LawHer

Winning a silver Signal Award this year was an unexpected honor. It felt like a reflection of the women whose stories shaped every episode. Their work, their clarity, their persistence.  That recognition belongs to them. As this chapter closes, we look toward what’s ahead. Across the country, more women are stepping into leadership, building firms, shaping policy, and rewriting what power looks li...

Big News! This episode featuring Jennifer Gardner has been named a finalist in the Signal Awards “Best Driveway Moment” category.  We’re honored to see LawHer recognized alongside powerhouse names like Mel Robbins and The Moth. Every vote helps shine a spotlight on the incredible women we feature — so if you’d like to support Jennifer’s episode, you can CAST YOUR VOTE HERE: https://tinyurl.com/5n8...

“I asked nobody for anything—I only asked how to get it.” — Brooke Goff Most people see Brooke Goff’s face on a billboard and think success story. What they don’t see is the grind behind it: the Lyft rides at 4 a.m., the kitchen-table startup, the years without a paycheck, and the gamble of emptying her 401k at 29. In this episode of LawHer, Brooke shares how she built her multi-million dollar emp...

“Leadership is a giant mirror for all your flaws.” — Wesley Lockett When Wesley Lockett stepped into the role of Chief Operating Officer at Daniel Stark Law, the firm was on the edge of a high-growth leap—from 50 employees to more than 170. The challenge? Scale without shattering the culture that made people want to work there in the first place. Most firms don’t make it. Research shows that 70% o...

“There’s no such thing as ‘we can’t do it.’ People come to me with the craziest things, and I just say—‘I’ll fix it.’” — Jackie Karapetyan Jackie Karapetyan had already built one empire. She’d helped take a startup from 25 to 500 employees while raising two young kids. So when she walked into a law firm and asked to start at the bottom—filing papers and answering phones—most people thought she was...

"When you are having fun, engaging in collective laughter - that gate is open for learning." — Rachael Bosch Communication is often considered a soft skill or an afterthought in high-performing legal environments. But in reality, it's a power tool. From neuroscience to Slack threads, Rachael Bosch, founder of Fringe Personal Development, reveals how the brain responds under pressure—and how the sm...

"Generosity is power. Competition doesn’t have to mean scarcity." — Rosa Florentino From the strawberry fields of Carlsbad to structuring over half a billion dollars in legal settlements, Rosa Florentino’s story is a testament to resilience, gratitude, and giving back. As the co-founder of Quest Settlements, Rosa is redefining what financial justice looks like—especially for clients who need more...

“The pipeline isn’t broken. The system is.” — Sonya Palmer This special episode of LawHer was recorded live at the Women in Trial Travel Summit (WITTS) and serves as the capstone to Season 3. Drawing on insights from 60+ powerhouse women featured throughout the show’s history, host Sonya Palmer distills what it really takes to own power faster—and keep it longer—in the legal industry. Whether you’...

“What do you want to do with your wild and precious life?” — Nicole Perrotta Nicole Perrotta always knew how to hustle. She hit six figures before 30, climbed the ladder in a male-dominated industry, and checked all the boxes of “success.” But when every line item of success didn’t add up, she made a bold decision. This episode is about more than chasing titles or paychecks—it’s about the courage...

“Visibility is power—and power grows when you own your difference.” — Sarah Parisi Sarah Parisi never waited to be invited into the room—she walked in like she owned it. From a rainbow dress and a plastic microphone in Tennessee to the VP of Media at Rankings.io, Sarah’s story is about claiming space, mastering strategy, and reshaping what legal media can look like. In a world of flashy billboards...

"You don’t have to trade humanity for success." — Nikka Maleki At just four years out of law school, Nikka Maleki co-founded Sparrow Law Group —and in its first year, Sparrow surpassed $1 million in attorney’s fees. She did it by rewriting all the rules. For her, power isn’t about prestige or posturing. It’s about showing up with empathy, fighting like hell for your clients, and never forgetting y...

"I used to think control meant doing it all. Now I know real power is knowing when to hand it over." — Lauren Grochow Ten years into Big Law, Lauren Grochow had everything she thought she wanted—title, prestige, and the next rung on the ladder in sight. But with a six-month-old baby in her arms and a mentor’s question still echoing in her ears, she made a move that changed everything. In this epis...

“I didn’t feel powerful then. But when I look back, I see how powerful I was.” — Michelle Etchebarren Michelle Etchebarren didn’t wait for permission to lead. She launched a national legal tech platform as a single mother of four, built it from her kitchen table, and kept it alive through personal and economic freefall. In this episode of LawHer, Michelle shares how she turned desperation into mom...

"Power has to be seized—because we already have it. It’s not outside of us. The ‘big’ isn’t out there. The ‘big’ is inside." — Twila White Twila White dismantles injustice with precision, presence, and purpose. With nearly 25 years of courtroom experience, Twila White has helped shape the law itself—winning multimillion-dollar verdicts and establishing legal precedent that expanded protections for...

"I knew I was arguing against the law—and I was being forced to do it anyway… Thats when I had to walk away." — Whitney Betts For Whitney Betts, power didn’t come from title or tenure. It came from walking away from the prestige of a national defense firm—and toward work that actually aligned with her values. In this courageous episode of LawHer, Whitney shares how she left behind the safety of th...

"I don't think people give you power. I think that you have to find that. What makes you feel strong? What makes you feel alive and feel like you can be confident about accomplishing something?" — Nalini Prasad Power doesn't wait to be handed over. For women in law, it's about finding the tools—and the confidence—to build it yourself. But in a crowded industry of massive budgets and established fi...

"The archetype of the good girl as a lawyer would be the same as the archetype of any good girl in any profession, which is living someone else's dream." — Rachel Clar When you've built an identity around being useful, driven, and in control, slowing down doesn't feel like rest—it feels dangerous. But what happens when living up to everyone else's expectations leaves you unrecognizable to yourself...

"I could influence the case by either diminishing her case or I could switch sides and support her and get her justice." - Laura Ramos James Law firms often prize efficiency, billable hours, and winning  - at all costs. But what happens when an attorney realizes the "win" they're pursuing comes at the expense of human dignity? What if following your conscience means walking away from everything yo...

"Everything we want is on the other side of the word ‘yes’... Power is getting people to do things that you want them to do. Influence is the definition of power. And it means impacting the decision-making process…. Every communication is an opportunity to influence through body language, eye contact, cadence, energy, and word choice." - Jennifer Gardner Law schools drill attorneys to be logical....

"It's having the confidence... to do what you want to do and others be damned because it is your path; do what brings you joy." - Christy Granieri When you've spent a decade building a career that no longer serves you, what does it take to walk away and rebuild on your own terms? Host Sonya Palmer sits down with employment attorney Christy Granieri, who left partnership at an established firm to c...

"You get to a certain point in your career where the biases become your strength. You take those things, you use them to your advantage. Use them as teachable moments, not only for the person who is biased, but also for yourself." - Andrea Edney When you're both "the first" and determined not to be "the only" – how do you wield power effectively?  When the phone rang late one evening, Andrea La'Ve...

Season 3 of LawHer gives you the tools to own your power faster—and keep it longer. We bring you the real-life stories, data-driven insights, and proven strategies from women lawyers at the peak of their fields. By tuning in, you’ll gain a roadmap for breaking conventions and reshaping success in your own image. This isn’t just about hearing inspirational stories—it’s about learning practical stra...

How do we pursue our passions without compromising our professional commitment? Kamay Lafalaise (@kamay.lafalaise) is shattering stereotypes and rebuilding success in her own image. By day, she's negotiating the complex landscape of privacy law at the Federal Trade Commission. By night, she's turning up the heat as a contestant on MasterChef. She's crafting a career that combines her legal experti...

We're thrilled to present the third and final mini-series of Season 2, "Art of Negotiation.” In this series, we explore negotiation as a professional skill and a life-changing art form. We'll sit down with an extraordinary array of women who've mastered the negotiation table in various arenas: a former judge, a federal Trade Commission attorney who's also competed on Master Chef, skilled mediators...

We're thrilled to present the third and final mini-series of Season 2, "Art of Negotiation.” In this series, we explore negotiation as a professional skill and a life-changing art form. We'll sit down with an extraordinary array of women who've mastered the negotiation table in various arenas: a former judge, a federal Trade Commission attorney who's also competed on Master Chef, skilled mediators...