The Jabot

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...

Kathryn spoke with Nancy Leong about why she went to law school, and the career twists and turns that resulted in her winding up where she is. They also discussed how she came up with the term "identity capitalist", and the personal anecdotes included in her book. They also spoke about hidden in-group agendas and strategies she recommends for those in out-groups. Episode Resources https://www.law....

Stacey speaks with Stacey Breen about the twists and turns of her career that led her to her role at MLA, and the motivation behind their recent Return to Office Survey. They discussed the most surprising results of the survey, including generational differences in pandemic experiences. Additionally, they spoke of some of the challenges women faced during COVID and what the industry can do to fix...

Kathryn spoke with Kelly and Heather about the process of opening up their own firm, and the values they believe to be the most important when establishing a practice. They also discussed the particular benefits and challenges of being best friends and business partners, as well as the biggest changes to their firm due to COVID. They also spoke about tips for practicing law virtually. Episode Reso...

Kathryn interviewed Lauren Drake where they discussed, among other things, how her career evolved to her position at Macrae. They talked about how the "Female Law Firm Leaders Roundtable" got started and how the pandemic shaped that launch. They also discussed how FLFL benefits its members and issues tackled by the roundtable over the last year. Additionally, they dive into how women leaders can l...

Kathryn interviewed Shailini George about her experiences as a legal writing professor and the process of writing The Law Students' Guide to Doing Well and Being Well. They also discuss how distraction addiction became an interest for her. Their conversation includes Shailini's thoughts on how law students should use wellness practices to improve their law school experience, as well as some tips f...

Kathryn interviewed Thomas Douglas about his role as a community and industry leader. They discuss the process of opening his own firm, as well as the biggest challenges and rewards of that experience. They also chat about how to create a tolerant and affirming law firm culture. Additionally, they speak about balancing the pressures of the business side of the firm with the legal practice. Episode...

Kathryn chats with Elle McCulty, partner at Waller Law and chair of the firm's Women's Leadership Council. They discuss balancing firm leadership with her practice, the programs the Council implemented, the firm's recognition by Working Mother magazine, and how the firm supports the re-entry of new parents into firm life. They also talk about why it is important for firms to make a concerted effor...

Kathryn talks with Maria Melendez about why she Ieft the practice of law to become Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer at Sidley. They chat about the unique challenges in this role and how she leverages her past experience. They discuss setting goals and benchmarks in the D&I space, the kinds of programs that pay the biggest dividends in the D&I world, and how a firm encourages attorneys to part...

MiAngel Cody and Kathryn chat about her passion for criminal defense work and the problems with the three-strikes law. They talk about the role of social media and Kim Kardashian in justice work, about how the #90DaysOfFreedom Campaign got started, and why The Decarceration Collective is so important. MiAngel has been labeled a "Legal Legend" a "Changemaker" and a "Powerhouse Litigator" and it tur...

Kathryn speaks with Jennifer McGlone, co-founder of Law Champs. They chat about why she decided to start the organization, how that experience was impacted by the pandemic and the goals of Law Champs. They also discuss the Biden administration's recent change in transgender healthcare protections and what that means for folks on the ground and why they're so important. Episode Resources https://ww...

Kathryn talks with Becky Greenfield and Cristina Rodriguez of Wolfe Pincavage about the new normal -- working from home. They chat about how WFH has changed the way you practice and to figure out how to grow professionally in the virtual environment, and how business development plays a role in that. They discuss what firm leaders can do to better mentor team members and foster collaborative envir...

Kathryn chats with Jenner & Block's Co-Managing Partners, Katya Jestin, and Randy Mehrberg. They discuss their overall philosophy for managing a Biglaw firm, prioritizing diversity, the challenges in trying to create a unified culture across a giant firm, and how the pandemic heightened those issues. They also talk about Jenner & Block representation of Stacey Abrams' Fair Fight Action and the nee...