The Portia Project

Senior Assistant Orange County Public Defender, Tracy LeSage, talks to M.C. Sungaila about her experience defending those accused of crimes, from misdemeanors to serious felonies. She provides insights into the value of a judicial clerkship, and the very personal rewards of representing the vulnerable and helping them recover their future. 

We’re in for a treat as MC Sungaila dabbles a little bit more into legal academia as a career option for lawyers and law students. Joining her is Professor Rebecca A. Delfino of the Loyola Law School in Los Angeles. Professor Delfino wears many hats in the school, most notably as a Professor of Law and Faculty Adviser of the Moot Court program. She takes us back into her storied journey from law school to law firm, the Court of Appeal, and eventually, back to law school where she’s now busy molding a new generation of law professionals. Listen in and take a peek at the career path of an amazing woman who has an impressive resume of experiences both in academia and in the courts. 

Our guest today is Jane Bland, a Justice on the Texas Supreme Court. Learn how Justice Bland got into law and moved from BigLaw practice to the bench. Discover what it takes to be elected to the bench, and serve the community in a myriad of ways. (And for you litigators, hear some tips on succeeding as an advocate in court.)

Host M.C. Sungaila sits down with Lyrissa Lidsky, Dean of the University of Missouri School of Law. Lyrissa discusses her passion for teaching and her career journey from a small town in Texas to leading a major law school. Listen as she shares the challenges and rewards her academic career has brought her -- and how surviving breast cancer while serving as Dean impacted her, her family, and her academic community.  

Harmeet Dhillon, the founder of Dhillon Law Group and the Center for American Liberty, is a nationally recognized lawyer, trusted boardroom advisor, and passionate advocate for individual, corporate and institutional clients across numerous industries and walks of life.   

Harmeet describes her family's journey to the United States, her time at UVA Law School, a stint at the Department of Justice, a federal appeals court clerkship, a decade of practice at prestigious international law firms, and how she came to found her own litigation boutique and then a nonprofit legal center. She provides tips on navigating BigLaw and founding a law firm. This is a dynamic and independent-minded guest you do not want to miss. 

Arizona trial court Judge Danielle Viola joins M.C. Sungaila to discuss how her policy work with the Arizona state government and law practice at the venerable Phoenix-based firm Snell & Wilmer collectively inform her approach to problem solving and decision making on the bench. She also provides some solid advice for litigators in the trial court.

 M.C. Sungaila discusses the ins and outs of improving and developing your business development skills with Sheila Murphy, a former Senior Legal Officer for a Fortune 50 company and current President, CEO and General Counsel of Focus Forward Consulting. As a certified coach and career and business consultant, Sheila Murphy helps lawyers, leaders and legal organizations build fulfilling and thriving careers, practices and businesses by helping them develop skills that bring their game to the next level. Tune in and learn more as Sheila Murphy provides tips for career success.

Join MC Sungaila as she talks to attorney and member of the Orange County, California Board of Supervisors Katrina Foley about becoming a community leader. Prior to her election to the Board of Supervisors, Katrina served as Costa Mesa’s first directly elected Mayor and a member of the Costa Mesa City Council for 12 years, in addition to running her own firm, The Foley Group.

Katrina discusses her desire to and focus on serving her community and her constituents, why she studied law in the first place (to help women and girls and victims of domestic violence and abuse), the importance of taking initiative and reaching out to likeminded people to build your network and power to make a difference, and how she uses her legal skills in elected office by gathering the facts and standing firm in court when necessary to protect the people she serves. 

Lisa Lang describes her journey from serving in the military as a paralegal to becoming general counsel at Kentucky State University, a public historically black land-grant university. She also describes how embracing social media, and establishing her network and brand through it, impacted her career.

Antoinette Balta, Executive Director and Co-Founder of the legal nonprofit Veterans Legal Institute®, discusses her nonprofit career, how her military experience and her immigrant family impacted the direction of her career, and her prestigious role as a Presidential Leadership Scholar. This episode is a must-listen for those interested in public interest law, or those who would like to understand the significant role legal nonprofits play in the justice system.