The Portia Project
The Portia Project™ Podcast seeks to inspire the next generation of women lawyers and law students by sharing the stories of high achieving women in the law – their paths to the bench, the bar, and beyond. Their personal histories, spanning the 1960’s to today, chronicle women’s progress in the legal profession and business world, and serve as powerful reminders that there are many individual paths to success.
As master storyteller Bobette Buster puts it: “Stories, told well and acted upon by one generation, ignite the next generation to greatness; because they have heard with their own ears, and seen with their own eyes, what courage can achieve.”
Guests stepping into the spotlight to share their career stories include federal judges, state supreme court justices, and state trial judges from across the country, as well as leading trial lawyers, general counsel, law professors, business and nonprofit executives, and founders. They provide tips on effective lawyering and reveal the array of meaningful careers possible with a law degree, in a format that is a far cry from formal judicial or lawyer profiles in traditional legal publications – one that brings out the interviewees’ human side and lets their personality shine through.
By listening to the lives of these lawyers and judges, you will gain a clearer idea of how they built their careers and may be inspired to follow in their footsteps. Who knows, maybe the next woman to revolutionize law, business, or the judiciary will be you!
Hosting the podcast is M.C. Sungaila, a practicing lawyer for more than 30 years, who has consistently been named one of the Top 100 Women Lawyers in California by the legal newspaper The Daily Journal. She focuses on civil appeals, writs, and related trial strategy and consulting. M.C. received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor for her combined professional achievements in humanitarian and pro bono work. She shares this recognition with seven U.S. Presidents, Nobel Prize winners, athletes, artists, and industry leaders who made a significant contribution to humanity.
M.C. invites amazing judges and lawyers to the podcast to share their valuable, inspiring legal advice. With each guest, you receive the best of both worlds: tips to improve your law practice and insights to enhance your career trajectory.
Join M.C. Sungaila in this meaningful journey to elevate your legal career and forge the path to becoming the lawyer of your dreams.
Listen to The Portia Project™ Podcast today at theportiaprojectpodcast.com
- Update frequency
- every 7 days
- Average duration
- 53 minutes
- Episodes
- 237
- Years Active
- 2022 - 2025
Ashley Herd
Ashley Herd has had a deep and wide legal career, including in-house counsel at leading companies like Yum! Brands (including Taco Bell) around the world to founding her own company Manager Method, w…
Harmeet K. Dhillon
Harmeet Dhillon, the founder of Dhillon Law Group and the Center for American Liberty, is a nationally recognized lawyer, trusted boardroom advisor, and passionate advocate for individual, corporate …
Julia Smith Gibbons
Judge Julia Smith Gibbons of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit shares how the relationships she formed throughout her career paved the way for her to become the first woman trial judge …
Ann K. Covington
Ann K. Covington shares her trailblazing journey as the first woman on the Missouri Court of Appeals and Supreme Court, and ultimately as the first female Chief Justice in the state. She shares her j…
Raquel Montoya-Lewis
Washington Supreme Court Justice Raquel Montoya-Lewis shares her trailblazing journey to the highest court of her state. In conversation with host MC Sungaila, she shares her experience serving as a …
Aarti Holla-Maini
As part of our continuing series on Space, Aarti Holla-Maini, the Director of the United Nations Office of Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) joins the podcast to share her journey from solicitor training …
Best Of The Portia Project II: Guest Mottos
Get ready for our annual episode of The Portia Project Podcast compiling and highlighting the personal mottos of many of our guests - extraordinary women in the legal field - sharing the wisdom that …
Best Of The Portia Project II: Brief Writing And Oral Argument Tips
Welcome to our highly anticipated annual compilation episode! Today, we’re excited to bring you insights from several of our esteemed 2024 judicial guests, each sharing their top tips for mastering t…
Lee H. Rosenthal
Lee H. Rosenthal is the Chief Judge of The Southern District of Texas. She discusses her distinguished career, special relationship with her law clerks, and role leading the Federal Rules Committee.…
Dorothy W. Nelson And Lisa Kloppenberg
Mentors are invaluable. This special joint episode highlights individual mentoring relationships. This episode features Judge Dorothy W. Nelson, Senior Circuit Judge on the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court o…
Girls Inc.
As part of a Girls Inc. Of Orange County "Girls Meet the Workforce" job readiness And Externship program, about 100 11thgrade girls from Orange County gathered at Santa Ana College for a live recordi…
PLAC Women's Forum Live Panel Discussion
A live Women's History Month podcast panel with the Product Liability Advisory Council (PLAC) Women's Forum held at Hyundai Motor America Headquarters features Orange County Superior Court Presiding …
Ninth Circuit Law School Clinic Alumni Panel With Tina Kuang, Molly Okamura, And Sydney Wong
In this episode, we explore the transformative experience of law school clinics and their pivotal role in shaping the careers of aspiring lawyers. Today, we have the privilege of hearing from three e…
Christine Calvé
As part of our Space series, Christine Calvé, General Counsel of the Canadian Space Agency, joins the podcast to share her career journey from ballet to the law, the importance of mentorship to caree…
Allison Brecher
Allison Brecher, General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer of growing fintech startup and digital retirement platform Vestwell, shares her journey from journalism to the law, and from law practice…
Martha Gooding
California Court of Appeal Justice Martha Gooding shares her career journey from litigator, arbitrator, and bar leader to the trial and then the appellate court bench. She also shares some tips on ef…
Michelle Wulfestieg
Nonprofit leader and resilient spirit Michelle Wulfestieg joins the podcast to share her personal and career journey, as well as provide some guidance on finding your own life purpose. Michelle, the …
Catrina Melograna
Join us for an inspiring conversation with Catrina Melograna, a Senior Project Leader-Space Policy and Strategy at The Aerospace Corporation. In this inspiring episode, she shares her journey from pu…
John B. Owens
Judge John Owens of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit discusses his career and path to the bench and encourages law students and new lawyers to consider judicial clerkships or externshi…
Sandra L. Phillips
Sandra Phillips, Senior VP, General Counsel, and Chief Legal Officer of Toyota North America, shares her path to the C-suite, the role mentors and sponsors have played throughout her career, what giv…