Welcome to How I Lawyer Podcast with Jonah Perlin!

Episodes

152
Oct. 10, 2025

#152: Lisa Blasser - How to Succeed in Law School

Today's special episode of How I Lawyer focuses on law students! In it, Jonah speaks with Lisa Blasser who is the founder of the Law School Success Institute and author of "The Nine Steps to Law School: A Scientifically Proven Study Process for Success: A Scientifically Proven Study Process for Lawyers." I asked Lisa to join me on the podcast for this special episode of How I Lawyer to talk about how to succeed on law school exams. This episode is targeted at law students and I hope you’ll...
151
Oct. 9, 2025

LIVE: A Conversation with Amanda Litman on Gen Z Lawyers

In this special Substack LIVE Episode of How I Lawyer recorded on 10/7/2025, Jonah spoke with Amanda Litman, the author of the new book When We're In Charge and recognized expert on the Gen Z workforce.
150
Sept. 12, 2025

#150: Heather Stevenson - General Counsel, Former Litigator, and Ex-Juice Bar Owner

Welcome back to another episode of the How I Lawyer Podcast, where Professor Jonah Perlin interviews lawyers about what they do, why they do it, and how they do it well. Today's guest is Heather Stevenson, the General Counsel at RedCell (a venture firm and incubator that starts and invests in companies across national security, cyber, and healthcare). Before her current role, Heather worked as a litigator at Sullivan Cromwell, served as Deputy General Counsel at the Boston Globe, and notably ow...
149
Aug. 22, 2025

#149: Jonathan Z. Cohen - Associate General Counsel, Former Prosecutor, Speaker on Resilience and Mindset

Welcome back to another episode of the How I Lawyer Podcast, where Professor Jonah Perlin interviews lawyers about what they do, why they do it, and how they do it well. Today's guest is Jonathan Z. Cohen, Associate General Counsel for PNY Technologies and Business Development lead for North America. Beyond his corporate role, Jonathan educates lawyers on wellbeing, stress management, and mental fitness through CLEs, keynotes, and workshops. His professional background includes serving as an As...
148
Aug. 8, 2025

#148: C.J. Mahoney - Microsoft General Counsel, Former Deputy US Trade Representative, & Law Firm Partner

Welcome back to another episode of the How I Lawyer Podcast, where Professor Jonah Perlin interviews lawyers about what they do, why they do it, and how they do it well. Today's guest is C.J. Mahoney, the Corporate Vice President and General Counsel at Microsoft. Before joining Microsoft, C.J. served as the Deputy United States Trade Representative (a position to which he was unanimously confirmed) and was previously a partner at Williams & Connolly. He started his career as a law clerk for A...
Guest: C.J. Mahoney
147
Aug. 1, 2025

#147: William Treanor - Former Georgetown Law Dean

Welcome back to another episode of the How I Lawyer Podcast, where Professor Jonah Perlin interviews lawyers about what they do, why they do it, and how they do it well. Today's guest is William (Bill) Treanor, who recently stepped down as Dean of Georgetown University Law Center after serving for 15 years. Before Georgetown, Bill was a professor and later Dean at Fordham Law School for 20 years. His legal career began as a law clerk to Judge James L. Oakes of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the ...
146
May 23, 2025

#146: Christopher Stephens - World Bank General Counsel

Welcome back to another episode of the ⁠How I Lawyer Podcast⁠, where Professor Jonah Perlin interviews lawyers about what they do, why they do it, and how they do it well. Today's guest is Christopher Stephens⁠, the Senior Vice President and General Counsel of the World Bank Group, a role he has held since 2022. Before joining the World Bank Group, Chris served as General Counsel of the International Finance Corporation (the private sector arm of the World Bank) and General Counsel of the ...
May 9, 2025

#145: Panel Opinion - What Law Students Need to Know to Land a Summer Job

In today's special episode of How I Lawyer Panel Opinion, I am happy to share the recording of an event co-hosted by two longtime friends of How I Lawyer: The Legal Mentor Network and Summer Associate Hub. This conversation about finding a summer job (pre-OCI, OCI and beyond) features: Albert Tawil (Founder and CEO of Summer Associate Hub) Ashley Alford (Manager of Early Careers and Legal Recruitment - Americas at White & Case) Douglas Saphire (Recruitment and Employer Outreach, BC Law) Laur...
144
May 2, 2025

#144: Sophia Lin Lakin - ACLU Voting Rights Project Director

Welcome back to another episode of the How I Lawyer Podcast, where Professor Jonah Perlin interviews lawyers about what they do, why they do it, and how they do it well. Today's guest is Sophia Lin Lakin, the Director of the Voting Rights Project at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), where she directs and supervises the ACLU's voting rights litigation strategy nationwide. Before joining the ACLU, Sophia clerked for Judge Raymond J. Lohier Jr. of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second ...
143
April 18, 2025

#143: Woodrow Hartzog - Law Professor and Privacy & Technology Law Expert

Welcome back to another episode of the How I Lawyer Podcast, where Professor Jonah Perlin interviews lawyers about what they do, why they do it, and how they do it well. Today's guest is Professor Woodrow Hartzog, an internationally recognized expert in privacy and technology law whose work has been published in numerous top journals and books. Before becoming a law professor, Woodrow followed a nontraditional path that included earning his JD/MBA from Samford University, practicing at the regi...
142
March 28, 2025

#142: LIVE Episode at Stetson Law with Howard Williams - Public Defender

This episode was recorded LIVE at Stetson University College of Law as part of the school's landmark campus to career program! Special thanks to Stetson for inviting me to do this episode on their beautiful campus. Welcome back to another episode of the How I Lawyer Podcast, where Professor Jonah Perlin interviews lawyers about what they do, why they do it, and how they do it well. Today's guest is Howard Williams, an Assistant Federal Public Defender for the District of Florida. Before his cur...
141
March 7, 2025

#141: Kyle Robisch - Big Law Litigator Turned Flex Legal Talent Leader

Welcome back to another episode of the ⁠How I Lawyer Podcast⁠, where ⁠Professor Jonah Perlin⁠ interviews lawyers about what they do, why they do it, and how they do it well. Today's guest is ⁠Kyle Robisch⁠, a Partner at ⁠Latitude Legal⁠, a premier flexible legal talent company providing top-notch legal professionals on a temporary or project basis. Before joining Latitude a year ago, Kyle was a litigation partner at ⁠Bradley⁠, an associate at ⁠Venable⁠, and a law clerk in the Middle District ...
140
Feb. 21, 2025

#140: Mike G. Silver - Consumer Finance Lawyer, Ex-CFPB Lawyer

Welcome back to another episode of the How I Lawyer Podcast, where Professor Jonah Perlin interviews lawyers about what they do, why they do it, and how they do it well. Today's guest is Mike G. Silver, a Partner at Husch Blackwell's DC office specializing in consumer financial services law. Before joining Husch Blackwell, Mike spent 12 years at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and 7 years as an associate at Pillsbury. Mike earned his degrees from the University of Pennsylvania (...
Guest: Mike Silver
139
Feb. 7, 2025

#139: Molly Duane - Reproductive Rights and Justice Advocate

Welcome back to another episode of the How I Lawyer Podcast, where Professor Jonah Perlin explores the diverse paths and practices of successful attorneys. Today's guest is Molly Duane, a senior attorney at the Center for Reproductive Rights in New York. A Princeton graduate with both a JD from Cardozo Law School and MPH from Johns Hopkins, Molly has become a leading voice in reproductive rights litigation. Her groundbreaking work was recently featured in the documentary "Zurawski v. Texas," an...
Guest: Molly Duane
138
Jan. 17, 2025

#138: Nancy Vinsel - Second Career Public Utilities Lawyer

Welcome back to another episode of the How I Lawyer Podcast, where Professor Jonah Perlin interviews lawyers about what they do, why they do it, and how they do it well. Today's guest is Nancy Vinsel, a retired lawyer who previously served as general counsel at a Kentucky state agency regulating public utilities. Nancy brings a unique perspective as a second-career lawyer who attended law school at age 50 after working as a librarian and paralegal. She's also an avid runner and the mother of pr...
137
Jan. 3, 2025

#137: Adrienne Prentice - Tech Attorney Turned Founder & Lawyer Trainer

Welcome back to another episode of the How I Lawyer Podcast, where Professor Jonah Perlin interviews lawyers about what they do, why they do it, and how they do it well. Today's guest is Adrienne Prentice, CEO and Founder of Keep Company, a group learning platform helping legal organizations empower their teams with essential skills for the modern workplace. Before founding Keep Company, Adrienne's impressive career included roles as Manager of Attorney Talent at Hogan Levels, Vice President ...
136
May 24, 2024

#136: A Message to the Class of 2024 - Connecting the Dots

In today's episode I share some reflections with the newest members of the legal profession, the Class of 2024. In these remarks, first delivered to Section 4 of the Georgetown Law Class of 2024, I talk about how career trajectories are rarely linear and I encouraged the graduates to embrace serendipity. It is a message I think we all need to hear. The Class of 2024 is a special one for this podcast because the graduates today are the first class that has had access to this podcast since the ...
135
April 19, 2024

#135: Ryan McKeen - Connecticut Personal Injury Lawyer & Law Firm CEO

In today’s episode I speak with Ryan McKeen who is the Co-Founder and CEO of the Connecticut Trial Firm which focuses on representing plaintiffs in personal injury cases. In addition to his expertise and experience in the courtroom, Ryan is a sought after speaker on topics related to law firm leadership and success for personal injury lawyers. He is the author of two books: Tiger Tactics: Powerful Strategies for Winning Law Firms and CEO Edition and is active on LinkedIn where he shares lessons ...
134
April 3, 2024

#134: Mike Spivey - On Law School Rankings, Admissions, and Mental Health

Hello & Welcome Back! In today’s episode I am excited to speak with Mike Spivey who is the Founding Partner and CEO of The Spivey Consulting Group LLC and previously a senior level administrator and admissions dean at Vanderbilt University, Washington University in St. Louis, and The University of Colorado. Mike is an expert on law school administration and admissions and has been a featured speaker and panelist. In addition to his law school consulting work, he hosts the Status Check with Spiv...
133
March 29, 2024

#133: Regan Smith - Copyright Lawyer

In today’s episode I speak with Regan Smith, who is Senior Vice President and General Counsel at the New/Media Alliance as well as an Adjunct Professor at GW Law where she teaches copyright law. Regan is a trustee of The Copyright Society of the U.S.A and the Chair of the ABA’s Copyright Legislation Committee. Before joining New/Media Alliance, she worked as the Head of Public Policy in Spotify’s Government Affairs group and spent seven years working at the United States Copyright Office includ...
132
March 1, 2024

#132: Lawyers Behaving Badly Podcast Hosts, Karen Delaney and Jennifer Judge

Welcome back to another episode of the How I Lawyer Podcast, where Professor Jonah Perlin interviews lawyers about what they do, why they do it, and how they do it well. This episode features the hosts of the Lawyers Behaving Badly Podcast, Karen Delaney and Jennifer Judge. Karen is the Principal of Delaney Legal PLLC, where she serves corporate clients. Before founding her law firm, Karen worked as in-house counsel at Half Price Books and GameStop and as an associate at a law firm in Dallas. J...
Feb. 9, 2024

#131: Rachael Bosch – Professional Development Expert for Lawyers

Welcome back to another episode of the How I Lawyer Podcast, where Professor Jonah Perlin interviews lawyers about what they do, why they do it, and how they do it well. Today’s guest is Rachael Bosch, the CEO and Founder of Fringe Professional Development (a leading professional development provider for lawyers and executives) and Candorly (an online tool to make gathering upward feedback easy and efficient). Before becoming a legal tech Founder, Rachael worked in recruiting and development at...
Jan. 26, 2024

#130: Emily Stedman – Big Law Litigator and Lawyer Well-Being Advocate

Welcome back to another episode of the How I Lawyer Podcast, where it is my job to interview lawyers about what they do, why they do it, and how they do it well. Today’s guest is Emily Stedman, a Partner at Husch Blackwell, where she helps clients resolve complex commercial litigations. Emily represents a wide range of corporate clients at all phases of litigation, from investigation to appeal, in state and federal courts. After graduating from the University of Mississippi School of Law, where...
129
Jan. 24, 2024

#129: Astor Heaven - Big Law Litigation Partner at Crowell & Moring

Welcome back to another episode of the How I Lawyer Podcast, where it is my job to interview lawyers about what they do, why they do it, and how they do it well. Today’s guest is Astor Heaven, a Partner at Crowell & Moring, where he is a trial lawyer and commercial litigator working on a range of matters, with a focus on defense industry and government contract clients. After graduating from the United States Naval Academy, Astor served as a Surface Warfare Officer in the U.S. Navy before atten...