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
Elspeth B. Cypher
Host MC Sungaila talks with Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Justice Elspeth Cypher who shares her journey to the bench, from civil practice to chief of the appellate division in the district att…
Jessica Aronoff
Joining MC Sungaila today is Jessica Aronoff, CEO of Cayton Children's Museum. Jessica entered law school with no intention of becoming a lawyer. Her goal? Doing impactful work in a nonprofit. As it …
Melissa Hart
Justice Melissa Hart of the Colorado Supreme Court shares her journey from U.S. Supreme Court clerk to U.S. Department of Justice trial attorney, law professor, and now member of her state's highest …
Jessica S. Henry
What exactly are no crime wrongful convictions? In this episode, Jessica S. Henry shares thought-provoking insights from her new book, Smoke but No Fire: Convicting the Innocent of Crimes that Never …
Yolanda V. Torres
Yolanda V. Torres of the Orange County Superior Court shares her journey from being the first in her family to graduate from college to serving on the bench. With host MC Sungaila, she shares how her…
M. Margaret McKeown
U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Margaret McKeown, the first woman partner at Perkins Coie and a White House Fellow, shares her career journey from lawyer to judge, and provides insights int…
Noella A. Sudbury
Noella A. Sudbury is the Founder and CEO of Rasa Public Benefit Corporation, a new legal tech company on a mission to make the process of clearing a record simple and affordable for everyone. In this…
Nancy Staudt
Dean Nancy Staudt, The Frank and Marcia Carlucci Dean of the Pardee RAND Graduate School and Vice President of Innovation at the RAND Corporation, discusses her career journey from law to public poli…
Andrea Sheridan Ordin
Andrea Sheridan Ordin -- the first female United States Attorney for the Central District of California—and only the third female U.S. Attorney in American history— discusses her path to this and oth…
Sabrina Shizue McKenna
Pathbreaking Hawaii Supreme Court Justice Sabrina Shizue McKenna sits down with host M.C. Sungaila to discuss how perseverance, confidence in your skills, humility, and persistence can help you achie…
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 …
Maureen O'Connor
Recently retired Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O'Connor shares how she became the first woman to lead the state judiciary and her contribution to the judicial system. Maureen O'Connor is t…
Jennafer Wagner And Erin Smith
Erin Smith and Jennafer Wagner both attended law school to advocate for change. Jennafer is now the Director of Programs at Family Violence Appellate Project (FVAP), where Erin is the co-founder and …
Marcie Getelman
Marcie Getelman, Deputy General Counsel of Lennar Corporation, shares her career journey, the myriad roles held by in-house counsel, and how she supports the careers of the female outside counsel wit…
Karen M. Ashby
Host MC Sungaila sits down with retired Colorado Court of Appeals Judge Karen M. Ashby to discuss her trailblazing career as the first Black woman to be appointed to that court. Judge Ashby shares va…
Paloma Ahmadi
Paloma Ahmadi, Associate General Counsel, Employment, at Brex, talks about her journey from in-house, to law firm practice, and back in-house. Paloma is a phenomenal client advisor, with an interesti…
Caryn Geraghty Jorgensen
Host MC Sungaila talks about trials, mentors, and training the next generation with leading litigator Caryn Geraghty Jorgensen. Tune in for more great insights from women in the law.
Jacqueline Nguyen
Judge Jacqueline Nguyen talks with host M.C. Sungaila about her experience as a refugee during the Vietnam War and her journey to becoming a judge, from private law practice to serving as a prosecuto…
Kim Hardeman
Host MC Sungaila discusses the importance of empathy and human understanding in the law with Iowa trial lawyer Kim Hardeman, a Partner at Lederer Weston Craig PLC. She traces her career and explains …
Barbara J. Dawson
Host MC Sungaila trades insights with Barbara J. Dawson, a litigation partner and the incoming Chair of Snell & Wilmer, about recognizing leadership opportunities, authenticity, how to become highly …