Host Caitlin Peterson talks to Melissa Waugh about her experience as a mother to hyphenated kids and a part-time lawyer specializing in special education law. She discusses how being a mother helps her connect with her clients and and the advantages of specializing in a niche area of the law. She also shares a plethora of resources for young lawyers who are interested in special education law including books, courses, and the requirements they would need to meet.

Diary of a Part-Time Special Education Lawyer

Presented by the American Bar Association’s Law Student Division, the ABA Law Student Podcast covers issues that affect law students, law schools, and recent grads. From finals and graduation to the bar exam and finding a job, this show is your trusted resource for the next big step.

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Many young law students begin their studies with high hopes of generating change by becoming a lawyer and advocate, but what does this lofty dream look like in the real world? Leah Haberman talks with Professor Dorothy Roberts about her career as a lawyer, professor, author, and activist. Professor Roberts shares how her unique skills led her to leverage her curiosity and passions to become an expert on racial interconnections and tensions in many legal issues, particularly those involving reproductive injustices and child welfare. She shares many tips for law students on how to bring focus to their strengths and interests, embrace collaboration, and make small but meaningful changes in the world; one day at a time.
Dorothy Roberts is the 14th Penn Integrates Knowledge Professor, the George A. Weiss University Professor of Law & Sociology, and the Raymond Pace & Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander Professor of Civil Rights at University of Pennsylvania.

Collaborative Impact: Working Together to Change the World

Many law students begin their studies thinking they have their legal ambitions all mapped out, only to realize later that their perfect plan is no longer what they want. Having this type of identity crisis in law school isn’t a bad thing, and if it happens to you, don’t panic! Law school and your early legal career should be a time for exploration and change. Chay Rodriguez talks with attorney Katie Winchenbach about her personal experiences and the strategies, resources, and connections that helped her pivot to new opportunities both as a student and a young lawyer. 
Katie Winchenbach is a corporate attorney at Motorola Solutions and program director for Ms. JD, a national nonprofit that supports aspiring and early-career women attorneys.

Plan to Pivot: Embracing Change in Law School and Beyond

Becoming a specialist in a niche area of the law is often touted as the most effective path for attorneys, but there’s definitely much to be said for having a more dynamic approach to your future legal career. As an attorney, you may end up with a client whose needs stretch across multiple areas of the law, and being willing to learn and develop new areas of expertise are essential in those situations. 
Leah Haberman interviews Michael Quinn about his experiences representing clients in the fight against the Sackler Family and Purdue Pharma—which both bore heavy responsibility for the opioid crisis. Michael, an arts lawyer, discusses his involvement in this highly publicized case and how his flexible approach to his own legal practice led him to navigate multiple areas of the law to fight for his clients. 
Michael Quinn is a partner at Eisenberg & Baum, LLP, where he heads the firm’s Arts & Culture Practice Group.

The Merits Of Being A Little Reckless: How An Arts Lawyer Took On The Sackler Family

Labor issues captured the headlines throughout much of 2023, with over 400 strikes involving half a million workers. From a legal perspective, there’s a lot to unpack about negotiation tactics, advances in labor and employment law, impacts on basic human rights, and effective ways to fight for fair outcomes in legal matters. In this edition of the ABA Law Student Podcast, former professional soccer player and now attorney Meghann Burke talks about her experiences while leading the National Women’s Soccer League Players Association to its first collective bargaining agreement in 2022. Looking at both employment and a wider range of advocacy issues, this episode explores the value of creative negotiation skills in the life of a lawyer. 
Meghann Burke is an attorney and executive director of the National Women’s Soccer League Players Association.

The Art of Negotiation: Understanding the Nuance and Skill of Advocacy

There’s no way to take a pass on tech competence. In your future as a lawyer, you have an ethical responsibility to understand and use technology in your practice, and today’s fastest growing tech is AI. Whether you’re an AI fan or perhaps a little scared of a robot takeover, this podcast will help you understand many of the latest AI trends and their impacts in the legal world. 
Leah Haberman interviews Professor Orly Lobel, author of “The Equality Machine: Harnessing Tomorrow’s Technologies for a Brighter, More Inclusive Future”, to discuss AI, algorithms, current tools, and how to make sense of them all. There are and always will be positive and negative implications for AI uses, and our goal should be to use it for good. 
Orly Lobel is the Warren Distinguished Professor of Law at the University of San Diego, the founding director of the Center for Employment and Labor Policy (CELP), and the award-winning author of several books and numerous articles.

Diary of a Part-Time Special Education Lawyer

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