The Portia Project

Arkansas Court of Appeals Judge Rita Gruber describes her career on both the trial court and appellate bench and her unexpected path to judicial service. Along the way, she shares some life wisdom and tips for effective advocacy. Be inspired by Judge Gruber in this insightful episode and start building your path beyond law school today.

Nicole Stott, a NASA engineer and astronaut who journeyed into space twice and was a crewmember of the International Space Station, shares her career journey. As a former crew member of the International Space Station (ISS), Nicole brings a unique perspective to today’s episode, shedding light on her extraordinary career journey and the profound human experiences that come with exploring the cosmos. Nicole discusses the essence of teamwork and what makes it truly successful. Drawing from her extensive space missions, she emphasizes the importance of assembling the right team members and nurturing their individual strengths to accomplish extraordinary feats. Her insights into the power of empathy, humanity, and personal responsibility within a team resonate far beyond the boundaries of space exploration, making this episode a must-listen for leaders and innovators seeking to achieve greatness. Join us as we explore the magic of space, the art of teamwork, and the vital role each of us plays as crewmembers aboard Planet Earth.

Timiebi Aganaba is a space lawyer and assistant professor at ASU's School for the Future of Innovation in Society. Her career has taken her around the world, including a stint at Nigeria's brand-new space agency right out of law school that launched her career in an unforeseen direction and later took her to France, Canada, and now the United States. In this episode, Timi shares the human elements along her journey and how they helped her. Timi's path shows what openness to the unexpected can bring. Let's join her in her journey and be inspired to step into the unknown.

As part of our series on space law and the space ecosystem, this episode features Shelli Brunswick, a former U.S. Air Force officer and former COO of the nonprofit Space Foundation, now CEO and Founder of SB Global LLC. Shelli shares her views on leadership, the space economy, mentoring and sponsorship, and succeeding in a traditionally male-dominated industry.

Anne Marie Seibel, Chair of the ABA Section of Litigation and litigation partner at Bradley, shares her path to leadership within the legal sphere. Hosted by MC Sungaila, this episode dives into the fascinating intersection of Anne Marie’s career trajectory and her prowess in bar leadership. If you're curious about the transformative power of bar leadership on your legal career and keen to unlock valuable strategies for skill enhancement and network expansion, this episode is an absolute must-listen. Tune in for an inspiring conversation that illuminates the boundless possibilities of combining legal expertise with impactful leadership.

Judith Clark is the Presiding Judge of the Riverside Superior Court, one of California's busy and growing trial courts. With host M.C. Sungaila, she shares her path to the bench, offers advice for those considering serving on the bench themselves, and underscores how being open-minded about opportunities and the guidance of mentors led her to become a prosecutor and, later, a judge. Listen in for some thoughtful insights from a remarkable judicial leader.

In this episode, we get to hear some of the most impactful and profound personal and professional mottos that The Portia Project guests have shared on the show. Whether we can articulate it or not, we each have our own motto that we live by, and women in law are no different. You’d be amazed at just how many of these mottos you will resonate with. Most probably all of them. Tune in to find out and be inspired!

Welcome to the best of The Portia Project. This is the second of three episodes that have been curated and focused on particular topics that lawyers might be interested in. In particular, in improving their skills. Our first compilation episode focused on brief writing. This one focuses on oral argument. Many of the judicial guests on The Portia Project podcast have shared their tips for oral arguments. And here, we compile many of them into a short compilation of those tips. Judges provide insights into arguing at particular levels of the court system, whether it’s intermediate appellate courts or supreme courts, the art of responding to judges’ questions, and elements of persuasion, as well as discussing the mindset that judges are in when they are on the bench listening to oral arguments. So again, this is another treasure trove of information to level up your practice. The best of The Portia Project, Judges’ Top Tips for Oral Arguments. Enjoy.

Many of the judicial guests on the podcast have shared their top tips for briefwriting. This episode compiles many of these tips for those who want to learn. Whether you are preparing for your first appellate argument or seeking to refine your existing skills, this episode offers a treasure trove of practical advice to elevate your brief-writing prowess and become a more effective advocate in the courtroom. Tune in to explore the collective wisdom shared by esteemed judicial experts and bolster your abilities in the realm of appellate advocacy. 

Presiding Judge Kimberly Merrifield of the Butte County Superior Court in California, and a former member of the California Judicial Council and leader of the Trial Court Presiding Judges Association for presiding judges throughout the state, shares how her eclectic, well-rounded career (from a court clerk to a varied private law practice after night law school) led her to the bench. She shares some important lessons: be persistent in seeking what you want (she applied several times under different governors before being appointed to the bench), be open to opportunities you had not previously considered, and be aware of the power of bar and community service (including pro bono work) to open doors to new opportunities. This is a must listen episode.