I Am The Law

Jaimie Nawaday is a former federal prosecutor and current white-collar defense and government investigations litigator. In this episode, she reflects on the skills and insights she brought from her time as a prosecutor, switching sides, and how real-world experience shapes confidence in the courtroom and at the negotiating table. Jamie also offers candid thoughts on the drinking culture within the legal profession and the personal ...

In this episode, Ezra Lintner (they/she), a legal aid lawyer in San Francisco, discusses defending evicted tenants in a city on the forefront of a civil right to counsel. The conversation highlights the high-stakes reality of eviction defense work, the nuances of habitability, and the emotional challenge of helping clients through a fundamentally disruptive experience. Ezra also reflects on the personal toll of their work, the valu...

Mergers, acquisitions, hostile takeovers...if you've ever watched television lawyers arguing on the big screen, you’ll know these terms. For transactional lawyer Stephanie Hurst, these words are part of her daily diction. As an income partner at Mayer Brown, Stephanie has been negotiating cross-border transactions for years. In this episode, she highlights the complexities of structuring deals, the role of an M&A lawyer on a la...

Samm Tillotson is a commercial litigator at an elite law firm, where she spends a lot of time defending class action lawsuits for insurance clients. While she doesn't go to trial often, she spends a lot of time in court, preparing for court, and negotiating. Despite the firm's size, Samm's cases are leanly staffed, which means she works a case from beginning to end. She talks a bit about her love of discovery, work-life balance, an...

For Katie King, investigations have always been at the center of her work. As a federal prosecutor turned Title IX and institutional equity expert, she’s spent her legal career tasked with piecing together the truth. Katie now serves as a senior administrator at Cornell University – a job that does not require a law degree or license. In this episode, Katie shares her journey into the world of civil rights law, from handling T...

Tijana Brien, a partner at the elite law firm Cooley, specializes in high-stakes securities litigation. In this episode, she unpacks the complexities of defending major corporations, discussing the importance of motions to dismiss, investigation, and focusing on the elements of a case. She shares how she navigates the challenge of translating complex technological concepts—like encryption—into accessible arguments that judges can r...

As a “dirt lawyer,” Don Pinto’s cases typically involve one party that wants to do something in real estate, and another party trying to stop it. Whether coastal erosion or view obstruction with residential homeowners, or developers seeking to build new commercial or residential property, disputes end up in court if he can’t help his clients come to terms sooner. Each day on the job looks different, from delving into historical rec...

Lynette Paczkowski is a litigator at heart, and her career journey has taken her to the world of probate litigation. When a will is contested, the legal battle is rarely just about money—it’s about trust, family dynamics, and sometimes the question of whether someone "pulled a fast one." In this episode, Lynette walks us through the complexities of her practice, from uncovering undue influence to determining if a codicil is legally...

Adam Deutsch is a personal injury lawyer who litigates medical malpractice claims...and he loves what he does. Although he opted for lawyer rather than doctor, he spends his days researching areas of medicine and consulting with experts before negotiating settlements and arguing in court. In this episode, Adam talks about medical rabbit holes, his strategy for jury selection, and the challenges that come with navigating emotional m...

Former Biglaw attorney Cece Xie shares her unconventional journey from practicing law to building a portfolio career. After graduating law school, she embarked on a well-traveled road to a large law firm with a shiny name. Though she has many positive things to say about her two firms, she ultimately stepped away from it all. In this episode, Cece talks about the challenges of leaving a stable career, navigating financial uncertain...

Juan Dawson is a junior associate at a newly merged megafirm. He’s one of the firm’s many energy industry lawyers – or, as he puts it, a "lawyer for electrons." In this episode, Juan shares how he pivoted to a niche, multi-faceted field involving regulatory compliance and interaction with government agencies. Juan discusses how he reconciles his initial public interest aspirations with a corporate environment. He also touches ...

Victoria Nauman is a very recent law school graduate and state public defender. Like many law students, she entered law school intending to do some sort of public service, but lacking specificity. This episode focuses on her transition to practice. Victoria discusses some early career challenges, including imposter syndrome, building trust with clients, how she balances kindness and collegiality with being adversarial when necessar...

In this episode, Josh Offenhartz takes us through his career journey, marked by numerous transitions between law firms, sometimes sooner than he anticipated. From navigating generational differences in firm cultures to managing the evolving dynamics of career progression, client relationships, and work-life balance, Josh shares how his ability to adapt and recognize key opportunities has been integral to his progression. He candidl...

Paige Sparks is an employee rights lawyer who specializes in discrimination claims. In this episode, Paige talks navigating the EEOC process for aggrieved current and former employees, generating clients through social media, and how she navigates her ADHD, a diagnosis she received a few years into practice. Through informational law videos and transparent looks into her life, Paige has garnered more than two million followers acro...

Starting a nonprofit often sounds like a great idea, but execution requires vision, commitment, and grit. Laurie Robinson Hayden shares how she transitioned from informal networking among peers to establishing an organization that supports professional development for women of color lawyers. Laurie discusses how she built a mission-driven board, decided she was ready to transition from full-time lawyer to full-time CEO, and let go ...

Happy Thanksgiving! What are lawyers thankful for? The answers may surprise you. In this special episode, we share some previously-unreleased clips of recent I Am The Law guests with their answer to everyone's least favorite Thanksgiving question. Hosts Katya Valasek and Kyle McEntee intersperse commentary throughout our lawyer guests talking about giving voice to the voiceless, achieving their dream job, being a part of a team, pr...

As an immigration lawyer, Jennifer Quezada builds trust within local communities that need legal help to bring families together. She works primarily with Spanish-speaking clients in their native language, and uses her own background as an immigrant to offer advice and counsel that creates a sense of security amidst a complex and lengthy legal process. Beyond her legal work, Jennifer discusses marketing, fee transparency, and her f...

Big change requires massive action. That's true whether we're talking about Carney Anne Nasser's career path or her work as an animal protection lawyer. She shifted to animal law five years after earning her law license, first as an unpaid intern (while working as a full-time lawyer) and then for several nonprofits that specialize in strategic advocacy and impact litigation.

Carney Anne discusses what fueled her efforts to bring abo...

In our 100th episode, hosts Kyle McEntee and Katya Valasek reflect on their legal backgrounds and how their journeys to, through, and after law school shape this podcast's discussions. Kyle talks about his journey, beginning with the founding of Law School Transparency (LST), a nonprofit focused on consumer advocacy, and leading to his role at LSAC. He explores the challenges of enacting meaningful change in the face of opposition...