In this episode, Justice Carol D. Codrington, the first African American justice on California's Fourth District Court of Appeal, shares her unique career trajectory, starting with being a litigator and a lawyer and moving up to her current position. She takes us deep behind the scenes of what goes into being a judge, sharing challenges and advice for students and lawyers on the process of opinion and brief writing as well as oral arguments.

Join MC Sungaila as she talks to Justice Dawn H. Beam about her journey into the Mississippi Supreme Court. Beam is the fourth woman to serve on the state’s highest court, and the first woman appointed from the Southern District. Find out what she learned in her journey and some tips for up-and-coming lawyers. Discover how she is making a difference when it comes to child protection, mental health, trauma, and much more.

Joining your host MC Sungaila on today’s episode is Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of North Carolina, Anita Earls. She has had an abundant career before the bench, doing significant civil rights work in different arenas, both for the federal government and nonprofits. Today, she shares her journey to the bench and important lessons she gained along the way. Judge Earls also gives insight into working with a diverse group on the bench and offers valuable advice for lawyers and law students who aspire to a similar path. Tune in to learn more about her passion for the law and helping others.

The Founder of Free to Thrive, Jamie Beck advocates for and represents human-trafficking survivors so they can start living their lives. Aside from being the Founder, President, and Managing Attorney of Free to Thrive, she is also an Adjunct Lecturer in Law at USC Gould School of Law and teaches a course on “Trauma-Informed Legal Skills,” creating the next generation of trauma-informed lawyers. Today, MC Sungaila talks to her about her non-profit organization and how she got so passionate about solving the issue of human trafficking.

Mentors are invaluable. This special joint episode highlights individual mentoring relationships. This episode features Judge Dorothy W. Nelson, Senior Circuit Judge on the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and her former law clerk Lisa Kloppenberg, a University of Santa Clara Law Professor, former law school Dean and Interim Provost of Santa Clara University. Host M.C. Sungaila also counts Judge Nelson among her mentors, having served as one of Judge Nelson's externs.

Professor Kloppenberg recently celebrated Judge Nelson's impact on her students, law clerks, and the law by writing and publishing her biography of the Judge, entitled The Best Beloved Thing Is Justice.

In this episode, they discuss Judge Nelson's impact on academia, the law, and the peaceful resolution of conflict through her multiple leading roles as one of the first women law school Deans, a trailblazing judge, and the founder of the Western Justice Center. Professor Kloppenberg also shares her leadership path in academia, and how Judge Nelson inspired and fostered her career, and demonstrated how to have a holistic life in the law, one marked by career accomplishments, faith leadership, and a rich family life.

Tune in to this intimate and inspiring conversation.

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit Judge Consuelo Maria "Connie" Callahan joins MC Sungaila to describe her journey from lawyer to judge and her commitment to the rule of law. She also provides advocacy tips for both appellate brief writers and oral advocates. Listen in for valuable insights and practical tips.

Today’s guest is Oklahoma Supreme Court Justice Noma D. Gurich. Justice Gurich joins MC Sungaila to share her journey from law school to the bench. Not being an Oklahoma native presented its challenges. Her mindset of always being prepared and open to opportunities became key to her career path. She sheds light on what it’s like working in the Supreme Court and shares the challenges the court faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Listen in for essential tips for aspiring lawyers and judges.

Camilla Lopez, co-founder of access to justice legal tech company People Clerk, joins host MC Sungaila to share her journey to becoming a lawyer-entrepreneur who helps individuals navigate small claims court. She discusses what's involved in running a successful start-up, from funding the company's growth (People Clerk is a Techstars alum backed by Google's Latino Founders Fund) to finding the right mentors and listening to customer feedback in expanding and growing their services.

Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice Lorie Skjerven Gildea discusses the important role played by state courts and the surprising turns her own career has taken. She explains how the Court pivoted in order to continue to provide access to justice during the pandemic, the role of the Chief Justice and Supreme Court in administering the state's court system, and important tips on briefwriting and oral argument. Listen in as an accomplished member of the judiciary offers valuable career advice and an important civics lesson.

Host MC Sungaila talks with Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Justice Elspeth Cypher who shares her journey to the bench, from civil practice to chief of the appellate division in the district attorney's office. Listen in as she shares both valuable tips you can use in court and inspiring wisdom for aspiring women lawyers and law students.

Joining MC Sungaila today is Jessica Aronoff, CEO of Cayton Children's Museum. Jessica entered law school with no intention of becoming a lawyer. Her goal? Doing impactful work in a nonprofit. As it turns out, having a law degree was indeed a valuable tool and asset for her work in the field. In this episode, Jessica shares her evolution in the nonprofit space, from Executive Director of teen dating violence organization Break the Cycle to Vice President of Philanthropy for The Wonderful Company. Jessica's career path demonstrates the different ways you can apply your law degree. Tune in to hear from an inspiring and visionary leader.

Justice Melissa Hart of the Colorado Supreme Court shares her journey from U.S. Supreme Court clerk to U.S. Department of Justice trial attorney, law professor, and now member of her state's highest court. With host MC Sungaila, she explains her intuitive approach to career decisions, the long-term impact of mentoring on her career trajectory, and best practices in appellate advocacy.

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.

Yolanda V. Torres of the Orange County Superior Court shares her journey from being the first in her family to graduate from college to serving on the bench. With host MC Sungaila, she shares how her diverse experience as both a law professor and family law attorney, and as a past president of the Orange County Hispanic Bar Association serves her well as a judge. Listen in to hear her inspiring journey.

U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Margaret McKeown, the first woman partner at Perkins Coie and a White House Fellow, shares her career journey from lawyer to judge, and provides insights into the crafting of a judicial opinion and good legal writing. With host MC Sungaila, she also discusses her book Citizen Justice: The Environmental Legacy of William O. Douglas―Public Advocate and Conservation Champion. Judge McKeown tells the inspiration behind writing it and which skills in writing judicial opinions translated into her work as a book author. There's a lot to learn from this episode. Be inspired by her journey by tuning in.

Noella A. Sudbury is the Founder and CEO of Rasa Public Benefit Corporation, a new legal tech company on a mission to make the process of clearing a record simple and affordable for everyone. In this episode, she talks with MC Sungaila about her career journey—from attending law school, going to the public defender's office, working in Utah's leading appellate law boutique, transitioning to Goldman Sachs to gain management and team building experience, then moving to government policy work which led her to found Rasa. Noella's journey is an unconventional one. Tune in to hear insights from a singular intellect on the rise.

A career in the legal field is all about taking a life-long journey of learning and expanding your horizons. This episode's guest greatly knows this to be true, having been through various corners in the field, both in and outside the academic setting. MC Sungaila interviews Dean Nancy Staudt. She is the Frank and Marcia Carlucci Dean of the Pardee RAND Graduate School and Vice President of Innovation at the RAND Corporation. She is also a nationally recognized scholar in tax, tax policy, and empirical legal studies. Here, Dean Nancy Staudt takes us across her journey–from the formative clerkship experience to the challenges she faced in her deanship. She then offers some great advice on taking on a leadership role, highlighting the importance of taking care of oneself as well as having that willingness to learn as you figure out the next step in your career. So don't miss out on this conversation, and allow Dean Nancy Staudt's wisdom to guide you in this journey.

Andrea Sheridan Ordin -- the first female United States Attorney for the Central District of California—and only the third female U.S. Attorney in American history— discusses her path to this and other leadership positions in government. Among other roles, Ms. Ordin has also served as Los Angeles County Counsel, Chief Assistant Attorney General of California, and on the Los Angeles Police Commission. In this episode, she sits down with MC Sungaila to discuss her path to these different roles and offers leadership lessons.

Pathbreaking Hawaii Supreme Court Justice Sabrina Shizue McKenna sits down with host M.C. Sungaila to discuss how perseverance, confidence in your skills, humility, and persistence can help you achieve new heights. Listen in as Justice McKenna discusses her journey from Japan to Hawaii, playing college athletics and getting a scholarship as a result of Title IX, and joining the bench after a distinguished law firm and inhouse counsel career.

Judge Julia Smith Gibbons of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit shares how the relationships she formed throughout her career paved the way for her to become the first woman trial judge of a court of record in Tennessee, followed by distinguished service on both the U.S. District Court and the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. She is the recipient of the Devitt Award, the highest honor awarded to an Article III judge, for significant contributions to the administration of justice, the advancement of the rule of law, and improvement of society as a whole. Listen in as Judge Gibbons shares insights gained throughout her trailblazing career.