Georgetown Law’s Podcasting Professors Hit Record

By Georgetown Law, November 1, 2023

In recent years, several Georgetown Law professors have entered the world of podcasting, offering sophisticated legal analysis and insight with no tuition required.

On MSNBC’s “Prosecuting Donald Trump,” Professor Mary McCord, L’90, Executive Director of the Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection and her co-host Andrew Weissman, a fellow former federal prosecutor, explain the latest developments in the legal cases against former President Donald Trump. Legal Writing and Practice Professor Jonah Perlin, L’12, chats with lawyers about their niche legal areas on his “How I Lawyer Podcast.” And Professor Michele Goodwin, who recently joined the Law Center as co-faculty director of the O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law, hosts Ms. Magazine’s “On The Issues with Michele Goodwin,” where she and her guests explore the intersection of the law and equality.

8 Legal Sector Lessons Learned from the Portia Project© Podcast

By M.C. Sungaila, in Diversity Professional Magazine (October 2023)

Christina Durham the first woman justice and chief justice of the Utah Supreme Court encountered job notices stating: Only men on law review need apply. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Christine Byrd, who graduated law school in 1970s, recounted that very few judges would hire female law clerks and that very few major law firms would hire women for short-term positions, but not for partner-track positions.

Despite challenging beginnings, these and other women have attained great heights in their careers. Their stories show great progress in the last 50 years.

As an appellate lawyer who has argued before the highest courts and led appellate departments at some of the country’s largest law firms and as creator and host of the award-winning Portia Project© Podcast, I have interviewed nearly 200 women about their careers: federal judges, state supreme court and appellate justices, trial judges, general counsel, C-suite executives, law firm managing partners, non-profit and government leaders and entrepreneurs.

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CALG’s M.C. Sungaila named to first LA Times “Inspirational Women” list for Orange County

By CALG, September 20, 2023

M.C. Sungaila is an “esteemed appellate attorney and author” who has “shaped legal landscapes through groundbreaking work,” says the Los Angeles Times, which recently named her a finalist in its inaugural “OC Inspirational Women” list.

The Times notes that “[h]er appellate prowess spans constitutional law, human rights, and more,” and calls M.C. a “dedicated advocate” who “stands as a beacon of leadership in appellate law and women’s advancement.”

You can read the complete profile in the LA Times by clicking here.

Of Counsel Interview: Appellate Lawyer Helps Shape the Law While Also Supporting Women in the Profession, Interview Part 1, Interview Part 2

Steven T. Taylor, April and May, 2023

When Mary-Christine (MC) Sungaila talks about her work as an appellate lawyer, you leave that conversation energized… and smarter than before you talked to her.

The Geek in Review: Breaking Barriers The Portia Project's MC Sungaila on the Unique Paths to Success for Women Lawyers and Judges

Marlene Gebauer and Greg Lambert, March 6, 2023

In this episode of The Geek in Review, hosts Marlene Gebauer and Greg Lambert interview M.C. Sungaila, an appellate attorney and the host of The Portia Project podcast. The podcast is geared towards highlighting women in traditional and non-traditional legal careers and is set to celebrate its 100th episode during Women's History Month in March. M.C. Sungaila initially intended to highlight women appellate judges and justices in a book, but quickly realized that a podcast would be the best medium to capture the stories of these women. The podcast now includes women leaders across the industry and beyond, providing a career touchstone for law students and showcasing where women are leading inside and outside the legal profession.

Daily Journal: Be Intentional in Both the Treatment and Trajectory of Women in Law

By M.C. Sungaila, March 2, 2023, Daily Journal

I am the creator and host of the award-winning Portia Project® podcast, which debuted last year.

The podcast chronicles the storied careers of women judges and lawyers in the United States – women diverse in their experiences and roles, each of whom entered the legal profession at various points over the last half century.

I have interviewed over 100 women about their careers: state supreme court justices, federal judges, General Counsel, law firm managing partners, nonprofit and government leaders, and entrepreneurs.

Their stories show a lot of progress over the last 50 years.

Christine Durham, who was the first woman justice and Chief Justice of the Utah Supreme Court, encountered job notices stating that “Only Men on law review need apply.”

Los Angeles Superior Court judge Christine Byrd, who graduated law school in the 1970s, recounted that very few judges would hire female law clerks, and that a few major law firms would hire women for short term positions, but not for partner-track positions.

Warfare of Art & Law Podcast: M.C. Sungaila on her Journey as an Appellate Attorney, Author and Creator & Host of the Portia Project Podcast

December 10, 2022

Warfare of Art and Law Podcast sparks conversation about the intriguing – and sometimes infuriating – stories that arise in the worlds of art and law with artist and attorney Stephanie Drawdy.

Show Notes:
3:00 Overview of M.C. Sungaila’s work
5:00 US v. Lanier, 520 U.S. 259 (1997)
9:00 González et al. (“Cotton Field”) v. Mexico in the Interamerican Court of Human Rights
11:30 factors considered in drafting appellate briefs
14:30 her work on Holocaust art recovery cases began with Randy Schoenberg in Republic of Austria v. Altmann
16:00 procedural hurdles for heirs in Holocaust art recovery cases
18:00 Zuckerman cert petition raised questions about the meaning of the HEAR Act and how state equitable doctrines should interplay with the HEAR Act
20:00 potential issues surrounding drafting of HEAR Act
21:30 developing issue of how forced sales fit into Holocaust art recovery
22:40 Cassirer v. Kingdom of Spain, et al
25:30 Federal Republic of Germany, et al v. Philipp aka the Guelph Treasure case
30:25 Andy Warhol Foundation v. Goldsmith
39:20 need for procedural and substantive fairness in U.S. Legal system
41:40 mission of the Portia Project Podcast
49:40 Portia Project documentary
54:00 Girls Inc episode of the Portia Project
56:00 Sungaila’s mother as one of her role models
57:40 Judge Dorothy Nelson and Judge Ferdinand Fernandez of the 9th Circuit

The California Appellate Law Podcast: M.C. Sungaila Reports Back After Over 100 Interviews of Women Judges & Attorneys at the Portia Project

Tim Kowal & Jeff Lewis, November 22, 2022

M.C. sits down with Tim Kowal and Jeff Lewis on the California Appellate Law Podcast to discuss some of the insights and recurring themes and advice she’s gleaned from having interviewed now over 100 of the most successful women in the legal profession today:

• The “watershed moment” in the 1980s when Sandra Day O’Connor became the first woman on the Supreme Court, opening the floodgates for women in law.

• The varied paths to the bench, taken by lawyers who never thought it possible.

• A law degree doesn’t just mean one thing, and success sometimes mean failing at your first try, second try, etc., until you find the right fit.

• The disconnect between lawyers and judges: Advocates are looking for an outcome, but appellate judges are looking for an opinion.

• Appellate judges look at oral argument as another part of their process in preparing to make their decision. Don’t look at oral argument as just an isolated 30-60 minutes—that’s not how the panel sees it.

Then we turn the tables on M.C. and ask her the “lightning round” questions she asks of her Portia Project guests.

Law.com, The Recorder/American Lawyer Media’s 2022 California Law Awards, Finalist for Innovation in Diversity and Inclusion: This Buchalter Attorney’s Podcast Seeks to ‘Nudge’ Women to Consider Judgeships

“The Portia Project®️podcast was born out of twin desires to highlight women on the appellate bench and to encourage more women to apply to serve on the appellate courts by sharing the many varied paths women have taken to get there. “

“There are disproportionately fewer women state Supreme Court justices. And many women who have joined the bench have said they were specifically encouraged to apply by a judicial or other mentor. “

“The hope was that the podcast would be that “nudge” for women to consider the bench, and would expand the impact of judicial mentoring initiatives both the California courts and the governor’s office have put in place.”

Bump in the Road Podcast: The Portia Project; Stories From The Bench

The Portia Project is a story of success, sharing and giving back.

When M.C. Sungaila started The Portia Project, her goals were limited. She’d intended to interview female appellate judges, with the intent of encouraging young women to apply to the bench.

“I noticed there weren’t as many women in these positions as I’d expect to see.”

There were perhaps one hundred and fifty women in such positions across the country. M.C. decided to reach out to hear their stories.

What started as a well defined project rapidly grew. The history of women in law demanded more stories be told. Word of mouth about The Portia Project quickly spread. M.C. notes: 

“I’m just shepherding a larger mission along. I’m a conduit for it.”

Daily Journal Book Review: The Best Beloved Thing is Justice–The Life of Dorothy Wright Nelson

M.C. Sungaila, October 18, 2022

My first meeting with Judge Dorthy Nelson, now a senior judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, was in her chambers in Pasadena. I was applying for the single externship spor in her chambers for the Fall of 1990. She conducted the interview around the round table in her officer, rather than at her more formal desk, and served punch and cookies.

Once I got the job, I saw her invite many others – visiting judges (including members of the U.S. Supreme Court), dignitaries, community leaders, and law clerks from other chambers – into her office and offer them cookies as well. As a law student and extern I traveled with her to San Francisco for an en banc argument and generally served as the “Fourth Clerk” with direct access to her and training by her. On the bench Judge Nelson appreciate integrity a well organized brief and straight-forward answers to her questions at oral argument. As an editor she appreciated clear, strong writing and good grammar.

OCBA: The Recorder Announces OCBA Member M.C. Sungaila as a finalist for the California Legal Award for Innovation in Diversity and Inclusion

Orange County Bar Association, September 26, 2022

M.C. Sungaila is a highly regarded appellate attorney who has briefed and argued appeals raising cutting-edge and fundamental business issues for over two decades. Her work has helped shape undeveloped areas of the law in constitutional law, employment, franchisor liability, product liability, class actions, probate, immigration, Holocaust art recovery, and human rights.

Building on her decade of adjunct teaching at law schools and work as the founder and Dean of the OCBA’s Summer Appellate Academy (designed to train the next generation of appellate lawyers online, through the pandemic), she and the firm immediately established the Kaufman Appellate Fellowship, a first for BigLaw. This fellowship serves as an apprenticeship training ground for the next generation of appellate lawyers designed to catapult new lawyers into appellate clerkships and appellate practice. In February 2022, M.C. doubled down on her commitment to the next generation of lawyers with the debut of the Portia Project Podcast, which features fireside chats with prominent women judges and lawyers in which they discuss their career paths and share advice.

Litigation Radio: The Supreme Court's Blockbuster New Term

Legal Talk Network Hosted by Dave Scriven-Young October 4, 2022

The U.S. Supreme Court had a historic last term; including welcoming a new justice, striking down Roe versus Wade, the unprecedented leak of a draft opinion, an assassination plot, and questions from many in the public about the legitimacy of the court. With the court's new term beginning October 3rd, the court will take up additional major cases on issues such as affirmative action, voting, access, LGBTQ rights, immigration and much more. To give us a preview of the upcoming SCOTUS term, host Dave Scriven-Young welcomes special guest and appellate attorney, Mary-Christine ('M.C.') Sungaila to the show.

M.C. is a Shareholder in the Buchalter's Orange County and San Diego offices. Ms. Sungaila is a highly regarded appellate attorney who has briefed and argued appeals raising cutting-edge and fundamental business issues for over two decades.

The Defense Never Rests: 132 - Navigating Appellate Practice

The Defense Never Rests with host Meghan Henry September 29, 2022

Are you thinking about the potential appeal and appellate issues when you are assessing a claim? Many of us are very accustomed to working up a file in preparation for trial. But the thought of an appeal is secondary. And why wouldn’t it be. But today we are here to talk about that all too important appellate process. We are joined by M.C. Sungaila who is an accomplished appellate attorney who started her career as a trial lawyer. Her experience as a trial attorney certainly taught her a few things. One important take away: She did not like it! She much preferred the appellate process.  Pulling on her background in poetry, she preferred the careful thought  and analysis that goes into drafting a brief. Not only that, but along the way she launched her own podcast, The Portia Project, where she speaks to female judges and lawyers about their professional experiences. All while gaining their insight and perspective on the appellate process. What a valuable resource! Have you checked out her podcast yet?

Legally Blissed® Conversations: Stack Your Skills and Be Open to Unique Opportunities with M.C. Sungaila

September 30, 2022

In this episode of Legally Blissed Conversations, we are joined by Mary-Christine ('M.C.') Sungaila. M.C. is a highly regarded appellate attorney who has briefed and argued appeals raising cutting-edge and fundamental business issues for over two decades. Recognized for over a decade by the Daily Journal as one of California’s 100 Leading Women Lawyers, she is also frequently recognized for her sustained commitment to community service and pro bono work, particularly on behalf of women and girls. She was awarded the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, an honor she shares with seven U.S. Presidents, Nobel Prize winners, athletes, leaders of industry, artists, and others whose work has had a lasting impact on humanity, for her combined professional achievements and humanitarian and pro bono work.

Law.com: Women of Legal Tech: Nicole Clark Explains That, If YouWant a Seat at the Table, You Might Have to Make theTable Yourself

By Habiba Cullen-Jafar and Alma Asay , September 26, 2022

Q&A with Nicole Clark, CEO of Trellis, discusses why legal tech has reached a tipping point, how women can combat sexism in the workplace through sponsorship, and why a great tech company can never be “done” innovating.

“Please give a shout-out to a future Woman of Legal Tech—someone who,currently, has been in the industry for fewer than ten years?

I’ve been really impressed with Dorna Moini of Documate, Jacqueline Schafer of ClearBrief,and MC Sungalia of The Portia Project.”

How I Lawyer: #081 M.C. Sungaila - California Appellate Lawyer & Portia Project Podcast Host

How I Lawyer Podcast with Jonah Perlin September 16, 2022

In our conversation we discuss her path to appellate law (and what she loves about it), the pace of her practice, why she thinks that oral argument matters, her writing process (and why having a writing process is so important), the great parts about doing a clinic, the business side of appellate law, why she started the Portia Project Podcast and what she's learned from interviewing top female lawyers, and more.

Bump In the Road: M.C. Sungaila Women In The Law

Pat Wetzel: Award Winning Author, Podcaster, Storyteller, August 19, 2022

According to Statista, in 2020, 37.4% of lawyers the US are women. That’s a far cry from 1980, when 92% of practicing lawyers in the United States were men, and many jobs weren’t even open to women. How does one navigate this professional terrain? M.C. Sungaila talks about her path in the law and her podcast, The Portia Project. The Portia Project is an oral history of women in law. M.C. created it to give back, and to encourage young women to explore the many ways a law degree can be useful in their professional careers.

Call Your Next Witness: Episode 22 - M.C. Sungaila

By Wade Clark Mulcahy LLP, June 30, 2022

Lawyerpreneur: Learning How to Lawyer with Jonah Perlin

By Lawyerpreneur Podcast, May 26, 2022

Lawyerpreneur: Finding Success on the Far Side of Failure with Norman Bacal and M.C. Sungaila

By Lawyerpreneur Podcast, May 12, 2022

In Episode 59 of Lawyerpreneur, I talked with Norman Bacal and M.C. Sungaila in what felt very much like an extraordinary after-dinner conversation. We discussed the importance of teaching the business of law practice to the next generation of lawyers, and how they teamed up to write a series of articles for The American Lawyer on that topic. We talked about the current climate of lawyers changing firms, which is something that I've done within the last six months.

But my favorite part of our conversation was about failure. It's something that is both stressful and inevitable. And both Norman Bacal and M.C. Sungaila shared insights about finding success on the far side of their failures.

Texas Appellate Law Podcast: Introducing The Portia Project | M.C. Sungaila

By Todd Smith & Jody Sanders, March 31, 2022

This episode features the Texas Appellate Law Podcast’s first three-time guest, M.C. Sungaila. She joins Todd Smith and Jody Sanders to discuss her new podcast, The Portia Project, which chronicles the careers of women judges and lawyers and their impact on the legal profession. M.C. discusses what drove her new project, as well as her goal of inspiring a new generation of women lawyers and law students. Join us to hear about the podcast and how we can continue to make the legal profession more inclusive.

3 Geeks and a Law Blog: The Geek in Review Ep. 151 – M.C. Sungaila and The Portia Project Podcast

By Greg Lambert & Marlene Gebauer, March 23, 2022

We bring on a fellow legal industry podcaster this week to talk about the launching of her brand new podcast, The Portia Project. M.C. Sungaila is a shareholder at Buchalter in California and she noticed that while there were a number of female judges making it onto the trial court bench, there were still a small number at the appellate level. This motivated her to seek out a platform for those judges who were at the appellate level to share their stories and perhaps encourage others to seek out similar roles. M.C. discusses how her original idea of creating a book on the topic morphed into the podcast platform as a result of not just the length of time it takes to compile a book, but also because she quickly discovered that being able to actually hear these stories told in first-person had more of an emotional effect than the printed page could convey.

M.C. shares how the experiences of women joining the judiciary changed over the past few decades. How the challenges shifted from the 70s and 80s into the past couple of decades. That the barriers shifted from obvious issues to more subtle obstacles. She also notes how there is a theme among these stories of women trailblazers in particular areas of legal practice, only to be supplanted by their male counterparts once those areas of practice become more prestigious. It is this type of shared storytelling experience that makes podcasting such a popular platform and M.C.’s Portia Project brings these important stories to life. We hope you enjoy this discussion as much as we did.

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Legal Grounds: Podcast interview M.C. Sungaila

Considering the timing of Justice Breyer’s retirement announcement, coupled with the Biden Administrations promise to nominate a Black Woman to the Supreme Court,  I couldn’t have asked for a better guest this month.

Returning to the podcast is one of the top appellate attorneys in the country, who has contributed to cases that have reached from the Supreme Court to the International Human-Rights Courts, M.C. Sungaila.

A strong advocate for women and under-represented groups at large, M.C .is a recipient of the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, and has sat on boards as distinguished as The Rand Corporation and as creative as Red Hen Press.

And it just so happens that she’s started a new podcast - The Portia Project - which seeks to inspire the next generation of women lawyers and law students by sharing the stories of high achieving women in the law – their paths to the bench, the bar, and beyond.

We discuss her journey towards starting her podcast, the surprising and encouraging willingness for female justices to contribute to a larger dialogue of representation, a fascinating case about Holocaust Art Recovery, and so much more.

Enjoy the Show!

Daily Pilot: Newport Coast appellate lawyer seeks to encourage the next generation through new podcast

BY MATT SZABOSTAFF WRITER, FEB. 10, 2022 2:46 PM PT

Newport Coast resident Mary-Christine Sungaila originally wanted to write a book of interviews of women appellate judges around the country.

Sungaila, herself an accomplished appellate lawyer who goes by “M.C.,” thought it was important to encourage young women and girls to enter the law profession.

“The stories I heard from most women was that they didn’t apply on their own, they were encouraged by someone else,” she said. “And the stories that I heard from my friends on the bench was that they had so many different ways of becoming judges. I thought sharing these stories would be helpful, and it would also create a nice history of the progress of women in the profession, through the individual stories of the women judges.”

When COVID-19 hit, Sungaila thought someone would pick up the ball and run with the idea in podcast form, but nobody else did. That someone ended up being her.

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Daily Journal: Prominent Female Judges Fill Out All Star Podcast Lineup

The Portia Project is the brainchild of Buchalter appellate lawyer and emerging podcast host M.C. Sungaila, who said the podcast will provide tips on effective lawyering and careers possible with a law degree, including those at the highest echelons.

An impressive lineup of prominent female judges and lawyers will take to the airwaves this week under what’s dubbed as the Portia Project Podcast.

The Portia Project is the brainchild of Buchalter appellate lawyer and emerging podcast host Mary-Christine “M.C.” Sungaila, who said the podcast will provide tips on effective lawyering and careers possible with a law degree, including those at the highest echelons.

“One of the original goals of the podcast was to promote more diversity on the bench and to celebrate the careers and contributions of women judges across the country,” Sungaila said on Thursday.

But as the Portia Project gained traction, its objective started to change.

“That goal expanded to highlighting the number of ways women have and can make a difference with their law degrees — as general counsel, trial lawyers, law firm managing partners, legal tech founders and nonprofit executives,” Sungaila said.

The first four of 30 recorded Portia Project episodes will drop Feb. 7 and will include former Utah Supreme Court Justice Christine Durham, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Michelle Williams Court and U.S. Magistrate Judge Karen E. Scott of the Central District of California.

“There are women who reached the highest state courts who had a hard time getting legal jobs after law school simply because they were women, much like U.S. Supreme Court Justices O’Connor and Ginsburg,” Sungaila said. “Hearing from them, together with more recent additions to the bench, reflects the evolution of women in the law.”

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NAWLTalks Podcast

NAWLTalks EP10: M.C. Sungaila & How to Make a Positive & Lasting Impact During Your Career