The Portia Project

Newport Beach, California City Council Member and now Mayor Pro Tem Lauren Kleiman talks with host M.C. Sungaila about her path to practicing law and the unexpected road to elected office. She also draws the ugly and amazing side of elections and politics in general. Council Member Lauren Kleiman encourages people in Newport Beach to get involved in different areas of what their community is doing...

Joining M.C. Sungaila is  Elizabeth D. Walker , Chief Justice of the West Virginia Supreme Court and Co-Host of the podcast  Lady Justice: Women of the Court . In this classic episode of the podcast, she shares the ups and downs in her life as a judge, her path to the bench by running for elected office, changes in her state's court system, and weathering an impeachment trial to come out...

Ashley Herd has had a deep and wide legal career, including in-house counsel at leading companies like Yum! Brands (including Taco Bell) around the world to founding her own company Manager Method , which provides efficient training and scalable tools to build healthy workplaces (along the way becoming a breakout TikTok and Linkedin star). Ashley joins host MC Sungaila to share how she uses her ba...

Harmeet Dhillon, the founder of Dhillon Law Group and the Center for American Liberty, is a nationally recognized lawyer, trusted boardroom advisor, and passionate advocate for individual, corporate and institutional clients across numerous industries and walks of life.      Harmeet describes her family's journey to the United States, her time at UVA Law School, a sti...

Judge Julia Smith Gibbons of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit shares how the relationships she formed throughout her career paved the way for her to become the first woman trial judge of a court of record in Tennessee, followed by distinguished service on both the U.S. District Court and the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. She is the recipient of the Devitt Award, the highest honor...

Ann K. Covington shares her trailblazing journey as the first woman on the Missouri Court of Appeals and Supreme Court, and ultimately as the first female Chief Justice in the state. She shares her journey to the bench and work in private practice both before and after her service on the bench, and her role as mentor to many women lawyers. Listen in to hear the wisdom this gracious and humble woma...

Washington Supreme Court Justice Raquel Montoya-Lewis shares her trailblazing journey to the highest court of her state. In conversation with host MC Sungaila, she shares her experience serving as a tribal court judge for three different tribes (the Upper Skagit Indian Tribe, the Nooksack Indian Tribe, and the Lummi Nation), as well as on the Washington Superior Court bench. Her time as a tribal j...

As part of our continuing series on Space, Aarti Holla-Maini , the Director of the United Nations Office of Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) joins the podcast to share her journey from solicitor training to attending business school and entering the aerospace industry, growing and leading the Global Satellite Industry Association, and now leading UNOOSA. Along the way, she discusses the importance of...

Get ready for our annual episode of The Portia Project Podcast compiling and highlighting the personal mottos of many of our guests - extraordinary women in the legal field - sharing the wisdom that shaped their careers. From judges to law professors, hear their guiding principles, life lessons, and how they’ve overcome challenges. Whether you’re aspiring to the bench, the bar, or beyond, this epi...

Welcome to our highly anticipated annual compilation episode! Today, we’re excited to bring you insights from several of our esteemed 2024 judicial guests, each sharing their top tips for mastering two critical skills: effective brief writing and compelling oral argument. From structuring your arguments with clarity to answering tough questions with confidence, these judges provide invaluable advi...

Lee H. Rosenthal  is the Chief Judge of The Southern District of Texas. She discusses her  distinguished career, special relationship with her law clerks, and role leading the Federal Rules Committee. She also provides tips for newer lawyers to grow and excel in their careers. 

Mentors are invaluable. This special joint episode highlights individual mentoring relationships. This episode features Judge Dorothy W. Nelson , Senior Circuit Judge on the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and her former law clerk Lisa Kloppenberg , a University of Santa Clara Law Professor, former law school Dean and Interim Provost of Santa Clara University. Host M.C. Sungaila also counts Ju...

As part of a Girls Inc. Of Orange County "Girls Meet the Workforce" job readiness And Externship program, about 100 11thgrade girls from Orange County gathered at Santa Ana College for a live recording of the Portia Project® podcast, which featured prominent female lawyers and judges from Southern California.   This live event featured previous podcast guests and was tailored for Girls Inc. o...

A live Women's History Month podcast panel with the Product Liability Advisory Council (PLAC) Women's Forum held at Hyundai Motor America Headquarters features Orange County Superior Court Presiding Judge Maria Hernandez, Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley, Jennifer Keller of Keller Anderle, General Counsel of Origence Erin Wilson, and Trellis Legal Research Co-Founder Nicole Clark. Moderated...

In this episode, we explore the transformative experience of law school clinics and their pivotal role in shaping the careers of aspiring lawyers. Today, we have the privilege of hearing from three exceptional graduates of Loyola Law School of Los Angeles' Ninth Circuit Clinic: Tina Kuang , Sydney Wong , and Molly Okamura . Under the guidance of our host, M.C. Sungaila, these talented alumni share...

As part of our Space series, Christine Calvé , General Counsel of the Canadian Space Agency, joins the podcast to share her career journey from ballet to the law, the importance of mentorship to career success, and the value of taking on stretch opportunities.

Allison Brecher , General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer of growing fintech startup and digital retirement platform Vestwell , shares her journey from journalism to the law, and from law practice to in-house. She provides insights into how to be a general counsel who is proactive and integrated into the business, and the opportunity to build a department and company culture from the ground u...

California Court of Appeal Justice Martha Gooding shares her career journey from litigator, arbitrator, and bar leader to the trial and then the appellate court bench. She also shares some tips on effective advocacy, the role of a collegial legal community in fostering an enjoyable practice, and the importance of running your own race and not comparing your progress to others.

Nonprofit leader and resilient spirit Michelle Wulfestieg joins the podcast to share her personal and career journey, as well as provide some guidance on finding your own life purpose. Michelle, the executive director of the SoCal Hospice Foundation, came back from a near-death experience to create The Heavenly Home, Orange County's first nonprofit end-of-life care facility that provides round-the...

Join us for an inspiring conversation with Catrina Melograna , a Senior Project Leader-Space Policy and Strategy at The Aerospace Corporation. In this inspiring episode, she shares her journey from pursuing a career in law to becoming a leading expert in the field of space policy. Discover how she found her passion in space law and policy, overcame challenges, and built a successful career in the...

Judge John Owens of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit discusses his career and path to the bench and encourages law students and new lawyers to consider judicial clerkships or externships to enhance their careers.

Sandra Phillips , Senior VP, General Counsel, and Chief Legal Officer of Toyota North America, shares her path to the C-suite, the role mentors and sponsors have played throughout her career, what gives her career greater purpose, and the importance of paying it forward to the next generation.

NASA Engineer and Women's Aerospace Network Founder Holly Pascal joins the podcast to share resume and career development tips, as well as her experience founding and building out the Women's Aerospace Network. Tune in and learn how to advance your career in any industry with the skills you have!

Judge Wendy Wood of the Arkansas Court of Appeals shares her journey from professional basketball player to private practice, research attorney on the appellate court where she now sits, and, of course, judge. Along the way, she shares how the discipline and teamwork of basketball influenced her career and emphasizes the importance of moving beyond your fears to accomplish your dreams.

Legal design is the application of human-centered design to law, making legal systems and services more accessible, usable, and satisfying. Today, we are joined by fantastic legal design leaders Tessa Manuello, Astrid Kohlmeier, and Sarah Ouis.  Tessa Manuello is the Founder and CEO of Legal Creatives, an online educational platform empowering legal professionals from 50+ countries to think m...