The legal world is undergoing a seismic shift. Technological advancements and a changing social landscape force the legal profession to adapt, but are law schools keeping pace? In this episode, Jody Sanders and Todd Smith...more
Texas is one of the few states that offers a certified specialty in civil appellate law. In this episode, Kelley Morris, a partner at Wright Close and Barger in Houston, joins Jody Sanders and Todd Smith to talk about her...more
Few judges in the Texas court system can claim to have served at every level—trial court, appellate court, and Texas Supreme Court. But this week’s guest, Justice Jane Bland, has done all three! Her career of service to the...more
The U.S. Supreme Court always remains newsworthy, but the last few years have brought unprecedented change to the institution and the public’s perception of it. Greg Stohr, the Supreme Court reporter for Bloomberg News, has...more
Many attorneys start their careers in a law firm setting. Often, those roles require working with in-house counsel to provide legal services to a company. How can attorneys transition from a client service role into working...more
For the lucky few who get them, U.S. Supreme Court clerkships provide a lifetime of memories in a single year. But imagine if your clerkship included not only working for a Supreme Court Justice, but also with a future...more
This episode features the Texas Appellate Law Podcast’s first three-time guest, M.C. Sungaila. She joins Todd Smith and Jody Sanders to discuss her new podcast, The Portia Project, which chronicles the careers of women judges...more
People take many paths into the practice of law. These varied experiences provide important perspectives that enrich and improve the legal industry. This week, Todd Smith and Jody Sanders talk with Texas Supreme Court Justice...more
Balancing professional obligations with self-care is a major challenge for lawyers. It’s easy for attorneys to overload themselves with work, activities, and commitments, often stretching themselves too thin and straining...more
There are many different ways to practice law and many types of law to practice. Law students and young attorneys often don’t know where to turn for advice about their options. Luckily, in addition to his teaching and...more
The inner workings of courts of appeals are sometimes hard to understand from the outside. Staff attorneys play a critical role in screening cases, assisting the justices, and helping the court handle its workload. This week,...more
Traditionally, the path to appellate practice often came through a judicial clerkship. But, in recent years, lawyers have worked to forge alternative routes. Mia Lorick, a partner at Locke Lord in Houston, is one of those...more
The law in general and appellate practice, in particular, suffer from a lack of diversity. The traditional barriers to both law and appellate practice have left many students of color and first-generation law students lacking...more