Episodes
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Katherine and Sarita discuss the highlights from the first three amazing guests of the season.
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Sarita and Katherine share their appreciation for the lawyer mom wisdom of past HOJ guests and some lawyer mom tales of their own. Happy Mother's Day!
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Episodes manquant?
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Welcome to Heels of Justice; these are the stories of women lawyers who are trailblazers in their field and paved the way for the rest of us.
Today, The Heels of Justice welcome Kristin Sverchek, General Counsel for Lyft. She is an award-winning lawyer with an incredible career. She shares a wealth of tips and advice from hiring to juggling time, motherhood, and big egos.
Kristin Sverchek has led Lyft’s legal team and strategy as General Counsel since November 2012. In that time, she has helped Lyft grow from a private to a public company and an IPO and currently leads a legal team of more than 130 people. Kristin started her career working in private practice as a corporate transactional lawyer at both Gunderson Dettmer and Silicon Legal Strategy before going in-house at Lyft in 2012. Sverchek majored in Molecular and Cell Biology at UC Berkeley, graduating in 2004. She received her law degree in 2007 from UC Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco.
Key Takeaways
[1:07] Sarita welcomes Kristin Sverchek to the Heels of Justice and asks her to talk about herself, where she grew up, how she came to law from an undergrad in molecular and cell biology.
[4:01] Kristin touches on how the scientific thought process and that of law are similar in their rational linearity.
[5:37] From law school to becoming the GC of Lyft, Kristin walks us through losing her first job and joining a small silicon valley corporate transactional practice where she met the Lyft founders.
[9:55] Kristin speaks to the insecurities of becoming a GC so soon out of law school and why she decided to go for it! She also breaks down the reasons why she thinks she got the job. (Tune in for tips!)
[12:26] What kinds of surprises does the GC position hold? Kristen shares a few times her position revealed the differences between in-house and outside counsel.
[15:52] What makes Lyft, Lyft?
[17:04] Going from being a one-woman legal team to having a team of about 130 people is a challenge; Kristin shares some pointers!
[19:07] How do you hire for a successful startup, from private to public and IPO? Finding agile candidates goes by way of how they handle their own mistakes.
[22:02] Diversity and inclusion at Lyft are very intentional — Kristin shares how her initial insecurities turned into hiring practice.
[24:07] Kristin put together the parental leave policy at Lyft and how it evolved during her own maternity leave!
[27:50] Employee growth is now part of company culture and it started with the first people Kristin hired who got a ton of executive exposure and aligns with the legal team’s specific vision, mission, and values.
[30:21] Kristin speaks to the challenges she has faced in her career both as a woman and as a GC.
[32:32] What time management skills is Kristin hiding!? It just maybe, in part thanks to Tom.
[35:22] Thinking long-term can prevent burnout, Kristin talks about the written advice she’s been sharing. She shares what her own long-term vision is.
[38:15] Big egos are run of the mill in the tech industry, Kristin shares how she chooses to interact (or not) with those individuals.
[40:39] Kristin advocates for herself in a few ways but the trap she chooses to avoid is misunderstanding: be very clear about what you do, want, need, and expect. She shares an example.
[43:40] Kristin and her husband carpool every day, thanks to Lyft.
[44:33] Sarita thanks Kristin for sharing so much of her story and expertise on the Heels of Justice podcast and she signs off until next time.
That’s it for this episode of Heels of Justice; if you like the stories we’re telling, please visit our website. You can join our mailing list, learn more about our guests, and see what we have planned for the future.
You can also follow us on Twitter, on Instagram, and on Facebook.
Disclaimer: The opinions you have heard are ours or our guests’ alone. They’re not the opinions of our employers, or our clients, or our bosses, and not our husbands, kids, or pets, or anyone else’s.
More about the Heels of Justice hosts Sarita Venkat, and Katherine Minarik
Heels of Justice on the Web
Heels of Justice on Twitter
Heels of Justice on Instagram
Heels of Justice on Facebook
Sarita Venkat on LinkedIn
Katherine Minarik on LinkedIn
Katherine Minarik on Twitter
Katherine Minarik at cleverbridge
More about our guest
Kristin Sverchek on LinkedIn
Mentioned in this episode
Lyft
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Welcome to Heels of Justice; these are the stories of women lawyers who are trailblazers in their field and paved the way for the rest of us.
Karyn A. Temple, Senior Executive Vice President and Global General Counsel for the Motion Picture Association joins the Heels of Justice to share her steadfast journey into copyright law.
Tune in for a fascinating discussion about the journey in and out of governmental and private law practice as well as the evolution of work conditions for a woman of color in a largely white-male-dominated profession.
Key Takeaways
[:47] Katherine welcomes Karyn A. Temple and asks her to share the story of how she found her way into law school as well as how she found out the practice of law was her calling.
[4:00] Karyn shares how enjoyable law school was for her in both the differences and similarities to her expectations as well as seeing a path to copyright law.
[8:35] From clerking on the Sixth Circuit to working at the Department of Justice (for a short time, alongside her mother!) and joining Williams & Connolly, Karyn shares her formidable private and government experience.
[14:53] Karyn speaks to her first in-house role at the Recording Industry Association, and how her proactive interest in entertainment cases at Williams & Connolly helped her in that role. She shares one particular case she had to tackle there.
[18:59] Looping back into the DoJ! Karyn shares what brought her back on the policy side — hint, it was a specific administration. She shares her roles and responsibilities as the Senior Counsel to the Deputy Attorney General of the United-States.
[21:55] Joining the Copyright Office was a full-circle experience and Karyn takes a moment to explain how copyright operates and how it affects so many aspects of our lives.
[26:21] Karyn shares two wonderful experiences where she was asked to go to Beijing and Marrakesh and negotiate treaties on the behalf of the United-States and explains what a copyright treaty is.
[28:47] So beyond being very cool, what does the title of United States Register of Copyrights, Karyn breaks down what the position entails and the teams that rely on its leadership.
[30:27] Reaching the pinnacle of copyright law was a huge pride point for someone as steadfastly focused on copyright law for her entire career! Karyn shares her most memorable achievement in the role.
[31:19] General Counsel of the Motion Picture Association is Karyn’s current role; she touches on what it is they do — you know those ratings? It’s them!
[30:32] Being a black woman in a notoriously undiverse profession, Karyn shares her daily experience of discrimination in its various forms, as well as her hope for the future and the conversation we need to have as a society. She also touches on how the current trend to speak openly about these issues is affecting the way she chooses to lead.
[34:39] Failure is part of how we learn; Karyn shares her perspective on what that means for lawyers and how you can move forward from your mistakes. She shares a moment when she advocated for herself in her career.
[49:31] Katherine thanks Karyn A. Temple for all of her insight and openness to share her experience and signs off until next time.
That’s it for this episode of Heels of Justice; if you like the stories we’re telling, please visit our website. You can join our mailing list, learn more about our guests, and see what we have planned for the future.
You can also follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
Disclaimer: The opinions you have heard are ours or our guests’ alone. They’re not the opinions of our employers, or our clients, or our bosses, and not our husbands, kids, or pets, or anyone else’s.
More about the Heels of Justice hosts Sarita Venkat, and Katherine Minarik
Heels of Justice on the Web
Heels of Justice on Twitter
Heels of Justice on Instagram
Heels of Justice on Facebook
Sarita Venkat on LinkedIn
Katherine Minarik on LinkedIn
Katherine Minarik on Twitter
Katherine Minarik at cleverbridge
More about our guest
Karyn A. Temple is Senior Executive Vice President and Global General Counsel for the Motion Picture Association. One of the world’s leading authorities on copyright, Ms. Temple will oversee all of the Association’s legal affairs and content protection efforts around the world.
Prior to joining the Motion Picture Association, Ms. Temple served more than eight years in the U.S. Copyright Office, most recently as the Register of Copyrights, where she led the 400-person agency and its eight divisions representing law, policy, international affairs, financial operations, registration practice, public records, and outreach and education. In this role, she testified multiple times before both the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate and oversaw the Office’s policy and legal activities among others.
Find out more about Karyn A. Temple at the Motion Picture Association
Mentioned in this episode
Williams & Connolly LLP
Recording Industry Association
U.S. Copyright Office
Personal stories (edited)
“The fact that we're all copyright owners and copyright creators and generators is something that we often don't realize, but every time we take a picture, that’s a copyright that we own. Every time we decide to write a poem or create a new song to sing to our children to go to sleep, that’s another copyright. Often in the press, you see a lot just about big companies being copyright owners, but the fact that is that all of us as individuals are also creators in almost every aspect of our lives and have ownership of our work and rights under copyright law to be able to decide how that work should be distributed. We can also make money off that work if we so choose and I think it’s great to emphasize: all of us are creators in our own right.”
“I’m very proud that we got rid of our backlog of registration claims. We get hundreds of thousands of individual claims every year, and we have limited resources. We were able to secure some additional funds to hire more staff and work really closely with the head of the registration program — and all of the wonderful staff that we have in registration on developing ideas — to try to address our backlog so we can more quickly get those registration certificates out to people.”
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Welcome to Heels of Justice; these are the stories of women lawyers who are trailblazers in their field and paved the way for the rest of us.
The Honorable retired Judge Ann Claire Williams is a trailblazer and leader devoted to promoting the effective delivery of justice worldwide, particularly in Africa. She has partnered with judiciaries, attorneys, NGOs, and the U.S. Departments of Justice and State to lead training programs in Ghana, Indonesia, Kenya, Liberia, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia. She also has taught at the International Criminal Tribunals for Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia.
Judge Williams has led a brilliant career heading a series of firsts for both women and persons of color, she joins the podcast today to share her trailblazing stories and experience. Tune in for an insightful discussion about the ever-changing and evolving world we live in and the pivotal place lawyers take in it.
Key Takeaways
[1:00] Sarita welcomes Judge Ann Claire Williams and asks her to share a little bit about where she grew up, why she began teaching so early, and how she started law school on a dare!
[4:34] Though she had no idea what law school would be like, Judge Williams shares the insight she had that led her to believe she actually could be a lawyer: teachers teach and lawyers teach.
[8:06] Judge Williams shares advice for young aspiring law students from what it means to get a great grade point on your first year, to asking the questions to get the answers you need, getting mentors and sponsors to get recommendation letters, joining the Moot Court and affinity groups, and much, much more! Fifty percent of the game is believing in yourself.
[17:50] Starting her legal career was partly thanks to having made an impression on the Dean at law school, Judge Williams shares how she came to clerk, for whom and how she changed his hiring practice. She shares the three lessons she learned from getting that position:
1- You never know who is looking at you and evaluating you
2- We are not in the rooms where decisions are made so you need allies and mentors to pitch for you
3- Mentors come in all colors and ages
[21:04] Judge Williams talks about how she started as an Assistant U.S. Attorney and the conversation she agreed to have with Marianne Jackson that sparked her interest in the AUSA. She shares her experience there and the sensitivity she hopes to have brought to the position.
[27:11] Sarita lays out the long list of “firsts” that Judge Williams has had the courage and grace to accomplish for all those who came after her. Judge Williams shares what these have meant to her.
[30:33] Judge Williams shares what it is that judges want, and what you should avoid at all costs — don’t ruin your own credibility: you want an assumption that the arguments you’re making are strong and to the point. Also, “Judges talk, just like lawyers, and we talk about lawyers!”
[35:45] Having loved being a trial lawyer and a trial judge, our guest shares what pulled her from the bench. She touches on the differences and challenges in tackling the Court of Appeals cases.
[39:39] Judge Williams speaks to having begun her work in Africa in 2002, what that burgeoned into over the years and what personal dream she was able to fulfill by doing so. She opens up about the kind of work she has been able to do through her current counsel practice at Jones Day.
[46:32] Having had the opportunity to work on multiple continents, Judge Williams shares some of the differences and similarities she’s had the pleasure of witnessing first hand. One common thread linking most is a belief in the rule of law and the accessibility of law for the people of their countries.
[48:25] The amount of work Judge Williams had done outside of her “job” is impressive; she speaks to the reasons that drove her to accomplish this much and launch these organizations.
[55:00] Judge Williams explains how she started the bar review program. One person can make a difference and you shouldn’t let your robe get in the way of your humanity.
[1:01:08] George Floyd.
[1:10:03] A salient career moment, Judge Williams shares a story of Judge Hugh Will and how he encouraged her to go to a particular meeting where — unbeknownst to her — he had decided to make her treasurer of the Federal Judges Association which put her on track to become the first person of color to become an officer and eventually president.
She also shares a beautiful personal story about having the privilege and honor of introducing President Obama as well as having her mother meet him.
[1:15:50] Judge Williams shares her mantras going through COVID-19.
[47:10] Sarita thanks Judge Williams for sharing so much of her story and experience on the Heels of Justice podcast and she signs off until next time.
That’s it for this episode of Heels of Justice; if you like the stories we’re telling, please visit our website. You can join our mailing list, learn more about our guests, and see what we have planned for the future.
You can also follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
Disclaimer: The opinions you have heard are ours or our guests’ alone. They’re not the opinions of our employers, or our clients, or our bosses, and not our husbands, kids, or pets, or anyone else’s.
More about the Heels of Justice hosts Sarita Venkat, and Katherine Minarik
Heels of Justice on the Web
Heels of Justice on Twitter
Heels of Justice on Instagram
Heels of Justice on Facebook
Sarita Venkat on LinkedIn
Katherine Minarik on LinkedIn
Katherine Minarik on Twitter
Katherine Minarik at cleverbridge
More about our guest
Judge Ann Claire Williams on LinkedIn
Mentioned in this episode
Jones Day
Just The Beginning
Equal Justice Works
Black Women Lawyers’ Association
Minority Legal Education Resource
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Sarita and Katherine kick off Season 2.
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Rest In Power
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Sarita and Katherine catch up about what the coronavirus has changed in their lives and how they are actually doing as they try to navigate it all.
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Welcome to Heels of Justice; these are the stories of women lawyers who are trailblazers in their field and paved the way for the rest of us.
Today, Katherine and Sarita ring in the New Year with a glimpse of the upcoming Season 2! They also share some stories from the time they took to plan it.
Key Takeaways
[:22] Sarita and Katherine welcome listeners to this Season 2 teaser episode — Happy New Year listeners!
[:59] During their hiatus, Katherine was asked if she had listened to Sarita’s podcast!
[1:35] Sarita shares her own hiatus story — students were surprised and relieved by the sisterhood.
[3:19] Katherine and Sarita invite listeners to listen to the episodes they may have missed from Season 1 and prepare to launch Season 2!
That’s it for this episode of Heels of Justice; if you like the stories we’re telling, please visit our website. You can join our mailing list, learn more about our guests, and see what we have planned for the future.
You can also follow us on Twitter, on Instagram, and on Facebook.
Disclaimer: The opinions you have heard are ours or our guests alone. They’re not the opinions of our employers, or our clients, or our bosses, and not our spouses, kids or pets, or anyone else’s.
More about the Heels of Justice hosts Sarita Venkat, and Katherine Minarik
Heels of Justice on the Web
Heels of Justice on Twitter
Heels of Justice on Instagram
Heels of Justice on Facebook
Sarita Venkat on LinkedIn
Katherine Minarik on LinkedIn
Katherine Minarik on Twitter
Katherine Minarik at cleverbridge
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Welcome to Heels of Justice; these are the stories of women lawyers who are trailblazers in their field and paved the way for the rest of us.
Today, Katherine and Sarita wanted to take a moment to reflect on how their interviews with such amazing guests have resonated with them so far, both personally and professionally.
Key Takeaways
[1:05] Katherine and Sarita welcome listeners to this third special episode of the Heels of Justice podcast and explain what about these discussions resonated with them the most.
[1:25] Sarita begins the conversation with the Ruby Zefo interview since both she and Katherine received emails about it!
[2:52] Katherine talks about how the leaps of faith from Ruby’s interview were echoed in her Sarah Burstein interview as well.
[4:28] Kerry McLean on feeling valued and Neha Sempat on belonging both gave Katherine the words she needed to talk about how she wants to be a better boss.
[6:04] Intuit wins the best place to work worldwide! That’s not trivial and hearing the insider perspective was one of Sarita’s high points.
[9:51] Maya Hazell’s dedicated work on diversity and inclusion is a great example of the progress and changes being made in big firms.
[10:33] Change seems to be a theme and Sarita asks Katherine’s perspective on Noreen Farrell’s work on equal pay as well as the big shift that the MeeToo movement facilitated.
[12:15] Claire McCaskill and Noreen’s Farrell’s similar panel experiences! Ambition is awesome, own it — Katherine shares a personal work experience on being criticized about it!
[16:23] Susan Henderson Moor is a contact of Sarita and the whole reason why Senator McCaskill was even on the podcast (what an incredible honor!)
[17:07] Listener feedback opens up the discussion on failure, nonlinear career paths, being comfortable with being uncomfortable and Katherine and Sarita share their own supportive spouse stories.
[21:34] Sarita’s husband's question for Kerry McLean was the one that resonated most with Katherine.
[23:38] This podcast is done on free time, Katherine and Sarita thank their families and each other for all of the volunteer work they’ve all done to get this out.
[24:2] Editing is important — Sarita shares the drinking game potential: every time she said “you’re amazing!”
[24:21] Sarita and Katherine wrap up season 1 of the Heels of Justice and thank their listeners for all the feedback.
We’ll be back soon with season 2!
That’s it for this episode of Heels of Justice; if you like the stories we’re telling, please visit our website. You can join our mailing list, learn more about our guests, and see what we have planned for the future.
You can also follow us on Twitter, on Instagram, and on Facebook.
Disclaimer: The opinions you have heard are ours or our guest’s alone. They’re not the opinions of our employers, or our clients, or our bosses, and not our husbands, kids or pets, or anyone else’s.
More about the Heels of Justice hosts Sarita Venkat, and Katherine Minarik
Heels of Justice on the Web
Heels of Justice on Twitter
Heels of Justice on Instagram
Heels of Justice on Facebook
Sarita Venkat on LinkedIn
Katherine Minarik on LinkedIn
Katherine Minarik on Twitter
Katherine Minarik at cleverbridge
Mentioned in this episode
Ruby Zefo
Sarah Burstein
Kerry McLean
Neha Sempat
Maya Hazell
Noreen Farrell
Claire McCaskill
To listen to all of these episodes, and more, visit the Heels of Justice website.
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Welcome to Heels of Justice; these are the stories of women lawyers who are trailblazers in their field and paved the way for the rest of us.
Today, the Heels of Justice interview co-host Sarita Venkat. Sarita is a lawyer, Board member and diversity advocate. She has held various in-house roles heading up technology transactions at ServiceNow, litigating at Apple Inc. and at Abbott Laboratories. She is a registered patent attorney, has a B.S. in Biology and a minor in Psychology.
She is the co-creator and co-host of Heels Of Justice as well as one of the leaders of ChIPs, and serves as a Board member for the South Asian Bar Association and World Arts West. She has been named one of Recorder's Women Leaders in Tech Law, a Corporate IP Star by Managing IP and has been presented with the Corporate Counsel award by the South Asian Bar Association. She is admitted to practice in Illinois, California, and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Key Takeaways
[1:16] Katherine welcomes her co-host, Sarita Venkat to her own podcast, and launches the interview at the very beginning: where did Sarita grow up? From a rickshaw in the Ashram to riding her first escalator!
[5:52] Sarita talks about the journey that took her from integrating a new culture during her formative years to becoming a lawyer. Constitution day and becoming a U.S. Citizen was a key moment in sparking her interest in law.
[9:00] Katherine asks Sarita to unpack her highschool experience, when she began building her confidence back up from the low point it had hit during her first experience as a minority.
[11:02] From law firms to in house work at various multinational companies, Sarita shares the two key things she has found that great lawyers have in common.
[16:01] Sarita’s work ethic evolved through working with great attorneys worldwide and integrating their best practices into the way she works, bettering how she understands what the clients need from her as a lawyer.
[20:52] Sarita remembers the first time she remembers feeling like a minority and a woman in her journey in the Law and some of the eye opening moments that followed.
[24:11] Why did Sarita want to launch this podcast? She recounts when she looked for a podcast on the great people in law and the first 30 interviewees were men despite her being around great women lawyers all the time!
[26:14] Sarita answers the question everyone is asked on the podcast: how does she advocate for herself? It turns out asking that very question to so many great women through the podcast has encouraged Sarita to dig deeper. She shares a very emotional answer.
[26:36] One thing people don’t know about this interview is that it’s Katherine’s 3rd attempt at interviewing Sarita!
[29:50] What would Sarita tell her 11 year old self? She shares how her dad showed her the importance of relationships.
[32:16] Katherine thanks Sarita Venkat for sharing so much of her stories and expertise on the Heels of Justice podcast and she signs off until next time.
That’s it for this episode of Heels of Justice; if you like the stories we’re telling, please visit our website. You can join our mailing list, learn more about our guests, and see what we have planned for the future.
You can also follow us on Twitter, on Instagram, and on Facebook.
Disclaimer: The opinions you have heard are ours or our guest’s alone. They’re not the opinions of our employers, or our clients, or our bosses, and not our husbands, kids or pets, or anyone else’s.
More about the Heels of Justice hosts Sarita Venkat, and Katherine Minarik
Heels of Justice on the Web
Heels of Justice on Twitter
Heels of Justice on Instagram
Heels of Justice on Facebook
Sarita Venkat on LinkedIn
Katherine Minarik on LinkedIn
Katherine Minarik on Twitter
Katherine Minarik at cleverbridge
Personal stories
“I remember defending a really, really famous music producer, I was so excited and I had been waiting for his deposition for 2 months. I was sitting there with the counsel on our side, and on the other side and after a really short deposition he stands up and says “Y'all have boring jobs!” And I was so crushed because it was like the most exciting thing that had happened in my whole career at the time! But the thing is that usually people — like eventually he did! — will go from that perception to giving me a hug next time they see me or chit chatting or sharing their personal lives with me, because I don’t ever want to be that lawyer that walks in and is greeted with a groan: I work at not being that lawyer.”
“9/11 happened when I was in Law School and I remember the shock, like everyone else. But the next morning I woke up and my dad had put all these american flag stickers all over our cars because he was really afraid for our family that being brown in our college town may cause some backlash. Nothing happened, but it was another jolt to me that not everything is rose colored glasses, and what is being perceived about you is something that you have to understand and keep in mind.”
“I went to the place I grew up in, and one of my older cousins who played a big part in raising me, she looked over at me at one moment and she said “To go from here, to the place that you are right now it’s mind boggling to me!” So looking back at my journey sometimes, and figuring out how far I’ve come plays a big part in how I advocate for myself, and it’s not about advocating to someone else: it’s about owning and living up to my own story so that I can bring my best self and understand the value that I am bringing to the table from a legal, mental and emotional perspective.”
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Welcome to Heels of Justice; these are the stories of women lawyers who are trailblazers in their field and paved the way for the rest of us.
Today, the Heels of Justice interview Claire Conner McCaskill who served as a United States Senator from Missouri from 2007 to 2019. She graduated from the University of Missouri and the University of Missouri School of Law. She was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2006 and was the second female U.S. Senator from Missouri and the first female candidate to be elected to the U.S. Senate from Missouri.
She is a political analyst for MSNBC and NBC and a visiting fellow at the University of Chicago Institute of Politics.
Key Takeaways
[1:32] Sarita welcomes Claire McCaskill to the Heels of Justice and asks her what drew her to the Law and when she knew she wanted to run for office.
[4:36] Claire shares how prosecuting arson cases became a way to independence within a restricting firm and how her time in the courtroom more than anything in her career, helped be a better senator — she explains why that is.
[8:03] Even people she tried to put in jail supported her bid for office! Sarita asks why she thinks that is.
[10:06] Claire explains her two proudest moments as the first woman head prosecutor elected for Jackson county: drug courts and the domestic violence unit.
[12:18] What my mother does during the day? Claire shares a hilarious story of how kids can ground you.
[14:21] Claire had always done law as a road to politics, and all of her moves have been strategic in terms of bettering her chances at office — she shares the most important of those.
[17:01] Once in the Capitol, Claire’s law background became a key asset as well as how to avoid being slotted as the ditzy blonde from Kansas City (keep in mind the incredible chauvinistic attitudes of the times!)
[19:09] Did you bring your knee pads? The chilling account of what she was told when Claire asked how to pass a bill.
[21:49] The former Senator shares the different strategies she used over the course of her career to protect herself and fight against gender inequities.
[24:18] “I thought the world had ended.” Claire explains what she learned from her 2004 Governor position loss and how taking risks is absolutely essential.
[28:14] How are deals made in the Senate? Claire digs into the nature and importance of negotiation, courage and compromise in running a country.
[30:00] Some fun moments and momentous moments from her time in the senate (Happy birthday on Air Force One anyone?)
[32:28] The formidable women who have gotten to the United States Senate should not be messed with — it is no ordinary task they’ve accomplished.
[34:33] Sarita asks how people can support female candidates? Money talks and Claire shares the blouse story — Women have been socialized to see money as security whereas men have been taught it is power.
[37:16] Claire talks about the hope she has for the future of this country by way of History and constant vigilance. We do not have the luxury of turning ourselves off to the real problems facing our most vulnerable people — get over yourselves everybody.
[39:06] Claire has been through so much, and she shares her insight on how to get through it all in the spotlight: get perspective on how blessed you really are. She shares her mantra.
[41:46] To advocate for yourself, you have to be willing to! Claire redefines the “L” word… What is ladylike and how can we avoid her mistakes?
[44:45] Sarita thanks Claire McCaskill for sharing so much of her stories and expertise on the Heels of Justice podcast and she signs off until next time.
That’s it for this episode of Heels of Justice; if you like the stories we’re telling, please visit our website. You can join our mailing list, learn more about our guests, and see what we have planned for the future.
You can also follow us on Twitter, on Instagram, and on Facebook.
Disclaimer: The opinions you have heard are ours or our guest’s alone. They’re not the opinions of our employers, or our clients, or our bosses, and not our husbands, kids or pets, or anyone else’s.
More about the Heels of Justice hosts Sarita Venkat, and Katherine Minarik
Heels of Justice on the Web
Heels of Justice on Twitter
Heels of Justice on Instagram
Heels of Justice on Facebook
Sarita Venkat on LinkedIn
Katherine Minarik on LinkedIn
Katherine Minarik on Twitter
Katherine Minarik at cleverbridge
More about our guest
Claire McCaskill on the web
Claire McCaskill’s website
Claire McCaskill on Facebook
Claire McCaskill on Twitter
Claire McCaskill on YouTube
Claire McCaskill on Instagram
Claire McCaskill on Medium
Claire McCaskill on Flickr
Mentioned in this episode
Plenty Ladylike, by Claire McCaskill
The Years of Lyndon Johnson, by Robert A. Caro
Pamela Harris
Amy Klobuchar
Nancy Pelosi
Barack Obama
John McCain
Personal stories (edited)
“As a very young lawyer, I was the only woman in the office and so I was desperately trying to get out of handling what they naturally wanted to give me, which was first the low-level crime stuff like welfare fraud and burglaries. I wanted to get into major crimes. A government grant came along for arson prosecution, and I pitched the boss that I would be good at that. This resulted in two things: 1. gave me a raise, and B. gave me control over when I would go to a courtroom, because the terms of the grant stated the trainee would make all of the charging decisions.”
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Welcome to Heels of Justice; these are the stories of women lawyers who are trailblazers in their field and paved the way for the rest of us.
Today, the Heels of Justice interview Noreen Farrell whose entire legal career has been dedicated to the pursuit of social justice.
Noreen is a nationally-recognized leader on a variety of gender justice issues. She chairs the Equal Pay Today! Campaign, a national campaign led by ERA and 20 other organizational partners closing the gender wage gap in states across the country. She also founded and now chairs A Stronger California Advocates Network, a collaboration of 30 organizations advancing a comprehensive women’s economic security policy agenda. A key victory of the Stronger California Campaign in 2015 was the passage of the California Fair Pay Act, a bill co-sponsored by ERA that is the strongest equal pay law in the country. Noreen also leads national impact efforts to address gender discrimination in schools, sexual harassment, workplace leave and accommodation, and the protection of caregivers from discrimination at work.
Key Takeaways
[1:35] Sarita welcomes Noreen Farrell to the Heels of Justice and they kick-start today’s episode with a quick overview of what gender justice means.
[4:09] Noreen touches on how gender, sexuality, race, and ethnicity intersect in a very meaningful way, now that civil liberties are more and more under attack.
[5:05] Sarita asks what is the core goal of Equals Rights Advocates since the breadth of issues surrounding inequities is so overwhelming.
[6:35] Noreen talks about the work that has been done in the past 45 years around economic justice, from policy work to groundbreaking cases which led to a comprehensive approach in the form of the Women’s Agenda.
[9:39] Noreen believe we are at a watershed moment for the #metoo movement and she explains the three ways in which the #metoo movement was powerful:
1. It shifted the question from “Is sexual harassment an issue?” to “How do we stop it?”.
2. It exposed the complicit systems that profited from the devaluation of women.
3. It exposed the power of social media and collective action.
[12:29] Getting a call from Patricia Arquette … and the Frankenstein approach to the ultimately beautiful California Fair Pay Act.
[17:44] Noreen explains how the California Fair Pay Act was built, how making sure that employers could make pay decisions based on non-discriminatory factors enabled the bill to garner unprecedented support at the California Chamber of Commerce, as well as how it started the domino effect that can be seen in 41 States and through the Federal Paycheck Fairness Act.
[20:23] Stronger California is an agenda that speaks to the needs of all communities in California, not just pay equity but also poverty, income support, paid leave for low-income workers, quality affordable childcare, etc.
[22:26] What about Noreen’s third major initiative? The Women’s Agenda Initiative is trying to take the wins from Stronger California and help other advocates in other States trying to pass similar laws. It includes a Women’s Workplace Digital Hub, strategies, and pitfalls as well as a rapid response policy team.
[27:33] Sarita asks Noreen to talk about how she got into this line of work, to begin with.
[29:59] Noreen believes that her dedication to advocating for all women is how she also advocates for herself, but it’s not always easy. … She shares a story about a panel where all the women were all modesty and she came out guns blazing: I earned it!
[32:11] Looking back on her career, is there a story that stands out as a prime example of a day in the life of Noreen?
[36:24] Sarita thanks Noreen for sharing so much of her stories and expertise on the Heels of Justice podcast and she signs off until next time.
That’s it for this episode of Heels of Justice; if you like the stories we’re telling, please visit our website. You can join our mailing list, learn more about our guests, and see what we have planned for the future.
You can also follow us on Twitter, on Instagram, and on Facebook.
Disclaimer: The opinions you have heard are ours or our guest’s alone. They’re not the opinions of our employers, or our clients, or our bosses, and not our husbands, kids or pets, or anyone else’s.
More about the Heels of Justice hosts Sarita Venkat, and Katherine Minarik
Heels of Justice on the Web
Heels of Justice on Twitter
Heels of Justice on Instagram
Heels of Justice on Facebook
Sarita Venkat on LinkedIn
Katherine Minarik on LinkedIn
Katherine Minarik on Twitter
Katherine Minarik at cleverbridge
More about our guest
Noreen Farrell at Equal Rights Advocate
Noreen Farrell on LinkedIn
Noreen Farrell on Twitter
Mentioned in this episode
Equal Rights Advocates
California Fair Pay Act
Justice For Migrant Workers — Monica Ramirez
Equal Pay Today
Paycheck Fairness Act
Stronger California Advocates Network
Women Donors Network
Nobel Foundation
van Löben Sels Foundation
Yale University
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Welcome to Heels of Justice; these are the stories of women lawyers who are trailblazers in their field and paved the way for the rest of us.
Today, the Heels of Justice interview Kerry McLean, Senior Vice-President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary at Intuit.
Kerry joined Intuit in 2006, most recently serving as Deputy General Counsel. Prior to joining Intuit, Ms. McLean spent over six years at Wind River Systems, Inc., most recently as the Director of Legal. She also worked as an associate at Howard, Rice, Nemerovski, Canady, Falk & Rabkin PC (now Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP).Key Takeaways
[1:43] Sarita thanks Kerry for hosting her at the Intuit offices for the Heels of Justice podcast and asks her to talk about what led her to law.
[3:25] From politics to the law, how to choose? … Acceptance letters often accompany other great news!
[6:43] Going to law school with a baby, easier or harder than with a job? Kerry did both, learn to prioritize!
[9:38] Kerry summarizes her path from plaintiff’s law to where she is today — how people can change the course of your career.
[14:05] Sarita asks Kerry to talk about what Intuit does.
[14:58] Intuit is recognized as one of the best places to work consistently, what’s the secret? Kerry touches on the company’s core values.
[16:34] Kerry talks about how she became a GC and what she did when she took the reins.
[21:38] The three core principles — the ethos — Kerry came up with for the organization.
[23:58] Getting good at managing people, helping people how to figure out how to solve their own problems.
[25:51] How Kerry approaches professional development at Intuit: managerial development is key.
[27:36] Sarita asked one of Intuit’s employees what it is she loves about the company; there are three!
[29:17] Sarita’s husband’s question: what is Kerry’s goal for her employees?
[30:58] Kerry touches on some of the challenges she has faced as a woman in the industry.
[35:00] If Kerry had advice for her younger self, what would it be?
[36: 49] Has there been a moment in her career that Kerry has advocated for herself?
[37:29] Sarita asks Kerry what her mantra is and thanks her for sharing so much of her experience on the Heels of Justice podcast and she signs off until next time.
That’s it for this episode of Heels of Justice; if you like the stories we’re telling, please visit our website. You can join our mailing list, learn more about our guests, and see what we have planned for the future.
You can also follow us on Twitter, on Instagram, and on Facebook.
Disclaimer: The opinions you have heard are ours or our guest’s alone. They’re not the opinions of our employers, or our clients, or our bosses, and not our husbands, kids or pets, or anyone else’s.
Mentioned in this episode (chronological order)
Intuit
Skyline High School in Oakland
UC Davis
Planned Parenthood
Mary V. King
UC Hastings Law School
Arnold & Porter
Lewis and Clark
Wind River Systems
Stock Option Backdating Scandals
Laura Fennell
Turbotax
Quickbooks
Quicken
Sonoma County Habitat for Humanity Playhouses
Annie Khalid Hussein
More about the Heels of Justice hosts Sarita Venkat, and Katherine Minarik
Heels of Justice on the Web
Heels of Justice on Twitter
Heels of Justice on Instagram
Heels of Justice on Facebook
Sarita Venkat on LinkedIn
Katherine Minarik on LinkedIn
Katherine Minarik on Twitter
Katherine Minarik at cleverbridge
Personal stories (edited)
“I was at a very “proper” law firm where we wore stockings and skirt suits every day except for Friday. But when I went in-house it was just such a different environment. … it was a B2B software company with a very large sales force and for some reason, legal had to attend the sales conferences. At my first sales conference, they were doing some presentation and all of a sudden music starts and from all of the exits men come out dressed as pirates and women come out dressed as wenches and sit on men’s laps, singing about pirates and the company. … I remember telling my husband afterward that I just couldn’t believe this was what I was doing with my life.”
More about our guest
Kerry McLean at Intuit
Kerry McLean on LinkedIn
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Welcome to Heels of Justice; these are the stories of women lawyers who are trailblazers in their field and paved the way for the rest of us.
Today, the Heels of Justice interview Sarah Burstein who joined the University of Oklahoma College of Law faculty in 2012. She teaches Intellectual Property, Trademarks, Copyright, and Patents.
Prior to joining the faculty, Professor Burstein served as a law clerk to the Honorable Robert W. Pratt in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa. She also worked as an intellectual property litigation associate in the Chicago office of Kirkland & Ellis LLP. Professor Burstein has a law degree from the University of Chicago and a B.A. in Art & Design from Iowa State University.
Key Takeaways
[0:55] Katherine welcomes Sarah Burstein to the Heels of Justice podcast and asks her to describe the path that took her to the law, from law school to academia.
[5:54] Sara shares how her idea to clerk to get perspective and insights on career opportunities was easier said than done for an art major.
[8:52] If you decide you want to be a law professor, the American Association of Law Schools has a huge hiring conference in DC; Sarah shares her own experience with it.
[10:09] What does Sarah teach at the University of Oklahoma? It’s not as boring as students think!
[11:17] Katherine asks how Sarah manages to navigate the technology side of things coming from an art background.
[12:20] Sarah’s particular expertise is design law, she explains a little bit of what it is, how she came to think it was an important area to focus on — and was made right by a billion dollar judgment! — and gives examples of real-world applications.
[15:21] Sarah was told by her mentor that no one would hire her on a design patent paper: most people thought of design patents in 2011 as the lunar mineral rights of IP.
[17:15] Katherine asks Sarah to share what the argument of the non-obviousness in design patents article she wrote was and she boils down the obviousness standard in the Law today.
[20:46] So in theory, for a company, design patents are an invaluable weapon against competitors.
[23:24] Katherine asks about Sarah’s social media presence for design law: @design_law and how it still surprises her to this day that so many people seem interested!
[27:43] How does Sarah overcome failure and does she have one example she remembers?
[30:21] What advice would Sarah give her undergraduate self or Law School self?
[32:09] thanks for sharing so much of her stories and expertise on the Heels of Justice podcast and she signs off until next time.
That’s it for this episode of Heels of Justice; if you like the stories we’re telling, please visit our website. You can join our mailing list, learn more about our guests, and see what we have planned for the future.
You can also follow us on Twitter, on Instagram, and on Facebook.
Disclaimer: The opinions you have heard are ours or our guest’s alone. They’re not the opinions of our employers, or our clients, or our bosses, and not our husbands, kids or pets, or anyone else’s.
More about the Heels of Justice hosts Sarita Venkat, and Katherine Minarik
Heels of Justice on the Web
Heels of Justice on Twitter
Heels of Justice on Instagram
Heels of Justice on Facebook
Sarita Venkat on LinkedIn
Katherine Minarik on LinkedIn
Katherine Minarik on Twitter
Katherine Minarik at cleverbridge
More about our guest
Sarah Burstein at the University of Oklahoma
@design_Law
Mentioned in this episode
Richard Serra Tilted Arc
University of Chicago
Kirkland & Ellis LLP
Chief Judge John Pratt
Chief Judge William Adams
Apple Inc. v. Samsung Electronics Co.
University of Oklahoma
Personal stories (edited)
“When I started in design patents I wanted to meet everyone and it was very exciting. I was taken aback when this one person was very hostile and nasty from the start; making jokes about me trying to destroy design, belittling me, they even went so far as to call to accuse me of taking money to sign an Amicus brief! He was impugning my professionalism in a very real way. Finally, I put my foot down and I said “you need to stop this, it isn’t funny. Maybe you don’t realize how offensive this is, but I’m not going to listen anymore.” Since then, he has stopped saying these things to my face — I understand he is still sending nasty stuff about me behind my back — but at least it has set some professional boundaries.”
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Welcome to Heels of Justice; these are the stories of women lawyers who are trailblazers in their field and paved the way for the rest of us.
Today, the Heels of Justice interview Neha Sampat, CEO, founder, coach, and consultant at GenLead|BelongLab, where she focuses on building belonging and true inclusion. Through consulting, training, speaking, and writing, she helps organizations create peak-performance, inclusive teams by addressing hidden barriers to belonging, such as Imposter Syndrome and internalized bias, unconscious bias, and generational diversity.
Key Takeaways
[1:09] Sarita welcomes Neha to the Heels of Justice podcast and asks her to describe what she does at GenLead and how.
[2:14] Neha talks about what belonging means to her and how it means different things to different people, she adds an interesting caveat to the idea of “fitting in.”
[4:53] Neha explains how she hopes the concept of a belonging approach will replace the terms diversity and maybe even inclusion.
[8:02] Sarita talks about the evolution she has seen from diversity to inclusion and now to actually trying to make this inclusion “inclusive.”
[9:59] How does diversity make diverse recruitment easier? Neha shares the personal example of how she entered the law profession.
[13:25] Conversations Neha is having with lawyers about belonging show a disconnect between what individuals and organizations are prioritizing. Could there be a bit of intergenerational envy?!
[16:07] Sarita asks for tips on better aligning a company’s and individuals’ needs. Some more courageous firms have been doing belonging assessments; Neha explains what those are.
[18:20] Neha sees a few unique challenges for the law profession in the evolution towards belonging, one of which being the paramount reliance on data versus subjective experience. Sarita and Neha experience an important Aha moment.
[22:56] Neha touches on what we can all do to own our value and how impostor syndrome, though often denied, is really prevalent in the law.
24:45] Sarita roleplays with Neha to get a better sense of what it means to own your value. How are you uniquely qualified? How are knowledge gaps just an opportunity to grow?
[33:33] How did Neha come to be so ‘woke’? Sarita asks what path led her to where she is today.
[34:20] Sarita asks how Neha advocates for herself.
[38:43] Sarita thanks Neha for sharing so much of her experience on the Heels of Justice podcast and she signs off until next time.
That’s it for this episode of Heels of Justice; if you like the stories we’re telling, please visit our website. You can join our mailing list, learn more about our guests, and see what we have planned for the future.
You can also follow us on Twitter, on Instagram, and on Facebook.
Disclaimer: The opinions you have heard are ours or our guest’s alone. They’re not the opinions of our employers, or our clients, or our bosses, and not our husbands, kids or pets, or anyone else’s.
More about the Heels of Justice hosts Sarita Venkat, and Katherine Minarik
Heels of Justice on the Web
Heels of Justice on Twitter
Heels of Justice on Instagram
Heels of Justice on Facebook
Sarita Venkat on LinkedIn
Katherine Minarik on LinkedIn
Katherine Minarik on Twitter
Katherine Minarik at cleverbridge
More about our guest
Neha Sampat’s bio on GenLead
Neha Sampat on LinkedIn
Neha Sampat on Twitter
Neha’s gift for our listeners!
The GenLead|Belong Lab 5 week course on tackling Impostor Syndrome will open this summer, stay informed here.
Once registration opens, use the discount code HEELSOFJUSTICE for 15% off your registration fee for this 5 weeks of practice-based course to help you feel and perform better! Learn more here.
Additional resources on belonging and Impostor Syndrome
Neha’s email
Neha’s blog
Neha’s YouTube channel
BelongLab’s Twitter
Articles:
Stress and Impostor Syndrome
Stress and Confidence
Mentioned in this episode
GenLead|Belong Lab
Kind Community
Brobeck law firm
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Welcome to Heels of Justice; these are the stories of women lawyers who are trailblazers in their field and paved the way for the rest of us.
Today, the Heels of Justice interview Maja Hazell is the Global Head of Diversity & Inclusion at White & Case. She oversees the Firm’s global diversity and inclusion strategy as a member of the Business Services Leadership team.
She has led diversity and inclusion and career development initiatives for over twelve years, working for law firms, Fried Frank LLP, as their Director of Diversity and Inclusion, and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, as an associate. She also served as an Assistant Dean for Career Development at Pace University School of Law.
Key Takeaways
[0:30] Sarita welcomes Maja to the Heels of Justice podcast and asks her to talk about what being head of diversity and inclusion means.
[1:15] Considering the increasing resources being invested in diversity and inclusion practices in general, Maja shares the purpose of her role in the organization.
[2:47] Sarita asks Maja to break down what the good, the bad, and the ugly are; what is the state of diversity is in the legal profession.
[2:58] The good! There is an increase in awareness and the numbers are there in terms of interest for the profession; the question becomes how do they fare once they get in.
[4:25] The bad mainly resides in talent management practices; how do we assign and evaluate work but also in the “star-making” ethos that firms historically perpetuate.
[8:27] How do talent management practices and actionable feedback play out in real life? Maja talks about the necessary underpinnings on which a successful D&I practice hinges.
[10:33] The ugly is what keeps Maja up at night about the world: backlash.
[12:31] How does Maja approach people who do have that resistance to inclusion and diversity.
[14:26] Maja gives some examples of what she might advise a person to do — even when they’re afraid she’ll ask them to “act like a man”!
[18:06] Maja supports leaders for them to become better leaders and she is passionate about helping women navigate the professional environment.
[19:21] Sarita asks what drives Maja to do this work and how she discovered this passion to help the underdog when she first learned about the civil rights movement and the role lawyers played. She also shares some of her formative work experiences.
[28:07] Maja talks about how she advocates for herself: you need to get a good idea of who you are and what you bring to the table and don’t be too attached to the outcome.
[30:57] Sarita asks Maja what her mantra is and thanks her for sharing so much of her experience on the Heels of Justice podcast and she signs off until next time.
That’s it for this episode of Heels of Justice; if you like the stories we’re telling, please visit our website. You can join our mailing list, learn more about our guests, and see what we have planned for the future.
You can also follow us on Twitter, on Instagram, and on Facebook.
Disclaimer: The opinions you have heard are ours or our guest’s alone. They’re not the opinions of our employers, or our clients, or our bosses, and not our husbands, kids or pets, or anyone else’s.
More about the Heels of Justice hosts Sarita Venkat, and Katherine Minarik
Heels of Justice on the Web
Heels of Justice on Twitter
Heels of Justice on Instagram
Heels of Justice on Facebook
Sarita Venkat on LinkedIn
Katherine Minarik on LinkedIn
Katherine Minarik on Twitter
Katherine Minarik at cleverbridge
More about our guest
Maja Hazell at White & Case
Maja Hazell on LinkedIn
Maja Hazell on Twitter
Personal Stories (edited)
“I was showing up for a huge diligence trip on a matter in Minnesota; at the airport, I saw someone who was clearly a rep for the client so I introduced myself saying I was really excited to work on the case, and this unfriendly man looked me up and down and said “Oh! You’re from this firm?... Is anyone else coming?” — Clearly he thought a lawyer from a white shoe, 100-year-plus law firm could not possibly be a little black girl from the Bronx, and he didn’t feel the need to hide his reaction — I was so deflated and felt so awful that when I went back to the hotel I called my assigned partner-mentor and I told him what happened, he replied “Listen Maja, he’s an a**hole, you’re there to do a job and I know you, you are going to be great at that job.” He just affirmed me and built me back up.”
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Welcome to Heels of Justice; these are the stories of women lawyers who are trailblazers in their field and paved the way for the rest of us.
Today, the Heels of Justice interview Ruby Zefo, Chief Privacy Officer at Uber.
Before joining Uber, Ruby A. Zefo served as Vice President of Law and Policy Group and as Associate General Counsel and Chief Privacy and Security Counsel at Intel Corporation. She began her in-house career at Sun Microsystems.
Key Takeaways
[1:23] Katherine welcomes Ruby Zefo to the Heels of Justice podcast and asks her to talk about what led her to law.
[4:28] Ruby shares her experience of law school and why her heart was set on litigation.
[5:31] Katherine asks Ruby how pursuing a trial law career was different for her as a woman.
[7:25] Ruby left litigation in 1996, and talks us through how she was poached from her firm!
[9:02] Katherine asks what the challenges of that firm in-house role were.
[10:04] What drove Ruby’s journey from IP to privacy?
[13:03] Ruby describes her 15 years at Intel as well as her favorite projects.
[15:13] Katherine asks when and how, through all this experience, her focus began to switch towards privacy and security.
[18:25] Ruby shares how managerial support is critical when diving head first into unknown waters.
[21:23] Ruby describes the privacy law changes she has seen in the past 10 years as well as the coming challenges in the field.
[23:21] On AI and its implications as well as the way increasing public interest in privacy affects communication needs.
[26:06] What feedback would Ruby give legislators in terms of privacy notice regulation.
[27:21] Ruby shares a failure she feels she repeated and the steps she took to overcome that experience.
[33:19] Tangible advice about how to advocate for yourself.
[38:39] Katherine asks Ruby what advice she would give to her younger self.
[41:52] Katherine thanks Ruby for sharing so much of her experience on the Heels of Justice podcast and she signs off until next time.
That’s it for this episode of Heels of Justice; if you like the stories we’re telling, please visit our website. You can join our mailing list, learn more about our guests, and see what we have planned for the future.
You can also follow us on Twitter, on Instagram, and on Facebook.
Disclaimer: The opinions you have heard are ours or our guest’s alone. They’re not the opinions of our employers, or our clients, or our bosses, and not our husbands, kids or pets, or anyone else’s.
Mentioned in this episode (chronological order)
Jaws
Sun Microsystems
Intel
More about the Heels of Justice hosts Sarita Venkat, and Katherine Minarik
Heels of Justice on the Web
Heels of Justice on Twitter
Heels of Justice on Instagram
Heels of Justice on Facebook
Sarita Venkat on LinkedIn
Katherine Minarik on LinkedIn
Katherine Minarik on Twitter
Katherine Minarik at cleverbridge
Personal stories (edited)
“An executive who had known me for a number of years said to me, ‘How are you going to do that?’ And I told him that what would really help me is if he were to say, “I don’t know how you’re going to do this, but I know what you’re capable of and so I have every confidence you’ll figure it out!’ He turned beet red and told me I was absolutely right and from there he was one of my biggest supporters. I feel you can have those conversations when you’ve known people a while, and have a trusted environment. Call them out if they’re not being helpful in your career development and they don’t have any reason to be doubtful.”
More about our guest
Ruby Zefo on LinkedIn
Ruby Zefo on Twitter
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The hosts reflect on the last few interviews, in which they discovered stories of some incredibly bold women. They all had very different paths in the law but one thing in common: they all spoke up, persisted, and did one bold thing to move the profession forward.
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Welcome to Heels of Justice; these are the stories of women lawyers who are trailblazers in their field and paved the way for the rest of us.
Today, the Heels of Justice interview Kalpana Kotagal, Partner at Cohen Milstein, a member of the firm’s Civil Rights & Employment practice group, and Chair of the firm’s Hiring and Diversity Committee. Ms. Kotagal plays an active role in the investigation and development of new matters for the Civil Rights & Employment practice group. Ms. Kotagal is a co-author of the “Inclusion Rider,” referenced by Oscar-winning actress Frances McDormand in her 2018 Best Actress acceptance speech.
Key Takeaways
[1:20] Katherine welcomes Kalpana to the Heels of Justice podcast and asks her to talk about what led her to law.
[4:22] From steadfastly wanting to be a class action litigator to becoming a class action litigator, were there any moments of doubt? Kalpana shares her call back week of uncertainty.
[6:44] Kalpana shares her clerkship experience and learning about the tradition and meaning of lawyering as well as the importance of a rich personal life.
[08:36] How Kalpana’s practice started and evolved at Cohen Milstein, from antitrust law to civil rights and employment practice.
[10:55] On the connection between gender and sexual discrimination in the workplace.
[14:19] Who is Rose Schneiderman and why is her story so meaningful?
[17:30] Kalpana talks about the barriers she faces in her practice, pervasive examples being employment NDA’s, class waivers, or independent contractor issue. Katherine asks which of the issues listed would have the most impact if it was fixed immediately.
[21:57] Here is an unlikely question for Heels of Justice Podcast: Katherine asks Kalpana about the 2018 Oscars.
[26:39] And if someone wants to use the Inclusion Rider, how does one go about it?
[39:20] Kalpana talks about being thrust in the spotlight, the remarkable opportunities to have and be a voice for others as well as becoming a target for backlash and how she chooses to deal with the lows that come with this kind of exposure.
[33:28] Failure isn’t personal: it’s part of the work, it is different from loss and it will always be a learning opportunity, Kalpana shares how she pulls through her own failures.
[39:48] Would Kalpana have any advice for her young self?
[41:06] Katherine thanks Kalpana for sharing so much of her experience on the Heels of Justice podcast and she signs off until next time.
That’s it for this episode of Heels of Justice; if you like the stories we’re telling, please visit our website. You can join our mailing list, learn more about our guests, and see what we have planned for the future.
You can also follow us on Twitter, on Instagram, and on Facebook.
Disclaimer: The opinions you have heard are ours or our guest’s alone. They’re not the opinions of our employers, or our clients, or our bosses, and not our husbands, kids or pets, or anyone else’s.
Mentioned in this episode (chronological order)
Cohen Milstein
The Honorable Betty Binns Fletcher
William Fletcher
Title 7
EEOC — Select Task Force on the Study of Harassment in the Workplace
Jenny R. Yang
Joseph M. Sellers
Rose Schneiderman
Stacy Smith
USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism’s Inclusion Initiative
Fanshen Cox DiGiovanni
Pearl Street Films
Frances McDormand at the 2018 Oscars
The Inclusion Rider
Michael B. Jordan
Warner Media
Just Mercy
Brian Stevenson
Outlier Society
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. v. Dukes
Justice Antonin Scalia
More about the Heels of Justice hosts Sarita Venkat, and Katherine Minarik
Heels of Justice on the Web
Heels of Justice on Twitter
Heels of Justice on Instagram
Heels of Justice on Facebook
Sarita Venkat on LinkedIn
Katherine Minarik on LinkedIn
Katherine Minarik on Twitter
Katherine Minarik at cleverbridge
Personal stories (edited)
“I really spent the bulk of my career advocating for workers, and with my two colleagues, I had been in the process of working on the inclusion rider — a contractual tool that would allow influential people in Hollywood to approve hiring practices on projects they were working on. In the months before the Oscars, we’d been working behind the scenes with agents and lawyers and talking about this project in presentations and in one of those presentations was Frances McDormand’s agent. Frances heard about the inclusion rider and when she won the Oscar, she got up on the stage and at the end of her acceptance speech she said, “I have two words to leave with you: Inclusion Rider.” All of a sudden, the project was stratospheric, everyone was asking what it was and how it could be used.”
More about our guest
Kalpana Kotagal’s bio at Cohen Milstein
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