LawHer

Sonya Palmer, Rankings.io
LawHer

LawHer Season 3: How the boldest and brightest women in law own power faster and keep it longer. Despite outnumbering men in law schools, women remain underrepresented in legal leadership. LawHer illuminates the path to power by amplifying the voices of women redefining success in law. Shatter conventions and rebuild success in your own image. Create new monuments for future generations. One story at a time.

  1. 68. Building Your Brand, Claiming Your Power: Digital Marketing for Women in Law w/ Nalini Prasad

    8H AGO

    68. Building Your Brand, Claiming Your Power: Digital Marketing for Women in Law w/ Nalini Prasad

    "I don't think people give you power. I think that you have to find that. What makes you feel strong? What makes you feel alive and feel like you can be confident about accomplishing something?" — Nalini Prasad Power doesn't wait to be handed over. For women in law, it's about finding the tools—and the confidence—to build it yourself. But in a crowded industry of massive budgets and established firms, how can women attorneys create a level playing field? In this strategic episode of LawHer, Nalini Prasad reveals how digital marketing has become the ultimate equalizer for women in law seeking to build influence and power. As the architect behind hundreds of successful legal marketing campaigns, Nalini shares why women's natural strengths in social media may be their secret competitive advantage in an AI-dominated future. From claiming credit for your wins to finding your authentic voice online, Nalini offers women attorneys a practical roadmap for leveraging digital tools to compete with larger firms. She challenges the old referral-only model and demonstrates how intentional branding lets you take control of your narrative—and attract the cases and colleagues who align with your values. About Nalini Prasad Nalini Prasad is the Chief Strategy Officer at BluShark Digital, a legal marketing agency she helped build from scratch. With her unique background at the intersection of law and digital marketing, she's spent the past decade empowering law firms—many women-led—to compete, grow, and establish powerful voices online. Nalini's journey began in mock trial competitions, where she broke barriers as the first freshman closer in GW history, before discovering her passion for digital strategy while creating a website for a nonprofit. Initially planning to attend law school, she found her calling helping attorneys build digital influence instead. Nalini Prasad: LinkedIn What’s in This Episode: Finding Your Voice in a Crowded Field: Discover why digital marketing offers women attorneys the most accessible path to establishing influence without the massive budgets of established firms, and how branding becomes your foundation in the age of AI. The Power of "I Did That": Learn why women's reluctance to claim credit for their achievements holds them back, and how Nalini's approach to self-advocacy can transform your career: "Be bold enough, be audacious enough to stand up and say, I did that...any man would absolutely stand up and correct somebody in a room full of people to say, 'Oh, that was my case. I won that.'" From Referrals to Digital Influence: Explore Nalini's three-part strategy for solo and women-owned firms looking to scale beyond referrals: building your digital foundation, engaging in community outreach, and setting realistic expectations for growth. Discover why women's natural strength in social media may be their greatest competitive advantage in today's marketing landscape.

    15 min
  2. 67. The 'Good Girl' Paradox: Why Pleasing Others Limits Your Success (And How to Stop) w/ Rachel Clar

    APR 16

    67. The 'Good Girl' Paradox: Why Pleasing Others Limits Your Success (And How to Stop) w/ Rachel Clar

    "The archetype of the good girl as a lawyer would be the same as the archetype of any good girl in any profession, which is living someone else's dream." — Rachel Clar When you've built an identity around being useful, driven, and in control, slowing down doesn't feel like rest—it feels dangerous. But what happens when living up to everyone else's expectations leaves you unrecognizable to yourself? In this illuminating episode of LawHer, Rachel Clar reveals how she transformed from an accomplished professional with "massive resistance to slowing down" to a compassionate disruptor helping women lawyers reclaim their authentic power.  After giving away her "agency and power bit by bit" across a successful yet unfulfilling career, Rachel shares the wake-up call that led her to turn her "Titanic" life toward greater purpose and peace. Through her own journey incorporating meditation, Buddhism, and peer community, Rachel offers women lawyers a revolutionary roadmap for breaking free from the "good girl" archetype that keeps them silenced, overextended, and exhausted—while still achieving meaningful success on their own terms. About Rachel Clar Rachel Clar is the founder and CEO of Interconnected Us, a business supporting women lawyers through masterminds and coaching. Armed with a JD, Rachel spent 15+ years in business development across affordable housing, urban infill, and renewable energy before launching her coaching practice. Rachel left traditional legal practice due to misogyny and billable hours to help women lawyers set better boundaries, grow confidence, and expand their networks. Her popular speaking topic—"From Nice Girl to Bold Leader: Grow Your Influence, One Conversation at a Time"—encapsulates her transformation and mission. Rachel Clar: LinkedIn Interconnected Us: Website What’s in This Episode: The Hidden Cost of Being "Good": What happens when a seven-year-old girl writes in crayon that she wants to be a lawyer—and then spends the next thirty years living that expectation? Rachel reveals the shocking moment she realized success on paper had left her feeling like "a huge failure" and unrecognizable to herself. The Surprising Truth About Givers: Why do some generous professionals end up burned out and broke, while others rise to the top? Rachel unpacks the counterintuitive research that explains what separates "doormat givers" from powerhouse leaders—and how the right peer circle changed everything. Could Your Greatest Strength Be Destroying You?: Rachel exposes the dangerous lie behind perfectionism that drives overachieving women to work harder while feeling worse. Discover the unexpected practices—from Buddhist meditation to lap swimming—that finally helped her escape what she calls "a progressive disease" before it took her down.

    30 min
  3. APR 9

    66. Let it Break You: On Leaving a Winning Career to Build a Meaningful One w/ Laura Ramos James

    "I could influence the case by either diminishing her case or I could switch sides and support her and get her justice." - Laura Ramos James Law firms often prize efficiency, billable hours, and winning  - at all costs. But what happens when an attorney realizes the "win" they're pursuing comes at the expense of human dignity? What if following your conscience means walking away from everything you've built? In this episode of LawHer, Laura Ramos James reveals the moment that redefined her entire career trajectory. After years as a successful insurance defense attorney, Laura discovered that true fulfillment meant abandoning the safety of her established career to advocate for the very people she once opposed. Through her journey from Monclova, Mexico to the United States at 18 with limited English to building an eight-figure personal injury practice, Laura demonstrates how our perceived weaknesses—cultural differences, language barriers, personal traumas—can become our greatest professional strengths when authentically embraced. About Laura Ramos James Laura Ramos James  is the founder and owner of Ramos James Law, an eight-figure personal injury law firm. She immigrated to the United States at 18 with limited English skills, overcame significant struggles in law school, and transformed her own experience as an injury survivor into a mission-driven legal career. Named one of Austin's #1 Personal Injury Attorneys by Austin Monthly Magazine consecutively since 2022, Laura is also an Amazon bestselling author with contributions to "Law Moms: Juggling Motherhood, Ambition, and Personal Fulfillment" and "Point Taken: Brilliant Business Advice from Women at the Top." Laura Ramos James: LinkedIn Ramos James Law: Website, Instagram  What’s in This Episode: The Courage of Starting Over: Hear about Laura's near-dropout from law school during a first-year breakdown, and how this early struggle—combined with her pivotal widow's deposition experience—taught her that true success often requires the bravery to completely start over. Building Cultural Bridges in Law: Learn how Laura turned her bicultural identity into her firm's distinctive strength, creating a practice with Spanish-speaking professionals at all levels to ensure underrepresented communities  receive equal resources and attention. Sustainable Success Through Passion: Experience Laura's philosophy of "The Drip"—how consistent, passion-driven actions create powerful long-term impact, even through periods of immense challenge. As she puts it, "people overestimate what we can accomplish in a day but underestimate what we can accomplish in five years."

    15 min
  4. 65. Everything You Want: The Neuroscience of Power, Persuasion, and Getting to 'Yes' w/ Jennifer Gardner

    APR 2

    65. Everything You Want: The Neuroscience of Power, Persuasion, and Getting to 'Yes' w/ Jennifer Gardner

    "Everything we want is on the other side of the word ‘yes’... Power is getting people to do things that you want them to do. Influence is the definition of power. And it means impacting the decision-making process…. Every communication is an opportunity to influence through body language, eye contact, cadence, energy, and word choice." - Jennifer Gardner Law schools drill attorneys to be logical. Rational. Fact-driven. But what if that approach is fighting against human biology? What if everything we've been taught about legal persuasion is backward? In this mind-shifting episode, trial attorney Jennifer Gardner reveals the neuroscience that's turning legal education on its head: emotions, not facts, drive decisions in the courtroom. After 35 years winning cases others deemed "unwinnable," Jennifer has cracked the code on legal persuasion—and it's not what they teach in law school. Through brain science and battle-tested techniques, Jennifer shows how attorneys who rely solely on logic are missing the biological reality of how humans actually make decisions. She demonstrates how understanding emotional decision-making doesn't just supplement case preparation—it transforms outcomes and verdict sizes for clients. About Jennifer Gardner Jennifer Gardner holds certification from the Wharton School of Business in Neuroscience and Business Strategy, studied at the Gerry Spence Trial Lawyers College, and has extensively studied the work of Carl Jung, Joseph Campbell, and James Hillman. This unique background informs her approach to persuasion, storytelling, and emotional intelligence in legal practice. In addition to her legal work, Jennifer is an educator and speaker at The Edge Education, runs "Power: The Art of Influence" workshop program through her Power Lab, and founded Roamhowl Creative, which consults on video and digital marketing. Jennifer Gardner: Website,  LinkedIn Gardner + Associates: Website,  Instagram What’s in This Episode: The Emotional Courtroom: Discover the revolutionary neuroscience showing that judges and juries make decisions primarily through emotion, not facts—and how this contradicts everything law schools teach about persuasion. The Decision-Making Brain: Learn why leading cognitive scientists now understand that emotions and stories bypass logical defenses, creating a direct pathway to influence that traditional legal arguments can't access. From Theory to Verdicts: Hear how Jennifer's application of emotional intelligence and storytelling techniques helped her win "unwinnable" cases, including a unanimous fraud verdict that shocked her colleagues. Hacking Your Legal Performance: Explore simple, scientifically-validated techniques that help attorneys regulate their nervous systems under pressure, allowing them to access emotional intelligence when it matters most.

    23 min
  5. 64. Others Be Damned: Design the Legal Life of Your Dreams w/ Christy Granieri

    MAR 26

    64. Others Be Damned: Design the Legal Life of Your Dreams w/ Christy Granieri

    "It's having the confidence... to do what you want to do and others be damned because it is your path; do what brings you joy." - Christy Granieri When you've spent a decade building a career that no longer serves you, what does it take to walk away and rebuild on your own terms? Host Sonya Palmer sits down with employment attorney Christy Granieri, who left partnership at an established firm to co-found Freeburg & Granieri, APC. In this revealing conversation, Christy shares how stepping into the unknown helped her discover her authentic voice and true power as both an attorney and business owner. About Christy Granieri Christy Granieri is a Partner at Freeburg & Granieri, APC, which she co-founded in February 2021. With over a decade of experience in employment litigation, Christy represents employees in wrongful termination, discrimination, whistleblowing, and wage and hour cases throughout California. After graduating from Loyola LA Law in 2009, she spent over ten years at a boutique employment litigation firm before making the leap to start her own practice. Christy Granieri: LinkedIn  Freeburg & Granieri, APC: Website, Instagram  What’s in This Episode: Finding Your Authentic Voice: Discover why it took Christy nearly eight years to stop writing and speaking like "an older white man who's been doing this since the beginning of time" and embrace her authentic professional voice. Redefining Power in Legal Practice: Learn why Christy believes true power isn't about "being mean to others" but about practicing with empathy, compassion, and mutual respect—even with opposing counsel. The Freedom of Entrepreneurship: Hear how Christy's decision to co-found a firm with her best friend of 20+ years created unprecedented flexibility, allowing her to travel for months while maintaining a thriving practice. Conquering the Fear of the Unknown: Follow Christy's journey from paralyzing self-doubt to the moment she realized, "Holy shit, I actually can do this. I know what I'm doing.

    15 min
  6. 63. On Being First: Holding Open the Doors We Walk Through w/ Andrea La'Verne Edney

    MAR 19

    63. On Being First: Holding Open the Doors We Walk Through w/ Andrea La'Verne Edney

    "You get to a certain point in your career where the biases become your strength. You take those things, you use them to your advantage. Use them as teachable moments, not only for the person who is biased, but also for yourself." - Andrea Edney When you're both "the first" and determined not to be "the only" – how do you wield power effectively?  When the phone rang late one evening, Andrea La'Verne Edney had no idea her life was about to change forever. The voice on the other end delivered news that would make history: she had been elected president of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), becoming the first African American woman to hold this prestigious position.  But what does it truly mean to be "the first" in a profession where women—especially women of color—remain dramatically underrepresented? Host Sonya Palmer uncovers what happens after the glass ceiling shatters, and why Andrea found herself fighting an unexpected battle even after reaching the pinnacle of her profession. The answer might surprise you—and it speaks volumes about the complex power dynamics still at play in today's legal landscape. About Andrea La'Verne Edney Andrea La'Verne Edney is a Partner at Butler Snow with over 25 years of litigation experience specializing in pharmaceutical, medical device, and healthcare litigation. She is the First female African American president of ABOTA (2024), Chair of Butler Snow's Diversity & Inclusivity Committee, Fellow of International Academy of Trial Lawyers, Fellow of American College of Trial Lawyers, Fellow of International Society of Barristers, and U.S. Delegate at The Forum on Rule of Law, U.S. Supreme Court (2022) Andrea La’Verne Edney: LinkedIn  Butler Snow: Website What’s in This Episode: From "Boss" to Barrier-Breaker: Discover how being the youngest of 14 children in the Mississippi Delta surprisingly prepared Andrea for leadership, and why her siblings nicknamed her "boss" from an early age. The Unexpected Challenge After Victory: Learn why Andrea's historic ABOTA presidency was celebrated nationwide but faced surprising resistance locally, revealing hidden obstacles women of color face even after reaching the top. Building Power Through Paying It Forward: Hear Andrea's powerful philosophy on creating lasting change: "I believe in not just being the first of anything, but the one that started the beginning of others following."

    16 min
  7. 62. From Federal Trade Commission to MasterChef Finalist:  A Lawyer's Recipe for Defining Success and Finding Joy — Kamay Lafalaise, Master Chef Contestant

    09/11/2024

    62. From Federal Trade Commission to MasterChef Finalist: A Lawyer's Recipe for Defining Success and Finding Joy — Kamay Lafalaise, Master Chef Contestant

    How do we pursue our passions without compromising our professional commitment? Kamay Lafalaise (@kamay.lafalaise) is shattering stereotypes and rebuilding success in her own image. By day, she's negotiating the complex landscape of privacy law at the Federal Trade Commission. By night, she's turning up the heat as a contestant on MasterChef. She's crafting a career that combines her legal expertise with her passion for cooking, proving that success and joy aren't mutually exclusive. We explore how Kamay navigates the ever-shifting terrain of privacy law, bringing creativity and adaptability to a field where the rules seem to change daily. But more than that, we'll delve into how she's designed a life that honors all aspects of her identity. Kamay's journey offers inspiring insights into creating a life that's both successful and fulfilling on our own terms. From the halls of the FTC to the MasterChef kitchen, Kamay is redefining what it means to be a successful lawyer in the millennial era. She's living proof that we can negotiate our way to a life that embraces our whole selves. Take your growth to the next level at the very first PIM Conference Get your PIMCON Ticket Today! Links Want to hear more from elite personal injury lawyers and industry-leading marketers? Follow us on social media for more. Rankings.io Instagram LawHer Instagram Rankings.io Twitter Rankings.io Website Kamay Lafalaise LinkedIn Kamay Lafalaise Website  Kamay Lafalaise TikTok Kamay Lafalaise Instagram  What’s in This Episode: Who is Kamay Lafalaise? The rapidly evolving landscape of privacy law, big data, and AI presents both challenges and opportunities for lawyers. As a Black woman lawyer and MasterChef contestant, Kamay is breaking stereotypes about what a successful lawyer looks like. Don't take things personally in negotiations. If someone's perspective doesn't align with yours, ask why they feel that way and hear them out.

    53 min
4.7
out of 5
28 Ratings

About

LawHer Season 3: How the boldest and brightest women in law own power faster and keep it longer. Despite outnumbering men in law schools, women remain underrepresented in legal leadership. LawHer illuminates the path to power by amplifying the voices of women redefining success in law. Shatter conventions and rebuild success in your own image. Create new monuments for future generations. One story at a time.

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