The Portia Project

Andrea Sheridan Ordin -- the first female United States Attorney for the Central District of California—and only the third female U.S. Attorney in American history— discusses her path to this and other leadership positions in government. Among other roles, Ms. Ordin has also served as Los Angeles County Counsel, Chief Assistant Attorney General of California, and on the Los Angeles Police Commission. In this episode, she sits down with MC Sungaila to discuss her path to these different roles and offers leadership lessons.

Pathbreaking Hawaii Supreme Court Justice Sabrina Shizue McKenna sits down with host M.C. Sungaila to discuss how perseverance, confidence in your skills, humility, and persistence can help you achieve new heights. Listen in as Justice McKenna discusses her journey from Japan to Hawaii, playing college athletics and getting a scholarship as a result of Title IX, and joining the bench after a distinguished law firm and inhouse counsel career.

Judge Julia Smith Gibbons of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit shares how the relationships she formed throughout her career paved the way for her to become the first woman trial judge of a court of record in Tennessee, followed by distinguished service on both the U.S. District Court and the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. She is the recipient of the Devitt Award, the highest honor awarded to an Article III judge, for significant contributions to the administration of justice, the advancement of the rule of law, and improvement of society as a whole. Listen in as Judge Gibbons shares insights gained throughout her trailblazing career.

Recently retired Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O'Connor shares how she became the first woman to lead the state judiciary and her contribution to the judicial system. Maureen O'Connor is the tenth Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Ohio, a Cleveland-Marshall School of Law graduate, and a member of the Cleveland-Marshall Hall of Fame. She became the longest-serving statewide elected woman in Ohio history. She shares her journey to becoming the first woman to lead the state judicial branch of government and how she led significant reforms and improvements in the Ohio judicial system.

Erin Smith and Jennafer Wagner both attended law school to advocate for change. Jennafer is now the Director of Programs at Family Violence Appellate Project (FVAP), where Erin is the co-founder and Executive Director. FVAP is dedicated to helping domestic violence survivors and their children appeal trial court decisions in their cases, and thereby shaping the law in a favorable way for other domestic violence survivors. The success of their model, which thrives on partnerships with law firm attorneys who donate their services for free, has caused them to expand to other states beyond California.

Marcie Getelman, Deputy General Counsel of Lennar Corporation, shares her career journey, the myriad roles held by in-house counsel, and how she supports the careers of the female outside counsel with whom she works.

Host MC Sungaila sits down with retired Colorado Court of Appeals Judge Karen M. Ashby to discuss her trailblazing career as the first Black woman to be appointed to that court. Judge Ashby shares valuable insights from her experiences as a public defender, trial court judge, and appellate judge. She describes how her path has paved the way for others, and how judges' diverse experiences contribute to decision making

Paloma Ahmadi, Associate General Counsel, Employment, at Brex, talks about her journey from in-house, to law firm practice, and back in-house. Paloma is a phenomenal client advisor, with an interesting mix of career experiences, who provides great insight into navigating a legal career.

Host MC Sungaila talks about trials, mentors, and training the next generation with leading litigator Caryn Geraghty Jorgensen. Tune in for more great insights from women in the law.

Judge Jacqueline Nguyen talks with host M.C. Sungaila about her experience as a refugee during the Vietnam War and her journey to becoming a judge, from private law practice to serving as a prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Central District of California. Before her confirmation to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, Judge Nguyen was also the first Asian American woman to serve as a district judge on the United States District Court for the Central District of California.