Welcome back to another episode of the How I Lawyer Podcast, where it is my job to interview lawyers about what they do, why they do it, and how they do it well. Today’s guest is Astor Heaven, a Partner at Crowell & Moring, where he is a trial lawyer and commercial litigator working on a range of matters, with a focus on defense industry and government contract clients.  After graduating from the United States Naval Academy, Astor served as a Surface Warfare Officer in the U.S. Navy before attending law school at American University Washington College of Law.  After graduating from law school, Astor worked as a transactional attorney at Mintz before joining Crowell & Moring’s litigation practice. In this episode, Astor shares valuable insights about the legal profession including: 🏈 How discovering his personality didn't align with a sports agent role led to a rewarding shift to law. ⚓ How his experience serving on a Navy ship gave him the perspective to realize that law school was not the only thing that mattered in his life [6:47] 🕒 How he effectively juggled his commitments as an evening student, in addition to working as a military recruiter and as a new father, by being deliberate with time management [9:43] ⚖️ How working on pro bono cases fueled Astor’s passion for being in court and led to a lateral move from a transactional practice to litigation [12:30] 📚 How thorough research and self-advocacy are key to succeeding in law firm interviews [15:56] 🎯 How leveraging pro bono opportunities can sharpen trial skills and clarify career goals [24:40] 🤝 How and why to deliberately develop a sponsor relationship [28:45] 📅 How a day in the life of a litigator combines case strategy with future client planning [32:51] 🏛️ How trial work's fast-paced, collaborative environment is intense yet rewarding, reminiscent of the teamwork in sports [35:31] 💡 How to demonstrate initiative by proactively bringing new ideas to the table [37:29] 🌐 How building a network in law school lays the groundwork for future professional opportunities [41:10] This episode is sponsored, edited, and engineered by LawPods, a professional podcast production company for busy attorneys. Take two minutes to support the How I Lawyer Podcast! Leave a Review Subscribe on Spotify or iTunes Share on LinkedIn or Twitter

Welcome back to another episode of the How I Lawyer Podcast, where Professor Jonah Perlin interviews lawyers about what they do, why they do it, and how they do it well. For today’s special episode (and the final episode of 2023), we bring to you How I Lawyer’s first-ever live-recorded episode featuring former guests of the podcast, Eli Albrecht and Jordana Confino, in a discussion about positive lawyering in the practice of law.  This episode was recorded LIVE at DLA Piper’s Offices in Washington D.C. with the support of sponsors Lateral Hub, LawPods, and the Legal Mentor Network. In this episode, Jonah speaks with Eli Albrecht and Jordana Confino. Eli is a partner at SMB Law Group LLP where he represents buyers and sellers of businesses and specializes in representing private equity groups.  After graduating from Georgetown University Law Center, Eli worked as a mergers and acquisition Associate at DLA Piper and at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP.  In addition to his day job, Eli writes about his own path in the legal profession primarily on LinkedIn where he focuses on balancing life as a private equity lawyer, husband, and LawDad in a way that is “fully integrated.” Jordana is a lawyer and expert on positive lawyering. She previously served as the Inaugural Dean of Professionalism at Fordham Law where she remains an adjunct professor.  Jordana was voted Fordham Law Adjunct Professor of the Year in 2021 for her class on Positive Lawyering. In 2022, Jordana founded her own consulting and coaching business with the mission to advance the well-being of the legal profession.  Prior to joining Fordham Law, Jordana served as the Assistant Director of Academic Counseling, Acting Clerkship Advisor, and a Lecturer in Law at Columbia Law, clerked for the Second Circuit Court of Appeals and Southern District of New York, and graduated from Yale Law.   In this episode, Eli and Jordana share valuable insights about the legal profession: 😊 Jordana discusses how googling “how to be happy” led to her discovery of positive psychology early in her legal career [4:36] 👩‍❤️‍👨 Eli discusses how a conversation with his wife recalibrated his career goals [12:15] 🧠 Jordana discusses how she redefined success by living according to her values rather than her fears [14:43] 🌟 Eli encourages listeners to follow their north star and to speak openly about life outside work [19:06] 🧩 Eli explains how “full integration” allows him to maintain continuity throughout his family, workplace, faith, and other vital parts of his life [26:31] 🌉 Jordana defends why boundaries are important and can create bridges to better relationships [29:57] 📅 Jordana explains how to identify your nonnegotiable needs and calendar them into your schedule [33:55] 💵 The panel debates the billable hour [36:52] 🤗 Jordana explains how to build a better relationship with yourself as a starting point to positive lawyering [54:26] 🌍 Eli implores listeners to trust that the world will support you and to enjoy the ride [55:43] You can hear more from Eli by listening to HIL episode 87 and hear more from Jordana by listening to HIL episode 110. This episode is sponsored, edited, and engineered by LawPods, a professional podcast production company for busy attorneys. This live episode was sponsored by: Lateral Hub⁠ ⁠LawPods⁠ ⁠The Legal Mentor Network Take two minutes to support the How I Lawyer Podcast! Leave a Review Subscribe on Spotify or iTunes Share on LinkedIn or Twitter

Welcome back to another episode of the How I Lawyer Podcast, where Professor Jonah Perlin interviews lawyers about what they do, why they do it, and how they do it well. Today’s guest is Michelle Kallen, who is a Partner in Jenner & Block’s Supreme Court and Appellate practice and previously served as the seventh Solicitor General for the Commonwealth of Virginia.  After graduating from Vanderbilt University Law School, Michelle clerked on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and then worked as a Litigation Associate at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP and Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, before moving to the public sector.  Following her service as the first woman Solicitor General for the Commonwealth of Virginia, Michelle represented the Select Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives to investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol. In this episode, Michelle shares valuable insights about the legal profession including: 🗂️ How Michelle’s experience working in the appellate litigation clinic in law school gave her the opportunity to argue in the Sixth Circuit [3:04] ⚖️ How seeking pro bono appellate work as a junior associate allowed her to work on federal appeals early in her career [7:06] 💼 How and why employing an appellate lawyer at the outset of litigation is valuable in constructing a winning appellate strategy [11:28] 🚪 How working in Virginia’s Solicitor General’s Office opened the door to Michelle’s current appellate litigation practice [14:00] 🏛️ How practicing in state court gives you the opportunity to argue a plethora of diverse legal issues [22:09] 📝 How creating a clear argument outline, before drafting, makes it easier and more efficient to write compelling briefs [26:55] ✍️ How she prepares for appellate arguments using the same method that she learned in the appellate litigation clinical during law school [31:45] 🧩 How viewing yourself as a full member of the team, embracing an ownership mindset over your work, and presenting solutions to problems, can set you apart as a junior associate [40:04] 🌟 How surrounding yourself with excellent people, who are both kind and smart, can set you up for an amazing legal career and life [44:17] This episode is sponsored, edited, and engineered by LawPods, a professional podcast production company for busy attorneys. Take two minutes to support the How I Lawyer Podcast! Leave a Review Subscribe on Spotify or iTunes Share on LinkedIn or Twitter If you liked this episode, support Michelle by following her on Instagram, @appealsinheels

Ayyan Zubair, Junior Litigation Associate at Allen & Overy, shares insights about legal internships, clerking for a state supreme court justice, work life integration as a junior associate, starting new research assignments, handling feedback, networking, and opening doors for new lawyers.

Welcome back to another episode of the How I Lawyer Podcast, where it is my job to interview lawyers about what they do, why they do it, and how they do it well. Today’s guest is Danielle Garno, who is a Partner and Co-Chair of the Entertainment Practice at Holland & Knight, where she focuses on legal issues faced by fashion, beauty, and luxury brands. Danielle also serves as an adjunct professor at the University of Miami School of Law and has written and lectured extensively on topics relating to fashion law. Prior to joining Holland & Knight, Danielle was a Partner at two big law firms, Cozen O’Connor and Reed Smith. In this episode, Danielle shares valuable insights about the legal profession including: 💡 How to develop technical skills in your first job after graduating law school [5:06] 💼 How she transitioned from employment law to commercial litigation at her first law firm [7:38] 👠 How advocating for herself led to her career in fashion law [11:44] 📚 How her fashion law practice involves both transactional and litigation legal work [17:11] 🤹‍♂️ How her practice involves a focus on servicing industry clients [21:18] 💻 How to build your brand as a lawyer and the importance of maintaining a great reputation [26:44] 🤝 How she landed her first client in the fashion industry [28:32] 🎤 How she prepared for her first public speaking event and how that helped shape her brand [32:09] 🌐 How to successfully market yourself on LinkedIn [35:27] 👩‍👧‍👧‍👧‍👧 How to balance a robust legal practice while being a mother to four daughters [37:30] This episode is sponsored, edited, and engineered by LawPods, a professional podcast production company for busy attorneys.

Welcome back to How I Lawyer, where I interview lawyers about what they do, why they do it, and how they do it well. Today’s guest is Lindsay Barnes who is a Senior Counsel at Capital One, where he advises on consumer financial services for one of the largest credit card issuers in the United States. Lindsay began his legal career clerking for both state and federal judges, Judge Pamela White in Maryland State Court followed by Judge Ronald Buckwalter in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.  After clerking, he spent seven years as a commercial litigation associate at two big law firms, DLA Piper and Cadwalader, before going in-house at Capital One in 2021. In this episode, Lindsay shares valuable insights about the legal profession including: How his background as a journalist shaped the way he communicates as a lawyer [1:51]. How sending over 200 tailored cover letters landed him a federal clerkship [11:10]. How clerking for both state and federal judges taught him the difference between litigating in state versus federal court [14:02]. How to manage a broad commercial litigation practice at two big law firms [21:58]. How to develop subject area expertise alongside continuing to acquire new legal skills [27:47]. How he transitioned from working in private practice to in-house counsel [30:23]. How the role of in-house counsel involves a different type of legal work [34:53]. How to create effective visual presentations and how to learn to say more with less [37:38]. How his experience as in-house counsel taught him the importance of respecting people’s time [42:45]. How to take a 10,000-foot view of your career [44:11]. This episode is sponsored, edited, and engineered by LawPods, a professional podcast production company for busy attorneys. Take two minutes to support the How I Lawyer Podcast! Leave a Review Subscribe on Spotify or iTunes Share on LinkedIn or Twitter

In today’s episode I am excited to speak Scott Oliver. Scott is a Partner at Lewis Kappes in Indianapolis where he represents banks and non-bank lenders in SBA transactions nationwide. Scott became the youngest equity partner in his firm’s history after closing thousands of SBA loans and has counseled clients at every stage in the lending process. In addition to his busy practice, Scott is a frequent speaker on business development, personal branding, and supporting the “human” side of practice. Scott is an adjunct professor at the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law where he teaches Legal Communication & Analysis. In our conversation we discuss the importance of finding a practice area that “fits and fills your cup,” what SBA lawyers do and why the practice area is growing, the unique nature of doing transactional work in a regulated area of law, ways to build your personal brand and book of business even as a new lawyer, why taking ownership of a case and a task (even if it is something as simple as ripping out staples) is the ticket to a successful legal career, the power of sharing publicly and building a brand, and more. You can follow Scott on LinkedIn. This episode is sponsored, edited, and engineered by LawPods, a professional podcast production company for busy attorneys. 👍 Want to Support the Podcast in 2 minutes or less? • Leave a Review (this helps the algorithm connect me to new listeners) • Subscribe on iTunes or Spotify • Share on LinkedIn or Twitter

In today’s episode, I speak with Jason Mehta & Natalie Adams who are partners in Foley & Lardner LLP’s Tampa, Florida office where they defend companies and individuals facing government investigation and civil and criminal prosecution. Between the two of them, they have represented clients in healthcare, defense contracting, procurement, higher education, as well as Title IX complaints and in the financial service industries. Both Jason & Natalie are also former Assistant United States Attorneys who received a number of accolades and awards for their work on behalf of the United States Government. They both started their legal careers as judicial law clerks and at large law firms in DC. This episode is sponsored, edited, and engineered by LawPods, a professional podcast production company for busy attorneys. 👍 Want to Support the Podcast in 2 minutes or less? Leave a Review (this helps the algorithm connect me to new listeners) Subscribe on iTunes or Spotify Purchase How I Lawyer Merchandise Share on LinkedIn or Twitter

In today’s episode I speak with Peter Orlowicz who is Senior Counsel and an Alternate Designated Agency Ethics Official at the United States Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) speaking in his personal capacity. Peter previously served as a General Attorney for the RRB for 8 years before being promoted to Senior Counsel in 2022. He started his career in government as an attorney advisor at the Social Security Administration. He was honored by the RBB with the Special Act of Service award in 2020, recognizing his significant individual contribution to the Board's efforts. Peter is a graduate of the University of Chicago Law School and Illinois State University. In our conversation we discuss his path to the law after earning an undergraduate degree in criminal justice, the challenges with getting his first government job during a difficult hiring market (and what he learned from that experience), why taking a first job in government helped him get the government job he has today in a different agency, what the RBB does and his role at that agency, some quirks of being a government train lawyer, why benefits work is not as boring as it might seem on first glance, and more. This episode is sponsored, edited, and engineered by LawPods, a professional podcast production company for busy attorneys. 👍 Want to Support the Podcast in 2 minutes or less? Leave a Review (this helps the algorithm connect me to new listeners) Subscribe on iTunes or Spotify Purchase How I Lawyer Merchandise Share on LinkedIn or Twitter

Hilary Gerzhoy, Vice Chair of HWG LLP's Legal Ethics and Malpractice group, discusses her journey to becoming a lawyer, the unique nature of legal ethics and malpractice work, the future of legal work and AI, the surge in high-profile legal ethics cases, joining legal committees and making connections, and advice for those entering the legal profession.