Law Firm to Law Professor: Tenure, Teaching, and Scholarship

Joe Stephens operates at the intersection of cutting-edge technology and traditional legal practice. As both a trial consultant and public defender, he helps lawyers harness AI to transform their litigation strategies and case preparation. Joe discusses how he guides other attorneys through AI integration, from analyzing mountains of depositions to crafting more effective motions. In his own public defender work, Joe has implemented AI tools to efficiently process vast amounts of digital discovery and pinpoint crucial moments in hours of police camera footage, allowing him to provide more thorough representation to indigent clients with limited resources. Joe Stephens is a graduate of the University of Texas School of Law.This episode is hosted by Katya Valasek.Mentioned in this episode:Learn more about Vermont LawLearn more about Rutgers LawAccess LawHub today!Learn more about Rutgers Law

Sudha Setty entered legal academia on a path less traveled—without a clerkship or teaching fellowship. While working as a litigation associate at an elite New York City firm, she prepared for the academic job market and charted her course into teaching and scholarship. In this episode, Sudha reflects on how she built a scholarly agenda, developed an engaging classroom presence, and relied on mentorship to guide pivotal career decisions.This episode is hosted by Kyle McEntee.Mentioned in this episode:Access LawHub today!Learn more about Vermont LawLearn more about Rutgers LawLearn more about Rutgers Law

Margeaux Thomas is the definition of lawyer meets entrepreneur. She specializes in business partnership disputes, landlord-tenant conflicts, and contract law. In this episode, Margeaux shares her journey from law school to working at a large firm, the challenges she faced navigating firm dynamics, and the personal experiences that led her to start her own practice. She dives into the realities of running a boutique law firm, building a client base from the ground up, and designing a business for efficiency. Margeaux also reflects on building a work-life balance and what it means to define success on your own terms. Margeaux is a graduate of the Catholic University, Columbus School of Law. This episode is hosted by Katya Valasek.Mentioned in this episode:Learn more about Vermont LawLearn more about Rutgers LawLearn more about Rutgers LawAccess LawHub today!

Before becoming a judge, Alex Manning served in the military, worked undercover as a cop, and defended people in complex criminal cases. She was also a key spokesperson advocating against the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy. In this episode, Judge Manning talks about what drew her from law enforcement to the law, the challenges of presiding over a courtroom, and the mental and emotional toll of making high-stakes decisions as a day job. She talks about how her investigative experience informs her judge-instincts and gets real about the mental health challenges judges face. Judge Manning is a graduate of Vermont Law and Graduate School.This episode is hosted by Kyle McEntee.Mentioned in this episode:Access LawHub today!Learn more about Vermont LawLearn more about Rutgers LawLearn more about Rutgers Law

Today, Venetia Mayhew is one of Oregon’s most well-known clemency and post-conviction lawyers, but her path to the law was anything but typical. She started college at 39 and law school at 43. Her prior experience? Working in film, catering, and truck driving. In this episode, she explains how her unconventional path shaped her work as a criminal defense attorney. She reflects on years spent leading clemency efforts at a law clinic and what it’s meant to her to help clients receive a second chance. Now in private practice, she works on complex criminal cases after her clients are already incarcerated. As she puts it, it’s a field where “you get a lot of losses, but the wins are just very, very sweet.” Venetia is a graduate of Lewis and Clarke Law School.This episode is hosted by Katya Valasek.Mentioned in this episode:Learn more about Rutgers LawLearn more about Vermont LawAccess LawHub today!Learn more about Rutgers Law

Alexis Taitel, a commercial litigator and fourth-year associate at a large firm, spent her first two years after law school clerking in federal district court. She explains what a federal clerkship really involves and how that experience helped her launch a litigation career in private practice. Alexis offers a window into her work on breach of contract cases as a mid-level associate, from pre-litigation strategy and writing compelling motions to learning how to advocate effectively from behind the scenes. She shares her love for legal writing and research, comparing research to a scavenger hunt and writing to storytelling. Alexis also reflects on the steep learning curve and pressures of the billable hour, the mentorship she’s received, and how the reality of being a lawyer differs from what she once imagined. Alexis is a graduate of the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, William S. Boyd School of Law.This episode is hosted by Kyle McEntee.Mentioned in this episode:Learn more about Rutgers LawLearn more about Vermont LawAccess LawHub today!Learn more about Rutgers Law

Eric Bernheim works at the intersection of real estate transactions and land use law—two areas that are often siloed but deeply interconnected in his practice. We focus on his commercial real estate practice, highlighting how he supports restaurant clients through lease negotiations, why standardized provisions matter for growth and sale, and how seemingly small terms can affect a company’s long-term strategy. Eric also discusses how he built his leasing practice by working closely with clients over time, how he navigates common points of friction arise with landlords, and what led him and two colleagues to leave a larger firm and start their own during the pandemic. Eric is a graduate of Roger Williams School of Law.This episode is hosted by Katya Valasek.Mentioned in this episode:Learn more about Rutgers LawLearn more about Vermont LawLearn more about Rutgers LawAccess LawHub today!

What really draws people to become lawyers? In this special bonus episode, we draw on previously unpublished clips with recent guests. You'll hear from lawyers inspired by family members in the profession, those who found their calling through student government or workplace experiences, and others who were motivated by iconic legal dramas like Legally Blonde and A Few Good Men.But inspiration is just the beginning. Our guests also reveal what pop culture gets dramatically wrong about legal practice. Spoiler alert: it's far less glamorous and much more tedious than TV suggests. From the reality of billable hours to the emotional weight of client relationships, these lawyers share what truly surprised them when they first started practicing.Featured voices include:Adam Deutsch, personal injury lawyer following in his father's footstepsTijana Brien, securities litigator who promised her refugee father she'd become the lawyer he never got to beSamm Tillotson, commercial litigator inspired by her student government experienceKatie King, who discovered her legal calling through workplace advocacyEzra Lintner, legal aid lawyer using law as a tool for their community serviceAnd many more sharing their honest takes on expectation vs. realityThis episode is hosted by Kyle McEntee.Mentioned in this episode:Learn more about Seton HallUtah LawLearn more about Utah LawLearn more about BlueprintAccess LawHub today!Learn more about Baylor 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 decision she made to step away and speak out. She is a partner and head of her firm’s Government Enforcement and Internal Investigations practice and a graduate of Cornell Law School. This episode is hosted by Kyle McEntee.Mentioned in this episode:Learn more about Baylor LawLearn more about BlueprintAccess LawHub today!Utah LawLearn more about Utah LawLearn more about Seton Hall

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 value of strong support networks, and how the work has only deepened their commitment to housing justice. This episode offers an unflinching look at what it means to defend the right to stay housed in one of the country’s most expensive cities. Ezra Lintner is a graduate of DePaul University College of Law.This episode is hosted by Kyle McEntee.Mentioned in this episode:Learn more about BlueprintLearn more about Seton HallUtah LawLearn more about Utah LawAccess LawHub today!Learn more about Baylor Law