Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger

Cause of Action with Spencer Pahlke

Business EN ↓ 7 episodes

A show about building a thriving legal career and practicing law that can change the world. In law school, you often hear a standard narrative. You can go into Big Law. Or you can get a job in government or nonprofits. In other words, you can either make money or do good in the world. But not both. Cause of Action with Spencer Pahlke dispels this myth, showing law students that there’s a third path: working as a plaintiffs’ attorney. With plaintiffs’ law, you can make a good living while fighting for causes you care about, from civil rights to environmental protection to corporate fraud. Each...

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Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger

Episodes

6 | When "We the People" Hire a Plaintiffs' Firm 28.04.2026 47:45

Here’s something people don’t often mention: As a plaintiffs’ attorney, you can work side by side with government litigators, taking on some of the most important issues in the country. Case in point, today’s guest: June Pineda Hoidal. June is a managing partner of Zimmerman Reed. The Minneapolis-based firm collaborates with public entities, and has fought back against the opioid epidemic, major p...

5 | Three Law Students Walk into the Plaintiffs’ Bar 21.04.2026 42:08

On today’s episode, Boston College 2L Marissa Lambert sits down with Angie Pati and Jonathan Koehler, law students at NYU and Rutgers. Angie and Jonathan discuss the ideals that brought them to law school, and how those values are leading them to careers on the plaintiff side. They detail the networking strategies that helped them find jobs, and Jonathan shares his secret for how to study for law...

4 | What It’s Like to Be an Associate at a Plaintiffs’ Firm 14.04.2026 37:55

So far, we’ve been speaking with veteran attorneys—litigators who’ve spent decades taking on corporate giants. But today, we wanted to bring on someone who’s a little closer to law school. Someone who only recently went through the gauntlet of school, summer jobs, and studying for the bar – and who’s currently working as an associate at a plaintiffs’ firm. Jenna Forster is a fourth-year associate...

3 | The Defense Attorney Who Exposed the Truth About Forever Chemicals 31.03.2026 53:42

You often hear that summer jobs in law school can lay the foundation for your career. Which is kind of terrifying. It creates the impression that your decisions as a 1L can determine the entire course of your life. But here's the truth: your career is not going to be a straight line. Just ask today’s guest, Rob Bilott. Rob started as a defense attorney. But he’s gone on to bring major environ...

2 | Fighting for Workers' Rights 24.03.2026 48:55

It’s no secret that companies are stealing from their workers. Wage theft is rampant in America, but plaintiffs’ attorneys like Shannon Liss-Riordan are fighting back. Shannon is one of the country’s top lawyers bringing employment class actions, and in today’s episode, she and Spencer discuss Shannon’s cases against companies like Uber and FedEx. Later, Boston College law student Marissa Lambert...

1 | Find a Job You Love. Make a Great Living. Change the World. 17.03.2026 49:05

Welcome to Cause of Action ! On today’s inaugural episode, Spencer is joined by veteran plaintiffs’ attorney and Stanford Law lecturer Shanin Specter. They’ll discuss how law students can land the dream job—one that makes them happy, makes the world better, and pays off those student loans (and then some). Later, Boston College Law student Marissa Lambert shares why she’s building a career in pla...

Introducing: Cause of Action 16.03.2026 1:08

Welcome to Cause of Action with Spencer Pahlke, a new podcast about building a thriving legal career and practicing law that can change the world.