I Am The Law

In this episode, Josh Offenhartz takes us through his career journey, marked by numerous transitions between law firms, sometimes sooner than he anticipated. From navigating generational differences in firm cultures to managing the evolving dynamics of career progression, client relationships, and work-life balance, Josh shares how his ability to adapt and recognize key opportunities has been inte...

Paige Sparks is an employee rights lawyer who specializes in discrimination claims. In this episode, Paige talks navigating the EEOC process for aggrieved current and former employees, generating clients through social media, and how she navigates her ADHD, a diagnosis she received a few years into practice. Through informational law videos and transparent looks into her life, Paige has garnered m...

Starting a nonprofit often sounds like a great idea, but execution requires vision, commitment, and grit. Laurie Robinson Hayden shares how she transitioned from informal networking among peers to establishing an organization that supports professional development for women of color lawyers. Laurie discusses how she built a mission-driven board, decided she was ready to transition from full-time l...

Happy Thanksgiving! What are lawyers thankful for? The answers may surprise you. In this special episode, we share some previously-unreleased clips of recent I Am The Law guests with their answer to everyone's least favorite Thanksgiving question. Hosts Katya Valasek and Kyle McEntee intersperse commentary throughout our lawyer guests talking about giving voice to the voiceless, achieving their dr...

As an immigration lawyer, Jennifer Quezada builds trust within local communities that need legal help to bring families together. She works primarily with Spanish-speaking clients in their native language, and uses her own background as an immigrant to offer advice and counsel that creates a sense of security amidst a complex and lengthy legal process. Beyond her legal work, Jennifer discusses mar...

Big change requires massive action. That's true whether we're talking about Carney Anne Nasser's career path or her work as an animal protection lawyer. She shifted to animal law five years after earning her law license, first as an unpaid intern (while working as a full-time lawyer) and then for several nonprofits that specialize in strategic advocacy and impact litigation. Carney Anne discusses...

In our 100th episode, hosts Kyle McEntee and Katya Valasek reflect on their legal backgrounds and how their journeys to, through, and after law school shape this podcast's discussions. Kyle talks about his journey, beginning with the founding of Law School Transparency (LST), a nonprofit focused on consumer advocacy, and leading to his role at LSAC. He explores the challenges of enacting meaningfu...

Lana and Nick Kuchinski have done a lot together, from chemical engineering to law school to getting married. Though the episode features their unique journey as a couple, their insights are valuable for anyone considering or currently navigating law school. The conversation touches on competition, jealousy, factoring family into decision-making, support, and the varied ways individual paths shape...

Alexia Bedat is a U.K.-trained entertainment lawyer in New York City who predominately represents production companies in content deals, from podcasts to documentaries and a lot in between. With a bird's eye view of the entertainment industry, she's able to provide legal and business advice to forge deals that let the creative process blossom. Through careful listening and strategic questioning, A...

Taking on high-profile cases is never easy, especially when you're suing fellow lawyers for legal malpractice. Ronnie Richter and Eric Bland have found success not in spite of their differences, but because of them. Ronnie, with his measured speech and precise actions, is the steady hand, while Eric, known for bringing intensity and disruption, shakes things up. Despite their contrasting styles, t...

Bola Adeniran is a theater kid turned mid-level associate at a large Dallas law firm. She practices complex litigation and it's a more natural progression than you might expect. Bola discusses what she loves about document review, her early courtroom experiences, the differences between mentorship and sponsorship, and how she thinks about work-life balance. Bola graduated from St. Louis University...

Seret Gonzalez is in human resources with a startup after years of practicing law and legal recruiting. Her legal background has proven helpful in HR, even if it's not required to fulfill her job duties. Seret discusses the challenges and rewards of her current role, including the legal intricacies of managing HR across multiple states, the importance of building trust with employees and leadershi...

Kiran Vakamudi is a senior associate at an elite law firm who specializes in corporate restructuring for companies in financial trouble. When a company can't repay debts and files for bankruptcy, some creditors get left with nothing. Kiran's job is to negotiate with creditors, develop a plan to reorganize the company's finances, and do what he can to ensure the company can continue operating -- pe...

Joe Richardson is a labor law lawyer with union clients, a seemingly significant pivot from his military service and defense contracting after college. He discusses his motivations for leaving the defense sector and how his upbringing influences his current work in labor relations. Joe shares insights into the intricacies of union representation and union dynamics, collective bargaining, contract...

As Chief Disciplinary Counsel at the U.S. Virgin Islands Supreme Court, Tanisha Bailey-Roka protects legal consumers and the rule of law. She details her multifaceted role in investigating, evaluating, prosecuting, and adjudicating lawyer and judicial misconduct. Tanisha explains the three core principles guiding her work: reprimand, restitution, and rehabilitation, and discusses the broad jurisdi...

After being abruptly fired from his first lawyer job, Mike Morse quickly pivoted to start his own solo practice focused exclusively on personal injury cases. He doesn’t practice much law these days because his firm has grown to more than 50 lawyers and 200 employees, so this episode concentrates on the business side of law. Mike discusses risk related to a contingency fee business model, overcomin...

Jeremy Pisca is a state lobbyist working out of a law firm in a rural state capital. He discusses the personal and professional angles of relationship development, an especially difficult task in a state that sees a lot of turnover among state legislators. Since the legislature is only in session for three months, it's a really intense time for him and his team. They spend it tracking bills from c...

Andrea Tompkins is a capital markets partner at a global law firm based in London. She started her career at a Magic Circle firm (she'll explain that) after earning her J.D. in the U.S (she'll explain how to do that too). Andrea specializes in advising large companies and international investment banks on U.S. federal securities laws. She describes the intricacies of raising capital through equity...

Jenifer Slinskey manages the University of Pittsburgh's patent portfolio, a role that bridges the gap between academic research and industry commercialization. While this job does not require a law license, her STEM and patent law background improve the experience for the researchers she interfaces with and the outside patent counsel she manages. From submitting an invention disclosure form to col...

Ludmilla Kasulke, a seasoned lawyer-lobbyist based in Washington, D.C., amplifies the voices of her clients. Her world is one of competing interests, strategic relationships, legal intricacies, and raw politics. She aims to tip public policy in one direction (or another) through education, a nuanced understanding of political context, and strategies that can evolve on a dime. In the corridors of p...

Many people enter law school or practice with one ambition, only to find it's not quite what they envisioned. For Raffi Melkonian, his initial fascination with corporate law faded quickly while he was at Cravath, a global law firm that allowed him to pivot to litigation. Today, Raffi is an appellate lawyer in the U.S Fifth Circuit and Texas. He provides an overview of what appellate work entails,...

Sometimes it's a tough transition to law school - so tough you fail out. But what comes next depends on a willingness to reflect and seek support. In this episode, Asha Paulose opens up about her academic setbacks, winding career, and personal and professional growth. Today, she's doing something she never expected: running her own law firm. Asha helps elderly clients navigate change in their own...

As a legal engineer at a legal technology company, Donata Stroink-Skillrud uses her knowledge and skills as a lawyer to scale privacy policies -- an essential element of any company's website. She also happens to be a co-founder and the president of the company, Termageddon. There's no attorney-client relationship with Donata's clients today, but they still depend on her ability to understand, org...

Veronique Richardson, a partner specializing in water rights and economic development at a small firm, serves tribal entities and tribal members exclusively. According to Veronique, "water is life." Not only is it significant as a natural resource, but it's significant culturally in Indian country. She helps tribal governments and their people navigate a deliberate balance between economic growth...

JR Thomas, a client attorney at a community services nonprofit, Birmingham AIDS Outreach (BAO), that provides multifaceted services to individuals living with HIV and AIDS. Beyond healthcare and social work, BAO provides vital pro bono legal services that cover a broad spectrum of issues. JR specializes in domestic relations legal work, but because all of his time is pro bono, he can spend time he...