I Am The Law

Angela Alvarado, a career-changer, discusses her role as an immigration lawyer with a legal aid organization in south Texas. She sheds light on the complexities and challenges faced by victims of human trafficking, the importance of empathy, and how she helps clients navigate the immigration system. Angela discusses the intake process and goes into detail about T visas. Angela is a recent graduate...

Ryan Evans discusses his work as an in-house franchise and general business lawyer for Qdoba. He discusses his experience on both sides of the franchise relationship. He worked first as a lawyer for a company that franchises several different concepts (a franchisee) and then as a lawyer for a company that sells access to its systems (a franchisor). His work involves many different elements, from H...

Chukwukpee Nzegwu is a junior associate practicing commercial litigation at a large, general practice law firm. While he didn't go to law school to do commercial lit, he's found it both exciting and challenging. He explains that his decision was influenced by the opportunity to gain trial experience and be involved in oral advocacy. Chukwukpee discusses his work as a problem solver for clients inv...

After a long career in litigation, Diane Sorenson is transitioning to arbitration and mediation, also known as alternative dispute resolution or ADR. She discusses the differences and similarities between litigation, arbitration, and mediation. For ADR, experience is paramount not only for getting cases to resolve but also figuring out how to actually resolve them. Diane is a graduate of the Unive...

Executive producer Kyle McEntee introduces one of I Am The Law's new hosts, Katya Valasek. They preview some upcoming episodes and make a number of helpful observations about legal careers. The first new episode under LawHub airs May 22nd. Mentioned in this episode: Access LawHub today! Learn more about Blueprint

Ilya Lerma runs a small solo practice where she takes on insurance companies in complicated brain injury cases. She discusses the difficulty of running a contingency-fee practice, litigating as a woman of color, and how she manages the stress of being a lawyer. Ilya is a graduate of the University of Arizona. This episode is hosted by Kimber Russell. Mentioned in this episode: Learn more about Blu...

Dan Drake served in law enforcement for a decade before going to law school and becoming a prosecutor. He discusses how student debt is a real issue and is what prompted him to get into real estate transactions and litigation at a small firm. Dan is a graduate of Stetson College of Law. This episode is hosted by Kimber Russell. Mentioned in this episode: Access LawHub today! Learn more about Oklah...

Jon Holscher prosecutes crime in a rural county. While the facts differ among cases, they must all add up to the elements of a crime to get a conviction. Jon is a graduate of Drake Law School. This episode is hosted by Derek Tokaz. Mentioned in this episode: Learn more about Blueprint Learn more about Seton Hall Learn more about Boston University School of Law Learn more about Haynes Boone LLP Lea...

We dive into a roundtable discussion with three law school graduates about short-term contract work, a job that resides at the bottom of the legal profession hierarchy. Known to some as “the circuit,” it's filled with new graduates trying to break into the profession, older graduates trying to on-ramp back in, and others who need the money to get by as they start their own practice, balance a fami...

Zoe Sharp works at Optoro, a software company that keeps her busy in many areas of law. She talks about how she plans for the worst, which has been especially helpful during a pandemic and after a tornado destroyed one of the company's warehouses. Zoe is a graduate of Stanford Law School. This episode is hosted by Kyle McEntee. Mentioned in this episode: Learn more about Blueprint Learn more about...

Jeremy Evans managed to outlast hundreds who started law school hoping to do sports and entertainment law. He talks about the struggle to start his own firm and why he thinks he was among the last standing. Jeremy is a graduate of Thomas Jefferson School of Law. This episode is hosted by Kyle McEntee. Mentioned in this episode: Learn more about Oklahoma City University School of Law Learn more abo...

Choi Portis is a lawyer for the water and sewerage department in Detroit. She handles litigation for the department, develops policies and procedures, and reviews contracts—so one day is rarely the same as the next. Choi is a graduate of Thomas Cooley Law School. This episode is hosted by Kimber Russell. Mentioned in this episode: Learn more about Haynes Boone LLP Learn more about Oklahoma City Un...

Alan Fowler primarily represents tourists who got into trouble while on vacation. He talks about finding clients, their urgency in resolving their legal trouble, and how he learns about what they really want. Alan is a graduate of Mercer University School of Law. This episode is hosted by Kyle McEntee. Mentioned in this episode: Learn more about Oklahoma City University School of Law Learn more ab...

Matt Hoisington explains his path to and through the United Nations. He talks about how he managed to obtain one of the most sought-after jobs in the law as an international human rights lawyer. He discusses his time doing law and policy at UN headquarters in New York City, and time abroad in Abyei and Darfur, Sudan. Matt is a graduate of Boston College Law School. This episode is hosted by Debby...

Alisha Backus has an inspiring passion for her work representing people accused of crimes. When she was younger, she experienced the ugly side of our justice system as a victim of domestic violence. While this understandably causes others to choose a different path, it helps her suss out reliable information from not only victims, but her clients as well. Alisha is a graduate of Barry University S...

Deepan Patel explains his role at the IRS. While the IRS has many types of lawyers, he focuses on business taxpayer guidance, which ensures certainty for businesses making major decisions. He describes how he got into tax, where his career might go, and trade-offs between government and private practice. Deepan is a graduate of Florida State University College of Law. This episode is hosted by Kyl...

Dan Minc discusses how he managed to rise to his firm's managing partner after starting there as a first-year lawyer. He also talks about how he builds his book of business and what he assesses when determining whether to take a client. After all, as a personal injury lawyer, he's only paid if his client wins. Dan is a graduate of Seton Hall School of Law. This episode is hosted by Derek Tokaz. Me...

Candace Hom explains her role in the criminal justice system. She also talks about how she builds trust with her clients, the various legal roles within the federal public defender office, and the challenges of dealing with prosecutors—even the good ones. Candace is a graduate of Georgetown University Law Center. This episode is hosted by Debby Merritt. Mentioned in this episode: Learn more about...

Melina LaMorticella worked as a paralegal for 15 years before going to law school. After graduation, she moved from a local immigration boutique to a larger firm in Portland to practice business immigration law. In this episode, Melina talks about how the U.S. considers immigration applications from professional workers and the charged political atmosphere she operates in, as well as what her typi...

Kathryn Cockrill started her career at a small firm and then went out on her own to reap the rewards of building a business in estate planning and probate. In this episode, Kathryn explains the ins and outs of probate, for both the living and the deceased. She also talks about how she avoids bill collection pitfalls, why she plans to hire help once her firm is on a more stable financial footing, a...

Virginia Whitner Hoptman changed course several times throughout her career before settling back where she started with a highly specialized appellate practice. In this episode, Virginia explains the appeals process for winners and losers at the trial level. She also talks about elitism in the world of appeals, how difficult it is to become a full-time appellate lawyer, and what makes appellate la...

Matt Swain started his own criminal defense practice in a college town 20 miles outside of Oklahoma City immediately after graduation. In this episode, Matt describes the importance of understanding your business inside and out and the techniques he uses that ultimately make him more efficient and more likely to notice opportunities that help his clients move forward with their lives. Matt is a gr...

Seamus Boyce is an education lawyer at a mid-size firm with offices throughout Indiana. In this episode, he tells us about routine work advising clients with one-off questions, as well as more complex work involving student services, discrimination, and legislation. Seamus also discusses his ascent to partner and the choices his firm makes in pursuit of client satisfaction. Seamus is a graduate of...

Kevin Karin is a United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) lawyer in the Seattle regional office. In this episode, he tells us about his role at HUD and how it differs from other types of public interest work related to affordable housing. Kevin is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania Law School. This episode is hosted by Debby Merritt. Mentioned in this episode: Lear...

Kimberley Baker Guillemet helped form the Los Angeles Office of Reentry to ensure that when someone leaves prison, limited employment options do not lead to a cycle of crime. In this episode, she discusses her work helping the formerly incarcerated rejoin society and altering conditions that lead to initial jailings. Kimberley is a graduate of the University of Southern California Gould School of...