Montana Supreme Court Justice Laurie McKinnon shares her journey from prosecutor in Baltimore, Maryland, to Deputy County Attorney in Glacier and Teton Counties in Montana, and to her election to the bench. In conversation with host MC Sungaila, she provides great advice on being elected to the bench, writing opinions and briefs, and the role of oral argument in appellate decision-making. 

Laurie D. Zelon, former Associate Justice on the California Court of Appeal, now at Judicate West, shares her journey in the law, including the significant role that mentorship played in her development. She shares how she became a leader in advocating for access to justice and pro bono work long before joining the bench, and the important role that both play in our justice system. This is a tremendous opportunity to hear from a longtime bar and community leader who embodies public service.

Trailblazing Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Bernice B. Donald has had a multifaceted judicial career. She sits down with host MC Sungaila to discuss her time on the federal appellate bench, and, before that, as a federal district judge and bankruptcy judge. She shares her work in the area of implicit bias, mentoring and encouraging women of color to consider the bench, and provides some insights into effective brief-writing and oral argument. 

Oregon Supreme Court Chief Justice Martha Lee Walters shares her path to the bench with host MC Sungaila, including founding her own women-owned law firm that was involved with some of the most high profile and pathbreaking civil rights cases of the time. Chief Justice Walters discusses the importance of continuing to make sure that the justice system is accessible to, and a helpful forum for, members of the public and their disputes. 

Washington Supreme Court Justice Raquel Montoya-Lewis shares her trailblazing journey to the highest court of her state. In conversation with host MC Sungaila, she shares her experience serving as a tribal court judge for three different tribes (the Upper Skagit Indian Tribe, the Nooksack Indian Tribe, and the Lummi Nation), as well as on the Washington Superior Court bench. Her time as a tribal judge taught her to stand up for the rule of law (even if it cost her personally, in the form of expulsion from her own tribal home) and how cultural understanding and empathy play an important role in judicial systems and decision-making. This is an extraordinary and inspiring episode. One you do not want to miss. 

With host MC Sungaila, Washington Supreme Court Justice Sheryl Gordon McCloud discusses campaigning for judicial election, and how her experience as a public defender and appellate lawyer prepared her for a career on the bench. Justice McCloud also shares appellate briefwriting and oral argument tips.

Justice Susan M. Carney of the Alaska Supreme Court sits down with host MC Sungaila to discuss her road to Alaska, and to the bench. A post-law school clerkship with Alaska Supreme Court Justice Justice Jay Rabinowitz brought Justice Carney to Alaska, where she stayed, working as a public defender and for the Alaska Office of Public Advocacy before joining the court for which she clerked. Justice Carney shares how her athletic experience impacted her career, and the role that mentors and supporters played in her journey to the bench.

Alison R. Nelson served as inhouse counsel at Ford Motor Company and most recently as the company's inaugural Director of DEI Strategies & Inclusion. She discusses with host MC Sungaila the importance of mentors to her career, the innovative diversity work she led at Ford, ways for inhouse counsel to foster diversity among outside counsel, and how a legal career can evolve to encompass new layers of meaning as we grow. 

Justice Melody Stewart is the first Black woman elected to serve on the Ohio Supreme Court. She shares her varied work experience (including academia) and her path to the bench, as well as some advice for the next generation, with host M.C. Sungaila.

Justice Kathleen E. O'Leary is the first female Presiding Justice of the California Court of Appeal, Fourth Appellate District, Division Three. Prior to her appointment to the Court of Appeal, she also served as presiding judge of the Orange County Superior Court. Justice O’Leary discusses her path to the bench, her career as a public defender prior to joining the bench, and offers encouragement to newer lawyers to pursue opportunities and take risks in their careers.