Recently retired Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O'Connor shares how she became the first woman to lead the state judiciary and her contribution to the judicial system. Maureen O'Connor is the tenth Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Ohio, a Cleveland-Marshall School of Law graduate, and a member of the Cleveland-Marshall Hall of Fame. She became the longest-serving statewide elected woman in Ohio history. She shares her journey to becoming the first woman to lead the state judicial branch of government and how she led significant reforms and improvements in the Ohio judicial system.

Erin Smith and Jennafer Wagner both attended law school to advocate for change. Jennafer is now the Director of Programs at Family Violence Appellate Project (FVAP), where Erin is the co-founder and Executive Director. FVAP is dedicated to helping domestic violence survivors and their children appeal trial court decisions in their cases, and thereby shaping the law in a favorable way for other domestic violence survivors. The success of their model, which thrives on partnerships with law firm attorneys who donate their services for free, has caused them to expand to other states beyond California.

Marcie Getelman, Deputy General Counsel of Lennar Corporation, shares her career journey, the myriad roles held by in-house counsel, and how she supports the careers of the female outside counsel with whom she works.

Host MC Sungaila sits down with retired Colorado Court of Appeals Judge Karen M. Ashby to discuss her trailblazing career as the first Black woman to be appointed to that court. Judge Ashby shares valuable insights from her experiences as a public defender, trial court judge, and appellate judge. She describes how her path has paved the way for others, and how judges' diverse experiences contribute to decision making.

Paloma Ahmadi, Associate General Counsel, Employment, at Brex, talks about her journey from in-house, to law firm practice, and back in-house. Paloma is a phenomenal client advisor, with an interesting mix of career experiences, who provides great insight into navigating a legal career.

Litigation is a complex arena of law. Trial lawyers often need a mentor to guide them on their way. In this episode, MC Sungaila talks about litigation and teaching future lawyers with Caryn Geraghty Jorgensen. She specializes in complex litigation matters and believes in the ability of people to frame paths to resolution when conflicts arise. We discuss trials, litigation, and mentoring the next generation. Tune in for more great insights from women in the corridors of the law.

Judge Jacqueline Nguyen talks with host M.C. Sungaila about her experience as a refugee during the Vietnam War and her journey to becoming a judge, from private law practice to serving as a prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Central District of California. Before her confirmation to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, Judge Nguyen was also the first Asian American woman to serve as a district judge on the United States District Court for the Central District of California.

The law is often seen as impartial but cold. One way that practitioners are bridging the gap between the law and people is through empathy and understanding. In this episode, MC Sungaila discusses human interaction and the law with Kim Hardeman. She is a Partner at Lederer Weston Craig PLC, and made her mark in civil litigation. She traces her career and helps us understand why the human touch is important in law and why women are assets on any legal team. Want to know more about women in the field of law? Then this episode is for you.

Host MC Sungaila trades insights with Barbara J. Dawson, a litigation partner and the incoming Chair of Snell & Wilmer, about recognizing leadership opportunities, authenticity, how to become highly engaged with and navigate your law firm, and the importance of having a sense of community.

Erin Levine is the founder of Hello Divorce, an online divorce platform that provides software to complete legal forms and connects users to lawyers (if they want legal advice). Erin leveraged her legal experience running her own law firm focused on family law and her own experience as a litigant in the legal system to create Hello Divorce's user-centric platform. Erin's company is at the intersection of legal tech and access to justice and is at the center of efforts to revamp laws governing the practice of law. Listen in to hear Erin's entrepreneurial journey and cutting edge issues in legaltech.

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.

Erin Wilson, General Counsel of CU Direct, joins MC Sungaila to discuss the interpretive role played by general counsel, the importance of facilitating communication between various stakeholders in the business, and how her prior work in aerospace, advertising, and even the music business inform her work today. Learn what it takes to work as part of an in-house legal team, and a C-suite leader.

Entrepreneurship isn't a word you often associate with lawyers, but Erin F. Giglia, the co-founder and owner of the Montage Legal Group, is a standout entrepreneur. She and her business partner, Laurie Rowen, founded the company to give law firms and legal departments access to a platform of independent contractor freelance attorneys. Erin shares insights about her journey from lawyer to entrepreneur and Montage's groundbreaking business model.

Ann Kappler, Executive Vice President and General Counsel at Prudential Financial, sits down with host MC Sungaila to discuss her career journey from a law clerk at the U.S. Supreme Court to BigLaw and a key member of the executive leadership team at a Fortune 100 company.

Listen to Chief Justice Rogers as she shares her journey from the trial bench to appellate advocacy. Chase T. Rogers was Chief Justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court and chair of the firm's Appellate Practice group. Learn from her experiences as a trial judge and how they helped her as an advocate. She was able to hear what the holes are from both perspectives. Also, discover why building the right team is important. You need to be able to be around people who have different perspectives from yours. Diversity in your bench matters. If you want to make your way into the bench or as an advocate, listen to this episode now!

The Joseph Project connects human trafficking survivors with attorneys who represent them pro bono to help them with various legal issues arising from their trafficking experience. M.C. Sungaila sits down with Amanda Paletz, the project’s Legal Director, who describes the Project's holistic approach to helping survivors get back on their feet. The project’s legal team works hard to build a network of providers for counseling, medical, and dental services. When the survivors cannot cover the costs, they set aside a fund to cover that. Join in the conversation to discover the power an empathetic approach to the law has in creating a positive impact in society.

Today’s guest uses what she learned as a student-athlete to build an inclusive team at her law firm. Amy M. Stewart is the founding partner of Stewart Law Group, the only minority and women-owned law firm based in the Dallas Fort Worth area representing companies in business, employment, and personal injury disputes. Prior to going to law school, Amy was an NCAA Division I collegiate student-athlete and coach. She uses her experiences in sports to build inclusive teams based on the concept of servant leadership, winning the right way, and relying on a strong work ethic to get things done for her firm’s clients. Tune in and learn more about her professional and entrepreneurial journey and her unique contribution to the legal industry.

Molly Dwyer is the Clerk of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Prior to serving as the Clerk of Court, she served as deputy clerk and as a staff attorney with the Court. Prior to law school, she attended the London School of Economics and was an assistant to the author Doris Lessing. Molly reveals that fateful day she got off the bus across the street from the beautiful James R. Browning courthouse in San Francisco, and applied for a staff attorney position she saw posted on a bulletin board inside. She also provides insight into the role of both staff attorneys and the Clerk's office, and how they help lawyers and judges provide access to justice. Discover Molly's story, and gain insight into the Ninth Circuit, in today's episode of The Portia Project.

In this episode, M.C. Sungaila takes a look at the fine art of mediation with Sasha M. Cummings, a mediator with the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Prior to becoming an appellate mediator with the Court, Ms. Cummings worked as a litigator for over 15 years. She discusses her path in the law, and what it's like to mediate cases with the Court.

Ann K. Covington shares her trailblazing journey as the first woman on the Missouri Court of Appeals and Supreme Court, and ultimately as the first female Chief Justice in the state. She shares her journey to the bench and work in private practice both before and after her service on the bench, and her role as mentor to many women lawyers. Listen in to hear the wisdom this gracious and humble woman has to share.