instructor of aviation and space law. She is also a co-founder and the President of For All Moonkind, Inc., a nonprofit corporation that is the only organization in the world focused on protecting human cultural heritage in outer space. Prior to space law, she conducted complex international transactions, including the restructuring of sovereign debt for a number of South and Latin American countries and evolved into the negotiation and implementation of cross-border technology mergers and acquisitions.

Listen in as Michelle Hanlon describes what is so exciting about space law, the importance of maintaining space history and cultural property, and the impact of New Space on the legal landscape.