The Lawyer Stories Podcast Episode 212 features Heather Reese and Michael Pungitore, trial lawyers in Philadelphia focused on personal injury law.  We discuss both Heather and Michael’s reasons for becoming lawyers and Heather shares with us the only competition you have is who you were the day before.  Heather takes pride in being part of the Hispanic National Bar Association, and enjoys the personal aspect of community.  Michael, a competitive person by nature, likes the exercise of figuring out the other party’s arguments in order to maximize his representation in court.  As far as social media goes, Heather tells us to be authentic, don’t be fake, and be kind!

The Lawyer Stories Podcast Episode 211 features Monica Ishak, Trial Attorney and Owner at the Ishak Law Firm, P.A. in West Palm Beach, Florida, focused on Criminal Defense.  We discuss that Monica’s parents are from Egypt and that she is a first generation American and South Florida Native.  Monica began her career trying cases as a certified legal intern in law school at the Public Defender's Office in Miami. Upon graduating law school, she started as an Assistant Public Defender in Palm Beach County where she tried numerous misdemeanor cases.  Monica believes in strong and compassionate advocacy for her clients and tells us to stand your ground.  Indeed, Monica tells us that her passion lies in criminal justice reform and ultimately providing quality representation to those she knows she can help. We are grateful to have Monica as a Founding Member of Lawyer Stories Connect!

The Lawyer Stories Podcast Episode 210 features Cary London, Managing Partner at Shulman and Hill in Greater New York City focusing on Civil Rights, Police Brutality, Excessive Force, Wrongful Convictions, and Personal Injury.  Cary is the Chair of the Civil Rights Division of the Brooklyn Bar Association, and a Board Member of the Brooklyn Defender Services.  Cary is also a Founding Member of Lawyer Stories Connect!  Cary’s journey as a civil rights lawyer began during his tenure as a Public Defender in Brooklyn. Cary witnessed, firsthand, the systemic injustices prevalent in the criminal justice system. This experience ignited a fire within him to advocate for change and pursue justice for those who have been marginalized or wronged.  One case at a time, Cary is becoming a voice for those in need, consistently striving to create a more equitable society for all.

The Lawyer Stories Podcast Episode 209 features Jo Stephens, CEO at Law Firm Sites, a digital marketing and web design agency specializing in helping law firms of all sizes thrive online.  Jo shares with us that she has been in several different roles at Law Firm Sites, including Office Manager, Project Manager, and Director of Development. In 2017, Jo became the COO, and she finally took over as CEO and purchased the company in the fall of 2020.  Jo managed to go back to school to work on her degree, raise her son, and donate time to her local community. Jo has helped build Law Firm Sites, Inc. from a few staff members working in a basement, to now over 35 employees.  Law Firm Sites has even offered to build and manage a new website for Lawyer Stories and we are grateful for this opportunity!

The Lawyer Stories Podcast Episode 208 features Katurah Topps, a NYC civil rights lawyer and motivational speaker, most recently known for her appearance on CBS’ Hit Reality TV Show “SURVIVOR,” season 45. While on Survivor, Katurah revealed that she spent her childhood raised in a religious cult, where she was ripped out of school at 10-years-old, forced into years of manual labor, and eventually became a child bride. In this powerful interview we discuss how Katurah overcame seemingly insurmountable hardships, escaped the cult, and became a Georgetown Law graduate—and what she is doing now to help others! We also discuss Katurah’s motivational speaking and coaching sessions, where she travels across the country helping trauma survivors and people who feel stuck in their everyday lives, to reach their highest potential.

The Lawyer Stories Podcast Episode 207 features Judge Frank Caprio, retired judge who served as the chief judge of the municipal court in Providence and chairman of the Rhode Island Board of Governors for Higher Education.  Judge Caprio’s judicial work is widely known on the television program Caught in Providence, and he has recently released a book titled “Compassion in the Court. Life-Changing Stories from America’s Nicest Judge.” Judge Caprio shares his story with us beginning with his father working as a fruit peddler and telling him he would be a lawyer one day.  Judge Caprio feels privileged to be part of a loving family and it carried over to him serving compassionate justice in his courtroom, making sure the litigants before him departed the courtroom with dignity. It was a pleasure to host Judge Caprio on the Lawyer Stories Podcast.

The Lawyer Stories Podcast Episode 170 features Travis Hoechlin, CEO of RizeUP Media in Alisa Viejo, CA. We discuss with Travis how RizeUp is diligently assisting law firms to generate new clients from the internet, increase revenue and help grow their businesses. RizeUp has representatives throughout the country, and will roll up their sleeves to discover your needs, help scale your law firm, by utilizing a dedicated account manager and sales strategist along with other specialized departments to assist your firm. RizeUp Media offers bespoke marketing solutions crafted specifically for law firms without long-term contracts.

The Lawyer Stories Podcast Episode 205 features Anna-Kay Brown, highly driven attorney-at-law at Stanbrook Prudhoe, located in Kingston, Jamaica, and focusing on environmental cases in Guyana.  Anna-Kay is admitted to practice law in New York, Jamaica, Guyana, and Anguilla.  Anna-Kay shares with us that she always wanted to be an attorney and we discuss her cross-Caribbean representation: transactional, litigation and regulatory where she is keen on complex and interesting matters. Stanbrook Prudhoe acts independently or in support of other Counsel wanting collaboration and/or support with heavy lifting.  Anna-Kay completed a Master of Laws (LLM) in Competition Innovation and Technology Law at NYU School of Law in May 2022.

The Lawyer Stories Podcast Episode 204 features Robert Simon, Co-Founder at Justice HQ/Justice Team/Attorney Share/Justice Team Network in Manhattan Beach, CA.  We discuss why Bob went from Pittsburgh to Pepperdine and his inspiration from launching Justice HQ and Attorney Share.  We discuss the meaning of community and how the lawyers creating content and posting on social media have become a community within themselves.  Bob continues to headline legal events in all different locations, give back to our legal community by sharing his extensive knowledge, and creating content for us to learn from and enjoy.