The Portia Project

Arkansas Court of Appeals Judge Rita Gruber describes her career on both the trial court and appellate bench and her unexpected path to judicial service. Along the way, she shares some life wisdom and tips for effective advocacy. Be inspired by Judge Gruber in this insightful episode and start building your path beyond law school today.

Nicole Stott , a NASA engineer and astronaut who journeyed into space twice and was a crewmember of the International Space Station, shares her career journey. As a former crew member of the International Space Station (ISS), Nicole brings a unique perspective to today’s episode, shedding light on her extraordinary career journey and the profound human experiences that come with exploring the cosm...

Timiebi Aganaba is a space lawyer and assistant professor at ASU's School for the Future of Innovation in Society . Her career has taken her around the world, including a stint at Nigeria's brand-new space agency right out of law school that launched her career in an unforeseen direction and later took her to France, Canada, and now the United States. In this episode, Timi shares the human element...

As part of our series on space law and the space ecosystem, this episode features Shelli Brunswick, a former U.S. Air Force officer and former COO of the nonprofit Space Foundation, now CEO and Founder of SB Global LLC. Shelli shares her views on leadership, the space economy, mentoring and sponsorship, and succeeding in a traditionally male-dominated industry.

Anne Marie Seibel, Chair of the ABA Section of Litigation and litigation partner at Bradley, shares her path to leadership within the legal sphere. Hosted by MC Sungaila, this episode dives into the fascinating intersection of Anne Marie’s career trajectory and her prowess in bar leadership. If you're curious about the transformative power of bar leadership on your legal career and keen to unlock...

Judith Clark is the Presiding Judge of the Riverside Superior Court, one of California's busy and growing trial courts. With host M.C. Sungaila, she shares her path to the bench, offers advice for those considering serving on the bench themselves, and underscores how being open-minded about opportunities and the guidance of mentors led her to become a prosecutor and, later, a judge. Listen in for...

In this episode, we get to hear some of the most impactful and profound personal and professional mottos that The Portia Project guests have shared on the show. Whether we can articulate it or not, we each have our own motto that we live by, and women in law are no different. You’d be amazed at just how many of these mottos you will resonate with. Most probably all of them. Tune in to find out and...

Welcome to the best of The Portia Project. This is the second of three episodes that have been curated and focused on particular topics that lawyers might be interested in. In particular, in improving their skills. Our first compilation episode focused on brief writing. This one focuses on oral argument. Many of the judicial guests on The Portia Project podcast have shared their tips for oral argu...

Many of the judicial guests on the podcast have shared their top tips for briefwriting. This episode compiles many of these tips for those who want to learn. Whether you are preparing for your first appellate argument or seeking to refine your existing skills, this episode offers a treasure trove of practical advice to elevate your brief-writing prowess and become a more effective advocate in the...

Presiding Judge Kimberly Merrifield of the Butte County Superior Court in California, and a former member of the California Judicial Council and leader of the Trial Court Presiding Judges Association for presiding judges throughout the state, shares how her eclectic, well-rounded career (from a court clerk to a varied private law practice after night law school) led her to the bench. She shares so...

Newport Beach, California City Council Member 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 to shape and support...

Cheri T. Pham, Assistant Presiding Judge of the Orange County Superior Court in California, shares her family's immigrant journey to the United States, her experience as a trial lawyer in both the public defender's office and the district attorney's office, her election to and service in the bench, the challenges and the potential for wide-ranging impact from leading and managing the courts. She a...

Lisa Sarnoff Gochman , a criminal appellate lawyer and author of At the Altar of the Appellate Gods: Arguing before the US Supreme Court , reflects on her career, the parallels between good writing in legal briefs and creative nonfiction, and writing the first book to provide an inside account of preparing for and arguing a landmark criminal case before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Stacy Bratcher , General Counsel of Cottage Health , in conversation with host M.C. Sungaila, shares her journey to in-house leadership and dives into the role of bar associations in shaping professional connections, skills development, and career advancement. She also discusses the pivotal role played by general counsel in organizations. Tune in to be inspired.

To continue the series featuring leading women in space law, Ruth Pritchard-Kelly, an expert on satellite regulatory policy, joins The Portia Project podcast to discuss her career in satellite policy and her role in leading legal strategy for several space startups. She also shares some powerful and moving career and life advice. 

Michelle Banks is a champion of women lawyers and their careers. Her own career trajectory – from BigLaw to General Counsel to Executive Coach – is also inspiring. Michelle sits down with host M.C. Sungaila to share her career journey. She dives deep into the meaning she gets from helping others succeed and her work with Ms. JD and DirectWomen . Michelle also shares her contribution to a book on t...

Client relationship expert Angela Meyer joins the podcast to talk about her corporate career, including business development strategy and tips for lawyers. She is a mechanical engineer, the former executive director of the Product Liability Advisory Council , and a client relationship guru. Tune in and gain important insights on business development from today’s amazing guest. 

Utah Supreme Court Justice Diana Hagen sits down with M.C. Sungaila to share her career journey from clerking for a federal judge to serving in the appellate division of the U.S. Attorney's Office and now on the appellate bench. She shares how her acting training helped her gain confidence early in her career, the importance of mentors, and the role a flexible work arrangement played in her remain...

Bobbi Liebenberg and Lauren Rikleen are both keen observers of trends in the legal profession and women's progress in particular. Joining MC Sungaila, they share their thoughts in a freewheeling discussion about challenges and opportunities for women's path forward in the law.

Bankruptcy Judge Elaine Hammond sits down with host M.C. Sungaila to demystify both bankruptcy law and the path to becoming a bankruptcy judge. Bankruptcy is a very specialized area of the law. Judge Hammond shares how she decided to be a bankruptcy judge, her journey to becoming one, and what her responsibilities are. She also gives some advice for those thinking about applying for the position a...

Denise Dragoo , Snell & Wilmer partner, shares her trailblazing path in environmental and natural resources law. Denise shares her incredible journey, from being on the Governor's policy team to becoming an equity partner at Snell & Wilmer. Along the way, she talks about the importance of mentoring, community service, and provides invaluable tips for building a successful law practice. Tun...

Robyn Crowther , the Regional Managing Partner for California at Steptoe & Johnson, sits down with host M.C. Sungaila to share her path to leadership in a large law firm, her earlier experience at a pathbreaking boutique litigation firm, and her work as a trial lawyer and community and bar leader which has led to her being repeatedly named by the Daily Journal as one of the Top 100 Women Lawye...

The highly respected Franceska Schroeder , Founding and Managing Counsel at Schroeder Law PLLC , discusses her niche and growing area of space law, the power of mentoring and paying it forward, and founding her own firm. 

In this episode, Carol W. Carpenter , Chief Marketing officer at Unity and former CEO of ElasticBox, shares her journey as a marketing powerhouse at Silicon Valley technology firms. She also provides business leadership and teambuilding tips, as well as insights into an effective marketing plan and building a personal brand. A powerful episode from an extraordinary business leader.

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...