SPARKS

This episode of SPARKS was recorded live at Cardozo's 34th INSPIRE! Awards. We spoke with the event’s two Community Impact Honorees: Jackie Pearce '13, Pro Bono Immigration Attorney at Fried Frank, and Andrea Sáenz, Senior Counsel at Co-Counsel NYC and Managing Director of the National Immigration Habeas Institute (NIHI). Jackie and Andrea have spent their careers representing detained immigrants...

This month on SPARKS, we welcome Matthew Eisler ‘07, Head of Sports Capital at Latham & Watkins, for a conversation at the intersection of law, business, and the global sports industry. A leading voice in sports, media, and private equity, Matthew has built a distinguished career advising on some of the most high-profile transactions in professional sports, from franchise acquisitions and strategi...

This month on SPARKS , we welcome Harold K. Gordon ’88, accomplished trial lawyer, Cardozo Board of Overseers member, and partner at Jones Day, for a conversation on leadership, litigation, and the power of preparation. With more than 30 years of experience defending clients in high-stakes trials, SEC investigations, and complex financial litigation, Harold shares insights from a distinguished car...

In this episode of SPARKS, David Feuerstein, co-founder of Feuerstein Kulick, shares how his path from professional baseball to Big Law eventually led him to launch a firm at the forefront of the cannabis industry. Drafted by the Colorado Rockies in 1995, David reflects on the lessons from sports that shaped his legal career and entrepreneurial mindset. He also discusses the decision to leave Boie...

In this episode of SPARKS , we sit down with Francesca Witzburg ’14, founder and managing partner of ESCA Legal and a go-to voice at the intersection of intellectual property, modern brands, and digital culture. Francesca shares how she built a female-founded firm from the ground up and why embracing social media early helped her stand out in an industry where posting on Instagram was once conside...

What happens when a practicing lawyer follows an unexpected passion and finds it leads to a more fulfilling career? In this episode of SPARKS , we sit down with Diego Carvajal, Senior Manager of Learning and Development at Mayer Brown, to explore his journey from practicing law to shaping talent and culture on the HR and professional development side of a global law firm. Diego shares how his long...

Deans Melanie Leslie and Carey Grand sit down with Matthew Baione ’14, a founding member of the 9/11 compensation law firm Pitta & Baione LLP, for a candid and wide-ranging conversation about purpose, resilience, and building a meaningful legal career. Matthew shares how Cardozo’s May-entry program shaped his path and gave him the practical skills to approach law school—and his profession—as if he...

In this episode of SPARKS , we talk with Jonathan Wilcon ’15 , an associate at Morgan Lewis .  He reflects on his path from aspiring prosecutor to renewable energy attorney, and how each step, from civil litigation to corporate transactions, built on the lessons and relationships formed at Cardozo. Jonathan credits his time in the Securities Arbitration Clinic , strong academic performance, and th...

On this episode of SPARKS , we sit down with Sara Colb ’07, Deputy Director for ADL New England, to explore the twists and turns of her legal journey and the values that guide her work today. Sara reflects on her path from law school, where unexpected classes sparked lifelong interests, to navigating a changing legal market at large firms, finding purpose in pro bono work, and ultimately shaping c...

In this episode of SPARKS , we speak with Raymond Mouhadeb, General Counsel, COO, and now CEO of Lombard Odier Asset Management. From his early days at Cardozo, where he gravitated toward tax law and especially enjoyed class with Professor Zelinsky, to his current role wearing multiple hats at a global investment firm, Raymond shares how his legal journey has been shaped by constant learning and a...

In this episode of SPARKS , we’re joined by Ayana McPherson ’21, an associate at Bruns Brennan Berry Pikulin & Jacobs, where she handles production legal matters for film and television. Ayana shares insights into the complexities of location agreements, the realities of working behind the scenes in entertainment law, and how to break into the industry. A proud member of the Black Entertainment &...

In this special edition of SPARKS, we welcomed media attorney Rachel Strom ’06, partner at Davis Wright Tremaine, to the Moot Court Room for a dynamic conversation about her career and insights from the field.   Class of 2025 commencement speaker Talia Raoufpur ’25 joined the deans as a guest co-host to ask Rachel about everything from working with high-profile clients like Sacha Baron Cohen, to w...

Jaime Leggett is a partner who practices in the areas of bankruptcy and complex commercial litigation at Bast Amron. His awards include being named an honoree of Miami Dade Bar’s Young Lawyers Section 40 Under 40 awards (2025) and a three-time Best Lawyers In America Ones to Watch- Litigation – Bankruptcy, (2022-2024). Jaime's experience includes investigating and prosecuting director and officer...

Emma Guido Brill and Jonah Brill share how Cardozo shaped their personal and professional paths. Learn how they found love inside the walls of Cardozo and much more! From their top law class recommendations to insights into the complexities of life as a legal professional, they reflect on their biggest wins, minor missteps, and the lessons learned along the way.     Cardozo School of Law

On this month’s episode of SPARKS , we welcome Daniel J. Dominguez ’05, a 2025 BALLSA honoree and Partner at Latham & Watkins. Daniel reflects on his time at Cardozo Law, sharing what inspired him to pursue a legal career. As he humorously puts it, “I’m an investigative journalist who is a terrible writer.” He dives into his approach to gathering evidence, the art of crafting clear and detailed re...

In this episode, the deans sit down with Maurice Robinson to explore the power of mediation and dispute resolution. From his early days handling licensing and clearance work at PBS to his transformative experience with Cardozo Law’s Intensive Mediation Advocacy Program (IMAP) under Kukin Program founder Lela Love, Maurice shares how practical training prepared him to jump right into the field. A n...

Matias Ricardo Gallego-Manzano '16, a Litigation Associate at Bryan Cave, joins the Deans to discuss his career trajectory on the latest episode of SPARKS. Matias talks about crossing the border as a 4-year-old Latino-American immigrant and becoming a first-generation college student, his decision to leave his job as a teacher to become a lawyer, the rewarding aspects of pro bono work and the impa...

Deans Leslie and Bertolet Grand sit down with two titans of the music industry: Julie Swidler (EVP, Business Affairs & General Counsel, Sony Music Entertainment) and Michael Seltzer (EVP, Business & Legal Affairs, Universal Music Group). Discover what inspired Julie and Michael to pursue music and entertainment law, the highs and lows of navigating the industry, and their experiences working with...

Join us as we sit down with Glenn Thompson, a corporate law expert with a practice centered on Delaware entities like corporations, LLCs, and partnerships.  In this episode, Glenn dives into: ✅ His move to Delaware to practice law and how the state shapes the corporate law landscape. ✅ A fun fact about Delaware’s unique bar admissions process! ✅ The power of a growth mindset in shaping your car...

In this crossover episode, in collaboration with Cardozo's student podcast Pod Curiam, we chat with Grayson Moronta '22, a Labor and Employment Law Attorney at Seyfarth Shaw. Grayson shares how her time at Cardozo School of Law ignited her passion for labor and employment law. Grayson discusses her inspiration behind writing a groundbreaking Law Review note on hair discrimination and gives us a gl...

In this episode of SPARKS, we sit down with Phillip Hamilton, Managing Partner at Hamilton Clarke LLP and adjunct professor at Cardozo Law. Join us as Phillip shares the pivotal moments and key decisions that led him to establish his own successful legal practice. He reveals the secrets to building a thriving business and provides a detailed look into the essential steps of the initial planning pr...

Deans Leslie and Grand welcome Len Egert General Counsel/General Manager of the San Francisco Ballet on this episode of SPARKS. Len is an executive, labor leader, and attorney with over 20 years of experience in entertainment and labor relations. He currently serves as the General Counsel / General Manager at San Francisco Ballet, where he oversees the legal, operations, and union labor relations...

Amol Sinha is a nationally recognized civil rights leader who has dedicated his career to advancing racial justice, holding institutions accountable, and promoting and defending rights and liberties. Tune in to hear Amol detail his civil rights career, from studying constitutional rights and litigation at Cardozo to making a major impact as executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union...

On the second episode of SPARKS, Molly Duane joins Deans Leslie and Bertolet Grand to discuss her career rising from Cardozo to Senior Staff Attorney at the Center for Reproductive Rights. Prior to joining the Center, Molly served as a law clerk at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and interned at the Innocence Project where she worked to exonerate wrongfully convicted prisoners thr...

Dean Leslie and Dean Bertolet Grand welcome their first-ever guest, Cardozo alum Brian K. Kidd. Brian is a partner in Morrison & Foerster’s Investigations and White Collar Defense Practice Group. Before joining MoFo, Brian was Chief of the Market Integrity and Major Frauds (MIMF) Unit of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section at the United States Department of Justice (DOJ). At DOJ, Brian supervise...