How I Lawyer Podcast with Jonah Perlin

Today's special episode of How I Lawyer focuses on law students! In it, Jonah speaks with Lisa Blasser who is the founder of the Law School Success Institute and author of "The Nine Steps to Law School: A Scientifically Proven Study Process for Success: A Scientifically Proven Study Process for Lawyers." I asked Lisa to join me on the podcast for this special episode of How I Lawyer to talk about how to succeed on law school exams. This episode is targeted at law students and I hope you’ll give it a listen and share it with anyone you know just getting started.Lisa is kindly offering How I Lawyer listeners a 10% discount on her flagship Law School Operating System Recorded Course by entering coupon code HOWILAWYER10 at checkout (23 modules and a Workbook, to be completed in four hours).This episode is sponsored, edited, and engineered by LawPods, a professional podcast production company for busy attorneys.

Welcome back to another episode of the How I Lawyer Podcast, where Professor Jonah Perlin interviews lawyers about what they do, why they do it, and how they do it well.Today's guest is Heather Stevenson, the General Counsel at RedCell (a venture firm and incubator that starts and invests in companies across national security, cyber, and healthcare). Before her current role, Heather worked as a litigator at Sullivan Cromwell, served as Deputy General Counsel at the Boston Globe, and notably owned a successful juice bar business for several years. Heather and Jonah met as founding board members of the Legal Mentor Network, a nonprofit dedicated to providing free mentorship to junior lawyers. Heather graduated from Columbia University and Columbia Law School, where she was a Harlan Fisk Stone Scholar.In this episode, Heather shares valuable insights about the legal profession including:👨‍👩‍👧‍👦⚖️ How having two lawyer parents influenced her career path, though she still had much to learn about the modern legal profession despite this advantage [2:26]🏢📝 How her early career plan to become a big law partner changed when she realized the full lives of senior lawyers didn't align with what she wanted for herself [5:25]🥤💼 How she and her husband transitioned from big law to entrepreneurship by opening a juice bar business, which became a hands-on MBA experience [8:33]📊🧠 How her business experience proved invaluable when returning to legal practice, particularly for in-house roles where understanding business operations is essential [16:07]📰⚖️ How she secured her position at the Boston Globe despite lacking traditional media experience by emphasizing her transferable skills and business knowledge [17:01]🔄🚀 How her varied background—big law training, in-house experience, and entrepreneurship—uniquely qualified her for her current role at RedCell [24:40]🙋‍♀️💡 How women should apply for jobs even when they don't meet all listed requirements, as studies show men typically apply with fewer qualifications [27:18]👥🤝 How building genuine relationships and community (rather than traditional networking) is crucial for career advancement [29:26]🧠👨‍🏫 How mentoring others has been a fulfilling way to give back, starting with helping those just one step behind her career-wise [30:58]📝🔍 How mentees can get the most from mentorship by coming prepared with specific questions and following up regularly [35:22]⏱️🧘‍♀️ How embracing "seasons of life" helps balance parenting and career demands, recognizing that different periods require different priorities [37:46]📚🔄 How new lawyers should prioritize learning opportunities over billable hours, as investing in growth is essential for long-term career development [41:19]This episode is sponsored, edited, and engineered by LawPods, a professional podcast production company for busy attorneys.For more from Heather, follow her on LinkedIn or subscribe to her newsletter "In House Outside the Box" for in-house lawyers interested in building careers on their own terms.

Welcome back to another episode of the How I Lawyer Podcast, where Professor Jonah Perlin interviews lawyers about what they do, why they do it, and how they do it well.Today's guest is C.J. Mahoney, the Corporate Vice President and General Counsel at Microsoft. Before joining Microsoft, C.J. served as the Deputy United States Trade Representative (a position to which he was unanimously confirmed) and was previously a partner at Williams & Connolly. He started his career as a law clerk for Associate Justice Anthony Kennedy after graduating from Yale Law School where he was Editor-in-Chief of the Yale Law Journal and attending Harvard University. C.J. was also one of Jonah'sfirst legal supervisors when he was a summer associate at Williams & Connolly 15 years ago.In this episode, C.J. shares valuable insights about the legal profession including:🏙️🧩 How growing up in a small Kansas town where lawyers were well-respected influenced his decision to pursue law as a career path [1:59]🎓⚖️ How his journey through Yale Law School and prestigious clerkships ultimately led him to realize he wanted to learn how to try cases rather than focus solely on appellate work [3:46]🔄🌟 How his career path wasn't as linear as it might appear on LinkedIn, but rather involved being open to new opportunities and distinguishing himself from other talented lawyers [6:48]📝💼 How his litigation skills proved surprisingly transferable when he moved to trade negotiations, particularly in synthesizing complex information and cross-examining experts [14:19]🧠📊 How the ability to take complex facts and make them understandable is a superpower that has served him well across different roles [18:13]✍️🔍 How writing things down and putting concepts in your own words is crucial for learning new areas and sharpening your thinking [18:44]⚖️💻 How his perspective on litigation changed dramatically once he moved in-house and saw firsthand the burden it places on businesses [24:52]🤝💯 How building trust is the most important aspect of managing people, particularly in creating an environment where people feel comfortable bringing bad news [27:12]🌐🔮 How the intersection of AI advancement and political polarization creates unique challenges and opportunities for lawyers in the technology sector [34:11]⏳🏆 How sticking it out through hard times at a law firm and building a strong foundation was one of the best career decisions he made [41:06]This episode is sponsored, edited, and engineered by LawPods, a professional podcast production company for busy attorneys.

Welcome back to another episode of the How I Lawyer Podcast, where Professor Jonah Perlin interviews lawyers about what they do, why they do it, and how they do it well.Today's guest is Adrienne Prentice, CEO and Founder of Keep Company, a group learning platform helping legal organizations empower their teams with essential skills for the modern workplace. Before founding Keep Company, Adrienne's impressive career included roles as Manager of Attorney Talent at Hogan Levels, Vice President and Associate General Counsel at Hewlett Packard, and various positions at law firms and private companies. She holds degrees from Cornell University and American University's Washington College of Law.In this episode, Adrienne shares valuable insights about the legal profession including:🎓💼 How following her gut and being open to opportunities led her from labor relations studies to corporate law [1:25]👥🌟 How choosing mentors and practice areas based on people rather than just subject matter shaped her early career [2:22]📚✨ How hands-on partner mentorship in 2007 provided invaluable learning experiences through direct observation [3:41]📊💡 How the 2008 recession created unexpected career opportunities in green tech and federal recovery funding [6:07]🤝📈 How sponsorship differs from mentorship in law firms and why it's crucial for career advancement [26:45]💪🎯 How doing good work alone isn't enough - you need strategic relationships and advocates [28:26]👨‍👩‍👧‍👦💼 How the legal profession is evolving in supporting parents and caregivers, with room for improvement [38:46]🌱🔄 How law firms need to expand support beyond new parents to address challenges at all parenting stages [41:04]🤝💫 How the pandemic has allowed fathers to be more vocal about work-life integration [43:34]This episode is sponsored, edited, and engineered by LawPods, a professional podcast production company for busy attorneys.

Welcome back to another episode of the How I Lawyer Podcast, where Professor Jonah Perlin interviews lawyers about what they do, why they do it, and how they do it well.Today's guest is Sophia Lin Lakin, the Director of the Voting Rights Project at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), where she directs and supervises the ACLU's voting rights litigation strategy nationwide. Before joining the ACLU, Sophia clerked for Judge Raymond J. Lohier Jr. of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and Judge Carol Amon of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. She is a graduate of Stanford Law School, where she also received her MS in Management Science and Engineering, and holds a BA in Political Science.In this episode, Sophia shares valuable insights about the legal profession including:🎓🔄 How her academic journey through political science, management science, and engineering prepared her for a career focused on security and human rights before she discovered law [2:35]🏥💪 How her experience with a serious health condition shaped her desire to become an advocate for the public interest [6:08]🔄🗳️ How serendipity led her to voting rights work when Professor Pam Karlin suggested an internship at the NAACP Legal Defense Fund during an extra summer [7:52]⚖️🔍 How the Supreme Court's Shelby County v. Holder decision created a sea change in voting rights work just as she was entering the field [11:10]🚀💼 How her early career involved being thrown into challenging litigation tasks with minimal preparation—taking depositions, handling expert witnesses, and defending clients just months into her fellowship [12:36]🧠👍 How she advises junior lawyers to "take a shot" and try to figure things out themselves first to build confidence and judgment [14:49]📜🔄 How voting rights litigation has evolved from focusing on voter ID and early voting restrictions to exploring new legal avenues including First Amendment protections, disability rights law, and state courts [16:37]🌎🚫 How election subversion and anti-immigrant rhetoric present serious concerns for voting rights in the current political climate [19:34]🏢🔄 How law firm experience can be valuable for public interest careers by providing litigation skills that small organizations can't easily teach [28:00]🏥💬 How being open and honest about her health condition throughout her education and career has been valuable, emphasizing that everyone deserves accommodations to perform at their best [33:28]🎯🧠 How staying true to your goals despite law school distractions and maintaining confidence in your own path is crucial for success [36:46]This episode is sponsored, edited, and engineered by LawPods, a professional podcast production company for busy attorneys.

This episode was recorded LIVE at Stetson University College of Law as part of the school's landmark campus to career program! Special thanks to Stetson for inviting me to do this episode on their beautiful campus.Welcome back to another episode of the How I Lawyer Podcast, where Professor Jonah Perlin interviews lawyers about what they do, why they do it, and how they do it well.Today's guest is Howard Williams, an Assistant Federal Public Defender for the District of Florida. Before his current role, Howard served as a public defender in the Sixth Judicial Circuit in Florida and worked in private practice. He holds degrees from Northwood University and Stetson University College of Law. In this episode, Howard shares valuable insights about the legal profession including:🧠💼 How his pre-law background in business management, including managing UAW facilities and sports stadiums, helped him develop people management skills that serve him well as an attorney [3:13]🔄⚖️ How transitioning from business (which is results-based) to law (where "the why matters") required a significant mental shift in his approach to problem-solving [4:00]🤝🙏 How public defense is fundamentally about helping people through the worst situations of their lives, often when the deck is stacked against them [7:13]🕵️‍♂️🔍 How federal cases differ from state cases because federal prosecutors typically build cases for months or years before making arrests, while state cases are often more reactionary [8:28]🗣️👥 How his background helps him translate legal concepts into everyday language for his clients, making complex legal situations understandable [9:55]🏥🔪 How state court work is like being an "ER doctor" (fast-paced triage) while federal court work is like being a "surgeon" (methodical, precise, and slower-paced) [14:20]📝⚡ How depositions are a critical tool in state court practice that he misses in federal court, as they allow attorneys to lock in witness testimony and discover case weaknesses [18:29]🔎⚖️ How facts are the foundation of legal practice, with juries ultimately deciding what the facts are based on witness testimony [23:04]🛣️🔄 How career paths often involve unexpected turns, including jobs not received that ultimately proved beneficial for his professional development [25:12]⏰👶 How balancing the demands of criminal defense work with personal life requires being fully present in whatever you're doing, whether work or family time [32:17]🔍💯 How self-reflection and knowing what truly makes you happy is essential for long-term career satisfaction in the legal profession [35:01]This episode is sponsored, edited, and engineered by LawPods, a professional podcast production company for busy attorneys.

Welcome back to another episode of the How I Lawyer Podcast, where Professor Jonah Perlin interviews lawyers about what they do, why they do it, and how they do it well.Today's guest is Nancy Vinsel, a retired lawyer who previously served as general counsel at a Kentucky state agency regulating public utilities. Nancy brings a unique perspective as a second-career lawyer who attended law school at age 50 after working as a librarian and paralegal. She's also an avid runner and the mother of previous podcast guest Ashley Herd (Episode 86). Nancy is a proud graduate of Brandeis Law at the University of Louisville.In this episode, Nancy shares valuable insights about the legal profession including:👥📚 How informational interviews with practicing attorneys helped shape her decision to first become a paralegal before pursuing law school [2:16]🎓💪 How her family's support, especially her husband's willingness to handle daily responsibilities, enabled her to focus entirely on law school [3:53]🤝📖 How her approach to law school emphasized collaboration over competition, setting a positive tone for fellow students [5:52]🎯💼 How she strategically pursued her legal career path by identifying an agency that matched her interests in civil matters and statutory interpretation [11:51]📊🤝 How utility regulation requires constant learning and collaboration with financial analysts, accountants, and inspectors [14:30]✍️📋 How writing clear, accessible legal documents for non-lawyer audiences became a crucial part of her role [21:24]👩‍⚖️🔄 How navigating organizational hierarchy requires a balance of confidence without arrogance [25:10]🌟👥 How actively seeking mentorship and later becoming a mentor shaped her career development [27:31]💫📈 How successful mentorship requires vulnerability from mentees and patience from mentors [31:36]This episode is sponsored, edited, and engineered by LawPods, a professional podcast production company for busy attorneys.

In today’s episode I speak with Ryan McKeen who is the Co-Founder and CEO of the Connecticut Trial Firm which focuses on representing plaintiffs in personal injury cases. In addition to his expertise and experience in the courtroom, Ryan is a sought after speaker on topics related to law firm leadership and success for personal injury lawyers. He is the author of two books: Tiger Tactics: Powerful Strategies for Winning Law Firms and CEO Edition and is active on LinkedIn where he shares lessons from running his own firm and his lawyer life to his more than 16,000 followers on LinkedIn.Ryan started his career at Leone, Throwe, Teller & Nagel in East Hartford, Connecticut before opening his own firm. He is a graduate of Framingham State University (Go Rams) and Western New England University School of Law (Go Bears).In our conversation we discuss his path to becoming a lawyer and his practice area, the life of a personal injury lawyer (and his response to common critiques of the practice area), the shift from being a junior associate at a small firm to founding his own firm, the ways that he leverages technology in his law practice, the story of his firm's landmark 100 million dollar verdict (the largest bodily injury verdict in state history), and more. This episode is sponsored, edited, and engineered by ⁠⁠LawPods, a professional podcast production company for busy attorneys⁠⁠.Want to Support the Podcast in 2 minutes or less?Leave a ⁠⁠Review⁠⁠ (this helps the algorithm connect me to new listeners)Follow on ⁠LinkedIn⁠Subscribe on ⁠⁠iTunes⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠Spotify

In today’s episode I speak with Regan Smith, who is Senior Vice President and General Counsel at the New/Media Alliance as well as an Adjunct Professor at GW Law where she teaches copyright law. Regan is a trustee of The Copyright Society of the U.S.A and the Chair of the ABA’s Copyright Legislation Committee. Before joining New/Media Alliance, she worked as the Head of Public Policy in Spotify’s Government Affairs group and spent seven years working at the United States Copyright Office including three years as General Counsel of the Copyright Office and Associate Register of Copyrights. She began her career at two large law firms focused on IP litigation and transactions. Her interest in media goes way back — she even worked as a record store clerk in Ann Arbor Michigan during college.In this episode, Regan and Jonah discussed:💼 Regan's transition from entertainment business to law.👩‍🔬 How an unexpected foray into patent litigation led to valuable experience. [05:23]⚖️ The difference between litigation and transactional work [06:32]🇺🇸 Government work v. private practice [15:34] 🎧 Relationship between lawyering and business strategy in her time at Spotify [19:53]💻 Tensions between copyright and AI [26:29]✍️ Important skills: writing, multitasking, experience, and patience [32:45]This episode is sponsored, edited, and engineered by ⁠LawPods, a professional podcast production company for busy attorneys⁠.Want to Support the Podcast in 2 minutes or less?Leave a ⁠Review⁠ (this helps the algorithm connect me to new listeners)Follow on LinkedInSubscribe on ⁠iTunes⁠ or ⁠Spotify

Welcome back to another episode of the How I Lawyer Podcast, where Professor Jonah Perlin interviews lawyers about what they do, why they do it, and how they do it well. Today’s guest is Rachael Bosch, the CEO and Founder of Fringe Professional Development (a leading professional development provider for lawyers and executives) and Candorly (an online tool to make gathering upward feedback easy and efficient). Before becoming a legal tech Founder, Rachael worked in recruiting and development at top law firms, including Paul Hastings and Skadden, and before that, she was a professional actress and singer. In this episode, Rachael shares valuable insights about the legal profession including:🎭⚖️ How her professional journey – from working as an actress to the legal profession – showed her that skills are transferrable between different jobs [2:04]📈🌟 How there is a trend toward law firms becoming much more serious about investing in professional development, coaching, recruitment, and leadership [9:18]🧠📚 How Rachael finds fulfillment in working with summer associates because lawyers’ brains are like sponges at that early stage in their careers [15:48]👍👎 How many lawyers don’t understand that some of the characteristics that make you a good lawyer can simultaneously make you a subpar leader [19:19]🌍💡 How Gen Z is entering the workforce and is starting to influence the profession’s culture [22:55]🙋‍♂️❓ How it is senior lawyers’ obligation to answer questions about culture posed by younger lawyers [26:05]🚦📉 How law firm leaders make choices about culture that have real consequences for their firm [33:55]🎯🚨 How to prepare for legal interviews by understanding what you value and by asking targeted questions designed to see whether law firms share your values [40:23]💬🤕 How to ask for and receive better feedback, even when it is uncomfortable [46:40]This episode is sponsored, edited, and engineered by ⁠LawPods, a professional podcast production company for busy attorneys⁠.Please take two minutes to support the How I Lawyer Podcast!Leave a ⁠Review⁠Subscribe on ⁠Spotify⁠ or ⁠iTunes⁠Share on ⁠LinkedIn⁠ or ⁠Twitter

Welcome back to another episode of the How I Lawyer Podcast, where it is my job to interview lawyers about what they do, why they do it, and how they do it well.Today’s guest is Astor Heaven, a Partner at Crowell & Moring, where he is a trial lawyer and commercial litigator working on a range of matters, with a focus on defense industry and government contract clients. After graduating from the United States Naval Academy, Astor served as a Surface Warfare Officer in the U.S. Navy before attending law school at American University Washington College of Law. After graduating from law school, Astor worked as a transactional attorney at Mintz before joining Crowell & Moring’s litigation practice.In this episode, Astor shares valuable insights about the legal profession including: 🏈 How discovering his personality didn't align with a sports agent role led to a rewarding shift to law.⚓ How his experience serving on a Navy ship gave him the perspective to realize that law school was not the only thing that mattered in his life [6:47]🕒 How he effectively juggled his commitments as an evening student, in addition to working as a military recruiter and as a new father, by being deliberate with time management [9:43]⚖️ How working on pro bono cases fueled Astor’s passion for being in court and led to a lateral move from a transactional practice to litigation [12:30]📚 How thorough research and self-advocacy are key to succeeding in law firm interviews [15:56]🎯 How leveraging pro bono opportunities can sharpen trial skills and clarify career goals [24:40]🤝 How and why to deliberately develop a sponsor relationship [28:45] 📅 How a day in the life of a litigator combines case strategy with future client planning [32:51]🏛️ How trial work's fast-paced, collaborative environment is intense yet rewarding, reminiscent of the teamwork in sports [35:31] 💡 How to demonstrate initiative by proactively bringing new ideas to the table [37:29]🌐 How building a network in law school lays the groundwork for future professional opportunities [41:10]This episode is sponsored, edited, and engineered by LawPods, a professional podcast production company for busy attorneys.Take two minutes to support the How I Lawyer Podcast!Leave a ReviewSubscribe on Spotify or iTunesShare on LinkedIn or Twitter

Welcome back to another episode of the How I Lawyer Podcast, where Professor Jonah Perlin interviews lawyers about what they do, why they do it, and how they do it well.Today’s guest is Michelle Kallen, who is a Partner in Jenner & Block’s Supreme Court and Appellate practice and previously served as the seventh Solicitor General for the Commonwealth of Virginia. After graduating from Vanderbilt University Law School, Michelle clerked on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and then worked as a Litigation Associate at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP and Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, before moving to the public sector. Following her service as the first woman Solicitor General for the Commonwealth of Virginia, Michelle represented the Select Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives to investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol.In this episode, Michelle shares valuable insights about the legal profession including:🗂️ How Michelle’s experience working in the appellate litigation clinic in law school gave her the opportunity to argue in the Sixth Circuit [3:04]⚖️ How seeking pro bono appellate work as a junior associate allowed her to work on federal appeals early in her career [7:06]💼 How and why employing an appellate lawyer at the outset of litigation is valuable in constructing a winning appellate strategy [11:28]🚪 How working in Virginia’s Solicitor General’s Office opened the door to Michelle’s current appellate litigation practice [14:00] 🏛️ How practicing in state court gives you the opportunity to argue a plethora of diverse legal issues [22:09] 📝 How creating a clear argument outline, before drafting, makes it easier and more efficient to write compelling briefs [26:55] ✍️ How she prepares for appellate arguments using the same method that she learned in the appellate litigation clinical during law school [31:45] 🧩 How viewing yourself as a full member of the team, embracing an ownership mindset over your work, and presenting solutions to problems, can set you apart as a junior associate [40:04]🌟 How surrounding yourself with excellent people, who are both kind and smart, can set you up for an amazing legal career and life [44:17]This episode is sponsored, edited, and engineered by LawPods, a professional podcast production company for busy attorneys.Take two minutes to support the How I Lawyer Podcast! Leave a ReviewSubscribe on Spotify or iTunesShare on LinkedIn or TwitterIf you liked this episode, support Michelle by following her on Instagram, @appealsinheels

Welcome back to another episode of the How I Lawyer Podcast, where it is my job to interview lawyers about what they do, why they do it, and how they do it well.Today’s guest is Danielle Garno, who is a Partner and Co-Chair of the Entertainment Practice at Holland & Knight, where she focuses on legal issues faced by fashion, beauty, and luxury brands. Danielle also serves as an adjunct professor at the University of Miami School of Law and has written and lectured extensively on topics relating to fashion law. Prior to joining Holland & Knight, Danielle was a Partner at two big law firms, Cozen O’Connor and Reed Smith.In this episode, Danielle shares valuable insights about the legal profession including:💡 How to develop technical skills in your first job after graduating law school [5:06]💼 How she transitioned from employment law to commercial litigation at her first law firm [7:38]👠 How advocating for herself led to her career in fashion law [11:44]📚 How her fashion law practice involves both transactional and litigation legal work [17:11]🤹‍♂️ How her practice involves a focus on servicing industry clients [21:18]💻 How to build your brand as a lawyer and the importance of maintaining a great reputation [26:44]🤝 How she landed her first client in the fashion industry [28:32]🎤 How she prepared for her first public speaking event and how that helped shape her brand [32:09]🌐 How to successfully market yourself on LinkedIn [35:27]👩‍👧‍👧‍👧‍👧 How to balance a robust legal practice while being a mother to four daughters [37:30]This episode is sponsored, edited, and engineered by LawPods, a professional podcast production company for busy attorneys.