The Portia Project

Former Chief Judge of the Northern District of Texas and Chair of the ABA Section of Litigation, Barbara Lynn, sits down to share insights from her storied career as a trial lawyer and federal judge. Recently retired as a federal judge and now a partner at Lynn Pinker Hurst & Schwegmann, Lynn discusses the importance of mentors, the role we can all play in training the next generation, her pat...

We continue our Space series with Kiersten Fortson, Senior Counsel for Launch Operations at Relativity Space and former FAA counsel. Kiersten shares how an unexpected moot court competition on international space law sparked her passion for the field, setting her on a path from the Pentagon to the FAA, where she worked on the landmark Part 450 launch licensing framework. She reflects on translatin...

Rachel Williams , Executive Director of the Open Lunar Foundation , shares her path from a space startup to a lunar governance nonprofit. Along the way, she shares leadership lessons and tips for navigating career transitions and finding your way to a meaningful next step in your career.

Space security shapes everything from global stability to everyday life on Earth, and it needs leaders who can bridge disciplines and drive collaboration. As part of our Space series, Victoria Samson , Chief Director of Space Security and Stability at the Secure World Foundation , shares her unconventional journey from international relations to space security. She reflects on her path to space po...

This compilation episode features some of our guests who focus on Space Law - in academia, private practice, and government. Michelle Hanlon, Caryn Schenewerk, Franceska Schroeder, Ruth Pritchard-Kelly, and Bailey Reichelt share their paths to the law and the growing field of Space Law specifically.

As part of our Space series,  Christine Calvé , General Counsel of the Canadian Space Agency, joins the podcast to share her career journey from ballet to the law, the importance of mentorship to career success, and the value of taking on stretch opportunities.

Stacy Bratcher , General Counsel of  Cottage Health , and now host of the acclaimed The Legal Department podcast, in conversation with host M.C. Sungaila, shares her journey to in-house leadership and dives into the role of bar associations in shaping professional connections, skills development, and career advancement. She also discusses the pivotal role played by general counsel in organiza...

This is a reprise of an earlier episode which we are featuring upon the retirement of Kathleen E. O'Leary, the former Presiding Justice of the California Court of Appeal, Fourth Appellate District, Division Three, and the former Presiding Justice of the Orange County Superior Court-- and the first woman to hold both positions. Justice O’Leary has also served on the Judicial Council, the policymaki...

Marisa Cianciarulo , Dean of Western State College of Law in Orange County, California, discusses her journey to academia, her role managing faculty, students, and various stakeholders as a law school dean, and the importance of female role models in her career development.

Karen Stevenson , Chief Magistrate Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, shares her path to the bench and to the law, including a stint at Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar. She also describes how her experience living abroad expanded her perspective as a person and enhanced her judicial skills later on. Judge Stevenson exemplifies her motto: "Do it. Do it right. Do it...

In this classic replay, Carl St. Clair, longtime Music Director of Pacific Symphony, provides insights into conducting world-class musicians, mentoring and paying it forward, and how research for a music performance mirrors a lawyer's preparation for court. For those interested in classical music – as well as leading teams, building community, and encouraging collaboration – this episode is for yo...

A classic episode in our Space series featuring Timiebi Aganaba , a space lawyer and assistant professor at  ASU's School for the Future of Innovation in Society . Her career has taken her around the world, including a stint at Nigeria's brand-new space agency right out of law school that launched her career in an unforeseen direction and later took her to France, Canada, and now the United S...

In one of our classic judicial guest episodes, Alabama federal district judge Anna Manasco shares her journey from debate champion to appellate litigator and federal judge, and offers tips for young lawyers to grow their skills and gain opportunities to be mentored. Her journey to the bench was characterized by her willingness to learn from everyone and everything that comes her way in throug...

In this classic replay from our in-house counsel series, Monica Palko, Chief Legal and Administrative Officer of "NewSpace" company York Systems, shares her journey to the top of the space industry. She offers useful advice for corporate lawyers on how to thrive in their positions and contribute meaningfully to the company. Monica discusses the major changes happening in the traditional and new sp...

Laurie Earl , Administrative Presiding Justice of the California Court of Appeal, Third District, joins the podcast to share her career journey from the public defender and district attorney's offices to Presiding Judge of the Sacramento Superior Court and now Presiding Justice of the Court of Appeal. She describes how mentors nudged her along the way and provides insights into judicial decision m...

As part of our continuing series on Space Law, Janna Lewis , Senior Vice President of Policy and General Counsel of Astroscale U.S., Inc. joins the podcast to chat with host M.C. Sungaila about her career journey from planning to become a medical doctor to attending law school, becoming a patent litigator and government contracts lawyer in private practice, and then moving inhouse within the space...

Amanda Rutenberg , Deputy General Counsel at space company Rocket Lab USA , joins host M.C. Sungaila to discuss her path from journalism to law school, government contracting and BigLaw, and how her secondment to a client led to an in-house career at both a traditional space company and a NewSpace company. Listen in, as Amanda drops some great insight into the role of in-house counsel and the role...

In a classic replay of our in-house counsel series, Allison Brecher , General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer of growing fintech startup and digital retirement platform  Vestwell , shares her journey from journalism to the law, and from law practice to in-house. She provides insights into how to be a general counsel who is proactive and integrated into the business, and the opportunity t...

Legal thriller author Patricia Hunt Holmes spent 30 years as a public finance attorney with a large international law firm specializing in nonprofit healthcare finance and rural electric cooperative finance. She sits down with M.C. Sungaila to discuss what it was like to be one of the first women partners at her law firm, her journey from a Ph. D. to paralegal and then lawyer, and her current care...

M.C. Sungaila sits down with  Kalpana Srinivasan , co-managing partner of one of the U.S.'s leading boutique litigation firms, Susman Godfrey. She discusses her path from journalism to the law, from a federal clerkship to high profile litigation and becoming one of the few women of color to lead a major law firm. She provides powerful insights into navigatin...

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 disti...

Judge Rosemary Pooler  was passionate about helping people, especially those we call the underdogs. Initially, she planned to make this happen through elected office. But then a friend suggested she consider running for judge because her name was now well known to many since she had run for other types of elected office. From there, her judicial career started, and she was appointed and elect...

Former Illinois Supreme Court  Chief Justice Anne M. Burke  sits down with M.C. Sungaila for a wide-ranging discussion on her path to the bench, her role as a founder of the Special Olympics, and the importance of teaching critical thinking and civics education to the future of the judicial system. She also shares tips on brief writing and presenting a powerful oral argument, and why cur...

In honor of Women's History Month, we reprise this podcast's very first episode chronicling a woman's journey to the bench and beyond.  Christine Durham  retired from the Utah Supreme Court in 2017 after serving as a Justice for 35 years, including 10 years as Chief Justice and Chair of the Utah Judicial Council. As one of the first women judges in her state, she led the way for others t...

Bobbi Liebenberg and Lauren Rikleen are both keen observers of trends in the legal profession and women's progress in particular. Joining MC Sungaila in this classic Portia Project episode, they share their thoughts in a freewheeling discussion about challenges and opportunities for women's path forward in the law.