The Jabot

In this episode, Kathryn speaks with Heather Weigler, Assistant Attorney General at the Oregon Department of Justice, about escaping big law and making the world a better place. Heather tried to eliminate the existential dread and unhappiness from work that affected her life and well-being. Gender imbalance in the legal realm further motivated her to volunteer to help women gain their place in the...

In this episode, Kathryn talks to Peter Lynch, Cozen O'Connor's Office Managing Partner, on why he went to law school and how he chose his practice area. Peter discusses why he values D&I programs at business and bar association levels. He shares why he founded DisabilityRightsNow along with the organization's objectives. The legal profession has fallen behind in the hiring of people with disabili...

Kathryn sits with Emer Simic, partner with Neal Gerber Eisenberg Intellectual Property Practice Group, to discuss her reason for shifting from the field of science to law. Emer shares why she chose IP as her specialization and what a typical day in her office entails. She also outlines some of the diversity challenges she sees in IP and the legal sector in general. And she elaborates some of the s...

In this episode, Kathryn speaks with professor and author Ruth Colker about her path to legal academia and how she came up with the concept for her new book. Ruth discusses why conservatives have been able to win the rhetorical battle on so many issues using insults, and how progressives can flip the script. She also talks about how the insult playbook has played out in relation to #MeToo cases, a...

In this episode, Kathryn speaks with entrepreneur Gabriela Isturiz about the ups and downs of working in the legal tech space. They discuss what led to the founding of Gabriela's Fund XX, and why it is so important to harness the power of women investors and entrepreneurs. Gabriela also shares the advice she has for folks getting involved in the legal tech space. Episode Resources https://thefund....

In this episode, Kathryn speaks with Elizabeth Todd, an attorney with the law offices of James Scott Farrin, about the twists and turns her career has taken to get her to where she is today. Elizabeth shares what a typical day looks like for her, and discusses how COVID has impacted the personal injury and nursing home negligence space. She also shares her biggest battles as a result of COVID and...

The transition to parenthood is not easy if you belong in the legal industry. How to survive working as a parent? Kathryn speaks with Lori Mihalich-Levin, a health care lawyer in private practice at her firm. She is the founder of The Mindful Return, a platform that helps parents in planning a radiant, empowered, and smooth return from leave. Lori shares her reason for entering law school and the...

Kathryn speaks with Yvonne Cort, partner at Capell, Barnett, Matalon & Schoenfeld, about how her law school career goals matched up with her actual career. Yvonne discusses how she settled on her practice area and the process of making a lateral move during a pandemic. She also speaks about the benefits of small firms, and what it's like being the only woman partner at her firm. Yvonne also shares...

Kathryn speaks with Judge LaDoris Hazzard Cordell about how she made her way onto the bench and the decision behind writing her recent book. They also discuss some of the biggest responsibilities and challenges Judge Cordell has faced during her time on the bench, and she shares some of the hardest cases she has presided over. Judge Cordell also details how her experience as a Black queer woman ha...

In this episode, Kathryn speaks with journalist and author Joshua Prager about why he chose Roe as the subject of his most recent book, and what is so compelling about Norma McCorvey's story. They also discuss what we know now about the deal Justice Souter struck to save Roe in Planned Parenthood v. Casey. Josh also explains why he thinks it is important to excavate the history of the cases that e...

In this episode, Kathryn and Terrie Campbell, the Chief Executive Officer at Esquire Deposition Solutions, discuss how the pandemic has impacted the legal tech space and the biggest lessons of the past two years. Terrie shares why she believes it's so challenging to embrace change, and what it means to find your personal North Star. Terrie also talks about whether it's possible to actually achieve...

Kathryn speaks with Meghana Shah, partner at Eversheds Sutherland, about why her practice area was appealing and what an average day looks like for her. They discuss how the pandemic impacted Meghana's practice and what she thinks is on the horizon for the cannabis industry. Meghana shares her tips for others hoping to become a Biglaw partner and some of the highs and lows of her career. Kathryn a...

This week, Kathryn speaks with Fran Perdomo, partner at Gallet Dreyer & Berkey, about why she went to law school and how she decided on her practice area. They discuss Fran's biggest career success and failure, and what she learned from both of those. Fran shares what virtual lawyering has been like during the pandemic, and whether she thinks that makes it harder or easier to balance the rest of o...

What's the biggest social issue that you've heard? How were the people, even the government, decided to handle it? In this episode, Kathryn chats with lawyer, cultural historian, and author Linda Hirshman about her decision to go to law school and the evolution of her career from labor attorney to best-selling author. They discuss how Linda picks what subjects to delve into for her books, and why...

Surveys are not just a way for a law firm to know the numbers and to gain information. It also helps strengthen the firm's relationship with its associates. One of the top legal news services in the country, Law360, conducts the Glass Ceiling Survey — and this centers Kathryn's discussion with Law360's Kerry Benn. Kerry presents not only the numbers that result from the Glass Ceiling Survey, she a...

It is all being in the right place at the right time: However, there are some life decisions that we already have in place, which can change easily without you knowing. Kathryn welcomes Anna Brook, whose life changed even if she already made several plans for her future. Set to be an engineer, Anna decided to take a leap of faith and go to Law School in Harvard — and now, she's a successful patent...

Corporate, civil rights, criminal, family, and intellectual: These are just a few of the fields of law that you can specialize in. If you get to choose, which one would you like to focus on? In this episode, Kathryn and Christi discussed the advice that Christi has for those trying to decide what practice works best for them. She also shares her advice for others on the path to partnership. Christ...

It is challenging to start a career in the legal industry, especially for women. In what was believed as a men-controlled community, how can female lawyers and legal counsels make a name for themselves? Kathryn sits down with Michelle Browning to talk about making a voice not only as a female lawyer but also as a working mom, in the legal industry. Michelle shares her success story of building an...

When it comes to being a lawyer, what are the adversaries and challenges that you might face? In this episode, Kathryn welcomes Betiayn as she shares the twists and turns of her career that got her to where she is today. Betiayn talks about how the legal industry has evolved, particularly in respect to diversity, during the course of her career. They also discuss what led up to the founding of WIL...

Building a career in the law field can be both challenging and rewarding: Especially if your field of interest is uncommon. In today's episode, Kathryn interviews Linda Kornfeld. Linda shares why she attended law school and how she landed in her practice area: As an Insurance Recovery Attorney. She also gives advice for others who are looking for their career niche, as well as her experiences with...

Is having a law degree a great tool that opens up a lot of doors and opportunities? In this episode, Kathryn welcomes Lindsay to discuss her pivot to writing from her career in law. They discuss her process of writing her second novel and how different it is from the process of her first book. Lindsay also shares her advice for lawyers and legal professionals who are looking to break into writing....

Can someone who's not a lawyer get involved in the legal industry? In this episode, Kathryn and Ritu discussed the twists and turns of Ritu's career which led her to her current role in the male-dominated space of the legal industry. Ritu spoke about whether she ever felt her accomplishments were undermined because of her race or gender and how she dealt with those feelings. She also shared her ad...

Kathryn interviews Patricia Cain, one of the authors of Paving the Way, about the twists and turns of her life and career: from going to law school, being part of a circus troupe to starting a career in the legal academia. Patricia highlights her experiences not only as a teacher but also her experiences in law school. She also shared the best lessons she learned, especially for those who want to...

Kathryn spoke with Mark Hsu about his experiences as a lawyer, author, and father. They also discussed how Mark drew a line and a balance between legal practice and parenthood. Additionally, they talked about some of the challenges that Mark faced while starting as a lawyer up to creating different lessons for his book that he can pass down to his children. Episode Resources Please Open in the Eve...

I spoke with Vernon and Armand about the initiation of their partnership and writing a book together for both a general audience and for lawyers. We discussed why they chose the Supreme Court as the lens to examine racial justice in this country, and why it is important in the current political climate to examine the Court's history on racial justice. We spoke about their research process and surp...