The Whole Lawyer Podcast

Akeem D. Earle
  • 5.0 (6)
  • Society & Culture
  • Updated Weekly

The Whole Lawyer takes you beyond the courtroom and into the real lives of attorneys. Hosted by Akeem D. Earle, a young Black practicing criminal law attorney, and his wife and co-host Tonée Earle, a practicing family law and estate planning attorney, the show explores what it really means to be a lawyer today. In one part of the podcast, Akeem sits down with attorneys from different backgrounds to uncover their stories, passions, and journeys inside and outside of the law. In another, Akeem and Tonée review and react to real life cases, using them as teaching moments while sharing insights f

  1. Sep 29

    Ep 45. Ayana McPherson, Esq.

    From professional dancer to entertainment attorney, Ayana McPherson’s career is proof that you don’t have to leave your old self behind when you become a lawyer. In this episode of The Whole Lawyer, Ayana joins Akeem to talk about her journey from growing up in Brooklyn and studying dance at the University of Michigan to working in talent representation and eventually becoming a production attorney in film and television. Ayana breaks down what production attorneys actually do, how her background as a dancer still influences the way she practices law, and why law students should stop thinking there is only one traditional path into the profession. She also shares her unconventional journey through the LSAT and law school admissions, the moment she found herself in the bottom 9% on a bar exam diagnostic just two weeks before the exam, and how changing the way she studied helped her turn things around. The conversation also gets into networking, finding opportunities outside of your school’s job portal, reaching out to people who are only a few steps ahead of you, and how a LinkedIn connection eventually helped Ayana find her way into entertainment law. Plus, Ayana talks about working in film and television, including her experience on Dexter, finding her voice as a production attorney, and why the stories she gets to help bring to the screen matter to her. At the center of Ayana’s story is one message: don’t leave yourself behind. The interests, experiences, and skills you had before becoming a lawyer might be exactly what makes your legal career unique. 00:00 Intro06:08 If Ayana Wasn’t a Lawyer06:58 What Does a Production Attorney Do?10:44 The Path to Entertainment Law11:32 Growing Up in Brooklyn and Becoming a Dancer14:03 Majoring in Dance at Michigan15:17 Leaving NYC and Experiencing Culture Shock19:04 From Dance to the Business of Entertainment20:10 Discovering Talent Representation24:03 Turning Her Dance Background Into an Advantage25:22 How Entertainment Law Entered the Picture28:58 How Her Mom Introduced Her to Law31:52 Your College Major Doesn’t Define Your Legal Career33:35 Finding Opportunities Outside the Traditional Path35:46 You Only Need One Yes36:50 Ayana’s LSAT Struggle41:45 The Law School Interview That Changed Everything43:29 Learning How You Learn47:04 Bar Exam Horror Story48:40 Bottom 9% Two Weeks Before the Bar Exam49:20 The Conversation That Stopped Her From Quitting50:20 Completely Changing Her Bar Prep Strategy54:52 Finding the Study Method That Worked57:36 Law School Is Built Around Litigation59:19 Networking Her Way Into Entertainment Law1:02:07 Working on Dexter1:04:50 Finding Her Voice as a Production Attorney1:05:19 Working on If I Go Will They Miss Me1:07:49 The Closing Argument1:09:17 Anna Chronistic 😂1:09:47 Bring Your Whole Self Into the Legal Profession1:12:29 Final Thoughts evenaftermedia.com

  2. Sep 15

    Ep 44: The 1L Survival Checklist - 5 Things Every Law Student Needs

    Your 1L year can feel overwhelming, but there are things you can do right now to make law school more manageable. In this episode of The Whole Lawyer, Akeem D. Earle and Tonee Earle break down five practical tips for succeeding during your first year of law school. We talk about why focus matters, how to actually read and brief cases, preparing for finals without cramming, using professors and TAs as resources, taking care of yourself during law school, building relationships, protecting your reputation, and why you should be careful about relying too heavily on AI during your 1L year. Whether you're starting law school, currently surviving your first semester, or preparing for finals, this episode is designed to help you build habits that will carry you through law school, the bar exam, and eventually into practice. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Intro02:40 Five Tips for Passing Your 1L Year03:27 Tip 1: Focus and Eliminate Distractions06:08 Organize Now So You Don't Cram Later08:57 Tip 2: Actually Read Your Cases10:15 Why Case Briefing Matters14:40 Why Lawyers Are Still Needed in the AI Era17:00 Tip 3: Breathe and Take Care of Yourself20:21 How to Calm Yourself Before an Exam22:58 Find Your People and Treat Yourself24:49 Tip 4: Use Your Resources26:44 Using AI and Quimbee During 1L28:23 Why Your TAs Matter30:23 Tip 5: Build Connections and Your Reputation34:39 Be Careful Choosing Mentors36:20 Your Reputation Starts in Law School39:07 The Legal World Is Smaller Than You Think40:35 The Five Tips Recap43:04 Outro evenaftermedia.com Subscribe to The Whole Lawyer for conversations about law school, becoming a lawyer, building a legal career, and everything that comes with life in the profession.

  3. Sep 1

    Ep 43: Entrepreneurship, Business Law & Nearly $3 Billion in Deals with Nick McGrew, Esq.

    What happens when your legal career doesn't go according to plan? For Nick McGrew, that turned out to be a good thing. Nick is the founding attorney of Polymath Legal PC, where his practice focuses on syndication, real estate, business, and transactional matters. Over the course of his career, he has helped clients with transactions involving nearly $3 billion in assets. He's also a tenured professor of business law, entrepreneur, legal content creator, and—yes—a magician. But that career wasn't built according to some perfect roadmap. Nick graduated from law school during the 2009 recession, struggled to find the type of legal work he wanted, started his firm at a young age, developed new practice areas based on what his clients needed, and eventually found his way back to one of his original goals: becoming a professor. In this episode of The Whole Lawyer, Nick and Akeem discuss the realities of entrepreneurship, finding your niche as a lawyer, building systems, dealing with failure, developing relationships, creating content, and learning to stay flexible when your career doesn't follow the path you imagined. One of Nick's biggest lessons after 16 years of practice is simple: Things take time. The things that feel ordinary today may be the exact things you dreamed about ten years ago. And for law students and young lawyers trying to plan every step of their careers, Nick offers another important reminder: have a destination, but don't become married to the path that gets you there. 00:00 Intro 03:14 If Nick Wasn't a Lawyer 05:23 Why Business Law? 07:45 Discovering Transactional Law 08:39 Graduating During the 2009 Recession 11:19 Finding His Legal Niche 12:12 Building Expertise Through Repetition 14:43 What Is Real Estate Syndication? 16:38 What a Syndication Lawyer Actually Does 18:25 A Day in Nick's Life 20:28 Is Entrepreneurship Overrated? 21:16 Starting a Law Firm at 25 22:45 Why There's No Shame in Having a Job 23:13 Why Entrepreneurship Works for Nick 24:41 Becoming "Nick the Lawyer" Online 26:49 Why Relationships Matter in Law 27:40 "Relationships First" 28:29 Adding Trademark Work to His Practice 29:53 How Nick Handles Failure 31:10 Bar Exam Horror Story 37:15 Going to Law School at Pepperdine 38:46 Why Nick Became a Professor 39:44 Being Told He Couldn't Become a Professor 40:50 How Setbacks Created His Career 43:10 Don't Hold Too Tightly to Your Career Plan 45:00 Being a Lawyer and Content Creator 47:40 Are the Next Generation of Students Ready? 49:37 Nearly $3 Billion in Deals 50:36 Things Take Time 52:22 Lawyers Aren't Magicians 54:03 How Nick Became a Magician 58:28 Nick's Networking Hack for Introverts 59:53 Practicing Law in Los Angeles 01:01:45 The Future of Polymath Legal 01:03:39 Advice for Law Students 01:05:13 Final Advice: Have a Destination, Not a Fixed Path

  4. Aug 19

    Ep 42: Should You Go to Law School Part Time?

    Should you go to law school part time? In this episode of The Whole Lawyer, Akeem shares his experience working full time while attending law school as an evening student for four years and breaks down what that path actually looks like. Part time law school may sound like the easier option, but there was nothing “part time” about the workload. Akeem discusses balancing a full workday with evening classes, studying on weekends, finding time for internships, and making sacrifices while still trying to have a life outside of law school. He also breaks down why keeping his job as a paralegal became one of the biggest advantages of his law school experience. Working in the legal field allowed him to gain practical experience, build relationships with attorneys, develop his professional reputation, and see how what he learned in the classroom translated into actual legal practice. But the evening route comes with tradeoffs. From missing some OCIs and internships to having less access to student organizations and networking opportunities, Akeem explains what prospective evening students should consider before committing. If you're considering law school while working full time, raising a family, changing careers, or simply trying to determine whether a traditional three year program makes sense for you, this episode will help you think through the decision. Timestamps 00:00 Should You Go to Law School Part Time?02:24 Why I Chose the Evening Program04:03 How Moving to DC Changed My Plans06:20 Why Relationships Matter in Your Legal Career08:20 Why I Kept Working During Law School10:40 Your Job and Law School Have to Work Together13:04 What an Evening Law School Schedule Looks Like14:43 Working Full Time and Going to Class at Night17:05 Time Management Is Everything17:46 Your Weekends No Longer Belong to You19:24 The Biggest Benefits of Being an Evening Student21:47 How Working Helps You Build Your Legal Reputation23:51 Connecting Law School to Real Legal Practice24:56 The Downsides of Part Time Law School26:16 Internships and Opportunities as an Evening Student28:43 Do Law Schools Prioritize Evening Students?30:45 A Typical Day in My Life During Law School33:27 Do You Actually Have the Capacity to Do This?34:00 The Financial Benefits of Part Time Law School35:52 Final Advice for Prospective Evening Students 🎙️ The Whole Lawyer

    Ep 42: Should You Go to Law School Part Time?

  5. Aug 18

    Ep 41: First Generation Attorneys on Law School, Careers & Rejection

    What is it really like to become a lawyer when you’re the first in your family to navigate the legal profession? In this episode of The Whole Lawyer, first generation attorneys Akeem Earle and Tonee Earle share the lessons they learned navigating law school, building legal careers, dealing with rejection, interviewing for legal jobs, and figuring out what they actually wanted from the profession. They discuss the challenges that come with entering law without a clear blueprint, the importance of mentorship and networking, and why hearing “no” is an unavoidable part of building a successful legal career. They also get candid about the financial realities of becoming an attorney, misconceptions about lawyer salaries, choosing between public interest and higher paying opportunities, and the pros and cons of practicing law. Akeem and Tonee also share practical legal interview tips, including researching your interviewers, using LinkedIn to build genuine connections, practicing mock interviews, becoming comfortable with silence, asking better questions, and evaluating whether a potential job actually fits the life you want to build. The conversation ultimately goes beyond simply how to become a lawyer and asks a bigger question: What kind of life do you want your legal career to create? If you’re a law student, pre law student, first generation professional, new attorney, or anyone considering law school, this episode offers an honest look at the realities of becoming and being a lawyer. In this episode: • Being a first generation lawyer without a blueprint• Law school and the importance of mentorship• Rejection and resilience in the legal profession• Public interest law vs higher paying legal careers• The truth about lawyer salaries and student loans• Building confidence as a young attorney• Pros and cons of being a lawyer• Problems with outdated court processes• Legal job interview tips and preparation• Networking and using LinkedIn before an interview• Questions to ask a potential employer• Choosing a legal career that fits your lifestyle• Work life balance for lawyers Chapters 00:00 Introduction02:05 Courtroom stories and professional etiquette06:20 What does it mean to be a first generation attorney?08:00 Challenges of becoming a lawyer without a blueprint09:35 Mentorship and early exposure to the legal profession13:15 Work ethic and navigating law as a first generation professional14:20 Public interest, Big Law, and career choices18:00 The truth about lawyer salaries19:00 Representation and feeling like you belong in law21:00 You don’t have to be perfect to become a lawyer22:50 Why rejection is part of becoming a lawyer24:20 Building confidence and earning respect28:15 The pros and cons of being a lawyer35:50 Problems within the legal system42:00 Why the court system feels outdated46:40 How to prepare for legal job interviews48:45 Researching your interviewers and doing your homework50:05 Why mock interviews matter51:40 How networking helped Akeem land his job53:20 Confidence, silence, and answering interview questions54:25 Questions you should ask during an interview56:00 Choosing a job that fits your lifestyle57:45 Work life balance in the legal profession1:00:10 Final thoughts The Whole Lawyer explores the people behind the profession and the experiences, challenges, careers, and lives that shape lawyers beyond the courtroom. Follow and subscribe for more conversations about law school, legal careers, lawyer life, career development, and the realities of practicing law.

    Ep 41: First Generation Attorneys on Law School, Careers & Rejection

  6. Aug 17

    Ep 40: Before You Apply to Law School with Howard Law Admissions Dean Tracy Simmons

    What does it actually take to stand out when applying to law school? In this episode of The Whole Lawyer, Akeem sits down with Tracy Simmons, Associate Dean of Admissions and Student Affairs at Howard University School of Law, for a conversation every aspiring law student should hear. Dean Simmons takes us inside the law school admissions process, breaking down what admissions professionals are really looking for in an applicant, why authenticity matters, and how your personal statement can tell a story that your numbers cannot. She also explains some of the most common mistakes applicants make, including something surprisingly simple: not following directions. But getting into law school is only part of the conversation. Akeem and Dean Simmons discuss the enormous influence of law school rankings, how rankings can affect scholarships and the decisions students make, and why aspiring lawyers should develop their own definition of success instead of automatically chasing prestige. Dean Simmons also shares her own journey from a first generation student to a leader in legal education, including the moments of self doubt that could have stopped her from pursuing opportunities along the way. Her advice is simple but powerful: don't block your blessings by deciding you're unqualified before someone else even gets the chance to consider you. The conversation also explores adaptability in the legal profession, mentorship, diversity in legal education, and Dean Simmons' experience becoming an author and helping make complicated legal topics more accessible through books including Law School For Dummies and Critical Race Theory For Dummies. Whether you're considering law school, preparing your application, currently navigating law school, or already building your legal career, this episode is a reminder that there is no single path to becoming a successful lawyer. In this episode: • What law school admissions committees actually look for• How to make your personal statement stand out• Why authenticity matters in your application• The biggest misconceptions about law school admissions• How much law school rankings really matter• Choosing the right law school for your goals• Scholarships, rankings, and their impact on diversity• Overcoming self doubt and imposter syndrome• Why adaptability can change the trajectory of your career• Dean Simmons' journey into legal education• Writing Law School For Dummies• Teaching and writing about Critical Race Theory• Advice for aspiring lawyers and future leaders CHAPTERS 00:00 Introduction to Tracy Simmons and Her Journey02:55 Understanding Law School Admissions05:42 The Importance of Authenticity in Applications08:57 Why Pursue a Law Degree?11:41 How to Stand Out in Law School Applications14:46 The Role of Open Mindedness in Law School17:55 Tracy's Path to Law and Education24:17 Navigating Legal Perspectives: The Dual Role of Attorneys27:04 Finding Your Path: The Journey to Law School28:28 The Importance of Adaptability in Law Careers30:46 Rethinking Law School Rankings and Success37:45 Overcoming Self Doubt: Embracing Opportunities43:12 Writing for Change: The Purpose Behind the Book45:27 Navigating the Publishing World48:21 The Evolution of Legal Education49:15 Insights from the Book54:02 Writing in a Controversial Climate58:50 Advice for Aspiring Leaders1:03:49 Inspiration and Closing Thoughts The Whole Lawyer explores the people behind the profession: how lawyers got where they are, what they've learned along the way, and the parts of building a legal career that don't always get talked about. Follow and subscribe to The Whole Lawyer for more conversations about law school, legal careers, professional development, and life beyond the title.

  7. Aug 4

    Ep 39: Why So Many Black Lawyers Struggle With Imposter Syndrome

    Everyone talks about getting into law school. Almost no one talks about what happens after you make it. In this deeply personal solo episode, attorney Tonée Earle shares her journey through law school, the legal profession, and the imposter syndrome that followed her into the courtroom. From being mistaken for a criminal defendant instead of the lawyer, to questioning whether she earned her opportunities on merit, Tonee opens up about the realities many underrepresented attorneys silently face. Whether you're considering law school, currently a law student, or already practicing law, this episode is a reminder that you belong—and that perseverance matters more than perfection. If this episode encouraged you, share it with someone pursuing law school or beginning their legal career. Subscribe for more conversations about life beyond the law. 00:00 Introduction02:36 First courtroom experience and imposter syndrome04:43 Being mistaken for the defendant instead of the lawyer06:45 The emotional impact of representation in law09:24 Fear, failure, and building confidence11:55 Why becoming a lawyer is supposed to be difficult14:20 Why diversity and representation matter17:33 The DEI conversation and belonging in the profession17:52 The traffic stop that changed everything26:35 Why she finally chose law school27:45 Final encouragement for future lawyers Timestamps

  8. Jun 16

    Ep 38: A Judge Told Me She Would've Thrown Out My Case w/ Akeem D. Earle, Esq.

    Failure is part of the job, but it doesn't have to become part of your identity. In this first solo episode of The Whole Lawyer, I share some of the mistakes I've made during my first few years of practicing law, from missed objections and filing errors to a mock trial mistake that a judge told me would've gotten my case thrown out in real life. If you're a law student, young lawyer, or anyone navigating a challenging profession, this episode is a reminder that failure isn't the end of the story. The lesson is learning how to respond, adjust, and keep moving forward. Chapters:00:00 Embracing Failure in Law04:50 The Highs and Lows of Legal Practice09:59 Learning from Mistakes20:07 Defining Identity Beyond Failures The highs are temporary. The lows are temporary. The lesson is permanent. #TheWholeLawyer #LawyerLife #LawSchool #YoungLawyer #TrialLawyer #LegalCareer #AttorneyLife #ProfessionalDevelopment #FailureToGrowth #PersonalGrowth #CareerAdvice #LegalProfession #LawStudent #SuccessMindset #LeadershipDevelopment

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About

The Whole Lawyer takes you beyond the courtroom and into the real lives of attorneys. Hosted by Akeem D. Earle, a young Black practicing criminal law attorney, and his wife and co-host Tonée Earle, a practicing family law and estate planning attorney, the show explores what it really means to be a lawyer today. In one part of the podcast, Akeem sits down with attorneys from different backgrounds to uncover their stories, passions, and journeys inside and outside of the law. In another, Akeem and Tonée review and react to real life cases, using them as teaching moments while sharing insights f

Information

  • Creator
    Akeem D. Earle
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    45
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Akeem D. Earle
  • Show Website
    The Whole Lawyer Podcast