How I Lawyer Podcast with Jonah Perlin

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.

Aliza Shatzman, Judicial Accountability Advocate & Non-Profit Founder, discusses her decision to become a lawyer, her own clerkship experience, and her mission to improve the judicial clerkship system. She talks about the ups and downs of founding a non-profit advocacy group as a young lawyer and the challenges faced by students in the law field. The podcast also explores the future of the clerkship market, cultural changes, and the importance of career planning.

Joshua Scharff, General Counsel & Director, Programs at Brady, talks about pursuing dual degrees in law and international relations, the challenges of working towards a safer future amidst gun violence, and provides advice for starting out in the legal profession.

In today’s episode I speak with Allison J. Snyder, a long-time construction attorney, arbitrator, and mediator based in Houston, Texas. She has over 35 years of experience as a construction attorney specializing in construction and commercial litigation, arbitration and mediation, construction contract negotiation and drafting and the resolution of various construction claims/work-outs. After 22 years at the Law Firm of Porter Hedges LLP, she went out on her own in May 2023 and will continue to focus on her own ADR practice focused on the construction industry. Ms. Snyder is a Fellow in the American College of Construction Lawyers and the College of Commercial Arbitrators. She has served as Chair of the State Bar of Texas Construction Law Section and as Chair of the Houston Bar Association ADR Section. She is listed as one of America’s leading lawyers in construction law by Chambers USA. Allison was recommended by a longtime How I Lawyer listener who wrote the following: Allison is one of the absolute best construction lawyers in Texas, if not nationwide, and is a personal role model of mine. The first thing out of every single person’s mouth when her name comes up is invariably “Allison is so smart. . . Her demeanor is very calm and thoughtful, she comes across so well and authoritative without ever having to appear to push for it — accomplished, aggressive lawyers from all ages and backgrounds seem to just listen when she speaks." With that intro, how could I not interview her. 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