Bottom Up
What issues matter most to young lawyers? Where can new lawyers go to find career advice, professional insights, practice tips, and more? Bottom Up is a podcast dedicated to examining today's legal challenges. Produced by the State Bar of Wisconsin and hosted by Emil Ovbiagele, a young lawyer and founder of a small law firm based in Milwaukee, each episode features frank discussions and relatable stories that highlight the interests and opportunities for attorneys working to establish their practice their way.
Episodes
René Jovel, an assistant general counsel, shares his inspiring journey from L.A. to Milwaukee, with a pit stop at Northwestern University, navigating multiple cultural environments and forging a unique legal career path. Discover insights on the realities of law school, the impact of constituent services in the U.S. Senate, and the evolving landscape of in-house legal roles.
Host Emil Ovbiagele leads this lively discussion, w...
Explore the evolution and impact of legal blogging with Kevin O'Keefe, CEO of LexBlog Inc., as he shares insights on how lawyers can leverage blogs for reputation, niche authority, and adapting to AI advancements. The LexBlog Library "indexes and archives legal commentary published across the web, providing the structure and metadata required to power the AI-driven web."
O'Keefe, who started his legal career as a trial lawyer in La...
Through the Assigned Counsel Program, the Wisconsin State Public Defender (SPD) appoints private bar attorneys to handle conflict cases, providing attorneys with courtroom experience in criminal cases representing clients charged with misdemeanors and felonies across the state. "You can absolutely do it," said attorney Kathleen Pakes, director of the Assigned Counsel Program.
Pakes is talking about new or newer attorneys who may be...
Mark L. Thomsen's path to law is unlike any other story. In this episode of the Bottom Up podcast, host Emil Obviagele dives deep with Mark, a veteran Milwaukee-based litigator and partner at Gingras Thomsen & Wachs LLP. The episode explores Mark's unique upbringing in Nigeria, his return to America, and the cultural shocks he experienced. They discuss his journey into law, activism, and the importance of fighting for justice. ...
Are you a family law attorney or want to learn more about family law as a practice area? In this episode of the Bottom Up Podcast, produced by the State Bar of Wisconsin, attorney Max T. Stephenson describes his experiences as a family law attorney with Gimbel Reilly Guerin & Brown LLP for more than a decade.
Starting as a new lawyer with no family law experience, Stephenson discusses his 12-year career path and provides insigh...
In this episode of the Bottom Up Podcast, produced by the State Bar of Wisconsin, host Kristen Hardy talks with former Milwaukee Circuit Court Judge Ellen Brostrom, now a mediator at Resolute Systems LLC, and Wauwatosa Municipal Court Judge Krista LaFave, also a personal injury attorney at Warshafsky Law.
Both explore their unique career paths, motivations for public service, and the differences between circuit and municipal courts...
Exciting News! Starting in 2025, two new podcasts will join Bottom Up in a rotation of podcasts produced by the State Bar of Wisconsin.
Bottom Up, co-hosted by Emil Ovbiagele and Kristen Hardy, will continue to explore topics of interest to lawyers in the early stages of their careers. They'll be back in March 2025.
Two new podcasts – Listening to Lawyers and Practice Pulse – will expand the State Bar's family of WisLaw...
In this episode of the Bottom Up Podcast, produced by the State Bar of Wisconsin, co-hosts Emil Ovbiagele and Sam Huddleston Baker talk with Mike Sneathern, chief legal officer for the Milwaukee Bucks. Mike has worked 20-plus years for the 2021 NBA champs.
The conversation explores Mike's journey from his native California to Wisconsin, his experiences in the Marquette University Sports Law Program, and the unique challenges faced ...
Will AI replace lawyers? That's one of the questions explored in the latest episode of Bottom Up, produced by the State Bar of Wisconsin. Co-hosts Emil Ovbiagele and Kristen Hardy welcome Hiriam Bradley, an attorney specializing in privacy and technology law.
The conversation explores Hiriam's career path, the evolution of privacy law, and the intersection of artificial intelligence and privacy. They discuss the challenges le...
When Anthony Procaccio graduated from law school in 2013, he was one of 46,776 U.S. law students to do so (the most of any year on record, and 36% more than 2023). The economy was beginning to recover from the 2007-08 financial crisis, but job seekers were still struggling.
Procaccio, now the president of the State Bar of Wisconsin's Young Lawyers Division, was among many law school graduat...
Episode 19 of the Bottom Up Podcast, produced by the State Bar of Wisconsin, features a discussion on lawyer wellness, stress, and sleep deprivation, focusing on the unique stressors legal professionals face. Amber Ault -- who manages the State Bar's Wisconsin Lawyers Assistance Program (WisLAP) and has extensive experience in the fields of therapy, sociology, and social work -- shares insights and tips for reducing stress and impr...
Attorney Tom Watson, the featured guest in the latest episode of the Bottom Up Podcast produced by the State Bar of Wisconsin, knows what it means to reinvent yourself.
Tom started his career in broadcast radio. He interviewed big names like Bill Clinton, Jesse Jackson, entertainer Red Skelton, and others. At age 37, Tom enrolled in law school. He's now the CEO and president of Wisconsin Lawyers Mutual Insurance Company (WILM...
Ever heard of imposter syndrome? In this episode of the Bottom Up podcast, produced by the State Bar of Wisconsin, co-host Emil Ovbiagele and guest host Joe Forward interview Samantha Huddleston Baker, a partner at OVB Law and Consulting S.C. in Milwaukee. They discuss impostor syndrome and carving out paths in the early years of a legal career.
Samantha shares her background and journey to law school, as well as her experien...
Simply defined, human trafficking is the exploitation of human beings for someone else's gain, according to Erika Petty, executive director at Milwaukee-based Lotus Legal Clinic, a nonprofit that provides free legal services exclusively to victims of human trafficking.
As you'll discover in Episode 16 of the Bottom Up podcast, produced by the State Bar of Wisconsin, while human trafficking can be simply defined, the complexit...
In 1963, Frank Gimbel was just three years out of law school when he became an assistant U.S. attorney, serving five years before switching to defense counsel. Gimbel's career as a trial lawyer, spanning six decades, has been chronicled extensively, with many awards to his name.
But the early days were no walk in the park. Gimbel worked as a tax return preparer, a clothes salesman, and held other side jobs to keep food on the table...
As younger lawyers enter the profession, how do they collaborate and communicate effectively with older generations, who may collaborate differently? What are the current trends, challenges, and opportunities for solo and small firms in the practice management and technology space?
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In this episode, recorded at the 2023 Wisconsin Solo & Small Firm Conference (WSSFC), co-host Emil Ovbiagele and guest host Joe Forward speak with Jessica Kramer, a small firm owner based in Madison, and Aiden Tharp, a solo practitioner in Hudson.
Kramer was a co-chair of the conference's substantive law track, and Tharp was a co-chair of the work-life balance/ethics track. The conference theme? Working across different g...
In Episode 13 of the Bottom Up Podcast, produced by the State Bar of Wisconsin, co-hosts&n...
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