Ahead of the Curve: Influencing Legislation in a Dynamic Political Landscape

Angelique Torres is a legal aid lawyer who represents children navigating the U.S. immigration system. Her clients arrive at the border without a parent or legal guardian and are placed in government custody. In this episode, Angelique explains the forms of immigration relief available to her clients, including Special Immigrant Juvenile status and asylum, and how she builds trust with children as they share the difficult experiences that can shape their cases. Each case requires advocacy on several fronts: preparing clients for asylum interviews, working with parents and child advocates, challenging prolonged detention through habeas petitions, and representing a child’s expressed wishes even when others may believe a different outcome is in their best interest. She explains how changes in funding can reshape the course of legal aid work, from the services organizations can provide to the cases they can take on, and why success ultimately depends on what each child wants from their case. Angelique is a graduate of Quinnipiac University School of Law.This episode is hosted by Katya Valasek.Editor’s note: This interview was recorded before changes to the federal funding structure for legal services for unaccompanied children. Angelique’s description of her organization’s federal funding reflects the arrangement at the time of recording and is no longer current.Mentioned in this episode:Learn more about Haynes Boone LLPAccess LawHub today!Learn more about Juno and private student loans

If you've listened to I Am the Law for any length of time, you know the practice of law rarely looks the way it does on screen. Hours of preparation, client calls, problem solving, and stress don’t exactly make for catchy courtroom stories. But for many lawyers, those fictional portrayals were our guests' first introduction to the profession. In this special episode, Kyle and Katya ask their guests two questions: Who is your favorite lawyer from pop culture, and what does pop culture get right or wrong about being a lawyer?The answers reveal where fiction overlaps with the realities of legal practice, and where it falls short. Guests reflect on the characters who inspired them, the preparation and pressure behind legal work, the emotional stakes of representing clients, and the sense of purpose that draws people to the profession. Pop culture may compress timelines, heighten the drama, and oversimplify the work, but it can still capture something real about what motivates lawyers and why the work matters to them.Featured voices:Doron Gold, Episode 143, The Therapist Who Left Law: Treating Perfectionism in LawyersJimmy Lai, Episode 151, An Introvert's Path to Running an Immigration Law FirmDevin Morse, Episode 144, Public Defender to Private Practice: Criminal Defense From ScratchVineet Dubey, Episode 146, Poisoned Goods: Suing to Clean Up Consumer ProductsMark Purpura, Episode 153, Building a Practice Around Delaware's Corporate CodeRandy Prebula, Episode 142, Scientist to Regulatory Lawyer: Getting Medical Devices to MarketStorm Lineberger, Episode 158, Fine Print, Big Money: Making Insurers Pay UpRichard Hy, Episode 155, After the Headlines: Lawsuits in the Wake of DisasterJonathan Merel, Episode 154, More Than Legal Advice: Building a Firm for High-Conflict DivorceJennifer Long, Episode 156, Sharpening the Craft of Special Victims ProsecutionCharles Star, Episode 157, One Career in Three Acts: Big Law, Contract Work, Plaintiff FirmYuliya Flynn, Episode 148, Concierge Outside Counsel: Compliance, Contracts, and Keeping Clients Deal-ReadyMichelle Hanlon, Episode 149, Space Law: The Work Behind an Emerging PracticeElizabeth Stong, Episode 152, Federal Bankruptcy Judge: Running a Second Chance CourtMentioned in this episode:Access LawHub today!Learn more about Haynes Boone LLPLearn more about Juno and private student loans

Leanna Taing is a lawyer for Los Angeles County, where she represents the Office of Public Guardian in mental health conservatorship proceedings. In this episode, she explains what happens when someone is unable to care for themselves due to a mental health condition and no family or friends can step in. Leana walks through how cases move from hospital referral to courtroom, why these civil cases require proof beyond a reasonable doubt, and what it means to cross-examine someone whose autonomy is at stake. She also discusses managing a caseload in the hundreds, the shift from bench trials to jury trials, and how she transitioned into this work after seven years in child welfare law. Leana Taing is a graduate of UCLA Law. This episode is hosted by Katya Valasek.Mentioned in this episode:Learn more about Haynes Boone LLPAccess LawHub today!Learn more about Juno and private student loans

Frances Prizzia began her career as a public defender. Today, she runs her own criminal defense practice, representing clients facing charges ranging from DUI and assault to murder. In this episode, Frances explains how a criminal charge can often have damaging consequences outside the courtroom, affecting a clients’ housing, immigration status, professional licenses, and family matters. These are areas that public defenders frequently have limited ability to address. She walks through an attempted murder case involving a client with schizophrenia to show how mental health history can shape defense strategy. Frances also breaks down preliminary hearings, plea negotiations, and the many factors that go into deciding whether to take a case to trial when the stakes can mean decades in prison. This leads to her desire to build a more holistic practice and the hard limits of what a lawyer can do when clients insist on making their own choices. Frances is a graduate of Santa Clara University School of Law.This episode is hosted by Kyle McEntee.Mentioned in this episode:Access LawHub today!Learn more about Juno and private student loansLearn more about Haynes Boone LLP

Kimberley Baker Guillemet helped form the Los Angeles Office of Reentry to ensure that when someone leaves prison, limited employment options do not lead to a cycle of crime. In this episode, she discusses her work helping the formerly incarcerated rejoin society and altering conditions that lead to initial jailings. Kimberley is a graduate of the University of Southern California Gould School of Law.This episode is hosted by Kyle McEntee.Mentioned in this episode:Access LawHub today!Learn more about Juno and private student loansLearn more about Haynes Boone LLP

Chukwukpee Nzegwu is a junior associate practicing commercial litigation at a large, general practice law firm. While he didn't go to law school to do commercial lit, he's found it both exciting and challenging. He explains that his decision was influenced by the opportunity to gain trial experience and be involved in oral advocacy. Chukwukpee discusses his work as a problem solver for clients involved in lawsuits and highlights the complexity of commercial litigation. He shares his experiences working on cases from the beginning to the end, including drafting motions, researching statute of limitations arguments, and participating in appeals. Chukwukpee is a graduate of the University of Maryland.This episode is hosted by Kyle McEntee.Mentioned in this episode:Learn more about Haynes Boone LLPAccess LawHub today!Learn more about Juno and private student loans

Amanda Arriaga is General Counsel for the Texas Ethics Commission, the state agency that oversees campaign finance, lobbying, and financial disclosure. In this episode, she explains what it means to represent an institution rather than any individual official, and how her office answers questions from the public through an informal helpline and through formal advisory opinions that people can rely on afterward. Amanda also describes why most of her day goes to operations rather than legal research: reviewing agency contracts from initiation through management, training staff on procurement rules, and managing a team. She talks about the scrutiny that comes with spending money that belongs to the public, and why management is a skill more lawyers should build. Amanda is a graduate of the University of Texas.This episode is hosted by Katya Valasek.Mentioned in this episode:Access LawHub today!Learn more about BlueprintLearn more about Haynes Boone LLPLearn more about Oklahoma City University School of LawLearn more about Boston University School of LawLearn more about Juno and private student loansLearn more about Seton Hall

Storm Lineberger is a fourth-year associate at global large firm Haynes Boone who practices insurance coverage litigation on the policyholder side. When an insurer denies a company's claim, he sues to recover what the policy promised. In this episode, Storm separates coverage work from insurance defense, walks through how a denied claim becomes a lawsuit, and explains why the underlying event, a refinery explosion or a hurricane, matters less than the words of the contract. He details the substantive work that falls to mid-level associates on leanly staffed cases, from drafting summary judgment motions to assessing settlement risk. The conversation also covers AI in document review and what changes when a senior associate starts managing other people. Storm is a graduate of Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law.This episode is hosted by Katya Valasek.Mentioned in this episode:Learn more about Oklahoma City University School of LawLearn more about Haynes Boone LLPLearn more about Juno and private student loansLearn more about Boston University School of LawLearn more about Seton HallLearn more about BlueprintAccess LawHub today!

Charles Star thought he'd become a union-side labor lawyer but like many law students, he followed the pull of Big Law instead. The prestige and paycheck were there, but the work left him unfulfilled. Charles walked away to pursue stand-up comedy, supporting himself as a hourly contract lawyer. Eventually he landed on the plaintiff side, where he works as a staff attorney on consumer class actions and feels connected to the work. In this episode, Charles reflects on golden handcuffs, career pivots, and what it takes to find a legal path that fits. Charles is a graduate of Columbia Law School.This episode is hosted by Katya Valasek.Mentioned in this episode:Learn more about BlueprintAccess LawHub today!Learn more about Oklahoma City University School of LawLearn more about Haynes Boone LLPLearn more about Juno and private student loansLearn more about Boston University School of LawLearn more about Seton Hall

Like most prosecutors, Jennifer Long learned on the job. Now she helps train them. After starting her career in a DA's office, Jennifer moved into handling child abuse, domestic violence, and sexual assault cases. Today, she's the founder and CEO of AEquitas, a nonprofit that supports prosecutors across the country working on those same crimes. Jennifer spends her time writing grants, managing projects, and developing the next generation of experts in the field, while still keeping her hands in the substantive legal work. She explains how she built her advocacy skills in court as a new prosecutor, what it takes to handle deeply sensitive cases, and why strong writing became central to her impact. Jennifer is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania Carey School of Law.This episode is hosted by Katya Valasek.Mentioned in this episode:Learn more about Seton HallLearn more about Juno and private student loansLearn more about Boston University School of LawLearn more about Haynes Boone LLPLearn more about Oklahoma City University School of LawLearn more about BlueprintAccess LawHub today!