Trial by Fire

Julia Hensel
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Entrepreneurship

Welcome to Trial by Fire, an original podcast by Lexigate. In each episode, host Julia Hensel sits down with women lawyers who built firms of their own to hear how they started, what they faced, and what they learned. New episodes drop regularly, so subscribe and follow along. If a story resonates with you, share it with someone who needs to hear it. Thank you for listening to Trial by Fire!

Episodes

  1. 1d ago

    Andrea Staub’s Path from Aspiring Lawyer to Shareholder

    Welcome to another episode of Trial by Fire, hosted by Julia Hensel. Trial by Fire is a podcast featuring women lawyers across the United States who stepped into ownership, built influential practices, and created careers on their own terms. In this episode, Andrea Staub shares her journey from discovering an interest in law during middle school to becoming an experienced personal injury attorney and shareholder at Metzger Wickersham. She reflects on the early influences that shaped her career, the mentors who helped her develop confidence in the courtroom, and the lessons she learned while progressing from associate to firm leader. 00:00 Andrea Staub’s Path to Personal Injury Law 01:02 Early Influences and a Passion for Law 02:23 Career Day and Early Career Aspirations 03:12 From Associate to Shareholder 04:24 The Importance of Mentorship 05:01 Trial Experience and Courtroom Lessons 06:45 Memorable Cases and Client Impact 11:05 Balancing Empathy and Assertiveness 16:42 Managing a Law Firm Through COVID-19 20:48 Expanding the Firm Into Maryland 23:24 Resilience Through Difficult Times 25:30 Work-Life Balance and Stress Management 27:51 Future Goals and the Firm’s Vision 29:23 Andrea’s Vision for the Future and Advice for Women in Law About Andrea Staub Andrea Staub is a personal injury attorney and shareholder at Metzger Wickersham, where she has built her career from associate to firm leader. Her interest in law began in middle school and grew through mentorship, courtroom experience, and a strong commitment to helping injured clients. She approaches her work with both empathy and determination, understanding that effective advocacy requires compassion, preparation, and confidence. As a shareholder, Andrea also plays an active role in the firm’s growth, management, and expansion, helping position Metzger Wickersham for continued success in a changing legal industry. About Julia Hensel Julia Hensel is the host of Trial by Fire and the CEO of both Lexigate and Repspert, two companies built around helping law firms grow and thrive. She spends her days thinking about what makes a practice succeed, from the business side to the people behind it, and that work has given her a deep admiration for the women who take ownership. That admiration is what sparked this podcast. Trial by Fire is her space to sit down with women lawyers, hear their stories, and celebrate the grit, wisdom, and quiet courage it takes to build something on your own terms. Subscribe for more conversations with women lawyers who are leading, building, and redefining success in law. #Trialbyfire #WomenInLaw #WomenLawyers #WomenAttorneys

    Andrea Staub’s Path from Aspiring Lawyer to Shareholder

  2. Jul 22

    From Paralegal to Partner: How Dana Brooks Built Her Career

    Welcome to another episode of Trial by Fire, hosted by Julia Hensel. Trial by Fire is a podcast featuring women lawyers across the United States who stepped into ownership, built influential practices, and created careers on their own terms. In this episode, Dana Brooks shares her inspiring journey from litigation paralegal to attorney, named partner, and law firm owner. She reflects on the internal motivation that shaped her career, the importance of being prepared when opportunities arise, and the strategic leadership required to grow and sustain a successful legal practice. Dana also discusses managing a legal team, adapting to changes in personal injury law, technology, and legal marketing, and creating meaningful opportunities for women and minorities in the profession. She offers practical advice on mentorship, business growth, vendor relationships, succession planning, and building a legacy that extends beyond individual success. 00:00 Inside Dana Brooks’ Rise in Law 01:49 Early Interest in Law and Career Beginnings 03:58 The Internal Motivators Behind Dana’s Success 07:03 Opportunity, Preparation, and Career Growth 10:00 Future Planning and Building a Legal Legacy 13:00 Adapting to Legal Marketing and Technology 16:03 Leadership Lessons and Managing a Legal Team 18:57 Memorable Cases and Their Personal Impact 22:02 Mentorship and Community Impact 25:09 Dana’s Vision for the Future of Her Firm 28:01 Advice for Women Starting Their Own Firms About Dana Brooks Dana Brooks has built her career by combining a deep understanding of litigation with an uncommon ability to see the person behind every case. Before becoming an attorney, she spent more than fourteen years as a litigation paralegal, much of that time working in medical malpractice defense. That experience taught her how complex cases are evaluated, how defense teams build their strategies, and where injured people can be overlooked in the process. Her background in social work, mental health counseling, mediation, and law firm administration gave her an equally strong understanding of what clients need when they are facing trauma, uncertainty, and loss. In 2008, after years of working at Fasig | Brooks, Dana was sworn in as an attorney in the morning and made a named partner that same afternoon. Today, she uses everything she learned on both sides of the profession to advocate for people affected by medical malpractice, catastrophic injury, and wrongful death, pursuing resolutions that are strategic, compassionate, and centered on helping clients move forward. About Julia Hensel Julia Hensel is the host of Trial by Fire and the CEO of both Lexigate and Repspert, two companies built around helping law firms grow and thrive. She spends her days thinking about what makes a practice succeed, from the business side to the people behind it, and that work has given her a deep admiration for the women who take ownership. That admiration is what sparked this podcast. Trial by Fire is her space to sit down with women lawyers, hear their stories, and celebrate the grit, wisdom, and quiet courage it takes to build something on your own terms. Subscribe for more conversations with women lawyers who are leading, building, and redefining success in law. #Trialbyfire #WomenInLaw #WomenLawyers #WomenAttorneys

    From Paralegal to Partner: How Dana Brooks Built Her Career

  3. Jul 22

    Mary Ellen O’Connor: From the Classroom to the Courtroom

    Welcome to another episode of Trial by Fire, hosted by Julia Hensel. Trial by Fire is a podcast featuring women lawyers across the United States who stepped into ownership, built their own firms, and created practices on their own terms. In this episode, Mary Ellen O’Connor shares her remarkable journey from elementary school teacher to workers’ compensation lawyer and founder of O’Connor Law PLLC. Mary Ellen explains how advocating for students with learning disabilities first inspired her to consider a legal career. She also shares how a serious workplace injury suffered by her husband while she was in law school gave her a deeply personal understanding of what injured workers and their families experience when their income and stability suddenly disappear. 00:00 Meet Mary Ellen O’Connor 01:09 Mary Ellen’s Early Career as a Teacher 02:00 Pursuing Law During Maternity Leave 03:28 Studying for the LSAT and Law School Acceptance 04:40 Choosing a Law School with Childcare Options 05:06 Starting Law School During 9/11 06:08 Surviving Law School with Young Children 07:11 Leaving Employment to Start Her Own Firm 09:22 Challenges of Building a Legal Practice 11:30 Building and Leading a Global Remote Team 17:35 Rethinking Work-Life Balance 20:40 Using Time Zones to Create Flexibility 21:20 Memorable Cases and Meaningful Legal Work 25:21 Supporting Clients Through Trauma and Loss 29:27 Advice for Aspiring Law Firm Owners 32:23 The Importance of Trying, Learning, and Pivoting 33:48 Final Reflections and Advice for Women About Mary Ellen O’Connor Mary Ellen O’Connor has built her career on understanding what injured workers are up against and using that knowledge to fight for the people who need it most. Before founding O’Connor Law PLLC in 2009, she spent years working within the workers’ compensation system, including experience representing insurance interests and handling thousands of hearings, appeals, and depositions. That background taught her how carriers evaluate claims, where they apply pressure, and how they try to limit what injured people receive. Today, she turns that insight to her clients’ advantage, anticipating insurer tactics and building stronger cases from the start. Her commitment to this work is also deeply personal: while she was in law school raising three young children, her husband suffered a serious workplace injury that left their family without income for months. Since then, Mary Ellen has combined clear, compassionate guidance with determined advocacy, helping injured and disabled New Yorkers through some of the most difficult moments of their lives. About Julia Hensel Julia Hensel is the host of Trial by Fire and the CEO of both Lexigate and Repspert, two companies built around helping law firms grow and thrive. She spends her days thinking about what makes a practice succeed, from the business side to the people behind it, and that work has given her a deep admiration for the women who take ownership. That admiration is what sparked this podcast. Trial by Fire is her space to sit down with women lawyers, hear their stories, and celebrate the grit, wisdom, and quiet courage it takes to build something on your own terms. Subscribe for more conversations with women lawyers who are leading, building, and redefining success in law. #Trialbyfire #WomenInLaw #WomenLawyers #WomenAttorneys

    Mary Ellen O’Connor: From the Classroom to the Courtroom

  4. Jul 20

    Barbara Connly: Law, Marriage, and the Firm They Built

    Welcome to another episode of Trial by Fire, hosted by Julia Hensel. Trial by Fire is a podcast featuring women lawyers across the United States who stepped into ownership, built their own firms, and created practices on their own terms. In this episode, Barbara Connly traces her path from growing up as the daughter of a judge to building a thriving law firm alongside her husband. She reflects on the lessons her defense work taught her, the challenges and rewards of practicing law with a spouse, and how she's managed a demanding legal career while keeping family life front and center. For women in law, firm owners, and anyone tempted to go out on their own, Barbara shares real insight into working with a partner, learning from both sides of a case, and keeping family at the center of it all. 00:00 Getting to Know Barbara 01:09 Barbara's Early Influences and Law School Journey 02:18 Meeting Her Husband and Working Together 03:05 Starting Her Career in Insurance Defense 04:24 Transition to Plaintiff Work and Lessons Learned 05:31 Founding Dolan Connly Law Firm in 2000 07:33 Balancing Family and Law Practice 09:13 Memorable Cases and Their Impact 14:06 Lessons on Marketing and AI in Law 19:21 Working With Her Spouse: Benefits and Rules 25:53 Advice for Aspiring Law Firm Owners About Barbara Connly Barbara Connly has built her career on understanding both sides of a fight and using that knowledge to win for the people who need it most. She joined Dolan Connly, P.C. the day it opened in 2000, but she arrived with something most plaintiffs' attorneys never have: eight years spent defending insurance companies in personal injury litigation. That experience taught her exactly how insurers think, how they build their strategies, and how they try to minimize what they pay out. Today she turns that insight to her clients' advantage, anticipating the other side's moves before they make them and negotiating from a position of real strength. For more than twenty years, she has stood beside injured people and grieving families to make sure every client receives representation that is both deeply personal and relentlessly effective. About Julia Hensel Julia Hensel is the host of Trial by Fire and the CEO of both Lexigate and Repspert, two companies built around helping law firms grow and thrive. She spends her days thinking about what makes a practice succeed, from the business side to the people behind it, and that work has given her a deep admiration for the women who take ownership. That admiration is what sparked this podcast. Trial by Fire is her space to sit down with women lawyers, hear their stories, and celebrate the grit, wisdom, and quiet courage it takes to build something on your own terms. Subscribe for more conversations with women lawyers who are leading, building, and redefining success in law. #TrialByFire #WomenInLaw #WomenLawyers #WomenAttorneys

    Barbara Connly: Law, Marriage, and the Firm They Built

  5. Jul 20

    Building a Criminal Defense Firm in Wyoming: Bailey Lazari’s Story

    Welcome to another episode of Trial by Fire, hosted by Julia Hensel. Trial by Fire is a podcast featuring women lawyers across the United States who stepped into ownership, built their own firms, and created practices on their own terms. In this episode, Bailey Lazzari traces her path from public defender to criminal defense attorney and firm owner in Wyoming. She opens up about launching her own practice early on, making the leap into private work, handling a demanding caseload, cultivating a team culture that lasts, and carving out room for the personal passions that keep her grounded. If you're a woman working in the legal field, a firm owner, or anyone weighing the idea of striking out on your own, Bailey's story delivers real insight into courage, mentorship, the role of community, and what it takes to build a legal career on your own terms. 00:00 Introduction to Bailey Lazzari's Story 02:59 Inspiration Behind Choosing Law 05:59 The Leap to Starting a Firm 08:47 Geographic Migration to Wyoming 12:00 Challenges in Early Career 14:56 Transitioning to Private Practice 17:57 Building a Business and Team Culture 20:57 Meaningful Cases and Client Relationships 25:03 Life Outside of Law 28:06 Future Aspirations for the Firm 29:50 Advice for Aspiring Women Lawyers About Bailey Lazari For Bailey Lazzari, criminal defense was never just about winning cases. It was about standing beside people during the worst moments of their lives. That conviction is what led her to open Lazzari Legal, LLC in 2017, growing it into a firm known across Wyoming for defending clients in state, federal, and tribal courts against charges ranging from traffic offenses to serious felonies. Her work hasn't gone unnoticed either, with honors like the Wyoming Trial Lawyers Association Rising Star recognition, a place on the National Trial Lawyers' Top 40 Under 40, and repeated Avvo Clients' Choice Awards. But ask her clients what sets her apart, and they'll point to something simpler: she treats their fight as her own, blending sharp legal skill with the kind of care that makes people feel genuinely defended. About Julia Hensel Julia Hensel is the host of Trial by Fire and the CEO of both Lexigate and Repspert, two companies built around helping law firms grow and thrive. She spends her days thinking about what makes a practice succeed, from the business side to the people behind it, and that work has given her a deep admiration for the women who take ownership. That admiration is what sparked this podcast. Trial by Fire is her space to sit down with women lawyers, hear their stories, and celebrate the grit, wisdom, and quiet courage it takes to build something on your own terms. Subscribe for more conversations with women lawyers who are leading, building, and redefining success in law. #Trialbyfire #WomenInLaw #WomenLawyers #WomenAttorneys

    Building a Criminal Defense Firm in Wyoming: Bailey Lazari’s Story

  6. Jul 19

    From Childhood Dreams to Legal Leadership: Ida Comerford's Journey

    Welcome to the first episode of Trial by Fire, hosted by Julia Hensel. Trial by Fire is a podcast featuring women lawyers across the United States who stepped into ownership, built their own firms, and created practices on their own terms. In this episode, Ida Comerford shares her inspiring journey from childhood dreams to becoming a successful disability lawyer and firm partner. She discusses leadership, firm growth, building a positive workplace culture, balancing career and family, and the client stories that continue to shape her work. Whether you’re a woman in law, a firm owner, or someone growing into leadership, Ida’s journey offers powerful lessons on resilience, purpose, and building a legal career on your own terms. 00:00 The Spark of a Legal Career 02:13 Journey to Law Offices of Kenneth Hiller 05:00 Transitioning Back to Work 09:03 Becoming a Named Partner 12:46 Leadership and Management Lessons 17:45 Building a Positive Firm Culture 19:36 Addressing Toxicity in the Workplace 21:05 Setting Performance Expectations 22:19 Measuring Success in Early Employment 24:33 Balancing Work and Family Life 29:00 The Impact of Client Stories 33:43 Advice for Women in Law About Ida Comerford Ida Comerford never set out to build something this big, but that's exactly what happened. Since joining Hiller Comerford Injury & Disability Law, PLLC in 2010, she's grown into a named partner and helped the firm flourish into a team of more than 20 attorneys and over 90 employees. Along the way, she's poured herself into training and shaping the firm's administrative and appellate departments within the Social Security disability group. At the heart of it all is a simple belief: that fighting hard for clients is what gets them the benefits they truly deserve. About Julia Hensel Julia Hensel is the host of Trial by Fire and the CEO of both Lexigate and Repspert, two companies built around helping law firms grow and thrive. She spends her days thinking about what makes a practice succeed, from the business side to the people behind it, and that work has given her a deep admiration for the women who take ownership. That admiration is what sparked this podcast. Trial by Fire is her space to sit down with women lawyers, hear their stories, and celebrate the grit, wisdom, and quiet courage it takes to build something on your own terms. Subscribe for more conversations with women lawyers who are leading, building, and redefining success in law. #TrialByFire #WomenInLaw #WomenLawyers #WomenAttorneys

    From Childhood Dreams to Legal Leadership: Ida Comerford's Journey
  • 6 Episodes

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About

Welcome to Trial by Fire, an original podcast by Lexigate. In each episode, host Julia Hensel sits down with women lawyers who built firms of their own to hear how they started, what they faced, and what they learned. New episodes drop regularly, so subscribe and follow along. If a story resonates with you, share it with someone who needs to hear it. Thank you for listening to Trial by Fire!

Information

  • Creator
    Julia Hensel
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    6