The Portia Project

Denise Dragoo, Snell & Wilmer partner, shares her trailblazing path in environmental and natural resources law. Denise shares her incredible journey, from being on the Governor's policy team to becoming an equity partner at Snell & Wilmer. Along the way, she talks about the importance of mentoring, community service, and provides invaluable tips for building a successful law practice. Tune in on our engaging conversation with Denice Dragoo as she shares her wealth of experience and insights. 

Robyn Crowther, the Regional Managing Partner for California at Steptoe & Johnson, sits down with host M.C. Sungaila to share her path to leadership in a large law firm, her earlier experience at a pathbreaking boutique litigation firm, and her work as a trial lawyer and community and bar leader which has led to her being repeatedly named by the Daily Journal as one of the Top 100 Women Lawyers in California.

The highly respected Franceska Schroeder, Founding and Managing Counsel at Schroeder Law PLLC, discusses her niche and growing area of space law, the power of mentoring and paying it forward, and founding her own firm. 

In this episode, Carol W. Carpenter, Chief Marketing officer at Unity and former CEO of ElasticBox, shares her journey as a marketing powerhouse at Silicon Valley technology firms. She also provides business leadership and teambuilding tips, as well as insights into an effective marketing plan and building a personal brand. A powerful episode from an extraordinary business leader.

In this episode, we explore the transformative experience of law school clinics and their pivotal role in shaping the careers of aspiring lawyers. Today, we have the privilege of hearing from three exceptional graduates of Loyola Law School of Los Angeles' Ninth Circuit Clinic: Tina Kuang, Sydney Wong, and Molly Okamura. Under the guidance of our host, M.C. Sungaila, these talented alumni share their remarkable journeys, where they, along with their law school teammates, took on the challenge of briefing, arguing, and ultimately prevailing in immigration appeals before the esteemed Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Their stories exemplify how participation in law school clinics can sharpen legal skills, nurture professional growth, and accelerate careers in the legal arena.

This episode also marks an exciting collaboration between the Portia Project and the Personal Jurisdiction podcast. Together, we strive to shed light on the significance of law school clinics, judicial externships, and judicial clerkship experiences, illuminating the path for future law students to find their own trajectories of success. Tune in for a captivating exploration of the possibilities that unfold when ambition, mentorship, and opportunity intertwine in the pursuit of legal excellence.

Jean Lawler shares her journey from law firm managing partner to mediator and arbitrator, and her experience leading the Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel. She is a great example of how to design your legal career and stack skills to find new career directions. Tune in to this insightful conversation between Jean Lawler and podcast host MC Sungaila.

Olympian. Professional ballerina. Presence and public speaking coach. Tech company founder. Rachel Cossar, CEO of Virtual Sapiens, which provides realtime body language coaching for video meetings, connects the dots and shares insights into her multiple career reinventions. She also shares terrific insights into the use of body language in our remote and hybrid work environments. This episode is one of a series focused on skill building and tips for career enhancement. 

Maria Hernandez is the Presiding Judge of the Superior Court of Orange County, California. She shares her journey to the bench from a career as a public defender, and her new role as presiding judge of one of the country's largest trial courts. She describes the challenges her court met during COVID-19, which led to virtual and hybrid court hearings which continue to improve people’s access to the justice system, and the broader role that presiding judges play in administering justice.

Suzette Torres, General Counsel for Lennar Title Group, LLC, talks about how she navigated from law firm partnership to inhouse, and the role she played in connecting inhouse women together through her leadership role and groundbreaking initiative with California Women Lawyers. She provides tips on networking and relationship building too, which she believes to be integral to her career success and satisfaction.

Washington Supreme Court Justice Barbara Madsen is a trailblazer. The first woman to be popularly elected to the Court in Washington state history, and the third woman to serve on the Court, she is committed to public service and equal justice. While on Seattle's Municipal Court bench, she helped develop a Domestic Violence Coordinating Committee to comprehensively address violence in the family and as Presiding Judge of the Municipal Court, she increased opportunities for women and attorneys of color to receive appointments as pro tem judges. She shares her remarkable journey from public defender and city attorney to her state's highest court with host M.C. Sungaila.