In this powerful episode, Lisa and Randol delve into the gripping story behind this historic legal battle, unpack the legal and moral complexities of art restitution, and discuss why these issues remain profoundly relevant today.

Tune in for an engaging and deeply moving conversation that brings one of the most extraordinary restitution cases to life.

Learn more about Sheila’s book and find additional details here!

Bios: 

Michele Ballard Miller, Chair of West Coast Labor & Employment at Cozen O'Connor, is a widely recognized management-side labor and employment attorney. For more than 35 years, she’s represented businesses in single and multiple plaintiff cases and collective actions. Her clients — who run the gamut from Fortune 50 powerhouses to burgeoning startups — trust her practical business-centered advice and counsel on a wide range of workplace matters. Michele is a frequent speaker on employment law issues for clients and outside groups, and has been the recipient of numerous awards and recognitions for her work in advancing women in the profession. Prior to joining the firm, Michele was the founding and managing partner of Miller Law Group, a certified women-owned California labor and employment law firm. Cozen O'Connor is a full-service firm with nationally recognized practices in litigation, business law, and government relations, and our attorneys have experience operating in all sectors of the economy.

Sheila Murphy is a certified executive coach, award-winning legal leader, and the CEO of Focus Forward Consulting. With over two decades of experience in corporate America and a top-tier law firm, Sheila empowers legal professionals—from General Counsels and legal executives to law firm partners and rising attorneys—to achieve transformational success in their careers, compensation, and confidence.  Her mission is clear: to help lawyers become impactful leaders, trusted advisors, and rainmakers who drive results.

Before founding Focus Forward Consulting, Sheila served as Senior Vice President and Associate General Counsel at MetLife, a Fortune 50 company, where she earned recognition for her leadership, innovation, and unwavering commitment to advancing others. 
During her tenure, she served as an executive sponsor of the U.S. Women’s Business Network, co-chaired the Legal Affairs Academy, and led diversity and professional development initiatives with global impact.

Sheila is the author of Rainmaker Power Moves: An Attorney’s Guide to Building a Book of Business, a practical and inspiring guide designed to help attorneys take charge of their professional destinies. 
Through actionable strategies, candid insights, and proven techniques, Sheila teaches lawyers how to grow thriving practices and sustainable client relationships in today’s competitive market.

Known for her engaging and transformative approach, Sheila brings a unique blend of corporate experience, coaching expertise, and a deep understanding of what it takes to succeed in the legal industry. 
She works with attorneys and legal teams at all stages of their careers—whether they’re in-house counsel striving for leadership roles or law firm professionals building influence and profitability. 
Her clients consistently credit her with helping them unlock opportunities, elevate their confidence, and accelerate their success.

A sought-after speaker and trainer, Sheila delivers high-impact keynotes and workshops on leadership development, business growth, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. 
Passionate about advancing women and underrepresented groups, she is dedicated to reshaping the legal profession by equipping all professionals with the tools to thrive.

Sheila holds a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School and coaching certifications from the International Coaching Federation and the Co-Active Leadership Institute. 
Her leadership and coaching excellence have earned her numerous honors, including the Women, Influence & Power in Law Lifetime Achievement Award and the Benchmark Litigation In-House Award.

With her signature mix of authenticity, insight, and strategic vision, Sheila Murphy helps legal professionals and organizations move beyond potential—toward lasting, measurable success.

Discover more about Ellen and explore how you can benefit from her expert coaching through NAWL's Coaching Roster!
 

Bios:

Lisa Cukier has a law practice that bridges the intersection of service as trustee and conservator, trust and estate litigation, trust and estate planning, high asset matrimonial law, and private client strategic planning. Her practice focuses on complex trust and estate controversies, high-asset matrimonial disputes, fiduciary appointments, and legal interventions in cases involving diminished capacity and undue influence. Lisa counsels individuals, families, and family offices, as well as family trustees and family businesses, as they navigate emotionally charged transitions — such as high asset divorce, high stakes incapacity, death, interfamilial conflict and controversy, and external vulnerabilities — crafting legal solutions that protect both financial stability, legacies, safety and personal dignity. Trusted by judges, colleagues, and clients alike, Lisa is known for top-flight resolution of high-conflict, high-net-worth matters where family, wealth, and capacity collide. In addition to her family law and fiduciary litigation practice, Lisa serves as a trustee, guardian, and conservator, often at the direct request of clients, lawyers representing family members or the family business, or by judges seeking an experienced problem solver and peacekeeper. She is also a trusted special master and guardian ad litem in contentious cases involving children and older individuals who are experiencing signs of diminishing capacity, and she is frequently retained to render expert witness opinion and testify as an expert witness in contested trust and estate litigation matters. 
 

Ellen M. Keiley is the President of EMK Consulting Group, LLC, a firm specializing in marketing, business development coaching, and public relations for law, accounting, finance, and other professional services firms. A recognized authority with over 20 years of experience, Ellen is known for her expertise in networking, brand building, and strategic visibility. She has written for numerous publications and was a regular contributor to RadioBDC’s Global Business Hub segment. She has also been extensively quoted and featured in outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, Boston Magazine, and Boston Common Magazine, and speaks frequently at conferences and industry events. She previously authored the “Ask Ellen” and “Legal Tender” columns in Lawyers Weekly and currently writes a column for Business of Law INSIDER focused on public relations. Ellen is actively involved in the community. She is the Past President of the National Association of Women MBAs, serves on the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce Women’s Network Advisory Board, and on the Women Owned Law Boston Steering Committee. She has also served on the United Way Women’s Leadership Council (WLC) and Lawyers Have Heart Executive Committees. She is the former Vice Chair of City Year’s Legal Community Breakfast and Past Vice Chair of its Women’s Leadership Breakfast. Additionally, she is the past Co-Chair of The Boston Club’s Member Engagement Committee and its MetroWest Affinity Group, and was Co-Chair of the 2020 Women on Boards National Conversation on Board Diversity event. Ellen graduated summa cum laude from Northeastern University and is a Certified Professional Coach, trained by the International Coaching Federation–accredited Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching (iPEC). She has been recognized by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly as a Top Public Relations Firm and Top Business Development Coach for law firms for the past eight years. Ellen is also a recipient of Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly’s “Excellence in Marketing” award and the Idealism in Action Award from City Year.

Together, they explore the transition from traditional law firms to startup culture, the unique challenges of working in emerging tech, and how legal professionals are adapting to the rise of AI and other transformative technologies. 

Whether you're a seasoned attorney or just starting out, this episode offers valuable insights into the future of the legal profession.

Learn more about Liz and her work at Expa here!

$25 off a prenup at First with the code NAWL25

Bios: 

Liz Federowicz serves as General Counsel at Expa, a venture capital firm and venture studio that builds and invests in early-stage technology companies. She oversees all legal aspects of fund investments, formation, operations, and newly incorporated startups within the venture studio. As the sole in-house legal counsel for an organization with over 100 portfolio companies and 5-10 studio-incubated companies, Liz provides comprehensive guidance across venture deals, legal strategy, and business affairs.

Her path to law was unconventional, beginning with independent films and co-founding a film production company in the early 2000s. Inspired by entertainment attorneys, she focused on intellectual property and business during law school, but ultimately transitioned to the tech sector after law school. Liz began her legal career in-house at a Los Angeles tech company before joining Fenwick & West, where she developed her expertise in Silicon Valley and Silicon Beach practices before stepping into her role as Expa's GC.

Colleagues recognize Liz for her innovative thinking, deal-making acumen, and hands-on approach with Expa's incubated companies, including legal tech company First, where she additionally serves on the founding team as Head of Legal Product.

Ashley Carlisle is a corporate attorney and entrepreneur focused on transforming the legal industry with technology. As a founding team member and CMO of HyperDraft, she helps real estate and financial institutions use AI and automation to streamline their legal documentation. A graduate of the University of Texas School of Law, Ashley practiced corporate law at two global firms before joining HyperDraft and is a frequent voice on AI and automation in industry publications and podcasts.

Learn more about the Young Center and explore how YOU can make a meaningful impact in the immigration space today: Young Center

Speaker Bios: 

Kelly Albinak Kribs is a Co-Director for the Young Center’s Technical Assistance Program, which offers case consultation, connection to resources, training, and mentorship to attorneys and professionals working with immigrant children impacted by the domestic child welfare system. Kelly first joined the Young Center in 2016 and previously served as the Managing Attorney of the Child Advocate Program team in the Chicago office. In her time at the Young Center, Kelly has drawn upon principles of child welfare, international, and immigration law in order to evaluate and execute best interests advocacy on behalf of unaccompanied and separated immigrant children on matters of their care, custody, reunification, safe repatriation, and legal relief. She has collaborated closely with social worker colleagues to help develop an interdisciplinary approach to assessing best interests as well as best practices for child-centered, developmentally appropriate, and trauma-informed engagement with immigrant children. Before joining the Young Center, she worked in private practice and clerked for a federal district court judge. She received her law degree from the University of Chicago Law School and her undergraduate degree in communications from Northwestern University. Prior to attending law school, Kelly worked at a research center on Latin American issues and taught English in Nicaragua. She first began serving as a volunteer child advocate with the Young Center in 2008.

Marlow Svatek is an associate in Barack Ferrazzano’s litigation group, where her practice spans a variety of substantive areas, including consumer class actions, business disputes, and securities and shareholder derivative matters. Marlow has extensive experience drafting dispositive motions and appellate briefs, managing discovery, taking depositions, preparing fact and expert witnesses for deposition and trial, and trying cases in court and before arbitration tribunals.

Prior to joining Barack Ferrazzano, Marlow was a litigation associate at Sidley Austin in Chicago. She clerked for the Honorable Judge Joel M. Flaum on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit and the Honorable Judge Jon S. Tigar on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District in California. Before becoming an attorney, Marlow was a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer in Burkina Faso.

Marlow also maintains an active pro bono practice. She has successfully obtained asylum for several individuals in deportation proceedings. Marlow was also the lead associate on the impact litigation team challenging the Department of Homeland Security’s “public charge” rule, in which she successfully argued several motions in the district court and led multiple rounds of briefing in the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals and United States Supreme Court, ultimately obtaining a nationwide vacatur of the challenged rule. In recognition of her outstanding pro bono service in protection of immigrant rights, Marlow was named a “Rising Star” by the National Immigrant Justice Center in 2020 and received the Award for Excellence in Public Interest Service from the Judges of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and the Chicago Chapter of the Federal Bar Association.

Outside of her practice, Marlow is dedicated to promoting pro bono work and the advancement of women lawyers in the profession. She previously served as Chair of the Public Interest Law Initiative (PILI) Alumni Network Leadership Council and as a writer-in-residence for Ms. JD. She is also on the Annual Meeting Host Committee for the National Association of Women Lawyers (NAWL). 

Get the latest updates on LGBTQ+ legal battles, victories, and insights from the Lambda Legal Blog: Blog Posts Archive - Lambda Legal

Learn more about the National LGBTQ+ Bar Association here: The National LGBTQ+ Bar Association | Attorneys & Lawyers

Join thousands of legal professionals, students, and advocates at the 2025 Lavender Law Conference: The 2025 Lavender Law® Conference and Career Fair

Follow the legal response to anti-LGBTQ+ executive orders with the LGBTQ+ Bar’s EO Litigation Tracker: Trump Anti-LGBTQ+ Executive Order Litigation Tracker - The National LGBTQ+ Bar Association

Read the LGBTQ+ Bar's Bench Guide here: LGBTQ+ Inclusion From the Bench: A Best Practices Guide for Judges - The National LGBTQ+ Bar Association

Bios:

Whit Washington, Esq. (They/Them) is the Eileen A. Ryan Senior Attorney for the Nonbinary and Transgender Rights Project at Lambda Legal. Prior to joining Lambda Legal, Whit advocated on behalf of incarcerated people in the United States with a particular focus on the needs of incarcerated trans people. Whit was able to prioritize the rights of transgender incarcerated people through their Equal Justice Works Fellowship, their time with the Prison and Reentry Legal Services at the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia, and as a staff attorney for the Miss Major and Alexander Lee TGIJP Black Trans Cultural Center. Since joining Lambda Legal in December 2024, Whit has co-authored two amicus briefs and has been active in Lambda Legal’s state policy work. 

Whit’s achievements have earned them recognition from the DC Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs, which honored them with the "40 Under 40: Queer Women of Washington" award in 2019; and the National LGBTQ+ Bar Association, which honored them as the 40 Best LGBTQ+ Lawyers Under 40 in 2025. Whit’s work has been featured in the National LGBTQ Bar Association newsletter and Washington Lawyer Magazine, and their writing can be found on the Lambda Legal blog. In addition to their legal work, Whit is a board member of the National Trans Bar Association.

Whit holds a Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies from the Johnston Center for Integrated Studies at the University of Redlands, a Juris Doctor from the American University Washington College of Law, and a Master of Arts in International Affairs from the American University School of International Service. Their commitment to justice and equity continues to guide their impactful legal career at Lambda Legal.

Mari Nemec (she/her) serves as Advocacy Counsel at the National LGBTQ+ Bar (LGBTQ+ Bar), where she monitors and responds to policy and judicial issues impacting the LGBTQ+ legal community and facilitates many of the Bar’s programmatic initiatives, including the LGBTQ+ Bar’s Law Student Congress and the Judicial Nominations and Executive Appointments Committee. As Advocacy Counsel, she works to make the legal profession and our legal systems more accessible and equitable for the LGBTQ+ community in all of its diversity.

Mari most recently joined the LGBTQ+ Bar in the summer of 2023, but her history with the organization goes back nearly a decade. She first joined the staff in the summer of 2017 as an intern, before serving as Manager of Public Affairs. In 2019, she left the LGBTQ+ Bar to attend law school, but remained involved in the organization’s work by serving in Law Student Congress first as Secretary and then for two years as Co-Chair. While in law school, she also clerked in the Superior Court of Los Angeles County, worked at Step Up to Justice, a local legal-aid organization in Tucson, Arizona, and served as a Congressional Intern to Congresswoman Ann Kirkpatrick. After graduating in 2022, Mari served as a Dorot Fellow at Alliance for Justice, preparing reports on federal judicial nominees and monitoring the federal courts.

Mari received her J.D. from the University of Arizona, James E. Rogers College of Law and her B.A. from the College of William and Mary. In her free time, Mari enjoys reading, hiking, trying new foods, and joyfully following the whims of her beloved blue heeler, Miss Matilda Fig.

Laura J. Maechtlen is a member of Seyfarth Shaw’s 7-member Executive Committee and the National Chair of the Labor and Employment Department.  She also led the Firm’s global belonging and inclusion work for more than a decade.  Her practice is focused on counseling related to people analytics and EEO compliance, as well as employment litigation and includes the defense of class, collective and multi-plaintiff actions.  

Laura is a national leader on issues related to law firm management and inclusion in the legal industry, and has held a variety of leadership positions through which she has advocated for systemic improvement in the legal industry.  She currently serves on the Board of the National Association for Women Lawyers, the Advisory Council for the Law Firm Anti-Racism Alliance, and the Board of the Center for Workplace Law.  She is a previous Latina Commissioner for the Hispanic National Bar Association, past President of the National LGBT Bar Association and the California Minority Counsel Program, and served as a Fellow for the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD), among service to other organizations.

Laura speaks and publishes regularly on a variety of employment law and litigation topics, and issues regarding innovation, management and inclusion in the legal profession, and has been quoted on those topics by Harvard Business Review, San Francisco Chronicle, Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Reuters, Vogue, The Daily Journal, Employment Law 360, and many others.   

The views and opinions expressed in this episode of the NAWL Podcast may or may not reflect those of NAWL, the hosts, or participants. Unless otherwise indicated, the hosts and participants are speaking for themselves personally, and not for any firm, employer, or any other organization. This podcast is for educational purposes only, and does not constitute and should not be considered legal advice. 

Learn more about NAWL's Coaching Roster here!

William Bridges' Transitions: Making Sense of Life’s Changes: Books by William Bridges | Transition Management Leaders

Bios & Speaker Links

Karen Morris is President and founder of Suizzo Morris Group, LLC, specializing in executive, leadership, career, and transition coaching for individuals and organizations.  Focusing on the “whole person,” Karen coaches in 1:1 and group settings, helping her clients find purpose, gain perspective, resilience, and strength, live with agency and intent, enrich their relationships, positively impact their organizations, their families, and their communities, and live with peace and achieve their goals.

During her 30+ year corporate career, Karen held executive roles in Legal, Strategy, Product Management, Marketing, Communications and Regulatory Relations. Most recently, she served as Senior Vice President, General Counsel for USAA P&C Group. 

Karen is an Associate Certified Coach (ACC) of the International Coaching Federation (ICF), certified through the Hudson Institute of Coaching. She holds a B.A., magna cum laude, from St. Mary’s University of Minnesota and a J.D. from the University of Illinois College of Law.  

Karen is a champion of advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion, with a focus on the legal community, including serving as President of the National Association of Women Lawyers 2020-21.   

Karen's Links

Suizzo Morris Group website: https://www.suizzomorrisgroup.com

Suizzo Morris Group Complimentary 3-month Coaching opportunities: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7337911293078663169/

Dealing with Uncertainty:

Let it Be – Loosening the Grip of Attachment: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/loosening-grip-attachment-karen-morris-15hic/?trackingId=470LTgnLS1u4Ap6fGUnznA%3D%3D

The Value of Not Knowing: https://www.suizzomorrisgroup.com/blog/the-value-of-not-knowing

Mindset:

Managing Stress: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/managing-stress-changing-our-relationship-karen-morris-9553c/?trackingId=a5huFoDKHFxUeROam0SURA%3D%3D

Unlock your Potential – Grow Self-Compassion: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/unlock-your-potential-grow-self-compassion-karen-morris-scn2c/?trackingId=UDvhM5h6wLvGIwV12EnTlg%3D%3D

Lisa B. Horowitz is passionate about helping attorneys build meaningful and fulfilling careers. She regularly coaches attorneys and other senior professionals working globally in legal departments, corporations, law firms, government and non-profits to successfully execute career transitions. 

Following almost two decades practicing federal procurement law, Lisa herself successfully transitioned to the talent development and coaching field obtaining her Masters in Organizational Development and Change from Johns Hopkins University. After leading the professional development department of a large law firm, she founded her current coaching, training and consulting firm--the Attorney Talent Strategy Group--to help clients take charge and grow great careers.

As a highly sought-after speaker, Lisa has delivered coaching and training programs on career, leadership and management to a variety of organizations, including the Association of 

Corporate Counsel-National Capital Region, American Bar Association, National Association of Women Lawyers, the New York City Bar Association and District of Columbia Bar Association. Her Building Leadership Muscle Series includes core programs aimed at developing critical leadership and management skills including Creating Your Individual Strategic Career Plan.

Lisa has served on the Board and as President of the National Association of Women Lawyers and as a Commissioner on the ABA Commission on Women in the Profession. 

Lisa graduated from Tufts University, Summa Cum Laude and from George Washington University Law School with Honors.

Lisa's Links

Email: lbhorowitz@gmail.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisabhorowitz/

Attorney Talent Strategy Group LLC website: http://www.atalentstrategy.com/

Articles:

Career Transition is Inescapable: Maximize It: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/career-transition-inescapable-maximize-lisa-b-horowitz-pqlpc/?trackingId=2k7A3nWpRFqLWhf4Kc6p9Q%3D%3D

Tackling Transitions: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/tackling-transitions-untangling-2020moving-2021-lisa-b-horowitz/

Don’t Let Your Legal Career Be A Casualty of the Pandemic: Strategies for Continuing to Own Your Career: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/dont-let-your-legal-career-casualty-pandemic-own-lisa-b-horowitz/?trackingId=zrj1rahbRp6eFau5EDvl6g%3D%3D

Hit a Bump in Your Career? Rebound Resiliently: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/hit-bump-your-career-rebound-resiliently-lisa-b-horowitz/

The views and opinions expressed in this episode of the NAWL Podcast may or may not reflect those of NAWL, the hosts, or participants. Unless otherwise indicated, the hosts and participants are speaking for themselves personally, and not for any firm, employer, or any other organization. This podcast is for educational purposes only, and does not constitute and should not be considered legal advice. 

To donate to RAINN: https://give.rainn.org/a/pelvic-exams

For a copy of the RAINN memo on this and other issues: https://rainn.org/policy-updates

To see what the laws in your state are for unauthorized intimate exams: https://rainn.org/articles/nonconsensual-practice-pelvic-exams

To contact Sandi Johnson at RAINN sandij@rainn.org

Read more about nonconsensual intimate exams here. 

Bios:

Sandi Johnson is the Senior Legislative Policy Counsel for RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network), where she advocates for legislation and polices on a federal and state level in support of survivors of sexual violence. She worked over twenty years as a prosecuting attorney in Utah, primarily focusing on crimes of violence, including homicide, automobile homicide, organized gangs, and sexual violence. She worked on the Criminal Model Jury Instructions Committee for the State of Utah and is currently a Victim Rights Chair for the Fourth Judicial District. In addition to her courtroom experience, she served as a member of the Crime Victim Reparations and Assistance Board for the Utah Office for Victims of Crime, and was a member of the Board for the Salt Lake Valley Victim Emergency Fund. She was an instructor for the Utah Prosecution Council, serving as faculty for the Sex Crimes Investigations and Basic Prosecutor courses, and was an adjunct professor at the S.J. Quinney College of Law. She received her J.D. in 2002 from the University of Utah College of Law. She graduated from the University of Utah in 1998 with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and a certificate in criminology.

Angelina Whitfield’s practice spans complex antitrust litigations and sensitive government investigations at the state, federal, and international levels. She has served as a partner in a global law firm, at an antitrust boutique, and in the Illinois Attorney General's antitrust bureau. Her expertise encompasses a wide range of industries, including intellectual property, consumer electronics, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, fashion, hearing aids, and video/tabletop games. She specializes in dynamic industries like digital platforms, online gambling, cryptocurrency, and cannabis. In law school, she clerked for the Library of Congress and the Missouri Public Services Commission (utilities). She also advised various biotech startups.  She is a vehement advocate against the practices of nonconsensual pelvic exams and child marriage. As a deaf person, Angelina is a proud wearer of hearing aids. In her free time, she enjoys publishing science fiction, painting with oils, and gardening superhot peppers, poisonous plants, and heirloom roses. She received her J.D. from the University of Missouri-Columbia and her B.A. from Truman State University.

Maria Di Lorenzo is an experienced General Counsel and legal executive with over three decades of experience working in private practice, corporate, and nonprofit sectors.  Her expertise spans a range of practice areas including general corporate, Board governance, compliance, litigation, regulatory, transactional, and nonprofit legal affairs.  Currently, she serves as General Counsel for both the Chicago History Museum, and Erikson Institute.

Beyond her professional roles, Maria is deeply committed to civic and professional engagement. She's serves on her local Public Library Board and on the Board of Police and Fire Commissioners. Maria is also an active member of NAWL and serves on the Annual Meeting Host Committee. As a deaf person, Maria is an advocate for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community, serving on the Board of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Bar Association (DHHBA), where she Chairs the Advocacy and Engagement Committee and Co-Chairs the Development Committee. Maria is a proud recipient of a cochlear implant and also mentors cochlear implant candidates as part of a global knowledge-sharing and peer support network.

Maria earned her B.A. in Psychology from Seattle University, summa cum laude, and her J.D. from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. Licensed to practice in Illinois and New York, she balances her professional and civic commitments with family life, cherishing time and laughter with her husband and four children.

Take action with the ACLU by visiting their website!

Bio

Kara is a Partner in Ogletree Deakins’ Raleigh, NC office. She practices employment-based immigration, assisting multinational corporations in obtaining nonimmigrant visas and permanent residency for foreign national employees. She has expertise with a wide variety of temporary and permanent visa applications filed with government agencies including the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service, Department of State, and Department of Labor. Kara works closely with HR and Global Mobility teams to provide immigration program management and regularly advises on strategic immigration solutions, compliance matters, and regulatory changes.  

Check out Bernadette's book, Daughter Lessons, here! 

Check out Heidi's book, Love Lessons, here! 

Bios

Erica Zolner, Partner at Redgrave LLP, has over two decades of experience with high-stakes business litigation, multidistrict litigation, and class action matters.  She provides proactive and strategic legal counsel in eDiscovery and Information Law matters, including advising clients on the development and execution of defensible eDiscovery processes crucial for navigating contentious, high-stakes litigation.  She is also recognized by peers as a leading lawyer in the field of E-Discovery and Information Governance, as reflected in the Chambers USA rankings. 

With a track record of handling complex, “bet the company” matters, Erica’s cases have spanned a variety of practice areas, including antitrust, product liability, trade secrets, mass tort, and healthcare insurance matters.  She has served as lead counsel in jury and bench trials in both federal and state courts, and her trial work includes delivering opening statements, handling witness examinations, presenting and defending expert witnesses, and presenting trial motions. Erica oversees case strategy and all aspects of discovery coordination and trial preparation, including negotiating pre-trial case management orders addressing discovery issues, preparing and defending corporate representatives for testimony in connection with 30(b)(6) depositions on discovery issues, motion practice regarding discovery disputes, and supervising the identification, collection, review, and production of electronically stored information (ESI). 

Erica’s experience developing efficient eDiscovery and information governance solutions related to records retention and challenges posed by emerging technologies allows her to craft targeted strategies that address clients’ specific and complex business needs and information technology environments. 

Before joining Redgrave, Erica spent close to 20 years at Kirkland & Ellis LLP, the last 12 years as a partner.  She received her J.D., cum laude, from Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law and her B.A., summa cum laude, from Oklahoma State University, B.A.  Erica is an active member of the National Association for Women Lawyers (NAWL) and serves on NAWL’s Annual Meeting Leadership Committee. 

Heidi Friedman is a partner at Thompson Hine, focusing on environmental law, regulatory compliance, and sustainability. She co-chairs the firm's ESG Collaborative and founded the Spotlight on Women program. With over two decades of experience, Heidi is a thought leader, guiding clients through complex legal landscapes with innovative and sustainable solutions. Her experience includes environmental risk management, regulatory enforcement, and corporate sustainability initiatives. 

Heidi's career is distinguished by her commitment to excellence and her ability to navigate the intersections of law, business, and environmental stewardship. Recognized for her strategic insights, she translates complex legal issues into actionable business strategies. Her dedication has earned her numerous accolades, including being named a "Top Lawyer" by various industry publications. 

Heidi's commitment to authenticity and her ability to connect with clients and colleagues have made her a respected figure in her field. Her insights on personal branding are rooted in her professional experiences and her belief that staying true to one's values is key to long-term success. 

Heidi is also the author of "104 Dates and the Stories that Led Me to True Love," where she shares her personal journey of finding love after 104 dates. 

Bernadette Catalana is an experienced litigator, negotiator, and team leader. She lives in New York City and is the partner-in-charge of the Thompson Coe Cousins and Irons New York City office. Bernadette is an active mentor and is especially committed to supporting other women in the practice of law. An accomplished speaker, both live and on podcast, Bernadette has also authored a book, Daughter Lessons, which is a compilation of essays about what she has learned as one of six daughters and as the mother of two period. She is a frequent poster on LinkedIn, sharing the human side of practicing law and practicing life.

Don't miss out on our bonus content! Alongside this week's episode, we've uploaded an exclusive breathing exercise to our YouTube channel. This guided practice, led by Jen, is designed to help you manage stress and enhance your mindfulness routine. Be sure to check it out and incorporate it into your daily well-being practices! 

Jennifer Mohamed, Esq. is a purpose-driven leader who integrates her love of the law, yoga, and her entrepreneurial spirit into everything she does. Jen is the founder of her own law practice, the Law Office of Jennifer Mohamed LLC, where she focuses on environmental and sustainability law, business and employment law, and providing legal services to the yoga industry.  

Jen is also an advanced trained Hatha yoga and meditation teacher, and a Harvard Med-certified lifestyle and wellness coach.  Jen has been teaching yoga and leading wellness retreats for the last 13 years concurrently with her law practice, and since 2020 has been proudly offering attorney well-being programs through her side-venture: Jen the Yoga Lawyer LLC. 

You can learn more about her on her websites: 

www.jennifermohamedlaw.com

www.jentheyogalawyer.com

Get involved with Planned Parenthood.

If you are interested in partnering with Planned Parenthood as pro bono counsel, please reach out to Cecilia DosSantos, cecilia.dossantos@ppfa.org.

Eleanor (Ella) Spottswood is a senior staff attorney in the litigation department at Planned Parenthood Federation of America, where she advocates to protect and expand reproductive freedoms nationwide. She recently won a preliminary injunction that allowed abortion access to resume in Missouri for the first time since Dobbs. Prior to working for Planned Parenthood, Ms. Spottswood served as the Solicitor General for Vermont, focusing on appeals and constitutional litigation. She also served for six years as the Chair of the Vermont Judicial Nominating Board.

Ms. Spottswood graduated with high honors from Harvard University and earned her law degree from New York University School of Law, where she served on the board of the Law Review. After law school, she clerked on the Vermont Supreme Court and for Judge Berle Schiller of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. 

Anne Li is co-chair of the firm’s Life Sciences and Patents groups. She is a first-chair trial lawyer in intellectual property who focuses on biotech, pharma, life sciences, and medical device industries. She has successfully represented clients using outside-the-box strategies, both in and out of the courtroom. Her goal is always to reach a good business resolution, but when that is not possible, she zealously uses litigation as a tool to get the best outcome for her clients. She represents clients whose groundbreaking products and services raise complex legal questions at the nexus of collaborators and competitors, including those times when one shifts to the other. She has successfully represented companies in bet-the-company litigations, often scoring key wins long before trial, resulting in favorable settlements. 

Companies rely on Anne to help them navigate the intersection of intellectual property and business because she provides in-house counsel with patent, unfair competition, and trade secret advice that is practical and actionable. She takes time to learn a client’s business—from biotech startups to multibillion-dollar pharmaceutical companies and everything in between—so she can help them develop bespoke strategies that work for their unique situations. 

Clients also appreciate Anne’s ability to match legal strategies with their risk tolerance and business objectives. Her approach is informed by her commitment to developing long-standing relationships with in-house counsel and her knowledge of the industry and related technologies. 

Furthering Anne’s commitment to creating a strong and wide-reaching network across industries and the bar, Anne serves on the Executive Committee of the William C. Conner Inn of Court and is active in the NY Intellectual Property Law Association. She is also a member of Crowell’s Pro Bono Committee. 

Please note that this episode was recorded before the president's Executive Order on Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections was issued on March 25, 2025.

For more info and updates on the SAVE Act, visit The Brennan Center's website. 

Nicolle Vasquez Del Favero serves as an Assistant Counsel for the Department of the Navy, Office of the General Counsel with Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command, Atlantic, where she advises on a multitude of legal issues with a focus on government acquisitions. In her spare time, you can find Nicolle enjoying a good book, a good movie, or a good couch snuggle with her kids and rescue pups.

To learn more about VECINA and how you can actively combat immigrant hate, visit: Get Involved - VECINA. Your support makes a difference.

Jennie Guilfoyle is VECINA's Legal Director. She has worked in the immigration field for 25 years. most recently as the former Deputy Director for the Immigration Justice Campaign at the American Immigration Council. Before joining the Council, she spent four years as an Attorney Adviser at the State Department in the Bureau of Consular Affairs, working on issues ranging from citizenship to intercountry adoption. Prior to that, she worked for many years as a Senior Training Attorney at the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, designing and leading in-person and online trainings on a wide range of immigration law topics. She also worked at Church World Service, where she trained refugee resettlement programs on immigration law and program management. She began her legal career as an Equal Justice Works fellow at the New York Association for New Americans, where she represented asylum seekers and VAWA applicants. Jennie studied English as an undergraduate at Harvard, and earned her J.D. at New York University School of Law.

Autumn Tertin is an Attorney in McLane Middleton’s Corporate and Immigration Department, where her practice focuses exclusively on U.S. employment-based immigration law.  She assists employers across the U.S. with temporary and permanent visa solutions in a wide variety of industries.  Autumn also assists immigrant investors and entrepreneurs, as well as other specialized foreign nationals such as individuals with extraordinary ability, professors and researchers, and those seeking national interest waivers.  In addition, she works with many New England employers seeking short-term staffing solutions through the H-2B visa program.  Autumn also handles I-9 audit and compliance matters, and is a frequent presenter to the HR community on these topics.  She works with area universities on student visa issues and I-17 certifications as well.

Autumn serves as Chair of the National Association of Women Lawyers Immigration Law Affinity Group and is a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation. She has also served as the NH USCIS Liaison for the American Immigration Lawyers Association New England Chapter. Autumn was previously selected as a Super Lawyers New England Rising Star in 2021 – 2023, an honor only bestowed upon 2.5% of attorneys per state.  She is a lifetime member of the Polish Women’s Alliance of America (now part of FCSLA), and has held various chapter officer positions within the organization.  Autumn is also a former Vice-President of the Polish American Congress of New Hampshire.

Prior to joining McLane Middleton, Autumn was an Attorney at GoffWilson for over 10 years.  She has been active in the immigration law field since 2005, having worked as a Legal Assistant/Paralegal for several Metro Detroit immigration firms prior to and during law school.

Autumn earned her Juris Doctor from Western New England University School of Law as a Public Interest Scholar, and is a member of the New Hampshire Bar.  She received her B.A. in Political Science, summa cum laude, from the University of Detroit Mercy.

Thank you to NAWL sponsors for making the NAWLTalks Podcast ad-free! For more information on our podcast, or if you would like to get involved with our organization, please visit us at NAWL.org. 

Please be aware that this episode was recorded in the summer of 2024. As a result, any time references may no longer be accurate. 

Sara Wilson, a lover of life's oddities and an advocate for just causes, has built her career conducting legal work across the nation. Whether practicing public defense in Massachusetts, assisting unaccompanied migrant children in Texas, or leading Voter Protection in Arizona, Wilson is on the front lines of protecting our fundamental rights. The phrase pro bono —for the public good— has been the essence of Wilson's work as an attorney. Today, Wilson serves this mission with We The Action where, as Associate Director of Legal Partnerships, she connects volunteer lawyers to the causes they care about. Wilson is a graduate of Indiana University - Bloomington and Suffolk University Law School in Boston. 

Lindsay Langholz is Senior Director of Policy and Program at the American Constitution Society. She is the organization's policy expert on voting rights and democracy and primary host of the Broken Law podcast.

A special thank you to NAWL member Mary Card Mina for making this episode possible.

Rahat N. Babar is NAPABA’s Deputy Executive Director and General Counsel. In this dual role, Rahat leads NAPABA’s advocacy, civil rights, and policy priorities, and he serves as NAPABA's chief legal officer overseeing the legal affairs of the organization.

Rahat’s commitment to public service and to the Asian Pacific American community has long defined his career.  Nominated by the Governor of New Jersey and unanimously confirmed by the New Jersey Senate, Rahat served as a Judge on the Superior Court of New Jersey, the first Bangladeshi American to be a member of the court.  Immediately prior to his appointment, Rahat was Special Counsel to New Jersey Governor Philip D. Murphy, overseeing all high-profile litigation impacting the Governor and the Administration.  Previously, he was the Director of Community Engagement at the New Jersey Attorney General's Office, where as part of Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal’s Executive Leadership Team, he led the Attorney General’s efforts to strengthen the office's relationships with community leaders, faith leaders, and the public.  Rahat held several other leadership roles within the Attorney General’s Office, practiced in a boutique corporate law firm, and taught law and public policy at Temple University Beasley School of Law as an Adjunct Professor.

Rahat is a former member of NAPABA's Board of Governors and a former chair of NAPABA's Civil Rights Committee.  He previously served as President of the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Pennsylvania and served on the Board of Directors of the Asian Pacific American Lawyers Association of New Jersey.  NAPABA recognized Rahat as one of NAPABA's Best Under 40 in 2018.

Rahat earned his undergraduate degree in International Area Studies from Drexel University and his law degree from Delaware Law School, where he served as an editor of the law review.  During his last year of law school, Rahat externed for Chief Justice Myron T. Steele of the Supreme Court of Delaware, and after law school, Rahat clerked for Judge Renée Cohn Jubleirer of the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania.

Barbara L. McQuade is a professor at the University of Michigan Law School, where she teaches courses in criminal law, national security, and data privacy. She is also a legal analyst for NBC News and MSNBC. 

From 2010 to 2017, Prof. McQuade served as the U.S Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan. She was appointed by President Barack Obama and was the first woman to serve in her position. Before becoming U.S. Attorney, Prof. McQuade worked an Assistant U.S. Attorney, a lawyer in private practice, and a judicial law clerk. She and her husband, Dan Hurley, have four children and live in Ann Arbor, MI. 

Kirsten J. Silwanowicz is an Associate General Counsel at the Great Lakes Water Authority, where she practices contracts, litigation, and federal grants. She graduated from Michigan State University in 2009 with her Bachelor of Arts in Spanish and then from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law in December 2011. She started her legal career in Dallas, Texas, and moved back to Michigan to practice in 2015. Kirsten has been a member of the Women’s Lawyers Association of Michigan since law school in 2009 and is the current Vice President for the State Board and a past President for the WLAM Wayne Region.

Please note that this episode was recorded before the Supreme Court decision was issued in this case. NAWL strongly supports the Supreme Court's decision in US v. Rahimi, upholding federal restrictions preventing those under domestic violence restraining orders from possessing firearms. This ruling reaffirms critical protections against gun violence, particularly for individuals at heightened risk in domestic abuse situations. NAWL remains committed to advocating for policies against gender-based violence recognizing that gender equality cannot be achieved without freedom from gender-based violence.

Please be advised that this podcast episode contains discussions about fertility and pregnancy loss, which may be distressing or triggering for some listeners. Listener discretion is advised.

Please note that this episode was recorded before the Supreme Court ruled in the Alexander v. SC NAACP case. NAWL issued a statement on the Supreme Court decision (see below).

NAWL is disappointed by the Supreme Court decision in Alexander v South Carolina Conference of the NAACP. As the dissent warns, the decision risks upending settled burdens of proof in racial gerrymandering cases in ways that benefit lawmakers and impede plaintiffs. NAWL will continue to advocate for fair and equitable representation for all citizens.

Get ready to celebrate 125 years of NAWL in Chicago on July 24th and 25th by taking a look at the agenda and registering here: https://www.nawl.org/2024-annual-meeting

Please note that this episode was recorded before the Supreme Court decision was issued in this case. NAWL strongly supports the Supreme Court's decision in US v. Rahimi, upholding federal restrictions preventing those under domestic violence restraining orders from possessing firearms. This ruling reaffirms critical protections against gun violence, particularly for individuals at heightened risk in domestic abuse situations. NAWL remains committed to advocating for policies against gender-based violence recognizing that gender equality cannot be achieved without freedom from gender-based violence.

Please note that this episode was recorded before the Supreme Court decision was issued in this case. NAWL strongly supports the Supreme Court's decision in US v. Rahimi, upholding federal restrictions preventing those under domestic violence restraining orders from possessing firearms. This ruling reaffirms critical protections against gun violence, particularly for individuals at heightened risk in domestic abuse situations. NAWL remains committed to advocating for policies against gender-based violence recognizing that gender equality cannot be achieved without freedom from gender-based violence.

Angie Cavallo is an attorney who has been at the forefront of challenging discrimination and inequality for over 20 years. She graduated from Rutgers Law School with honors in 2010, where she held a fellowship with the National LGBTQ Task Force. Angie was a litigator for over a decade, focused on the varied needs of LGBTQ+ communities. She is also a certified mediator and routinely helped LGBTQ+ couples resolve their personal differences without litigation. Prior to her current role, Angie was a law partner and Chair of Diversity for a MidAtlantic full services law firm. 

In 2017, Angie was named one of the Best LGBT Lawyers Under 40 by the National LGBTQ+ Bar Association and remains a member of this organization today. She has won numerous awards and accolades for her commitment to enhancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in the legal industry. Angie also taught at Rutgers Law from 2019-2021 and holds a certificate in Diversity & Inclusion Management from Cornell’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations. She is a board member for the Philadelphia Diversity Law Group and a member of many DEI-focused legal organizations, including the Association of Law Firm Diversity Professionals (ALFDP) where she sits on the annual conference programming committee.

Angie routinely speaks on topics including LGBTQ+ conscious inclusion, interrupting bias, and the importance of pronouns and name pronunciations. She also regularly mentors other lawyers and law students, especially those in the LGBTQ+ community. Presently, Angie is the Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at Jackson Lewis P.C., a preeminent Labor & Employment law firm with 1,000+ attorneys and 60+ offices nationwide. 

Michelle E. Phillips is a principal in the White Plains, New York, office of Jackson Lewis P.C. Michelle handles various types of employment litigation with an emphasis on sexual, racial, and disability harassment, and LGBT matters. She also counsels clients on a variety of labor and employment matters concerning federal and state employment laws. Michelle frequently conducts and advises clients on internal investigations and leads seminars and webinars for a broad range of clients focusing on employment discrimination, diversity, sexual harassment, and LGBT issues.

Michelle is a featured speaker at HRNY, NY and CT SHRM, ACC Corporate Counsel, Out & Equal Workplace Conference, and other prominent organizations. Michelle conducts training on race, ethnic, intergenerational, interfaith, LGBT & other inclusion issues. She is a national speaker on such issues as an employer's duty to accommodate the sincerely held religious beliefs of employees, sexual stereotyping in the workplace, and respecting each individual's gender identity and expression.

Please be advised that this podcast episode contains discussions about fertility and pregnancy loss, which may be distressing or triggering for some listeners. Listener discretion is advised.

Please note that this episode was recorded before the Supreme Court ruled in the Alexander v. SC NAACP case. NAWL issued a statement on the Supreme Court decision (see below).

NAWL is disappointed by the Supreme Court decision in Alexander v South Carolina Conference of the NAACP. As the dissent warns, the decision risks upending settled burdens of proof in racial gerrymandering cases in ways that benefit lawmakers and impede plaintiffs. NAWL will continue to advocate for fair and equitable representation for all citizens. 
 

Hossein Nowbar, Microsoft’s Corporate Vice President and Chief Legal Officer, leads a team of legal, business operations, government, and community affairs professionals that support Microsoft’s worldwide engineering, marketing, and sales organizations, enabling customers in more than 100 countries. He is a key participant in advancing Microsoft’s public policy priorities around the world, in shaping Microsoft’s internal and external approach to earning public trust and adapting to an increasingly complex regulatory environment, and in helping to ensure Microsoft’s business is conducted in a trustworthy and compliant manner. 

Prior to this role, Hossein served as the General Counsel for Corporate Legal Affairs for two years, leading the teams responsible for Microsoft’s intellectual property, litigation, compliance and ethics, competition and market regulation, HR and immigration, finance, M&A, business development, and legal operations functions. As Microsoft’s corporate secretary, he oversaw corporate governance and the teams responsible for providing strategic legal counsel to Microsoft’s business leaders on a broad range of legal and regulatory issues.

Since joining Microsoft in 1997, Hossein has participated in or led numerous negotiations—including overseeing the legal strategy for Cloud + AI and Open Source Counseling—resulting in intellectual property and competition law agreements with competitors and governments around the world.

In and outside of work, Hossein is a strong advocate and leader in diversity and inclusion efforts. He is a member of the Pro Bono Institute’s Corporate Pro Bono Advisory Board and the Executive Sponsor of Microsoft’s Pro Bono Program, focused on inspiring and empowering Microsoft employees and community partners to create solutions that promote justice for all by providing those in need with access to legal knowledge, resources, and services.  In addition, Hossein is a member of the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity and serves on the Association of Corporate Counsel Global Board of Directors.

Nancy King is a General Manager in Microsoft's Corporate, External, and Legal Affairs (CELA) department. In her multifaceted role, she serves as the Chief of Staff to Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Vice President, Hossein Nowbar, and supports the Customer Experience & Policy (CxP) organization. She leads the CELA Technology, Operations, and Programs teams, whose mission is to generate opportunities and deepen collective legal, societal, and business impact by driving greater connections across CELA and beyond.  This team collectively focuses on improving operational efficiency and effectiveness through innovative tools and streamlined processes. They also lead efforts to optimize legal service provider relationships and drive programs that encourage employee participation in pro bono activities. Previously, Nancy led talent acquisition across various Microsoft client groups including finance and engineering, and has held positions in business development and HR at Robert Half Finance & Accounting and T-Mobile USA. A Seattle native, Nancy holds a Communications degree and an MBA from the University of Washington.

Sean Watts is a Professor in the Department of Law at the United States Military Academy at West Point where he co-directs the Lieber Institute for the Law of Land Warfare. He serves as co-editor-in-chief of the law of war blog Articles of War.

Professor Watts is also the James L. Koley ’54 Professor of Constitutional Law at Creighton University Law School. He co-founded of the annual Creighton Law School Nuremberg to The Hague Summer Program in international criminal law. He serves as a Senior Fellow with the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Center of Excellence in Tallinn, Estonia. He is a Visiting Professor at the School of Law, University of Reading, United Kingdom.

From 2010-2016 Professor Watts participated in drafting both volumes of The Tallinn Manual on International Law Applicable to Cyber Warfare. From 2009-2011 he served as a defense team member in Gotovina et al. at the International Criminal Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia. In December 2017, he testified as an expert in the law of war at the Military Commissions at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Prior to teaching, Professor Watts served as an active-duty U.S. Army officer for fifteen years in legal and operational assignments as a military lawyer and as an Armor officer in a tank battalion. He later served in Army Reserve billets at the Army JAG School, West Point, and U.S. Strategic Command.

Watts holds an LL.M. from the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s School, a J.D. from the College of William & Mary School of Law, and a B.A. from the University of Colorado, Boulder. He earned his commission as an Army R.O.T.C. distinguished military graduate

Mary Card Mina is the Supervisory Senior Financial Disclosure Counsel, at the Office of General Counsel, Ethics Division, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).  Before this position, Mary served on active duty for more than 22 years in the United States Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps, retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel. She served as Assistant Legal Advisor, Department of Defense, Office of Military Commissions, and as the Staff Judge Advocate for Aberdeen Proving Ground.  She served as the Deputy Staff Judge Advocate at the U.S. Army Fires Center of Excellence, Fort Sill, Oklahoma, as the Chief of Judge Advocate Recruiting at the United States Army Legal Services Agency, and as an Executive Officer for the Assistant Judge Advocate General for Law and Military Operations. Her deployments include serving as the Command Judge Advocate for Task Force Falcon, with duty at Camp Monteith, Kosovo, and as a Brigade Judge Advocate for the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, with duty at Forward Operating Base Kalsu, Iraq. Mary also served with the 1st Armored Division in Germany and at Camp Humphreys, Korea. Her areas of practice include government ethics, administrative law, military justice, and the law of armed conflict.

Mary holds a Master of Military Arts and Sciences from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College; an L.L.M in Military Law from The Judge Advocate General’s School, U.S. Army; a Juris Doctor from the Columbus School of Law, The Catholic University of America; and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, with a minor in philosophy, from The Catholic University of America. Mary has served as an adjunct faculty member with the University of Maryland and with the Columbus School of Law, Catholic University.

She is admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of the United States, the Court of Appeals for the United States Armed Forces, and the Court of Federal Claims, and is licensed to practice in the State of Connecticut. Mary’s awards include an HHS Office of General Counsel Leadership Award, a Legion of Merit and Bronze Star from the Army JAGC, and a Presidential Volunteer Service Award. Mary is currently serving as Vice President of the Board of Directors for the Catholic University of America Alumni Association as well as on the Board of the National Association of Women Lawyers.

Sean Watts is a Professor in the Department of Law at the United States Military Academy at West Point where he co-directs the Lieber Institute for the Law of Land Warfare. He serves as co-editor-in-chief of the law of war blog Articles of War.

Professor Watts is also the James L. Koley ’54 Professor of Constitutional Law at Creighton University Law School. He co-founded of the annual Creighton Law School Nuremberg to The Hague Summer Program in international criminal law. He serves as a Senior Fellow with the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Center of Excellence in Tallinn, Estonia. He is a Visiting Professor at the School of Law, University of Reading, United Kingdom.

From 2010-2016 Professor Watts participated in drafting both volumes of The Tallinn Manual on International Law Applicable to Cyber Warfare. From 2009-2011 he served as a defense team member in Gotovina et al. at the International Criminal Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia. In December 2017, he testified as an expert in the law of war at the Military Commissions at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Prior to teaching, Professor Watts served as an active-duty U.S. Army officer for fifteen years in legal and operational assignments as a military lawyer and as an Armor officer in a tank battalion. He later served in Army Reserve billets at the Army JAG School, West Point, and U.S. Strategic Command.

Watts holds an LL.M. from the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s School, a J.D. from the College of William & Mary School of Law, and a B.A. from the University of Colorado, Boulder. He earned his commission as an Army R.O.T.C. distinguished military graduate

Mary Card Mina is the Supervisory Senior Financial Disclosure Counsel, at the Office of General Counsel, Ethics Division, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).  Before this position, Mary served on active duty for more than 22 years in the United States Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps, retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel. She served as Assistant Legal Advisor, Department of Defense, Office of Military Commissions, and as the Staff Judge Advocate for Aberdeen Proving Ground.  She served as the Deputy Staff Judge Advocate at the U.S. Army Fires Center of Excellence, Fort Sill, Oklahoma, as the Chief of Judge Advocate Recruiting at the United States Army Legal Services Agency, and as an Executive Officer for the Assistant Judge Advocate General for Law and Military Operations. Her deployments include serving as the Command Judge Advocate for Task Force Falcon, with duty at Camp Monteith, Kosovo, and as a Brigade Judge Advocate for the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, with duty at Forward Operating Base Kalsu, Iraq. Mary also served with the 1st Armored Division in Germany and at Camp Humphreys, Korea. Her areas of practice include government ethics, administrative law, military justice, and the law of armed conflict.

Mary holds a Master of Military Arts and Sciences from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College; an L.L.M in Military Law from The Judge Advocate General’s School, U.S. Army; a Juris Doctor from the Columbus School of Law, The Catholic University of America; and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, with a minor in philosophy, from The Catholic University of America. Mary has served as an adjunct faculty member with the University of Maryland and with the Columbus School of Law, Catholic University.

She is admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of the United States, the Court of Appeals for the United States Armed Forces, and the Court of Federal Claims, and is licensed to practice in the State of Connecticut. Mary’s awards include an HHS Office of General Counsel Leadership Award, a Legion of Merit and Bronze Star from the Army JAGC, and a Presidential Volunteer Service Award. Mary is currently serving as Vice President of the Board of Directors for the Catholic University of America Alumni Association as well as on the Board of the National Association of Women Lawyers.

Sean Watts is a Professor in the Department of Law at the United States Military Academy at West Point where he co-directs the Lieber Institute for the Law of Land Warfare. He serves as co-editor-in-chief of the law of war blog Articles of War.

He serves as a Senior Fellow with the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Center of Excellence in Tallinn, Estonia. He is a Visiting Professor at the School of Law, University of Reading, United Kingdom. From 2010-2016 Professor Watts participated in drafting both volumes of The Tallinn Manual on International Law Applicable to Cyber Warfare. From 2009-2011 he served as a defense team member in Gotovina et al. at the International Criminal Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia. In December 2017, he testified as an expert in the law of war at the Military Commissions at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Prior to teaching, Professor Watts served as an active-duty U.S. Army officer for fifteen years in legal and operational assignments as a military lawyer and as an Armor officer in a tank battalion. He later served in Army Reserve billets at the Army JAG School, West Point, and U.S. Strategic Command.

Watts holds an LL.M. from the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s School, a J.D. from the College of William & Mary School of Law, and a B.A. from the University of Colorado, Boulder. He earned his commission as an Army R.O.T.C. distinguished military graduate

Mary Card Mina is the Supervisory Senior Financial Disclosure Counsel, at the Office of General Counsel, Ethics Division, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).  Before this position, Mary served on active duty for more than 22 years in the United States Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps, retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel. She served as Assistant Legal Advisor, Department of Defense, Office of Military Commissions, and as the Staff Judge Advocate for Aberdeen Proving Ground.  She served as the Deputy Staff Judge Advocate at the U.S. Army Fires Center of Excellence, Fort Sill, Oklahoma, as the Chief of Judge Advocate Recruiting at the United States Army Legal Services Agency, and as an Executive Officer for the Assistant Judge Advocate General for Law and Military Operations. Her deployments include serving as the Command Judge Advocate for Task Force Falcon, with duty at Camp Monteith, Kosovo, and as a Brigade Judge Advocate for the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, with duty at Forward Operating Base Kalsu, Iraq. Mary also served with the 1st Armored Division in Germany and at Camp Humphreys, Korea. Her areas of practice include government ethics, administrative law, military justice, and the law of armed conflict.

Mary holds a Master of Military Arts and Sciences from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College; an L.L.M in Military Law from The Judge Advocate General’s School, U.S. Army; a Juris Doctor from the Columbus School of Law, The Catholic University of America; and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, with a minor in philosophy, from The Catholic University of America. Mary has served as an adjunct faculty member with the University of Maryland and with the Columbus School of Law, Catholic University.

She is admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of the United States, the Court of Appeals for the United States Armed Forces, and the Court of Federal Claims, and is licensed to practice in the State of Connecticut. Mary’s awards include an HHS Office of General Counsel Leadership Award, a Legion of Merit and Bronze Star from the Army JAGC, and a Presidential Volunteer Service Award. Mary is currently serving as Vice President of the Board of Directors for the Catholic University of America Alumni Association as well as on the Board of the National Association of Women Lawyers.

Aliza spoke on the NAWL Podcast in 2022 and in this episode, we get an update on the work of Aliza’s nonprofit, The Legal Accountability Project, which aims to ensure that law clerks have positive clerkship experiences while extending support and resources to those who do not. 

***

Congresswoman Sara Jacobs (she/her) is in her second term in Congress and proudly serves California’s 51st Congressional District, which includes much of the City of San Diego, and all of the Cities of El Cajon, La Mesa, Lemon Grove, and the unincorporated communities of Spring Valley and La Presa.

Congresswoman Jacobs is a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, where she serves as Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Africa. She is also a member of the House Armed Services Committee and sits on the Committee’s Quality of Life Panel. In the House Democratic Caucus, she serves as the Caucus Leadership Representative, representing the Democratic Members who have served five terms or less at the Democratic House leadership table. At 35 years old, she is the youngest member of Democratic House leadership.

Congresswoman Jacobs also serves as Founding Co-Chair of the Protection of Civilians in Conflict (POCC) Caucus; Vice Chair of the New Democrat Coalition’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) Working Group; and Vice Chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus, where she is Co-Chair of the Transgender Equality Task Force.

Prior to serving in elected office, Congresswoman Jacobs spent years working to address, minimize, and prevent conflict, instability, and inequality around the world. She worked in the Department of Peacekeeping Operations at the United Nations; in the Innovation Unit at UNICEF; in the Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations at the U.S. Department of State; and as a foreign policy advisor to Secretary Hillary Clinton during the 2016 presidential campaign.

Congresswoman Jacobs also served as the Founding CEO of Project Connect, a nonprofit dedicated to mapping schools and their Internet connectivity around the world, which has since become one of UNICEF’s flagship programs. She served as a Scholar in Residence at the Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies at the University of San Diego, and in 2018, she founded San Diego for Every Child, a coalition dedicated to ending child poverty in San Diego County.

A third-generation San Diegan, Congresswoman Jacobs graduated from Torrey Pines High School and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and a Master of International Affairs degree in International Security Policy and Conflict Resolution from Columbia University.

****

Judge Angela Sherigan serves as the Chief Judge for the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians, in Manistee, MI., where she has served for 15 years, and is the managing partner of Wojnecka & Sherigan, P.C. in Shelby Township, MI., practicing criminal defense, Federal Indian Law, and tribal law. Judge Sherigan currently serves as the Chair of the American Indian Law Committee for the State Bar of Michigan, is the Secretary for the Michigan Indian Judicial Association, a member of the Tribal-StateFederal Judicial Forum, and the State Court Administrator’s Office, Court Improvement, Tribal Court Relations Committee. She is a former President of the Women Lawyer Association of Michigan, Macomb Region, and the only person to serve two terms as the statewide president of the Women Lawyers Association of Michigan, She was part of the workgroup that put forth the Michigan Indian Family Preservation Act, and has handled numerous child welfare cases as a judge and as a private practitioner. In 2012 she received the Pro-bono award from the national Legal Services Corporation, in 2013 she was named a Leader in the Law by Michigan Lawyers Weekly and is the recipient of the 2016 Tecumseh Peacekeeping Award from the American Indian Law Section.

*****

Joanne Lipman is a pioneering journalist and the bestselling author of NEXT! The Power of Reinvention in Life and Work and the No. 1 bestseller THAT’S WHAT SHE SAID: What Men and Women Need to Know About Working Together. She has served as Editor-in-Chief of USA Today, USA Today Network, Conde Nast Portfolio, and The Wall Street Journal’s Weekend Journal, leading those organizations to six Pulitzer Prizes. She is also an on-air CNBC contributor and Yale University journalism lecturer. 

Previously, Lipman was Chief Content Officer of Gannett, where she was Editor-in-Chief of its USA Today and the USA Today Network, encompassing the flagship publication plus 109 metro newspapers including the Detroit Free Press, the Des Moines Register, and the Arizona Republic. In that role, she oversaw more than 3,000 journalists and led the organization to three Pulitzer prizes. 

Lipman began her career as a reporter for The Wall Street Journal, ultimately rising to deputy managing editor – the first woman to attain that post – and supervising coverage that won three Pulitzer Prizes. While there she created the Weekend Journal and Personal Journal and oversaw the creation of the Saturday edition. She subsequently was the founding editor-in-chief of Conde Nast Portfolio magazine, which won Loeb and National Magazine Awards. 

Lipman’s work has been published in numerous outlets including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Time, Fortune, Newsweek, and the Harvard Business Review. She has appeared as a television commentator on ABC, NBC, CNN, MSNBC, and PBS, among others. She is a frequent public speaker, with engagements including the World Economic Forum in Davos, the United Nations, the Aspen Ideas Festival, TEDx, the International Lean In conference, the Federal Reserve Board, and the Milken Institute Global conference, and has worked with numerous companies on issues of gender equity, diversity and inclusion. She also is co-author, with Melanie Kupchynsky, of the acclaimed music memoir “Strings Attached.” 

A winner of the Matrix Award for women in communications, Lipman was the inaugural Distinguished Journalism Fellow at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton. She has served or is currently serving on boards including Yale University Council; the World Editors Forum; the Knight Commission on Trust, Media and Democracy; the Yale Daily News; Spirited Media; the Yale Alumni Magazine (chair); the Knights Chamber Orchestra, and the advisory boards of Data.world, Breastcancer.org, The Wire China, and the Yale School of Music. She is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. She and her husband live in New York City and are the parents of two adult children. 

To find more information about the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Bar Association visit here: www.deafbar.org

You can also find their conversation featured in an article in the most recent issue of the Women Lawyers Journal here. 

You can also find their conversation featured in an article in the most recent issue of the Women Lawyers Journal here. 

You can also find their conversation featured in an article in the most recent issue of the Women Lawyers Journal here. 

This issue is titled, "Forging Their Own Path Pursuing Purpose and Passion" and will be available on Friday, December 22! 

You can find CEPHR here and if you are interested in reading the NAWL report mentioned in this episode, visit the NAWL website here.

Free Tools for Male Allies: https://ywomen.biz/free-tools/

 As discussed in the episode, GCI is a multi-day program of networking, education, and inspiration designed for senior in-house women counsel. Sessions with the general counsel of major corporations and other inspirational speakers foster frank, collegial discussions about career advancement. Workshops on key topics with leading experts provide opportunities to refine skills. GCI creates a unique environment to connect with other women counsel, share the highs and lows of in-house life, and build legal and leadership skills. 

*Please note that attendance at GCI is limited to in-house counsel and sponsors.

 As discussed in the episode, learn more about the upcoming NAWL Coaching Program, exclusive to 2023 Leadership Program participants here: https://www.nawl.org/2023-leadership-program#Coaching-program

Additional Resources from Dr. Gardner: 

Smarter Collaboration Diagnostic Toolkit

Smart Collaboration Accelerator

Center for Reproductive Rights Resources: 

• After Roe Fell: Abortion Laws by State
• Legal Analysis: What Dobbs Got Wrong
• The Constitutional Right to Reproductive Autonomy: Realizing the Promise of the 14th Amendment
• State Constitutions and Sex Discrimination
• The Fight Forward Resources

Read the latest news on this case here: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/31/business/fox-dominion-defamation-case.html

Find more information on the NAWL Women in Immigration Practice Area Affinity Group here: https://www.nawl.org/p/cm/ld/fid=296#imm

You can find Felicia's new book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Womans-Life-Human-Neighbor-Reproductive/dp/0802160689

Find Zenell's book here: https://www.amazon.com/Coffee-Conversations-Esq-Zenell-Brown/dp/1734086548

For an example of a SAGE presentation at Davis Wright Tremaine LLP, visit https://www.dwt.com/insights/2022/06/the-wisdom-of-the-sages.

For more resources for senior women attorneys, see the NAWL Women Revolutionizing Retirement Affinity group and the American Bar Association's Senior Lawyer Division Women of Excellence.

NAWL Resolution on Reproductive Justice: https://www.nawl.org/d/do/1089

Face the Wind Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/facing-the-wind/id1611668766

The Grit Factor Manifesto: thegritinstitute.com/manifesto)

Women Lawyers On Guard’s Survey on Sexual Misconduct and Harassment in the Legal Profession: https://womenlawyersonguard.org/still-broken/

The Legal Accountability Project: https://www.legalaccountabilityproject.org/

Thank you to the NAWL sponsors for making NAWLTalks ad-free! Make sure to rate and subscribe!

Thank you to the NAWL sponsors for making NAWLTalks ad-free!

Thank you to the NAWL sponsors for making NAWLTalks ad-free!

Stay tuned later this week for part of their conversation!

Thank you to the NAWL sponsors for making NAWLTalks ad-free!

Stay tuned later this week for part of their conversation!

Thank you to the NAWL sponsors for making NAWLTalks ad-free!

Their conversation focuses on how their book chronicles stories from women lawyers as they embark on their own personal journey of self-love, self-reflection, and self-awareness to define for themselves what success means in law—and in life. 

Thank you to the NAWL sponsors for making NAWLTalks ad-free!

Thank you to the NAWL sponsors for making NAWLTalks ad-free!

Lindsey LaForest received her Bachelor’s Degree with Distinction in Sport Management from the University of Michigan and holds a JD from Wayne State University Law School, where she was a Solway Scholar. She has served as a Title IX Research Assistant at Wayne State University Law School and as a law clerk at Dawda, Mann, Mulcahy & Sadler, PLC.

Nancy Chi Cantalupo is an Assistant Professor of Law at Wayne State University. She is a nationally-recognized scholar and expert on Title IX, sexual harassment, and gender-based violence in education. Her scholarship draws from her over 25 years of anti-campus sexual harassment and gender-based violence work as a researcher, campus administrator, victims’ advocate, attorney, and policymaker and focuses on the use of law to combat discriminatory violence.

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Simple Cast Podcasts, or find every episode on the NAWL website! Thank you to NAWL sponsors for making the NAWLTalks Podcast ad-free!

Thank you to NAWL sponsors for making the NAWLTalks Podcast ad-free!

Thank you to NAWL sponsors for making the NAWLTalks Podcast ad-free! Make sure to rate and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts! 

Thank you to NAWL sponsors for making the NAWLTalks Podcast ad-free! For more information on our podcast, or if you would like to get involved with our organization, please visit us at NAWL.org. Make sure to rate and subscribe!

This episode is Part Two of this NAWLTalks Podcast Episode! If you haven't had a chance to listen to Part One, you can find it in our podcast episode library.  

Thank you to NAWL sponsors for making the NAWLTalks Podcast ad-free! For more information on our podcast, or if you would like to get involved with our organization, please visit us at NAWL.org. Make sure to rate and subscribe!

This episode is Part One of this NAWLTalks Podcast Episode! You can listen to Part Two of this episode in a bonus podcast episode that will be published on Wednesday, February 23rd. 

Thank you to NAWL sponsors for making the NAWLTalks Podcast ad-free! For more information on our podcast, or if you would like to get involved with our organization, please visit us at NAWL.org. Make sure to rate and subscribe!

Please note that this episode discusses human trafficking and sexual violence that some listeners may find disturbing.