The Portia Project

Diane P. Wood is a Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit and a Senior Lecturer in Law at the University of Chicago Law School. She joins MC Sungaila to share how she went from wanting to be comparative literature scholar to sitting on the bench. There are different ways to join the bench with variety of roles covering multiple areas of the law. Judge Wood also shares the importance and the value of pro bono work not only for those in need but for lawyers who want to learn while serving and giving back to the community. Tune in to their discussion as Judge Wood offers advice for aspiring law students and lawyers on mentorship, legal writing, and finding the right area of law to pursue.

In this episode, host M.C. Sungaila is joined by General Counsel and Vice-Chair for the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law, L. Rachel Lerman. She shares her journey from art to the law, and from a career in appellate law to one focused on civil rights protections for Jewish students and tackling anti-Semitism.

Justice Joan K. Irion of the California Fourth District Court of Appeal, Division One, shares how her seemingly unconventional background and experience in tax law led to her appointment to the bench. Justice Irion emphasizes the value of having mentors and sponsors to ask for guidance from as you figure out your niche in the profession. Tune in as she shares practical tips you can use in court and more advice on building a career in law. 

Hillary Grosberg has been a litigator and trial attorney for more than 40 years, almost 30 of them as a sole practitioner. Inspired by the show Perry Mason, she wanted to be a lawyer at a young age. She attended law school at night, while working as a paralegal, law clerk and legal secretary. Both fearless and practical, Hillary is a warrior for her clients. Hear her tips for zealously representing clients, and for starting and running your own law practice.

Listen in to the conversation with a woman who found her way and loves her work.

M.C. Sungaila sits with Larisa Dinsmoor, a Public Defender for the Orange County Public Defender’s Office and Past President of the Orange County Bar Association, one of California's largest bar organizations. Larisa shares her path to bar leadership, her role as a public defender, and her experience with international human rights work.

Joanne Caruso, EVP and Chief Legal and Administrative Officer of Jacobs Engineering, describes her journey from BigLaw to in-house leadership. She explains how she leads and builds teams and fosters collaboration. Tune in to gain valuable insights from a high-profile litigator and trusted legal and business advisor.

Skirball Cultural Center CEO Jessie Kornberg - who set the leadership framework for Ms. J.D. and led public interest organization Bet Tzedek in Los Angeles- brings two decades of civil rights work to Skirball’s leadership team. In this episode, she sits down with M.C. Sungaila to reflect on that journey and share how she navigated these leadership paths and transferred her legal skills to the cultural space.

Immigration law is an important yet often overlooked area of law, but it is one that affects a significant population in the country. Here to discuss the ins and outs of practicing immigration law in the nonprofit sector is Camila Maturana. Camila is a supervising attorney with the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project (NWIRP) Tacoma and South Unit. In this episode, she opens up to MC Sungaila on how her family history and experience led her to study law and ultimately pursue work helping undocumented citizens. Learn more about the field and get helpful tips by tuning in.

M.C. Sungaila sits down with Kalpana Srinivasan, co-managing partner of one of the U.S.'s leading boutique litigation firms, Susman Godfrey. She discusses her path from journalism to the law, from a federal clerkship to high profile litigation and becoming one of the few women of color to lead a major law firm. She provides powerful insights into navigating a law firm and gaining valuable skills and experience along the way. Tune in for in-depth insights on law and leadership! 

Justice Debra H. Lehrmann is a senior Justice on the Supreme Court of Texas and the Court’s longest-serving woman justice in Texas history. She joins MC Sungaila to share her journey to the Supreme Court, and to provide some appellate advocacy tips and insights for those appearing before Texas' highest court.