The Portia Project

Molly Dwyer is the Clerk of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Prior to serving as the Clerk of Court, she served as deputy clerk and as a staff attorney with the Court. Prior to law school, she attended the London School of Economics and was an assistant to the author Doris Lessing. Molly reveals that fateful day she got off the bus across the street from the beautiful Jame...

In this episode, M.C. Sungaila takes a look at the fine art of mediation with Sasha M. Cummings , a mediator with the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit . Prior to becoming an appellate mediator with the Court, Ms. Cummings worked as a litigator for over 15 years. She discusses her path in the law, and what it's like to mediate cases with the Court.

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 humbl...

M.C. Sungaila welcomes Sonia Escobio O'Donnell, Partner at Sonia Escobio O’Donnell P.A., and the former Chief of Appeals and Head Deputy Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Miami U.S. Attorneys' office at a time when few women held such roles. Sonia shares how she helped foster the hiring of more diverse attorneys in the U.S. Attorney's office, and how her judicial clerkship and relationship with the j...

Oklahoma Supreme Court Justice Dana Kuehn , the first woman to serve on both of the state's high courts (the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals and Supreme Court), sits down with host MC Sungaila to discuss her career trajectory, including her path to the bench, and shares insights on effective advocacy, appellate briefwriting, and moving from the role of trial lawyer to service on both the trial...

Judge Nancy Wieben Stock  served for over two decades on the  Superior Court of California in Orange County . After her lengthy career, she is now serving as a full-time mediator, private judge, and arbitrator for  JAMS, Inc.  In her chat with host MC Sungaila, Judge Stock shares her journey from the bench to her current role as a private neutral. Tune into their discussion to...

Moujan Kazerani , one of the Founding Partners of Bryant Stibel (alongside Kobe Bryant), shares how their company helps the technology, media, and data companies they invest in grow and succeed. Moujan has carved out a unique role for herself, where she applies her legal knowledge as inhouse legal and strategic counsel for both Bryant Stibel and the companies in which they invest, while also...

Judge Rosemary Pooler was passionate about helping people, especially those we call the underdogs. Initially, she planned to make this happen through elected office. But then a friend suggested she consider running for judge because her name was now well known to many since she had run for other types of elected office. From there, her judicial career started, and she was appointed and elected to...

Justice Briana Zamora shares her journey from the trial court, the court of appeals, and then the New Mexico Supreme Court. She sheds light on different judicial selection processes, provides tips on brief-writing, and discusses the importance of mentorship and a collaborative environment.

Host MC Sungaila chats with  Mary Card Mina , a Supervisory Attorney for a federal government agency, the  U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) , and a former Judge Advocate General in the U.S. Army. They discuss the important influences in her career as a lawyer, the valuable lessons she learned from her experience in the military, and how volunteer work shaped her as a...

Justice Maria Stratton shares her journey from the public defender's office to the bench. She highlights the importance of mentors along the way, including the federal judge for whom she clerked. She also shares some great tips on appellate advocacy with host M.C. Sungaila.

Judge Kimberly "Kate" Anne Knill of the Orange County Superior Court came to the trial court with experience both as an appellate advocate and a research attorney for the Court of Appeal. In this episode, host M.C. Sungaila and Judge Knill take a look back at her path to the bench and her love affair with the law. Judge Knill describes her experience as an advocate and a judge and discusses what i...

M.C. Sungaila sits down with Justice Rhonda K. Wood , an Associate Justice on the Arkansas Supreme Court and co-host of the Lady Justice podcast, to hear her path to the bench in a state where judges are elected, and her legal career in the then-nascent specialty of privacy law in the medical context (HIPPA). She also provides some solid tips on appellate advocacy. For example, Justice Wood sugges...

Justice Sarah Beth Landau is the first public defender elected to the First Court of Appeals in Texas. With host M.C. Sungaila she shares insights from her journey, including becoming a judge through an elected process, appellate brief writing, and mentorship.

Jennifer L. Keller is one of America’s most successful trial attorneys. Ranked among the top commercial litigators in the nation, people describe Jennifer as “one of the best trial lawyers in California,” “has uncanny instincts, a wonderful courtroom demeanor, and an extremely clear and effective communicator,” and “absolutely unflappable in court and builds a strong rapport and credibility with j...

M.C. Sungaila sits down with Cyndie M. Chang , the Los Angeles Office Managing Partner at Duane Morris. Cyndie discusses the importance of cultural fit in choosing a law firm -- and how that can lead to leadership opportunities-- as well as her national bar leadership positions. She describes the importance of mentors in her career, and how she pays it forward by supporting and inspiring the next...

In this episode, host MC Sungaila chats with Chief Deputy Clerk Dawn Du Verney of the Western District of Tennessee to uncover how her current role combines her degree in law and her skills on the administrative side, gained from various executive leadership and legal positions within corporate, academic, nonprofit, and government sectors. She touches on the importance of developing soft skills an...

In her role as Chief Program Officer for the nonprofit Girls, Inc . in Orange County, California, Jessica Hubbard combines her experience as an educator with her legal training to help girls become strong, smart, and bold. With host M.C. Sungaila, Jessica discusses her pursuit of a law degree and how she decided to apply those skills on behalf of an organization dedicated to mentoring girls and yo...

MC Sungaila sits down with Hillary H. Holmes , co-chair of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher’s Capital Markets practice. She emphasizes the importance of clear and candid communication when dealing with clients, making the process smoother and more meaningful. Hillary also talks about how well-managed relationships can turn into potential referrals years later and the power of chasing after opportunitie...

The path to success is rarely a straight one. Paula Hinton shares her journey from watching her trial lawyer father in court to trying cases herself. Paula is a Complex Commercial Litigator and Partner at Winston & Strawn LLP , and previously served as a member of its Executive Committee. She offers incredible advice on litigating, leading, and carving your own path. Tune in to hear her chat w...

Diane P. Wood is a Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit and a Senior Lecturer in Law at the University of Chicago Law School. She joins MC Sungaila to share how she went from wanting to be comparative literature scholar to sitting on the bench. There are different ways to join the bench with variety of roles covering multiple areas of the law. Judge Wood also...

In this episode, host M.C. Sungaila is joined by General Counsel and Vice-Chair for the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law, L. Rachel Lerman . She shares her journey from art to the law, and from a career in appellate law to one focused on civil rights protections for Jewish students and tackling anti-Semitism.

Justice Joan K. Irion of the California Fourth District Court of Appeal, Division One, shares how her seemingly unconventional background and experience in tax law led to her appointment to the bench. Justice Irion emphasizes the value of having mentors and sponsors to ask for guidance from as you figure out your niche in the profession. Tune in as she shares practical tips you can use in court an...

Hillary Grosberg has been a litigator and trial attorney for more than 40 years, almost 30 of them as a sole practitioner. Inspired by the show Perry Mason, she wanted to be a lawyer at a young age. She attended law school at night, while working as a paralegal, law clerk and legal secretary. Both fearless and practical, Hillary is a warrior for her clients. Hear her tips for zealously repres...

M.C. Sungaila sits with Larisa Dinsmoor , a Public Defender for the Orange County Public Defender’s Office and Past President of the Orange County Bar Association, one of California's largest bar organizations. Larisa shares her path to bar leadership, her role as a public defender, and her experience with international human rights work.