LawHub Presents I Am The Law Podcast
157 Episodes
Sharpening the Craft of Special Victims Prosecution
Like most prosecutors, Jennifer Long learned on the job. Now she helps train them. After starting her career in a DA's office, Jennifer moved into handling child abuse, domestic violence, and sexual assault cases. Today, she's the founder and CEO of AEquitas, a nonprofit that supports prosecutors across the country working on those same crimes. Jennifer spends her time writing grants, managing projects, and developing the next generation of experts in the field, while still keeping her hands in the substantive legal work. She explains how she built her advocacy skills in court as a new prosecutor, what it takes to handle deeply sensitive cases, and why strong writing became central to her impact. Jennifer is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania Carey School of Law.
This episode is hosted by Katya Valasek.
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Episodes
Sharpening the Craft of Special Victims Prosecution
33 minutes 39 secondsLike most prosecutors, Jennifer Long learned on the job. Now she helps train them. After starting her career in a DA's office, Jennifer moved into handling child abuse, domestic violence, and sexual assault cases. Today, she's the founder and CEO of AEquitas, a nonprofit that supports prosecutors across the country working on those same crimes. Jennifer spends her time writing grants, managing projects, and developing the next generation of experts in the field, while still keeping her hands in the substantive legal work. She explains how she built her advocacy skills in court as a new prosecutor, what it takes to handle deeply sensitive cases, and why strong writing became central to her impact. Jennifer is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania Carey School of Law.
After the Headlines: Lawsuits in the Wake of Disaster
31 minutes 5 seconds.Richard Hy is a lawyer who represents people harmed in large-scale incidents, from mass shootings to defective products to public health crises. In this episode, he explains the strategic differences between mass torts and class actions, and uses his work on the 2017 Las Vegas mass shooting litigation to highlight how plaintiffs' lawyers think through which court, who to sue, and how to coordinate across dozens of law firms. Richard discusses the economics of contingency-fee practice, how AI is changing document-heavy work, and the secondary trauma that comes with intake after a mass-casualty event. He also reflects on how moving from insurance defense into plaintiff-side work early in his career shaped the way he approaches litigation today, giving him a clearer read on what the other side is likely to do. Richard is a graduate of Gonzaga School of Law.
More Than Legal Advice: Building a Firm for High-Conflict Divorce
27 minutes 40 secondsJonathan Merel runs a mid-sized family law firm built around high-conflict divorce. In this episode, he talks about the kinds of cases his firm takes on, how he sets strategy across a team of lawyers, and what shifted when he moved from full-time litigator to running the business. He also reflects on the emotional weight of family law, why it draws certain practitioners and burns out others, and how he separates emotion from legal judgment.
Building a Practice Around Delaware's Corporate Code
27 minutes 25 secondsMark Purpura thought he might head to Wall Street but found his niche in law instead. Now a Delaware-based attorney, he works on the deals that keep the financial world moving, from forming trust companies to advising on complex transactions. In this episode, Mark breaks down why Delaware has become the center of corporate law, what it’s like to work on fast-moving, high-stakes deals, and how he built a practice that blends business and law. He also shares how his work goes beyond clients, with a hand in shaping state legislation and advancing LGBTQ+ rights. Mark is a graduate of the University of North Carolina School of Law.
Federal Bankruptcy Judge: Running a Second Chance Court
32 minutes 5 secondsJudge Elizabeth Stong calls bankruptcy court a "second chance court," a forum where companies in financial distress and individuals buried in debt can find a path forward, even if it's rarely the one they hoped for. She serves on the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of New York, sitting in Brooklyn.
An Introvert's Path to Running an Immigration Law Firm
31 minutes 37 secondsAs an international student graduating from a U.S. law school, Jimmy Lai struggled to find employers willing to sponsor him. Rather than leave the U.S., he chose to build something from scratch. In this episode, Jimmy talks about how his visa barriers pushed him to co-found an immigration law firm. Jimmy reflects on failing the bar exam three times before passing, navigating the financial and legal risks of starting a firm, and learning to think like a business owner rather than a lawyer. He also talks about doing all of this as a self-described introvert — someone who once avoided grocery store aisles to dodge small talk — and how he forced himself into networking and sales before eventually delegating those roles to more extroverted team members. Jimmy is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma College of Law.
IRS Tax Lawyer: From Tax Strategist to the Government (replay)
23 minutes 21 secondsDeepan Patel explains his role at the IRS. While the IRS has many types of lawyers, he focuses on business taxpayer guidance, which ensures certainty for businesses making major decisions. He describes how he got into tax, where his career might go, and trade-offs between government and private practice. Deepan is a graduate of Florida State University College of Law.