In this very timely solo episode of First Gen Law Pod, host Onnaedo Nwankwo speaks from the rare and weighty intersection of being a nurse for over a decade and now an attorney navigating the legal and ethical implications of violence, power, and silence in healthcare spaces. Through that dual lens, she reflects on the events surrounding the killing of Alex Pretti, a nurse, and the broader realities healthcare professionals face while serving on the front lines.

From a first-generation professional perspective, this episode also explores the quiet tension many feel between speaking out and protecting everything they have worked to build without inherited networks, institutional cover, or margin for error. Onnaedo examines how silence can slowly erode one’s spirit, even when it feels safer than risk, and how faith, conscience, and calling often demand more of us than comfort allows.

#AlexPretti #FirstGenOnTheFrontline #HealthcareJustice #NursesAndTheLaw

Disclaimer

This episode is for educational and commentary purposes only. It does not constitute legal advice, medical advice, or a definitive legal conclusion regarding any ongoing investigation or matter discussed.

Call to Action

Listeners are encouraged to reflect critically, seek verified information, support healthcare workers in tangible ways, and engage in conversations rooted in humanity rather than speculation. If this episode resonated, share it thoughtfully and continue the dialogue with care.

Support Resources

The issues discussed in this episode may be difficult for many listeners, not only those working in healthcare. If you are experiencing grief, emotional distress, or simply need someone to talk to, support is available:

Crisis & Immediate Support (U.S.)

• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
• Call or text 988 for 24/7 confidential emotional support.
• Crisis Text Line
• Text HOME to 741741 to connect with a trained crisis counselor.

Emotional & Mental Health Support

• Psychology Today Therapist Directory
• Find licensed therapists by location, specialty, and insurance.
• National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
• Education, peer support groups, and mental health resources for individuals and families.
• The Emotional PPE Project
• Free therapy resources, originally created for frontline workers but open to others experiencing cumulative stress and trauma.

Grief & Loss

• GriefShare
• Structured grief support groups available nationwide.
• What’s Your Grief
• Educational resources and tools for navigating grief at your own pace.

If You Are Outside the U.S.

• FindaHelpline.com
• International directory of crisis and mental health helplines by country.

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/first-gen-law-pod/exclusive-content

Welcome back FGLP!

We are starting the Season 3 with an insightful conversation featuring Brian J. Paul, a Tampa-based intellectual property attorney whose path to patent law was anything but traditional.

In this episode, Brian shares how his science background positioned him for success in IP law, along with the realities of sitting for not one but two bar exams. While he would not recommend that route, his honesty offers valuable perspective for law students and early-career attorneys navigating unconventional paths.

🔗 Connect with Brian here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-paul-aba6bb107/

📧: [email protected]

Disclaimer: This post and podcast episode are for informational purposes only and do not constitute legal advice.

#FirstGenLawPod #SeasonThree #IntellectualPropertyLaw #PatentLaw #IPLaw #FirstGenLawyer #NonTraditionalPath #STEMtoLaw #LegalCareers #LawPodcast #AttorneyLife #YouMayBetheFirst #WontBetheLast

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/first-gen-law-pod/exclusive-content

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2026, FGLP!

In this reflective episode, Onnaedo pulls back the curtain on the lessons learned during the first year of building First Gen Law Pod. With honesty and clarity, she shares how Season Two stretched her as a host, a curator, and a steward of a growing platform.

Rather than focusing on any single moment or guest, Onnaedo explores broader takeaways about outreach, preparation, communication, and the responsibility that comes with amplifying first-generation legal stories. She reflects on what it means to lead with intention, to refine standards in real time, and to embrace growth that isn’t always polished but is always purposeful.

As she looks ahead to Season Three, Onnaedo outlines her commitment to clearer boundaries, stronger preparation, and continued storytelling that centers access, identity, and non-linear paths into the law. This episode marks a thoughtful transition into the next chapter of the podcast, grounded in experience and guided by intention.

If you enjoyed this episode, please be sure to like, subscribe, and rate the podcast. Your support helps this message reach more first-generation and aspiring legal professionals who need to hear it.

Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Listening to this episode does not create an attorney-client relationship.

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/first-gen-law-pod/exclusive-content

Rebuilding is not a setback. For many first-generation legal professionals, it is part of the process.

In the Season 2 finale of First Gen Law Pod, I sit down with Junior Gallo for an honest conversation about rebuilding in the law and in life as a first-generation professional. Junior shares how immigrating, living across cultures in Italy, Nigeria, and now Texas shaped his resilience, worldview, and approach to the legal profession.

We also discuss rebuilding after personal transitions, including navigating divorce, and how fatherhood has become Junior’s primary motivating force. He reflects on how being a present and intentional father informs every decision he makes, from his professional goals to the legacy he hopes to leave for his children.

As first-generation professionals, we often grow through uncomfortable moments without guidance, examples, or safety nets. This episode explores how those moments, while challenging, can become catalysts for clarity, purpose, and growth.

As we close out Season 2 and prepare for a new year, this conversation is perfectly timed. It is a reminder that rebuilding is not setback, it is preparation.

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/first-gen-law-pod/exclusive-content

Welcome back, First Gens!

In this episode of First Gen Law Pod, we speak with Nedhi Teixeira, a self-proclaimed lawyer, mom, and fashionista, about navigating motherhood, a legal career, and content creation as a first-generation professional.

Nedhi shares how she manages competing roles, challenges traditional ideas of professionalism, and embraces a multi-hyphenate identity without apology. This conversation highlights the realities of building a fulfilling career while honoring creativity, family, and personal values.

Connect with Nedhi

• Instagram: legallybrownxoxo
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nedhisteixeira/

Disclaimer: This podcast episode is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/first-gen-law-pod/exclusive-content

Welcome back, First Gen Law Pod!

In this inspiring conversation, I sit down with my first law student guest host, 3L Clayton Rainey, a first generation legal professional who is building a powerful path from full-time paralegal to part-time evening law student at South Texas College of Law Houston. 🎓⚖️

Clayton shares how he manages a demanding full-time career in personal injury while pursuing his J.D. in the evenings. He opens up about the discipline it takes to excel, including his early morning routines, consistent study habits, and the mindset shifts that helped him succeed as a nontraditional student.

We also explore how he maintains balance through his love for cycling, the origin of his interest in personal injury work, and the practical strategies he uses to protect his time, energy, and mental focus. 🚴🏽‍♂️💼✨

This episode is perfect for anyone working full-time while chasing a legal career, anyone navigating being first-gen, or anyone who needs a reminder that their background does not limit their future. 🌟

Tune in and listen to a story that proves you can build the career you want while honoring the life you already have.

If you would like to reach out to Clayton, you can find him here:

Instagram: @futurelawyuh

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/claytonrainey/

#FirstGenLawPod #FirstGenerationLawyer #ParalegalLife #LawStudentLife #STCLHouston #SouthTexasCollegeOfLaw #EveningLawSchool #PersonalInjuryLaw #WorkLifeBalance #NonTraditionalStudents #FutureAttorney #LegalProfessionals #CyclingLife #FirstGenSuccess #MotivationForLawStudents #JDJourney #PodcastForLawStudents

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/first-gen-law-pod/exclusive-content

Hey #FGLP!

In this episode of First Gen Law Pod, I sit down with Attorney Marquis Hines, a Nevada-based attorney who brings a powerful story of purpose and perseverance. Before founding his own firm, Marquis spent almost a decade in law enforcement, where he witnessed firsthand the realities of justice and community service.

Marquis shares how his experience in the U.S. Air Force gave him the discipline, structure, and focus to take calculated risks and eventually open his own law practice. We talk about how being a first-generation professional shaped his drive, how he continues to serve his community, and how his second career in law became a calling rooted in both courage and conviction.

We also touch on the role of faith and how it continues to shape his leadership, resilience, and perspective as an attorney. It was one of those conversations that leaves you with a genuine sense of gratitude and hope, and a reminder that success is built on both preparation and purpose.

🎧 Listen now, subscribe, and leave a review to support First Gen Law Pod on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube. Your engagement helps us continue amplifying first-gen voices in the legal community.

✨ Connect with Attorney Hines:

🔗 LinkedIn:

🏛️ Law Firm:

📌 Disclaimer: This episode is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/first-gen-law-pod/exclusive-content

With Halloween in the air, Onnaedo had her heart set on dressing up as Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz — red shoes, blue gingham, and all. But instead of clicking her heels, she brought a little of that spirit to this week’s solo episode of First Gen Law Pod.

In Mentors, Midterms, and Motions… Oh My!, Onnaedo takes listeners down her own yellow brick road, reflecting on lessons learned from her law clerk experience at Houston Law Firm and her journey as a first-generation attorney-in-training. She shares how mentorship has shaped her confidence, how “midterms” (both in school and in life) remind us to pause and refocus, and how drafting motions taught her that real progress often comes from small, deliberate steps.

This reflective Halloween episode blends humor, heart, and insight — reminding us that growth happens in motion, and that sometimes, the courage, wisdom, and heart we’re searching for have been with us all along.

🎧 Tune in, follow the yellow brick road, and don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe to First Gen Law Pod.

⚖️ Disclaimer: This episode is for informational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/first-gen-law-pod/exclusive-content

In this episode of First Gen Law Pod, I sit down with Tampa-based attorney Will Roberts, whose career embodies what it means to take The Non-Traditional Path. A former theatre major and improv performer for five years, Will brings a creative flair and stage confidence to his work as a civil litigator. The son of a veterinarian and an educator, he carved out his own direction—starting with the Florida Department of Citrus before building a successful practice in civil litigation.

We discuss how his background in performance sharpened his advocacy skills, the value of thinking on your feet in law, and how embracing your unique journey can lead to professional fulfillment. Tune in to see where other turns and twist belong on this path.

💡 Disclaimer: The content of this episode is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.

📲 Connect with Will:

• LinkedIn: Will Roberts
• Email: [email protected]
• Firm: https://lieserskaff.com/

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/first-gen-law-pod/exclusive-content

We’re kicking off Season 2 of The First Gen Law Pod with a powerhouse guest — Attorney Kathy Roe, a health law trailblazer and co-founder of Health Law Consultancy in Chicago. In this episode, Kathy opens up about her early struggles finding a job after law school, the lessons learned through years of diverse legal work, and the inspiration behind building her own Award-Winning firm.

Kathy also shares her framework for success: the “3 D’s of Health Law” and how these guiding principles have helped her become one of the premier voices in the field. Plus, we dive into her love of basketball (yes, she’s an NBA fan!) and how the game mirrors her advice for first-generation lawyers on resilience, teamwork, and staying in motion.

💡 Disclaimer: The content of this episode is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.

📲 Connect with Kathy Roe:

• LinkedIn: Kathy Roe
• Website: https://hlconsultancy.com/

Tune in, take notes, and get inspired by a true Health Law Voice.

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/first-gen-law-pod/exclusive-content