The Portia Project
The Portia Project™ Podcast seeks to inspire the next generation of women lawyers and law students by sharing the stories of high achieving women in the law – their paths to the bench, the bar, and beyond. Their personal histories, spanning the 1960’s to today, chronicle women’s progress in the legal profession and business world, and serve as powerful reminders that there are many individual paths to success. As master storyteller Bobette Buster puts it: “Stories, told well and acted upon by one generation, ignite the next generation to greatness; because they have heard with their own ears, and seen with their own eyes, what courage can achieve.” Guests stepping into the spotlight to share their career stories include federal judges, state supreme court justices, and state trial judges from across the country, as well as leading trial lawyers, general counsel, law professors, business and nonprofit executives, and founders. They provide tips on effective lawyering and reveal the array of meaningful careers possible with a law degree, in a format that is a far cry from formal judicial or lawyer profiles in traditional legal publications – one that brings out the interviewees’ human side and lets their personality shine through. By listening to the lives of these lawyers and judges, you will gain a clearer idea of how they built their careers and may be inspired to follow in their footsteps. Who knows, maybe the next woman to revolutionize law, business, or the judiciary will be you! Hosting the podcast is M.C. Sungaila, a practicing lawyer for more than 30 years, who has consistently been named one of the Top 100 Women Lawyers in California by the legal newspaper The Daily Journal. She focuses on civil appeals, writs, and related trial strategy and consulting. M.C. received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor for her combined professional achievements in humanitarian and pro bono work. She shares this recognition with seven U.S. Presidents, Nobel Prize winners, athletes, artists, and industry leaders who made a significant contribution to humanity. M.C. invites amazing judges and lawyers to the podcast to share their valuable, inspiring legal advice. With each guest, you receive the best of both worlds: tips to improve your law practice and insights to enhance your career trajectory. Join M.C. Sungaila in this meaningful journey to elevate your legal career and forge the path to becoming the lawyer of your dreams. Listen to The Portia Project™ Podcast today at theportiaprojectpodcast.com
Episodes
Marisa Cianciarulo, Dean of Western State College of Law in Orange County, California, discusses her journey to academia, her role managing faculty, students, and various stakeholders as a law school dean, and the importance of female role models in her career development.
Karen Stevenson, Chief Magistrate Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, shares her path to the bench and to the law, including a stint at Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar. She also describes how her experience living abroad expanded her perspective as a person and enhanced her judicial skills later on. Judge Stevenson exemplifies her mott...
In this classic replay, Carl St. Clair, longtime Music Director of Pacific Symphony, provides insights into conducting world-class musicians, mentoring and paying it forward, and how research for a music performance mirrors a lawyer's preparation for court. For those interested in classical music – as well as leading teams, building community, and encouraging collaboration – this ...
A classic episode in our Space series featuring Timiebi Aganaba, a space lawyer and assistant professor at ASU's School for the Future of Innovation in Society. Her career has taken her around the world, including a stint at Nigeria's brand-new space agency right out of law school that launched her career in an unforeseen direction and later took her to France, Canada, and now the United States. In this episode, Timi shares th...
In one of our classic judicial guest episodes, Alabama federal district judge Anna Manasco shares her journey from debate champion to appellate litigator and federal judge, and offers tips for young lawyers to grow their skills and gain opportunities to be mentored. Her journey to the bench was characterized by her willingness to learn from everyone and everything that comes ...
In this classic replay from our in-house counsel series, Monica Palko, Chief Legal and Administrative Officer of "NewSpace" company York Systems, shares her journey to the top of the space industry. She offers useful advice for corporate lawyers on how to thrive in their positions and contribute meaningfully to the company. Monica discusses the major changes happening in the tradi...
Laurie Earl, Administrative Presiding Justice of the California Court of Appeal, Third District, joins the podcast to share her career journey from the public defender and district attorney's offices to Presiding Judge of the Sacramento Superior Court and now Presiding Justice of the Court of Appeal. She describes how mentors nudged her along the way and provides ins...
As part of our continuing series on Space Law, Janna Lewis, Senior Vice President of Policy and General Counsel of Astroscale U.S., Inc. joins the podcast to chat with host M.C. Sungaila about her career journey from planni...
Amanda Rutenberg, Deputy General Counsel at space company Rocket Lab USA, joins host M.C. Sungaila to discuss her path from journalism to law school, government contracting and BigLaw, and how her secondment to a client led to an in-house career at both a traditional space company and a NewSpace...
In a classic replay of our in-house counsel series, Allison Brecher, General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer of growing fintech startup and digital retirement platform Vestwell, shares her journey from journalism to the law, and from law practice to in-house. She provides insights into how to be a general counsel...
Legal thriller author Patricia Hunt Holmes spent 30 years as a public finance attorney with a large international law firm specializing in nonprofit healthcare finance and rural electric cooperative finance. She sits down with M.C. Sungaila to discuss what it was like to be one o...
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 a...
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 be...
Judge Rosemary Pooler was passionate about helping people, especially those we call the underdogs. Initially, she planned to make this happen through elected office. But then a friend suggested she consider running for judge because her name was now well known to many since she had run for other types of elected office. From there, her judicial career started, and she was appointed and elected to different positions in the sta...
Former Illinois Supreme Court Chief Justice Anne M. Burke sits down with M.C. Sungaila for a wide-ranging discussion on her path to the bench, her role as a founder of the Special Olympics, and the importance of teaching critical thinking and civics education to the future of the judicial system. She also shares ...
In honor of Women's History Month, we reprise this podcast's very first episode chronicling a woman's journey to the bench and beyond. Christine Durham retired from the Utah Supreme Court in 2017 after serving as a Justice for 35 years, including 10 years as Chief Justice and Chair of the Utah Judicial Council. A...
Bobbi Liebenberg and Lauren Rikleen are both keen observers of trends in the legal profession and women's progress in particular. Joining MC Sungaila in this classic Portia Project episode, they share their thoughts in a freewheeling discussion about challenges and opportunities for women's path forward in the law.
Newport Beach, California City Council Member and now Mayor Pro Tem Lauren Kleiman talks with host M.C. Sungaila about her path to practicing law and the unexpected road to elected office. She also draws the ugly and amazing side of elections and politics in general. Council Member Lauren Kleiman encourages people in Newport Beach to get involved in different areas of what their c...
Joining M.C. Sungaila is Elizabeth D. Walker, Chief Justice of the West Virginia Supreme Court and Co-Host of the podcast Lady Justice: Women of the Court. In this classic episode of the podcast, she shares the ups and downs in her life as ...
Ashley Herd has had a deep and wide legal career, including in-house counsel at leading companies like Yum! Brands (including Taco Bell) around the world to founding her own company Manager Method, which provides efficient training and scalable tools to build healthy workplaces (along the way becoming a breakout TikTok and Linkedin star). Ashley joins host MC Sungaila to share how she uses her background...
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