LawHub Presents I Am The Law Podcast
164 Episodes
Proving Someone Can't Care for Themselves: Mental Health Conservatorship Trials
Leanna Taing is a lawyer for Los Angeles County, where she represents the Office of Public Guardian in mental health conservatorship proceedings. In this episode, she explains what happens when someone is unable to care for themselves due to a mental health condition and no family or friends can step in. Leana walks through how cases move from hospital referral to courtroom, why these civil cases require proof beyond a reasonable doubt, and what it means to cross-examine someone whose autonomy is at stake. She also discusses managing a caseload in the hundreds, the shift from bench trials to jury trials, and how she transitioned into this work after seven years in child welfare law. Leana Taing is a graduate of UCLA Law.
This episode is hosted by Katya Valasek.
Mentioned in this episode:
Episodes
Proving Someone Can't Care for Themselves: Mental Health Conservatorship Trials
32 minutes 1 secondLeanna Taing is a lawyer for Los Angeles County, where she represents the Office of Public Guardian in mental health conservatorship proceedings. In this episode, she explains what happens when someone is unable to care for themselves due to a mental health condition and no family or friends can step in. Leana walks through how cases move from hospital referral to courtroom, why these civil cases require proof beyond a reasonable doubt, and what it means to cross-examine someone whose autonomy is at stake. She also discusses managing a caseload in the hundreds, the shift from bench trials to jury trials, and how she transitioned into this work after seven years in child welfare law. Leana Taing is a graduate of UCLA Law.
Defending the Whole Client: Criminal Charges and Their Hidden Consequences
37 minutes 4 secondsFrances Prizzia began her career as a public defender. Today, she runs her own criminal defense practice, representing clients facing charges ranging from DUI and assault to murder. In this episode, Frances explains how a criminal charge can often have damaging consequences outside the courtroom, affecting a clients’ housing, immigration status, professional licenses, and family matters. These are areas that public defenders frequently have limited ability to address. She walks through an attempted murder case involving a client with schizophrenia to show how mental health history can shape defense strategy. Frances also breaks down preliminary hearings, plea negotiations, and the many factors that go into deciding whether to take a case to trial when the stakes can mean decades in prison. This leads to her desire to build a more holistic practice and the hard limits of what a lawyer can do when clients insist on making their own choices. Frances is a graduate of Santa Clara University School of Law.
Criminal Justice Advocacy from Within the L.A. Mayor's Office (replay)
22 minutes 57 secondsKimberley Baker Guillemet helped form the Los Angeles Office of Reentry to ensure that when someone leaves prison, limited employment options do not lead to a cycle of crime. In this episode, she discusses her work helping the formerly incarcerated rejoin society and altering conditions that lead to initial jailings. Kimberley is a graduate of the University of Southern California Gould School of Law.
Commercial Litigation at a Large Firm (replay)
22 minutes 41 secondsChukwukpee Nzegwu is a junior associate practicing commercial litigation at a large, general practice law firm. While he didn't go to law school to do commercial lit, he's found it both exciting and challenging. He explains that his decision was influenced by the opportunity to gain trial experience and be involved in oral advocacy. Chukwukpee discusses his work as a problem solver for clients involved in lawsuits and highlights the complexity of commercial litigation. He shares his experiences working on cases from the beginning to the end, including drafting motions, researching statute of limitations arguments, and participating in appeals. Chukwukpee is a graduate of the University of Maryland.
Regulating Ethics in Politics: Advisory Opinions and Agency Operations
27 minutes 55 secondsAmanda Arriaga is General Counsel for the Texas Ethics Commission, the state agency that oversees campaign finance, lobbying, and financial disclosure. In this episode, she explains what it means to represent an institution rather than any individual official, and how her office answers questions from the public through an informal helpline and through formal advisory opinions that people can rely on afterward. Amanda also describes why most of her day goes to operations rather than legal research: reviewing agency contracts from initiation through management, training staff on procurement rules, and managing a team. She talks about the scrutiny that comes with spending money that belongs to the public, and why management is a skill more lawyers should build. Amanda is a graduate of the University of Texas.
Fine Print, Big Money: Making Insurers Pay Up
44 minutes 56 secondsStorm Lineberger is a fourth-year associate at global large firm Haynes Boone who practices insurance coverage litigation on the policyholder side. When an insurer denies a company's claim, he sues to recover what the policy promised. In this episode, Storm separates coverage work from insurance defense, walks through how a denied claim becomes a lawsuit, and explains why the underlying event, a refinery explosion or a hurricane, matters less than the words of the contract. He details the substantive work that falls to mid-level associates on leanly staffed cases, from drafting summary judgment motions to assessing settlement risk. The conversation also covers AI in document review and what changes when a senior associate starts managing other people. Storm is a graduate of Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law.
One Career in Three Acts: Big Law, Contract Work, Plaintiff Firm
34 minutes 59 secondsCharles Star thought he'd become a union-side labor lawyer but like many law students, he followed the pull of Big Law instead. The prestige and paycheck were there, but the work left him unfulfilled. Charles walked away to pursue stand-up comedy, supporting himself as a hourly contract lawyer. Eventually he landed on the plaintiff side, where he works as a staff attorney on consumer class actions and feels connected to the work. In this episode, Charles reflects on golden handcuffs, career pivots, and what it takes to find a legal path that fits. Charles is a graduate of Columbia Law School.