Personal Jurisdiction

Hallie Ritzu, Allison Freedman

When you look up “Personal Jurisdiction” in Black’s Law Dictionary, it directs you to the entry for “Jurisdiction.” We won’t do that to you. We’re here because there’s not enough good information available for law students and new attorneys to make informed choices about their careers. Join co-hosts Allison Freedman and Hallie Ritzu as we talk to a variety of people within the first 10ish years of practice to hear about their journeys to fulfilling careers and the advice they have for getting there. From government to start-ups; politics to academia; in-house to legal aid—we’ll get the scoop on what it’s really like to work in different areas of the law, so you can chart your own course for success.

  1. #92: Let's Get Personal with Elissa Knoff, Patent Counseling and Prosecution Partner at  Bookoff McAndrews, PLLC

    Jun 2

    #92: Let's Get Personal with Elissa Knoff, Patent Counseling and Prosecution Partner at Bookoff McAndrews, PLLC

    Elissa Knoff is a partner at Bookoff McAndrews, a boutique patent counseling and prosecution firm in Washington, D.C. In her role at the firm, Elissa counsels companies on developing and leveraging their patent portfolios. She represents clients ranging from startups filing their first patent application to Fortune 500 companies. Through secondments, Elissa has worked in-house at a major medical device company. Prior to entering practice, Elissa served as a law clerk to the Honorable Timothy B. Dyk at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. After her clerkship, she worked as a patent litigator in BigLaw. Elissa earned her JD magna cum laude and order of the coif from Northwestern Pritzker School of Law, her M.S.Ed from Northwestern University, and her B.A. in Physics from Northwestern University.  Get new episodes by email by subscribing to our Substack!  Thank you to our sponsor, Themis Bar Review!  Find us online at https://www.personaljxpod.com Find us on LinkedIn on our new page and subscribe to our LinkedIn newsletter Find us on Twitter @PersonalJxPod We couldn't do this alone! So... Personal Jurisdiction is powered and distributed with Simplecast.  We use Riverside.FM to record our episodes.  Our episodes are edited by Scott Donnell at Run and Drum Media https://www.runanddrummedia.com Our new logo/branding was designed by Ellie Mejia, a graphic designer and illustrator located in Chicago, Illinois. Check out Ellie's work here.  Our previous logos were designed by Lizzie L. O'Connor. Our Theme Song is Pleasant Porridge by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Show Less

    1h 5m
  2. #91: Let's Get Personal With Sherri Burr, Dickason Chair and Regents Professor Emerita at the University of New Mexico School of Law

    May 19

    #91: Let's Get Personal With Sherri Burr, Dickason Chair and Regents Professor Emerita at the University of New Mexico School of Law

    Sherri Burr is the Dickason Chair and Regents Professor Emerita at the University of New Mexico School of Law. Sherri joined the UNM faculty in 1988, after receiving her bachelors from Mount Holyoke College, a master’s in International Relations from Princeton’s School of Public and International Affairs, and her JD from Yale Law School. Sherri was the first African American woman to receive tenure and promotion to full professor in New Mexico.  Sherri has taught intellectual property, art law, entertainment law, wills and trusts, and international law, among other courses. She has also authored and co-authored over thirty books, which have won numerous awards. Her 27th book, Complicated Lives: Free Blacks in Virgina, 1619-1865 was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize in History.  Sherri has also frequently written items for the general public, and even produced and hosted her own television show—ARTS TALK, which won numerous New Mexico and National Federation of Press Women Awards. She has served on countless boards and associations, including serving as president of the New Mexico Black Lawyers Association, and her current service on the boards of the Albuquerque Museum and the Authors Guild Foundation.  Most recently, Sherri published her first memoir titled: Living with Nephew: How I got Voted the Meanest Parent in the World. You can buy the book here or at any major bookseller Get new episodes by email by subscribing to our Substack!  Thank you to our sponsor, Themis Bar Review!  Find us online at https://www.personaljxpod.com Find us on LinkedIn on our new page and subscribe to our LinkedIn newsletter Find us on Twitter @PersonalJxPod We couldn't do this alone! So... Personal Jurisdiction is powered and distributed with Simplecast.  We use Riverside.FM to record our episodes.  Our episodes are edited by Scott Donnell at Run and Drum Media https://www.runanddrummedia.com Our new logo/branding was designed by Ellie Mejia, a graphic designer and illustrator located in Chicago, Illinois. Check out Ellie's work here.  Our previous logos were designed by Lizzie L. O'Connor. Our Theme Song is Pleasant Porridge by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Show Less

    1 hr
  3. #89: Let's Get Personal with Victoria Jepson, Global Government Enforcement Attorney at Trafigura

    Apr 7

    #89: Let's Get Personal with Victoria Jepson, Global Government Enforcement Attorney at Trafigura

    Victoria is a global government enforcement attorney at Trafigura in Geneva, Switzerland.  Before her current role, Victoria was an internal monitor and senior legal counsel at HSBC in London. Victoria has experience in private practice both in the UK and in the US. She was a white collar attorney at Steptoe and Johnson and at Katten in Chicago. She has experience guiding financial institutions, multinational corporations, and senior individuals through government and internal investigations, regulatory enforcement actions, and commercial litigation, with significant monitorship experience. Not only is Victoria admitted to practice in the US, but also she is qualified to practice law in the United Kingdom.  Victoria is a graduate of Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law and the University of Iowa.  Get new episodes by email by subscribing to our Substack!  Thank you to our sponsor, Themis Bar Review!  Find us online at https://www.personaljxpod.com Find us on LinkedIn on our new page and subscribe to our LinkedIn newsletter Find us on Twitter @PersonalJxPod We couldn't do this alone! So... Personal Jurisdiction is powered and distributed with Simplecast.  We use Riverside.FM to record our episodes.  Our episodes are edited by Scott Donnell at Run and Drum Media https://www.runanddrummedia.com Our new logo/branding was designed by Ellie Mejia, a graphic designer and illustrator located in Chicago, Illinois. Check out Ellie's work here.  Our previous logos were designed by Lizzie L. O'Connor. Our Theme Song is Pleasant Porridge by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Show Less

    1h 13m
  4. #88: Let's Get Personal with Michael Bloom, Founder and CEO at Praktio

    Mar 3

    #88: Let's Get Personal with Michael Bloom, Founder and CEO at Praktio

    Michael Bloom is the founder and CEO of Praktio, an interactive online learning platform for training in contracts, transactional skills, and litigation skills. Michael has also served as a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Michigan Law School, where he founded and directed the Transactional Lab & Clinic, as a Lecturer in law at the University of Chicago Law School, and as an associate at Sidley Austin.  Michael is the co-author of two books on contracts from a transactional perspective: Contracts and Commercial Transactions and Contracts: A Transactional Approach. Michael is a graduate of the University of Michigan and Yale Law School.  Get new episodes by email by subscribing to our Substack!  Thank you to our sponsor, Themis Bar Review!  Find us online at https://www.personaljxpod.com Find us on LinkedIn on our new page and subscribe to our LinkedIn newsletter Find us on Twitter @PersonalJxPod We couldn't do this alone! So... Personal Jurisdiction is powered and distributed with Simplecast.  We use Riverside.FM to record our episodes.  Our episodes are edited by Scott Donnell at Run and Drum Media https://www.runanddrummedia.com Our new logo/branding was designed by Ellie Mejia, a graphic designer and illustrator located in Chicago, Illinois. Check out Ellie's work here.  Our previous logos were designed by Lizzie L. O'Connor. Our Theme Song is Pleasant Porridge by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Show Less

    1h 22m
  5. #87: Let's Get Personal with Patrick Maillet, Government Relations Counsel at Legal Services Corporation

    Feb 3

    #87: Let's Get Personal with Patrick Maillet, Government Relations Counsel at Legal Services Corporation

    Patrick Maillet is currently Government Relations Counsel at the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) in Washington, DC. LSC is the largest national funder of civil legal aid for low-income Americans, ensuring equal access to justice for those who need it most. Since it was established by Congress in 1974, LSC has operated as an independent nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, providing essential grants to support high-quality civil legal assistance for individuals facing economic hardships.  Prior to this role, Patrick was earning his JD from the Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law in the evenings while also working full time during the day for U.S. House Representative Betty McCollum. Patrick started his work in the house as a legislative correspondent. He later become a legislative assistant, and after graduating from law school in 2021, he took on the role of legislative counsel for Representative McCollum. In addition to his current role as counsel for the Legal Services Corporation, Patrick also joined the United States Army Reserve as a Judge Advocate General in 2024 and continues to practice this work, as well.  You can support LSC by donating here, or volunteering your time! You can also donate to Equal Access to Justice to support New Mexico Legal Aid and DNA People's Legal Services. Get new episodes by email by subscribing to our Substack!  Thank you to our sponsor, Themis Bar Review!  Find us online at https://www.personaljxpod.com Find us on LinkedIn on our new page and subscribe to our LinkedIn newsletter Find us on Twitter @PersonalJxPod We couldn't do this alone! So... Personal Jurisdiction is powered and distributed with Simplecast.  We use Riverside.FM to record our episodes.  Our episodes are edited by Scott Donnell at Run and Drum Media https://www.runanddrummedia.com Our new logo/branding was designed by Ellie Mejia, a graphic designer and illustrator located in Chicago, Illinois. Check out Ellie's work here.  Our previous logos were designed by Lizzie L. O'Connor. Our Theme Song is Pleasant Porridge by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Show Less

    1h 2m
  6. #86: Let's Get Personal with Lt Col Christopher Bailey, United States Air Force Judge Advocate and Assistant Professor of Law at the United States Air Force Academy

    Jan 13

    #86: Let's Get Personal with Lt Col Christopher Bailey, United States Air Force Judge Advocate and Assistant Professor of Law at the United States Air Force Academy

    The views expressed in this interview are those of the guest and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the United States Air Force Academy, the United States Air Force, or the U.S. Government. PA#: USAFA-DF-2025-765 Christopher Bailey is an Assistant Professor of Law and Senior Military Faculty at the United States Air Force Academy, as well as a United States Air Force Judge Advocate. He is a 2007 graduate of Southwestern University , a 2010 graduate of Chicago-Kent College of Law, Illinois Institute of Technology, and in 2017, he earned an LLM in Space, Telecommunications & Cyber Law from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Get new episodes by email by subscribing to our Substack!  Thank you to our sponsor, Themis Bar Review!  Find us online at https://www.personaljxpod.com Find us on LinkedIn on our new page and subscribe to our LinkedIn newsletter Find us on Twitter @PersonalJxPod We couldn't do this alone! So... Personal Jurisdiction is powered and distributed with Simplecast.  We use Riverside.FM to record our episodes.  Our episodes are edited by Scott Donnell at Run and Drum Media https://www.runanddrummedia.com Our new logo/branding was designed by Ellie Mejia, a graphic designer and illustrator located in Chicago, Illinois. Check out Ellie's work here.  Our previous logos were designed by Lizzie L. O'Connor. Our Theme Song is Pleasant Porridge by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Show Less

    1h 12m
  7. #85: Let's Get Personal with Diana Tafur, Human Rights Advocate and Senior Technical Advisor at International Rescue Committee

    12/09/2025

    #85: Let's Get Personal with Diana Tafur, Human Rights Advocate and Senior Technical Advisor at International Rescue Committee

    Diana Tafur is a Senior Technical Advisor at the International Rescue Committee. She is based in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Prior to this role, Diana was a Supervising Attorney at the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services (RAICES) in San Antonio, Texas. Diana also served as a Supervising Attorney at the National Immigrant Justice Center in Chicago and a Legal Advocate at Kids in Need of Defense in Washington, D.C. Diana is a 2011 graduate of the American University Washington College of Law in Washington DC and a 2008 graduate of Florida State University. Get new episodes by email by subscribing to our Substack!  Thank you to our sponsor, Themis Bar Review!  Find us online at https://www.personaljxpod.com Find us on LinkedIn on our new page and subscribe to our LinkedIn newsletter Find us on Twitter @PersonalJxPod We couldn't do this alone! So... Personal Jurisdiction is powered and distributed with Simplecast.  We use Riverside.FM to record our episodes.  Our episodes are edited by Scott Donnell at Run and Drum Media https://www.runanddrummedia.com Our new logo/branding was designed by Ellie Mejia, a graphic designer and illustrator located in Chicago, Illinois. Check out Ellie's work here.  Our previous logos were designed by Lizzie L. O'Connor. Our Theme Song is Pleasant Porridge by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Show Less

    1h 14m
5
out of 5
33 Ratings

About

When you look up “Personal Jurisdiction” in Black’s Law Dictionary, it directs you to the entry for “Jurisdiction.” We won’t do that to you. We’re here because there’s not enough good information available for law students and new attorneys to make informed choices about their careers. Join co-hosts Allison Freedman and Hallie Ritzu as we talk to a variety of people within the first 10ish years of practice to hear about their journeys to fulfilling careers and the advice they have for getting there. From government to start-ups; politics to academia; in-house to legal aid—we’ll get the scoop on what it’s really like to work in different areas of the law, so you can chart your own course for success.

You Might Also Like