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
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 …
Heidi Zuckerman
Heidi Zuckerman, a globally recognized leader in contemporary art, is the CEO and Director of OCMA/The Orange County Museum of Art, the creator and host of the podcast Conversations About Art, and th…
Adrianne Marshack
Orange County, California Superior Court Judge Adrianne Marshack joins host MC Sungaila to discuss her career trajectory from teaching to BigLaw to the bench, and explain how she handles her current …
Caryn Schenewerk
Caryn Schenewerk works at the cutting edge of space law and policy -- from the highest levels of the federal government to the early days of SpaceX and now as an adjunct law professor, co-author of a…
Theresa Harris
Theresa Harris, the Program Director of the AAAS Scientific Responsibility, Human Rights and Law Program, sits down with host M.C. Sungaila to discuss her organization's role in connecting scientists…
Holly Kirby
Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Holly Kirby sits down with host MC Sungaila to share her path to the bench, including, prior to the state supreme court, becoming the first woman in Tennessee history …
Anne M. Burke
Former Illinois Supreme Court Chief Justice Anne M. Burke sits down with M.C. Sungaila for a wide-ranging discussion on her path to the bench, her role as a founder of the Special Olympics, and the i…
Megan K. Cavanagh
Michigan Supreme Court Justice Megan Cavanagh sits down with host M.C. Sungaila to discuss her career as an appellate lawyer and now as a Supreme Court justice of the state in which she grew up.
Elena J. Duarte
Justice Elena J. Duarte is an Associate Justice on the California Court of Appeal, Third Appellate District, in Sacramento. She shares her journey from the U.S. Attorney's office to two separate tria…
Texas Appellate Law Podcast Crossover Episode With D. Todd Smith And Jody Sanders
In this bonus episode host MC Sungaila is joined for a crossover show with the co-hosts of the Texas Appellate Law Podcast, D. Todd Smith and Jody Sanders. They discuss the Portia Project’s recent mi…
Amy Impellizzeri
Lawyer-turned-author Amy Impellizzeri shares how her sabbatical leave from law practice motivated her to embrace her passion for writing. Amy explains how her fellow lawyers can also unleash their cr…
Carol D. Codrington
In this episode, Justice Carol D. Codrington, the first African American justice on California's Fourth District Court of Appeal, shares her unique career trajectory, starting with being a litigator…
Dawn H. Beam
Join MC Sungaila as she talks to Justice Dawn H. Beam about her journey to the Mississippi Supreme Court. Beam is the fourth woman to serve on the state’s highest court, and the first woman appointed…
Anita Earls
Joining your host MC Sungaila on today’s episode is Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of North Carolina, Anita Earls. She has had an abundant career before the bench, doing significant civil rig…
Jamie Beck
The Founder of Free to Thrive, Jamie Beck advocates for and represents human-trafficking survivors so they can start living their lives. Aside from being the Founder, President, and Managing Attorney…
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…
Consuelo Maria "Connie" Callahan
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit Judge Consuelo Maria "Connie" Callahan joins MC Sungaila to describe her journey from lawyer to judge and her commitment to the rule of law. She also provi…
Noma D. Gurich
Today’s guest is Oklahoma Supreme Court Justice Noma D. Gurich. Justice Gurich joins MC Sungaila to share her journey from law school to the bench. Not being an Oklahoma native presented its challeng…
Camila Lopez
Camilla Lopez, co-founder of access to justice legal tech company People Clerk, joins host MC Sungaila to share her journey to becoming a lawyer-entrepreneur who helps individuals navigate small clai…
Lorie Skjerven Gildea
Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice Lorie Skjerven Gildea discusses the important role played by state courts and the surprising turns her own career has taken. She explains how the Court pivoted i…