Arkansas Court of Appeals Judge Cindy Thyer shares her path to the law and the bench (through two different trial court appointments by Republican and Democratic governors alike, followed by uncontested election to the trial and appellate bench) and provides tips for those considering a judicial career as well as for advocates. Judge Thyer also shares how she earned a Masters in Judicial Studies while serving on the bench.

Andrea Sheridan Ordin -- the first female United States Attorney for the Central District of California—and only the third female U.S. Attorney in American history— discusses her path to this and other leadership positions in government. Among other roles, Ms. Ordin has also served as Los Angeles County Counsel, Chief Assistant Attorney General of California, and on the Los Angeles Police Commission. In this episode, she sits down with MC Sungaila to discuss her path to these different roles and offers leadership lessons.

Molly Dwyer is the Clerk of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Prior to serving as the Clerk of Court, she served as deputy clerk and as a staff attorney with the Court. Prior to law school, she attended the London School of Economics and was an assistant to the author Doris Lessing. Molly reveals that fateful day she got off the bus across the street from the beautiful James R. Browning courthouse in San Francisco, and applied for a staff attorney position she saw posted on a bulletin board inside. She also provides insight into the role of both staff attorneys and the Clerk's office, and how they help lawyers and judges provide access to justice. Discover Molly's story, and gain insight into the Ninth Circuit, in today's episode of The Portia Project.

In this episode, M.C. Sungaila takes a look at the fine art of mediation with Sasha M. Cummings, a mediator with the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Prior to becoming an appellate mediator with the Court, Ms. Cummings worked as a litigator for over 15 years. She discusses her path in the law, and what it's like to mediate cases with the Court.

M.C. Sungaila welcomes Sonia Escobio O'Donnell, Partner at Sonia Escobio O’Donnell P.A., and the former Chief of Appeals and Head Deputy Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Miami U.S. Attorneys' office at a time when few women held such roles. Sonia shares how she helped foster the hiring of more diverse attorneys in the U.S. Attorney's office, and how her judicial clerkship and relationship with the judge she worked for, as well as her work with other significant mentors, impacted her career. Join in the conversation to learn from Sonia’s experiences.

Host MC Sungaila chats with Mary Card Mina, a Supervisory Attorney for a federal government agency, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS), and a former Judge Advocate General in the U.S. Army. They discuss the important influences in her career as a lawyer, the valuable lessons she learned from her experience in the military, and how volunteer work shaped her as a lawyer. In addition, Mary shares the many ways lawyers, especially women lawyers, can find opportunities to develop as leaders in law. Listen in for valuable insights on leadership, meaningful work, and finding success as a team.

In this episode, host MC Sungaila chats with Chief Deputy Clerk Dawn Du Verney of the Western District of Tennessee to uncover how her current role combines her degree in law and her skills on the administrative side, gained from various executive leadership and legal positions within corporate, academic, nonprofit, and government sectors. She touches on the importance of developing soft skills and having the right team of mentors to guide you in your career. She also talks about her experience as a woman working in the legal field and how we can further support each other in the space.

As part of a Girls Inc. Of Orange County "Girls Meet the Workforce" job readiness and Externship program, 100 11th grade girls from Orange County gathered at Santa Ana College for a live recording of the Portia Project® podcast, which featured prominent female lawyers and judges from Southern California.

This live event featured previous podcast guests and was tailored for Girls Inc. of Orange County attendees. In addition to podcast host M.C. Sungaila, panelists included Justices Eileen Moore and Joanne Motoike of the California Court of Appeal; Judge Kimberly Knill of the Orange County Superior Court; Orange County Senior Assistant Public Defender Tracy LeSage; and Loyola Law School professor, Rebecca Delfino.

Girls Inc. of Orange County has been a respected member of the non-profit community since 1954. The mission of Girls Inc. is to inspire all girls to be strong, smart, and bold. We put our mission into practice through the Girls Inc. experience that equips girls to navigate gender, economic, and social barriers and grow into healthy, educated, and independent adults. Health, education, and independence are the three main areas that surround its program curricula.

Join Orange County Supervisor, Attorney Katrina Foley, as she shares why it's important to build long-lasting relationships by serving your community.