In this episode, Jennifer sits down with Michele Meyer-Shipp, the Chief Executive Officer of Dress for Success Worldwide. Dress for Success (https://dressforsuccess.org) is a global not-for-profit organization operating in 22 countries.Michele tells us about the organization's mission – helping women achieve economic independence and, as she explains, dress women "from the inside out" by providing professional attire and development opportunities. Michele also shares what it's like being the CEO responsible for affiliates across the globe. Jennifer and Michele discuss her path to Dress for Success – from private practice to the public sector, to in-house counsel to Chief Diversity Officer, and to become the highest-ranking woman in Major League Baseball. Along the way, Michele shares practical and meaningful career advice for lawyers – be a lifelong learner and find work that brings you joy(!) – that makes it easy to see why she's been successful every step of the way.

THE CROSS-EXAMINATION – In today's culture, people are used to expressing their views on social media and entering into often polarised debates on potentially emotive issues. Amid the ethos of "bringing your whole self" to work, we have seen this outspokenness permeate into the workplace. There can be a range of differing views which can result in conflicts between employees and challenges for employers to manage. Employees have the right to hold and express certain protected beliefs, but how should an employer balance these conflicting protected rights and ensure they don't result in discrimination or harassment? Can an employer limit freedom of speech in the workplace, and also in the provision of services? What counts as a proportionate response, and are zero-tolerance policies achievable? These are some of the questions tackled in this episode. Hosts:– Elanne Pimstone, Director, Practical Law Employment– Sophie McGuinness, Senior Specialist Legal Editor, Practical Law EmploymentGuests:– Sarah Gilzean, Partner, Morton Fraser MacRoberts– Darren Newman, independent consultant, writer and trainer on employment law– Elizabeth McGlone, Partner, didlaw

This episode’s guest is Fiona Rutherford, the Chief Executive of Justice, a UK law reform and human rights charity. Justice strives for a fair, accessible, and equal justice system and is also the UK section of the International Commission of Jurists. Fiona chats to Yasmin about a landmark report the charity recently published addressing the erosion of the rule of law in the UK, which you can access here: https://justice.org.uk/the-uks-longstanding-commitment-to-the-rule-of-law-is-under-grave-threat-according-to-landmark-report-from-justice/. The pair also discuss what it really means to live under the rule of law and have access to justice, Fiona's career journey from barrister to policy and advocacy work, and a particular case that deeply impacted Fiona and motivates her work in helping to make our justice system more humane.

Mirna Santiago, a lawyer and DEI expert, talks about her commitment to busting bias as a Black Hispanic woman. She discusses the biases in the legal field and the importance of mentorship and allyship. Mirna also shares her motivation to become a lawyer and introduces her nonprofit, Girls Rule the Law, which empowers underprivileged girls. The organization provides mentoring and internship programs for girls interested in pursuing law.

This episode's guest pulls off the impossible: he'll make you wonder if maybe you should have been a tax lawyer.  Dan Neidle is described by some as “possibly the UK’s leading tax lawyer”. After spending 25 years at Clifford Chance, including as their UK head of tax, he set-up Tax Policy Associates – a not-for-profit company aiming to improve tax and legal policy and educate the public. Dan chats with Becky Annison about the fascinating and complicated puzzles he enjoyed solving for clients in practice, why he chose to retire (while still in his 40s) to focus on public policy and advocacy, and why tax law is far more interesting and important than you might think.

In this episode, Lauren sits down with billionaire philanthropist and former lawyer Laura Arnold, co-founder of Arnold Ventures. Arnold Ventures has spent over $2.5 billion (USD) on more than 3,200 projects in many areas of need, like criminal justice reform, healthcare, democracy and contraceptives, to name a few. The organization, which in part seeks to change laws, was founded on the belief that bipartisan policy is the most sustainable change you can make as a philanthropist. Laura and Lauren talk about what makes Arnold Ventures unique in the philanthropic world, including its structure and its evidence-based approach to philanthropy, as well as how Laura and her husband John began their journey as world-renowned philanthropists. For more about Arnold Ventures, see https://www.arnoldventures.org/.

Modern families come in all sizes and configurations – and often the law is playing catch-up with the issues raised by contemporary family relationships. In this episode, Linzi Bull, partner at Penningtons Manches Cooper, chats with host Yasmin Sheikh about her modern family legal practice. They focus in particular on the complex legal and ethical issues that surround surrogacy law in the UK, the emotional connections involved in representing families, and the gaps in the law surrounding polyamorous family units. (Please note: The UK government announced on 8 November 2023 that the Law Commission proposals on surrogacy, which Linzi and Yasmin discuss, will not “be taken forward at the moment.” (https://lawcom.gov.uk/project/surrogacy/)

What does a 20-year legal career in American football look like? How does a lawyer rise through the ranks to become Chief Legal Officer for a team? And what is it like for a female lawyer to achieve this in a male-dominated arena? In this episode, Jennifer sits down with Hannah Gordon, Senior Advisor to the President of the San Francisco 49ers, to find out the answer to these questions – and more. Jennifer and Hannah chat about the intentionality in Hannah's career, including her decision to pause and pivot following the birth of her second child, the importance of networking, and what lawyers can learn from professional athletes. Hannah also shares the motivation for her book, SZN of Change, and explains why lawyers should prioritize joy. Enjoy this conversation with one of (American) football's most influential women, according to https://www.nfl.com

How many of us would have the courage to blow up our careers and get back onto the path we dreamed of in law school? Jolyon Maugham KC, founder and executive director of the Good Law Project, did just that.  Good Law Project (https://goodlawproject.org) is a publicly-funded not-for-profit organisation, based in the UK, that uses the law to campaign “for a better world”.  Jo speaks with host Becky Annison about his transition from successful tax lawyer to outspoken public interest advocate. They talk about the ethical obligations of lawyers in choosing their clients, Jo's motivations in writing his new book Bringing Down Goliath, and how the Good Law Project chooses its cases to achieve maximum impact. Find out more at tr.com/TheHearing

This episode's guest is Bret Parker – Executive Director of the New York City Bar Association and a man who epitomizes making lemons out of lemonade. Bret's diagnosis of Parkinson's at age 38 inspired him to live by the motto “Do epic sh*t.” So far, this has included skydiving, a triathlon, and running 7 marathons in 7 days on 7 continents – all while battling the disease's symptoms. Lauren sat down with Bret to talk about his diagnosis and journey since. They also discuss what the legal industry could do to help accommodate those with physical and cognitive challenges. To learn more about Bret's story and how you can help support Parkinson's research, click here: https://give.michaeljfox.org/4448