How I Lawyer Podcast with Jonah Perlin

In today’s episode I speak with not one but two Texas appellate lawyers, Jody Sanders and D. Todd Smith. You may know them as the co-hosts of the Texas Appellate Law Podcast which is a weekly podcast dedicated to demystifying the appellate process and encourage best practices in litigation and appeals. But that is just their side hustle. In his day job, Jody Sanders is a Partner at Kelly Hart where he represents clients at all stages of litigation in trial courts throughout Texas, as well as appeals and original proceedings in Texas's intermediate courts of appeals, the Texas Supreme Court, and federal appellate courts. He also frequently assists other litigators in drafting dispositive motions, ensuring error preservation, and handling trial and post-trial proceedings to prepare for a potential appeal. He has handled cases in wide-ranging substantive areas of law. D. Todd Smith is a civil appellate specialist at Butler Snow LLP in Austin, Texas. Todd moved to Butler Snow after spending 15 years building and managing my own appellate firm. He has extensive experience representing clients as lead appellate counsel and has briefed and argued multiple cases before the Texas Supreme Court and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. He also works with trial teams in all phases of civil litigation, often taking the lead on strategic analysis and briefing, jury charges, and potentially dispositive motions, all with a focus on preserving error and positioning cases for appellate review. He is active in legal organizations including the ABA, Texas, State Bar and the Austin Bar Association where he was the past president. In our conversation we discuss their different paths to becoming appellate practitioners in Texas, the day-to-day life of an appelalte attorney in Texas, the value of judicial clerkships (especially in state courts), the power of finding a practice area the matches your skill set, some of the quirks of Texas appellate process, the importance of junior lawyers building relationships with senior lawyers and senior lawyers building relationships with junior lawyers, techniques for effective brief writing including the importance of tables of contents and topic sentences, and what they have learned from their excellent and informative podcast. If you enjoy this episode, please make sure to sign up for future episodes at www.howilawyer.com or to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.This episode is sponsored, edited, and engineered by LawPods, a professional podcast production company for busy attorneys.

In today’s episode I speak with Helam Gebremariam who is a Litigation Partner at Cravath, Swain, & Moore in New York City where her practice focuses on antitrust litigation, contractual disputes, securities and shareholder derivative suits, and investigations. She is also deeply committed to doing pro bono work and serves as an Executive Board Member of the New York University Law Alumni of Color Association, as a member of the Board of Directors of the Immigrant Justice Corps, and on the Board of Trustees of the Vera Institute of Justice. She is the first Black woman litigation partner in the Firm's history. Helam began her legal career as a law clerk to Judge Robert Patterson, Jr. of the Southern District of New York and then after spending several years as an associate at Cravath worked at the U.S. Department of Justice as Senior Counsel in the DOJ's Office for Access to Justice and then as Senior Counsel to Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates. She then worked at WilmerHale in Washington, D.C. before rejoining Cravath in 2019 where she was elected to the partnership in 2020. She now serves as partner liaison to the Firm’s African American/Black Affinity Group and as a Member of the Firm’s Pro Bono Committee.She is a first-generation student who graduated from Columbia and NYU Law where she served as Editor-in-Chief of the NYU Law Review.In our conversation we discuss her path to law as the daughter of Ethiopian immigrants to the United States; her decision to join the government and her time doing policy work as an advisor at the Department of Justice; the reasons why its ok to close doors in your career (they often don't really close) and how new doors can open as a result; why she chose Cravath and her transition from summer associate to senior associate to junior partner; techniques for growth for junior lawyers in the increasingly remote practice of law; her favorite parts of going to trial; how to find a mentor (see her feature from Bloomberg on that topic here); being in a two-lawyer parent family; and what she does everyday as a generalist BigLaw litigator. If you enjoy this episode, please make sure to sign up for future episodes at www.howilawyer.com or to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.This episode is sponsored, edited, and engineered by LawPods, a professional podcast production company for busy attorneys.

In this episode I speak with Bradford Hardin who chairs Davis Wright Tremaine’s national banking and financial services practice where he frequently supports banks, credit unions, and innovative FinTech companies through high-risk examinations and enforcement investigations at the state and federal levels. Bradford also advises on regulatory compliance and new product development. In his career, he has worked with large banks and fast-moving challengers alike in developing innovative new products, overcoming regulatory barriers, and getting to market. Bradford started his career as a Law Clerk in the Middle District of Alabama and then worked at WilmerHale in its DC office before moving to Davis Wright Tremaine. He is a graduate of the University of South Alabama and the University of Alabama Law School.In our conversation we discuss his path from litigation to a counseling, investigations, and regulatory practice; what he does in his role as a banking lawyer (and law firm practice leader); how he broke into the DC market from his start in Alabama (and how others can make the move to new legal markets); the importance of being autodidactic and constantly learning as a junior attorney; his approach to providing exceptional client service that goes beyond just being responsive; finding your niche in the law; how to stay in the law by being willing to pivot if your first job is not the perfect fit; and the importance of a team and sticking to your sweet spot. If you enjoy this episode, please make sure to sign up for future episodes at www.howilawyer.com or to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. This episode is sponsored, edited, and engineered by LawPods, a professional podcast production company for busy attorneys.

David Sparks, known as MacSparky, is a former business law attorney turned consumer technology expert. He shares his journey from a 'country doctor' lawyer to a productivity powerhouse. David discusses the significance of efficient workflow systems in legal practices, how technology can enhance focus rather than hinder it, and the need for lawyers to adapt to advancements like AI. He emphasizes the importance of attention management and effective document handling, offering actionable insights for improving productivity in the legal field.

This month, May 2022, How I Lawyer is teaming up with the Personal Jurisdiction Podcast (https://www.personaljxpod.com/) to feature five interviews on the important topic of mental health in the legal profession. This is the final episode in this series. Thanks to the Personal Jurisdiction team for joining me in this important work. In this week's episode I speak with Doron Gold who is a psychotherapist and former practicing lawyer (primarily in the area of family law) from Toronto, Canada. Doron works primarily with lawyers, law students, and judges as well as other professionals. His personal experience working in the legal profession, coupled with his many years of experiences working with lawyers in distress at the Ontario Lawyers' Assistance Program (OLAP) give him a unique and valuable perspective on the challenges faced by these individuals. In addition to treating lawyers, Doron presents regularly on issues related to mental health for lawyers. He is a graduate of York University and York University’s Osgoode Hall Law School and the University of Windsor from which he holds a Masters of Social Work. You can learn more about him and his work on Twitter @DoronJGold.  In the episode we discuss his personal path from lawyer to therapist, the mental health challenges that lawyers often face, ways that lawyers can and should find help, why perfectionism is so common in legal professionals (and the challenges resulting from this perfectionism), the importance of thinking about "how you feel as opposed to how should you feel," learning about yourself and the real (as opposed to perceived) expectations of those around you, the power of therapy when you find the right person to talk to, techniques for finding the right person to talk to, the difference between feedback and criticism, the benefit of "finding your people" and building community, the value of showing kindness when you see a meaningful change in a friend or colleague, and more.  This episode is sponsored, edited, and engineered by LawPods, a professional podcast production company for busy attorneys.

**This month, May 2022, How I Lawyer is teaming up with the Personal Jurisdiction Podcast (https://www.personaljxpod.com/) to feature five interviews on the important topic of mental health in the legal profession. This is episode #4 in this collaboration. Learn more here.** In today’s episode, Personal Jurisdiction hosts Hallie Ritzu and Allison Freedman speak with Dr. Diana Uchiyama who is a lawyer & psychologist helping people struggling with mental health and substance use issues as the the Executive Director of the Illinois Lawyers' Assistance Program.  Dr. Diana was previously the Administrator of Psychological Services for DuPage County and worked for the Kane County Diagnostic Center, as both a Staff Psychologist and Juvenile Drug Court Coordinator. She also has an extensive background doing court ordered psychological, sanity, fitness, and sex offender evaluations and therapy. She has implemented numerous changes to court ordered programs both in Kane and DuPage County and is a certified trauma informed care trainer. Prior to obtaining her masters and doctorate in Clinical Psychology, Dr. Uchiyama was an Assistant Public Defender in Cook County. She obtained her law degree from Pepperdine University School of Law. If you enjoy this episode, please make sure to sign up for future episodes at www.howilawyer.com or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Stay tuned next week for my interview with another truly inspirational lawyer turned psychotherapist, the Lawyer Therapist Doron Gold. The How I Lawyer Podcast is sponsored by LawPods, a professional podcast production company for busy attorneys. Personal Jurisdiction is edited by Scott Donnell at Run and Drum Media.

**This month, May 2022, How I Lawyer is teaming up with the Personal Jurisdiction Podcast (https://www.personaljxpod.com/) to feature five interviews on the important topic of mental health in the legal profession. Learn more here.** In today’s episode I speak with Brian Cuban. Brian is a Dallas-based attorney, keynote speaker, writer, and addiction recovery advocate. Brian has been in long-term recovery from alcohol, cocaine and bulimia since April of 2007. Brian is well known and speaks across the country at law schools & law firms both to tell his story and to offer advice on how our profession can better improve mental health awareness, awareness of substance abuse problems, and building more compassionate communities. He is the author of three books: Shattered Image, the Addicted Lawyer, and most recently his debut novel: The Ambulance Chaser.  In our conversation, Brian candidly shared his personal story from addiction to recovery; what he recommends to individuals who are struggling & those who want to support them, and suggestions for the legal profession and legal education writ large.  **Please note this episode does cover several topics that some might find disturbing including substance abuse, eating disorders, and suicide.** This episode is sponsored, edited, and engineered by LawPods, a professional podcast production company for busy attorneys.

**This month, May 2022, How I Lawyer is teaming up with the Personal Jurisdiction Podcast (https://www.personaljxpod.com/) to feature five interviews on the important topic of mental health in the legal profession. Learn more here.** In today’s episode Personal Jurisdiction hosts Hallie Ritzu and Allison Freedman speak with University of Michigan Law Professors Bridgette Carr and Vivek Sankaran. Bridgette Carr is a Clinical Professor of Law and the Associate Dean for Strategic Initiatives at the University of Michigan Law School. She is also the founding director of the Law School’s Human Trafficking Clinic, the first clinical law program solely devoted to addressing this issue comprehensively. Bridgette is also a first generation college graduate who wasn’t sure law school was for her. She didn’t so a journal or apply for a clerkship, and instead spent her spare time during law school working at a local legal aid office and an asylum shelter. Despite now being an expert on human trafficking, Bridgette hadn’t heard of human trafficking work until after she graduated from law school.   Vivek Sankaran is also a Clinical Professor of Law at the University of Michigan Law School. He directs both the Child Advocacy Law Clinic and the Child Welfare Appellate Clinic, through which law students represent children and parents in trials and appellate proceedings. He is also a father of three boys, he loves coaching youth sports, and he is learning to play the guitar.  Together they teach a course that they created called “Finding a Fulfilling Life in the Law” at the University of Michigan Law School. In it, they ask students to consider what they want out of life after law school and how they can create that life. The course applies innovative principles of problem solving to the concept of designing your life in and beyond law school. Bridgette and Vivek also recently launched an exciting new business—LawLifeProf Coaching—to help lawyers in practice build a toolbox for a fulfilling life.  In their conversation they discuss why being curious, trying new things, and staying connected to people you care about can help you to design a fulfilling life in the law. There is no yellow brick road, there is no checklist - but Bridgette and Vivek share many pieces of advice and personal reflections for anyone who is not quite fulfilled in their career.   If you enjoy this episode, please make sure to sign up for future episodes at www.howilawyer.com or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Stay tuned next week for my interview with author, activist, and motivational speaker, Brian Cuban. The How I Lawyer Podcast is sponsored by LawPods, a professional podcast production company for busy attorneys.

**This month, May 2022, How I Lawyer is teaming up with the Personal Jurisdiction Podcast (https://www.personaljxpod.com/) to feature five interviews on the important topic of mental health in the legal profession. Learn more here.** In today’s episode I speak with Professor Heidi Brown who is the Director of the Legal Writing Program at Brooklyn Law School. Having grappled with extreme performance anxiety as a law student, attorney, and new law professor, Heidi ultimately untangled her fears, and embraced authenticity as a powerful asset in teaching and practicing law. She is the author of two fantastic books on the subject, The Introverted Lawyer: A Seven-Step Journey Toward Authentically Empowered Advocacy, and Untangling Fear in Lawyering: A Four-Step Journey Toward Powerful Advocacy.  Professor Brown’s brand new book, The Flourishing Lawyer, analogizes law students and lawyers to athletes and performers & offers a fresh lens through which to view the palpable challenge of enriching and safeguarding well-being in the legal profession—an approach that (1) champions individual and collective strengths, rather than stigmatizing purported weaknesses, and (2) redefines “character and fitness to practice law” as attributes we can, and must, actively and continuously cultivate, as individuals and legal communities.  She recently earned her master’s degree in Applied Positive Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania and holds a BA and JD from the University of Virginia. In our conversation we discuss her path in the law and her decision to study topics related to mental health and success in the legal profession, staying true to yourself as a lawyer, the difference between introversion and social anxiety, techniques from athletes and performers that can be applied to a career in the law, and so much more.  If you enjoy this episode, please make sure to sign up for future episodes at www.howilawyer.com or to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. This episode is sponsored, edited, and engineered by LawPods, a professional podcast production company for busy attorneys.

In this episode I speak with Fabio Bertoni who is the General Counsel at The New Yorker Magazine and an experienced media lawyer. Previously he served as an Assistant General Counsel at HarperCollins, a Deputy General Counsel at ALM Media, and as an associate at two different New York City law firms. He also serves as an adjunct professor at Fordham Law School and at NYU. In our conversation we discussed his path from journalist to a lawyer who works with journalists; the process, decision, and value of getting a dual degree; the importance of law school clinics to his legal path; the overlap of the legal and journalistic mindsets; the roles that he plays as an in-house media lawyer including pre-publication vetting and review and other work related to potential libel claims; the future of journalism and the law;  the difference between law-firm lawyering and in-house lawyering; the challenges of leaving and returning to the legal workforce after spending time at home with his then-young children; and more. If you enjoy this episode, please make sure to sign up for future episodes at www.howilawyer.com or to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.This episode is sponsored, edited, and engineered by LawPods, a professional podcast production company for busy attorneys.