Young Lawyer Rising

Learn how to exceed expectations and thrive as a new lawyer from a panel of seasoned attorneys who are open and honest about what it takes to make partner, navigate your career, and excel in the legal field. Special thanks to our friends over at Litigation Radio, ABA's Section of Litigation and Podcast Host Dave Scriven-Young for sharing this special episode with us. For more conversations with top litigators, judges, and experts, subscribe to Litigation Radio on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.-----Newly admitted lawyers can feel overwhelmed and intimidated. Law schools can’t teach everything, and there’s a lot of on-the-job learning. Some of the work is difficult and complicated. Some of what’s required is as simple as showing up on time and doing work that looks perfect and is free of typos (yes, that matters, even for internal communications).With each task, the best new lawyers progress from competence to excellence. Start with the goal of being a “superstar associate” by being the best lawyer you can be. When new lawyers take on tasks and do good work, others will notice and will mentor you. What any new lawyer makes of their earliest experience in any firm will drive them to the next level, no matter their career path.This episode shares tips for standing out and learning how to be a lawyer from two attorneys who have excelled in their careers and have made partner at their respective firms.Resources:What New Lawyers Must Know on Their First Day on the JobEarly Career Success for Attorneys Can Come from Developing Your "Ownership Mindset"Great Lawyers Don't Only Point Out Problems—They Offer SolutionsSuccess in the Legal Profession Is Not Achieved Through Participation TrophiesBuilding a Career you Love as a Young LawyerSome Advice to the New or Soon-to-be LawyerTop Tips for Young Lawyers: How to Survive and Thrive in Your Legal CareerAmerican Bar AssociationAmerican Bar Association Litigation SectionAmerican Bar Association Young Lawyers Division

Everybody wants your data, from companies to hackers to governments. Guest Lexi Lutz is senior corporate counsel, and privacy watchdog, at Nordstrom. She advises the company on the legal implications of AI, cybersecurity, privacy, and data protection. As computers get smarter and capabilities expand, it’s more important than ever to maintain legal guardrails and understand potential pitfalls.Lutz starts with keeping up with the slew of developing state privacy laws and international regulations. Corporations handle massive amounts of data, much of it confidential. Privacy disclosures, terms of service, customer service, data breaches, and transparency are all factors. It’s a lot for any legal team to manage, and the field is only getting bigger.Hear how Lutz got her start in corporate data and privacy law, how she approaches her duties, and how she helps the rest of the corporation understand where the vulnerabilities and minefields lie.As a lawyer, you understand your duty to maintain confidentiality. But as computing capabilities surge, and in the murky and evolving world of AI, there’s a growing need for attorneys who understand and stay on top of lurking challenges to privacy and data security. Everything from massive customer database hacks to simply sending an email using a coffee shop’s WiFi can create data security issues. (And Lutz reminds us, change your passwords frequently).Resources: Microsoft Outlook email encryptionGoogle Gmail encryption“Twenty Years Ago, AIM Chatbot SmarterChild Out-Snarked ChatGPT,” TechCrunchChatGPT“’She Hooked Me’: How an Online Scam Cost a Senior Citizen His Life’s Savings,” Wall Street JournalJustin S. Daniels at Baker Donelson, videosAmerican Bar AssociationAmerican Bar Association Young Lawyers Division

Kimberly 'Kim' Maney, a successful in-house corporate attorney and dedicated mom, shares her journey balancing her demanding legal career with family life. She discusses the challenges of coordinating childcare and attending family events while maintaining a high-pressure job. Kim emphasizes the importance of setting boundaries with coworkers to prioritize family time and how she benefited from connecting with other parents for support. Her insights offer practical strategies for young lawyers striving to harmonize professional aspirations with personal commitments.

Guest Nancy Maurice shares her unique background as she followed her curiosity and leaned on her courage to explore several countries throughout her education—ultimately landing a position as an associate with a New York-area law firm.Maurice is a native of France, where she learned English while growing up. She crossed the English Channel and earned her first law degree in England, a LL.B. Next, Maurice returned to Paris to obtain more degrees in law. Afterward, she moved to Louisiana, where she enrolled at Louisiana State University to obtain her LL.M. Maurice takes all her knowledge, skills, and legal expertise to assist clients in New York City.Maurice learned law in a second language, crossed an ocean, and settled in the United States as a foreign resident. She navigated a foreign culture, including the legal culture, found her fit, and proved she could get the job done.Maurice learned that nothing is out of reach if you pursue your goals and take chances. Hear how she accepted every challenge, gave presentations and webinars, learned to speak confidently in public, and proved herself, even when others told her something was impossible.RESOURCES:“Things Left Unsaid: Implicit Obligations Under Louisiana Law in Star Financial Services, Inc. V. Cardtronics USA, Inc.,” by Nancy MauriceAmerican Bar AssociationAmerican Bar Association Young Lawyers DivisionHow Foreign-Trained Attorneys Can Become Attorneys in the United States

Guest Mary Smith is an accomplished attorney and the first Native American woman to become president of the American Bar Association. In addition to a distinguished career in legal leadership for billion-dollar organizations, including CEO of the national organization Indian Health Services, she is also active in many civic organizations, including the Caroline and Ora Smith Foundation, dedicated to helping young Native American women forge careers in STEM fields.Smith’s career took a long and winding path, including a stop serving in the White House and the Department of Justice, along with billion-dollar publicly traded companies. Smith said the key has been to remain curious and open to new opportunities throughout her career.Being willing to take risks and face various challenges has driven her career to amazing heights. Smith explains how she never limited herself to any presupposed direction. Sometimes, you think you’ve selected a singular path, but if you remain open to new opportunities, that path can lead you to places you’ve never imagined and take you higher than you thought possible. As Smith says in this inspiring episode: “Be true to yourself. Believe in yourself. And seek help, mentors, and others who can help along the way.”Resources:“Asked & Answered: Mary Smith, ’91, President, American Bar Association,” University of Chicago School of LawCaroline and Ora Smith FoundationAmerican Bar AssociationAmerican Bar Association Young Lawyers DivisionNative Americans: A Crisis in Health EquityABA President to Students: You Will Change the Practice of LawWorking to Ensure an Enduring American DemocracyABA Task Force for American Democracy

As a new lawyer, have you ever considered a career in government oversight? It’s a broad, important field that ensures a wide range of agencies work as designed while protecting public funds and interests.Guest Lucy Lang is a former prosecutor now serving as the New York Inspector General. She is charged with overseeing investigations into corruption, fraud, and abuse in the New York State government (more than 100 agencies) and has been a steady advocate of criminal justice reform. Lang shares her path and passion in this inspiring episode of Young Lawyer Rising.The complex nature of Lang’s work depends heavily on her ability to lead, a skill she had to learn on her own and is now pressing the legal education field to include in law school curriculum. Seeking out mentors, learning on the job, and taking on new challenges were all part of her career growth. “If not you, then who,” she asks. “Be brave; take the bull by the horns.”Get an inside look at the workings of government oversight, the value of public service, untangling difficult ethical decisions, and making a positive difference through leadership. It could be just what you need to help you take your next, bold step.Resources:New York Offices of the Inspector GeneralNew York State Offices of the Inspector General, Job PostingsLucy Lang, Wikipedia “Lucy Lang ’06: An Advocate for Criminal Justice Reform and Government Integrity,” Columbia University NewsLucy Lang, Selected Publications“New York State Inspector General Report Finds Persistent Racial Disparities in Discipline Within New York State Prisons”“NYS Parks Employee Pleads Guilty to Official Misconduct”New York State government oversight hotline: 1-800-DO RIGHTNew York Offices of the Inspector General on Twitter/XABA Section of State and Local Government LawAmerican Bar AssociationAmerican Bar Association Young Lawyers Division

Environmental law is a dynamic field that evolves rapidly with new challenges as they emerge but also against the backdrop of the politics of state and federal administrations. Regulatory focus shifts from administration to administration and crisis to crisis, creating a challenging area of law for those who practice it. Our guest, David Mandelbaum, is a shareholder with the firm of Greenberg Traurig and has practiced environmental law since 1984. He’s seen a lot, from focusing on solid waste landfills decades ago to today’s challenges created by a changing climate. Legal procedures vary from state to state in addition to how the federal government oversees environmental issues, challenging practitioners to understand the law and the issues and the procedural process. Laws and statutes are in constant flux.For newer lawyers, Mandelbaum says the constant changes in the field of environmental law level the playing field between experienced attorneys and those getting out of law school. Changes come so fast that a new lawyer who has studied the latest regulations and cases can be on equal footing with someone who has practiced in the field for decades. In this field, it’s never “the way we’ve always done it.”If you’ve ever considered a career in environmental law, this discussion may open your eyes to new opportunities.Resources:“SEC Adopts Rules to Enhance and Standardize Climate-Related Disclosures for Investors,” SEC.govSuperfunds and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency“EPA Imposes First National Limits On 'Forever Chemicals' In Drinking Water,” NBC newsPennsylvania Environmental Law Forum 2024Different Career Paths in Environmental LawNurturing the Future of Animal LawAmerican Bar Association on Environment, Energy, and ResourcesAmerican Bar AssociationAmerican Bar Association Young Lawyers Division

Guest Evita Nwosu-Sylvester focuses on the civil rights and fair lending needs of middle- to low-income earners in their quest for affordable housing. She works in multifamily fair lending operations at Freddie Mac (the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp.).But Nwosu-Sylvester is also a fighter for rights, fair hiring needs, and workplace accommodation for those embracing disabilities.Nwosu-Sylvester followed a nontraditional path to her legal career. She earned her undergraduate degree in psychology with the goal of pursuing that field, focusing on helping people with disabilities. Then, the idea of putting a law degree to work in the field of disability and civil rights attracted her. Throughout her education, she worked to embrace her own disability – cerebral palsy – and learn how to live independently while making a difference.In her legal career, Nwosu-Sylvester shows organizations that people with disabilities are capable, valuable contributors. Accommodation doesn’t have to be insurmountable or expensive, and Nwosu-Sylvester and her team regularly make themselves available to help organizations understand and develop neurodiversity policies and programs.RESOURCES:U.S. Department of Labor Job Accommodation Network (JAN)ABA Commission on Disability RightsThe American Association of People With DisabilitiesAmerican Bar AssociationAmerican Bar Association Young Lawyers Division

Guest Michael Kippins is a Boston-based civil rights attorney with Lawyers For Civil Rights. Driven by a desire to advocate for those too often left without robust representation, Kippins made the courageous jump from a big law setting to his civil rights practice and hasn’t looked back.In one of his high-profile cases, Kippins is challenging what the suit describes as Harvard University’s system of admission bias toward “legacy” students and the harm that practice poses to communities, including first-generation students and students of color. During the episode, Kippins discusses the differences between civil rights law and his previous role in big law. From working with community groups to prioritizing public awareness of his cases, the range of skills required as a civil rights attorney is diverse and unique to the practice.A career in civil rights litigation can be a labor of love and fulfill a passion. Hear how the work civil rights attorneys does make a difference in people’s lives. If you’ve been interested in pro bono work, if you’ve found something missing in another area of law, or if you’re simply curious about civil rights law, this is an episode you can’t miss.Christina Gregg served as the associate producer on this episode of Young Lawyer Rising. Resources:Why I Became a Civil Rights Attorney ABA Civil Rights and Social Justice SectionLawyers For Civil RightsLawyers For Civil Rights, Facebook  Lawyers For Civil Rights, Email: office@lawyersforcivilrights.orgMassachusetts Black Lawyers AssociationBoys & Girls Club of BostonNewsweek, “Harvard Faces Another Legal Fight Over Its Admissions”Reuters, “Harvard 'Legacy' Policy Challenged On Heels Of Affirmative Action Ruling”SXSW Educational Seminar WeekAmerican Bar AssociationAmerican Bar Association Young Lawyers Division

Tamara Nash, chair of the American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division, shares inspiring stories from 2023. She discusses how young lawyers learned to balance life and work, highlighting one lawyer's health journey that emphasized self-care. The importance of mentorship and community support shines through, especially for those adjusting to challenges after COVID-19. Tamara encourages young lawyers to rebuild connections and find strength in shared experiences, proving that no one is alone in their struggles.