You Are A Lawyer Kyla Denanyoh

Irnise Williams is a registered nurse, travel nurse, and practicing attorney.  Originally from Connecticut, Irnise attended Howard University for her undergraduate degree and nursing school, then worked as a trauma nurse.  Irnise was inspired to become a nurse after multiple positive interactions with the nurses who cared for her grandparents' nurses and seeing what an impact those nurses made.  
After living in Washington D.C. while the Affordable Care Act was being drafted and discussed, D.C. was abuzz with all things healthcare policy, and Irnise could not look the other way. 
With her background in nursing, Irnise wanted to explore the intersection of law and healthcare.  After weighing the options of an advanced degree in policy or a law degree, Irnise was certain that she would have more opportunities with a J.D.  
Irnise is passionate about maternal and reproductive rights and ensuring people understand what health care is and what it can be.  Irnise believes that when people understand what healthcare can be, they can advocate for themselves within the healthcare system.  Irnise Williams is the managing attorney of her own practice and continues to work as a travel nurse.
Irnise Williams is licensed in Maryland.  Connect with Irnise Williams on Instagram @yournurselawyer and through her website, IWilliamsLaw.com.
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Whitney Harvey worked for over a decade in personal injury law before becoming an entrepreneur and running her career coaching business. But unlike your typical lawyers, Whitney wants women lawyers to STAY in the law by considering different practice areas, editing their resumes, and improving their soft skills to create their own success.
This podcast is available on YouTube podcasts, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, and more. You may also watch the episode on YouTube.
Welcome to the You Are A Lawyer podcast! Founded in 2020, this podcast promotes lawyers with side hustles, cool ambitions, and incredible career changes. Hosted by Kyla Denanyoh. 
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Get behind-the-scenes content from You Are A Lawyer. 

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Whitney Harvey is licensed to practice law in Arizona. Connect with Whitney Harvey at theselfcoachedlawyer.com 

Ali Awad became a social media mogul and edutains (educates and entertainers) others about personal injury law and how to excel with social media.  After realizing that Ali Awad was a natural salesman, Ali Awad found that his authenticity and natural acting skills attracted millions of social media followers.  Now, Ali Awad teaches others to build a brand online and Ali Awad manages a multi-million dollar personal injury law practice.
Listen to learn:

How to attract clients from social media
The importance of having a hustler mentality
How to build a business with nothing
We also discuss:

Being Muslim and a lawyer
How to get a job with your JD and interest in acting
Why Ali Awad wants to have the biggest law firm in the United States
The CEOLawyer Media Summit
Ali Awad is licensed to practice law in Georgia. Learn more about You Are A Lawyer guest Ali Awad:  
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ceolawyer/?hl=en
Website: https://ceolawyer.com
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You Are A Lawyer is hosted by Kyla Denanyoh.  Follow the podcast:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/youarealawyer/
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/YouAreA_Lawyer
Website: https://www.youarealawyer.com

Samora Legros sits on the Board of the Max Cadet Foundation, an organization created to celebrate his grandfather, a lawyer, judge, and dentist. Created with a dental clinic based in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, the Max Cadet Foundation serves children and adults living n Haiti by providing them with better dental care access.
Samoa Legros had the opportunity to work at a law firm during summers and breaks. As he took on more challenging tasks, he succeeded and received more responsibility. Given his grandmother's age, Samora knew that his analytical skills and empathy would make him a wonderful lawyer. After graduating in 2007, Samoa worked full-time at the law firm and had another striking experience in law. He worked with a client facing eviction who could not work and needed guidance and mentorship. Recognizing the potential of the sword and shield, he understood how the law and policy could be used to assist and protect people.
Samoa Legros highlights the significance of classes like trial advocacy, mediation, and effective communication in advocating for others. Professor Alvin Washington's teaching and problem analysis skills have empowered Samoa to confidently discuss and address the root causes of problems, enabling effective solutions, particularly in cases where individuals require urgent medical procedures.
Connect with Samora Legros
Samora Legros is not licensed to practice law. Connect with Samora Legros at slegros123@gmail.com
Engage with the Max Cadet Foundation at www.cadetdentalfund.com.
Grab the book, A Long Walk Home, mentioned in the podcast: https://amzn.to/42K4z5b
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Get behind-the-scenes content from You Are A Lawyer. 
‍
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4) Get emails from me (I won't fill your inbox with junk)!

Lawyers know other lawyers. The power of lawyer referrals is one of the strongest ways to find clients, but lawyers don't understand the practice. Kisha Brown created Justis Connection as a database of Black lawyers. As a Justis Connection member, a lawyer may offer their legal services to clients. As someone looking for legal representation, Justis Connection is a database of Black lawyers specializing in everything from bankruptcy to fertility to criminal law matters. 
Kisha Brown explains how Justis Connection highlights Black lawyers and is the largest referral network in the D.C., Maryland, and Virginia area.
In this episode, Kisha Brown, a Georgetown University Law Center graduate, explains her passion for civil rights and why she wants black lawyers to be prominent in the legal practice.
After being asked repeatedly if she knew a lawyer who did this, that or the other thing, Kisha Brown created Justis Connection to make it easier for Black lawyers to find clients and share their services with the community.  Finding that Black lawyers had to work twice as hard to build a book of business, whether the lawyer was in an established firm or private practice, Kisha solved the problem of how to refer lawyers to the community.  Justis Connection is a digital green book of lawyers.
After Kisha Brown worked at Cravath, Swain, and Moore as a paralegal and practiced in Baltimore, working with non-custodial parents and advocating for fair child support, Kisha saw the great need for a legal network in the “DMV” (D.C., Maryland, and Virginia).  Kisha saw the law as an avenue to pursue her passions and know what the law says, use it, yield the law, and craft the law to assist others.
Although Justis Connection was initially created to spotlight Black lawyers, this company is a networking and referral service for all clients. Kisha hires interns to work with Justis Connection, where she can mentor them and teach them soft skills about timeliness, communications and how to become a better writer.  In the future, Kisha Brown expects Justis Connection to be the premier referral resource in the country.
Kisha Brown is licensed in Maryland.  Connect with Kisha Brown on Instagram @JustisConnection, Facebook “JustisConnection”, LinkedIn and Twitter @JustisConnect.

Misty Leon didn’t know that employee benefits law existed, but the practice perfectly suited her interests and skills. This specialty law practice allowed Misty to work for 19 years in private practice before moving in-house and working with Texas Instruments. 

Misty Leon's BackgroundAs a first-generation lawyer, Misty didn’t have much experience with lawyers and what they did daily, but she knew she wanted to study law. 

During her 1L summer, Misty worked with a plaintiff litigation attorney specializing in disability benefits and ERISA. This internship was Misty's introduction to benefits law, but Misty wanted to avoid the litigation area. Misty was quickly recognized as a unicorn in this practice area because she enjoyed researching statutes, federal policy, and compliance. 

Misty is collaborating with partners, and benefit plans, remaining vigilant about new laws and policies and how they impact benefits. 
What You Can Do With Your Law Degree
Misty worked in private practice for 19 years before she began working in-house with Texas Instruments. Unlike most in-house legal jobs, Misty Leon works with various departments within Texas Instruments to ensure the company follows all federal and state benefit guidelines.

Misty considers her coworkers as internal clients because she is consulting with different departments and directors who would need guidance. As a team one, Misty is the only employee benefits lawyer at Texas Instruments, but Misty works as a consultant with various departments. Misty’s days are spent interacting with “internal clients” people in human resources and the legal departments because of her experience with HIPAA and experience from almost two decades in private practice.
Contact Misty Leon
Misty Leon is licensed to practice law in Texas, Virginia, and D.C. Learn more about Misty Leon:  
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/misty-a-leon
Join the FREE mailing list!
Get behind-the-scenes content from You Are A Lawyer. 
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2) Add your email address to the Subscribe pop-up box OR
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Know any cool, courageous, or fun lawyers? Celebrate them with a gift! Visit SHOPyouarealawyer.com to buy a t-shirt, water bottle, or sweatshirt to celebrate the law graduate in your life. 

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