NAWL Podcast

• The Attorney’s Playbook for Success: A Conversation with Sheila Murphy

  In this week’s episode of the NAWL Podcast, Michele Ballard Miller, Chair of Cozen O’Connor’s West Coast Labor and Employment team, hosts an engaging conversation with Sheila Murphy, CEO of Focus Forward Consulting LLC and former NAWL Board Member, about her new book Rainmaker Power Moves: The Attorney’s Playbook for Building a Book of Business. They explore the mindset shifts, practical strategies, and resilience needed to unlock career momentum, from overcoming the fear of business development to creating a compelling professional brand that attracts clients. This episode is perfect for anyone looking to elevate their influence and achieve long-term professional growth. Learn more about Sheila’s book and find additional details here! Bios:  Michele Ballard Miller, Chair of West Coast Labor & Employment at Cozen O'Connor, is a widely recognized management-side labor and employment attorney. For more than 35 years, she’s represented businesses in single and multiple plaintiff cases and collective actions. Her clients — who run the gamut from Fortune 50 powerhouses to burgeoning startups — trust her practical business-centered advice and counsel on a wide range of workplace matters. Michele is a frequent speaker on employment law issues for clients and outside groups, and has been the recipient of numerous awards and recognitions for her work in advancing women in the profession. Prior to joining the firm, Michele was the founding and managing partner of Miller Law Group, a certified women-owned California labor and employment law firm. Cozen O'Connor is a full-service firm with nationally recognized practices in litigation, business law, and government relations, and our attorneys have experience operating in all sectors of the economy. Sheila Murphy is a certified executive coach, award-winning legal leader, and the CEO of Focus Forward Consulting. With over two decades of experience in corporate America and a top-tier law firm, Sheila empowers legal professionals—from General Counsels and legal executives to law firm partners and rising attorneys—to achieve transformational success in their careers, compensation, and confidence.  Her mission is clear: to help lawyers become impactful leaders, trusted advisors, and rainmakers who drive results.Before founding Focus Forward Consulting, Sheila served as Senior Vice President and Associate General Counsel at MetLife, a Fortune 50 company, where she earned recognition for her leadership, innovation, and unwavering commitment to advancing others. During her tenure, she served as an executive sponsor of the U.S. Women’s Business Network, co-chaired the Legal Affairs Academy, and led diversity and professional development initiatives with global impact.Sheila is the author of Rainmaker Power Moves: An Attorney’s Guide to Building a Book of Business, a practical and inspiring guide designed to help attorneys take charge of their professional destinies. Through actionable strategies, candid insights, and proven techniques, Sheila teaches lawyers how to grow thriving practices and sustainable client relationships in today’s competitive market.Known for her engaging and transformative approach, Sheila brings a unique blend of corporate experience, coaching expertise, and a deep understanding of what it takes to succeed in the legal industry. She works with attorneys and legal teams at all stages of their careers—whether they’re in-house counsel striving for leadership roles or law firm professionals building influence and profitability. Her clients consistently credit her with helping them unlock opportunities, elevate their confidence, and accelerate their success.A sought-after speaker and trainer, Sheila delivers high-impact keynotes and workshops on leadership development, business growth, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. Passionate about advancing women and underrepresented groups, she is dedicated to reshaping the legal profession by equipping all professionals with the tools to thrive.Sheila holds a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School and coaching certifications from the International Coaching Federation and the Co-Active Leadership Institute. Her leadership and coaching excellence have earned her numerous honors, including the Women, Influence & Power in Law Lifetime Achievement Award and the Benchmark Litigation In-House Award.With her signature mix of authenticity, insight, and strategic vision, Sheila Murphy helps legal professionals and organizations move beyond potential—toward lasting, measurable success.

  --------  

  35:24

  --------

  35:24
• Professional Development 360: Insights from Partner, Coach, and Client

  In this week’s episode of the NAWL Podcast, host Lisa Sheeler—Chief Compliance Officer and General Counsel at RhumbLine Advisers—welcomes Lisa Cukier, Partner at Rubin Rudman, LLP, and Ellen Keiley, President of EMK Consulting Group, LLC, for a dynamic conversation on business development through three distinct lenses: the practicing attorney, the business development coach, and the client. Together, they dive into the power of authentic networking, the value of leaning into your strengths, and the strategies behind building lasting client relationships. From personal branding to professional growth, this episode offers actionable insights for legal professionals at every stage of their career. Tune in to discover how to elevate your business development approach and expand your professional network with purpose.  Discover more about Ellen and explore how you can benefit from her expert coaching through NAWL's Coaching Roster! Bios:Lisa Cukier has a law practice that bridges the intersection of service as trustee and conservator, trust and estate litigation, trust and estate planning, high asset matrimonial law, and private client strategic planning. Her practice focuses on complex trust and estate controversies, high-asset matrimonial disputes, fiduciary appointments, and legal interventions in cases involving diminished capacity and undue influence. Lisa counsels individuals, families, and family offices, as well as family trustees and family businesses, as they navigate emotionally charged transitions — such as high asset divorce, high stakes incapacity, death, interfamilial conflict and controversy, and external vulnerabilities — crafting legal solutions that protect both financial stability, legacies, safety and personal dignity. Trusted by judges, colleagues, and clients alike, Lisa is known for top-flight resolution of high-conflict, high-net-worth matters where family, wealth, and capacity collide. In addition to her family law and fiduciary litigation practice, Lisa serves as a trustee, guardian, and conservator, often at the direct request of clients, lawyers representing family members or the family business, or by judges seeking an experienced problem solver and peacekeeper. She is also a trusted special master and guardian ad litem in contentious cases involving children and older individuals who are experiencing signs of diminishing capacity, and she is frequently retained to render expert witness opinion and testify as an expert witness in contested trust and estate litigation matters.  Ellen M. Keiley is the President of EMK Consulting Group, LLC, a firm specializing in marketing, business development coaching, and public relations for law, accounting, finance, and other professional services firms. A recognized authority with over 20 years of experience, Ellen is known for her expertise in networking, brand building, and strategic visibility. She has written for numerous publications and was a regular contributor to RadioBDC’s Global Business Hub segment. She has also been extensively quoted and featured in outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, Boston Magazine, and Boston Common Magazine, and speaks frequently at conferences and industry events. She previously authored the “Ask Ellen” and “Legal Tender” columns in Lawyers Weekly and currently writes a column for Business of Law INSIDER focused on public relations. Ellen is actively involved in the community. She is the Past President of the National Association of Women MBAs, serves on the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce Women’s Network Advisory Board, and on the Women Owned Law Boston Steering Committee. She has also served on the United Way Women’s Leadership Council (WLC) and Lawyers Have Heart Executive Committees. She is the former Vice Chair of City Year’s Legal Community Breakfast and Past Vice Chair of its Women’s Leadership Breakfast. Additionally, she is the past Co-Chair of The Boston Club’s Member Engagement Committee and its MetroWest Affinity Group, and was Co-Chair of the 2020 Women on Boards National Conversation on Board Diversity event. Ellen graduated summa cum laude from Northeastern University and is a Certified Professional Coach, trained by the International Coaching Federation–accredited Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching (iPEC). She has been recognized by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly as a Top Public Relations Firm and Top Business Development Coach for law firms for the past eight years. Ellen is also a recipient of Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly’s “Excellence in Marketing” award and the Idealism in Action Award from City Year.

  --------  

  37:18

  --------

  37:18
• Breaking into Startups: A Legal Insider’s View with Liz Federowicz

  In this week's episode of the NAWL Podcast, host Ashley Carlisle—NAWL member and Co-Chair of NAWL’s Startups Affinity Group—sits down with Liz Federowicz, General Counsel at Expa, for a compelling conversation about her multifaceted legal career. Liz shares her journey from the entertainment industry to big law, and ultimately to the fast-paced world of startups.Together, they explore the transition from traditional law firms to startup culture, the unique challenges of working in emerging tech, and how legal professionals are adapting to the rise of AI and other transformative technologies. Whether you're a seasoned attorney or just starting out, this episode offers valuable insights into the future of the legal profession. Learn more about Liz and her work at Expa here!$25 off a prenup at First with the code NAWL25 Bios: Liz Federowicz serves as General Counsel at Expa, a venture capital firm and venture studio that builds and invests in early-stage technology companies. She oversees all legal aspects of fund investments, formation, operations, and newly incorporated startups within the venture studio. As the sole in-house legal counsel for an organization with over 100 portfolio companies and 5-10 studio-incubated companies, Liz provides comprehensive guidance across venture deals, legal strategy, and business affairs. Her path to law was unconventional, beginning with independent films and co-founding a film production company in the early 2000s. Inspired by entertainment attorneys, she focused on intellectual property and business during law school, but ultimately transitioned to the tech sector after law school. Liz began her legal career in-house at a Los Angeles tech company before joining Fenwick & West, where she developed her expertise in Silicon Valley and Silicon Beach practices before stepping into her role as Expa's GC. Colleagues recognize Liz for her innovative thinking, deal-making acumen, and hands-on approach with Expa's incubated companies, including legal tech company First, where she additionally serves on the founding team as Head of Legal Product. Ashley Carlisle is a corporate attorney and entrepreneur focused on transforming the legal industry with technology. As a founding team member and CMO of HyperDraft, she helps real estate and financial institutions use AI and automation to streamline their legal documentation. A graduate of the University of Texas School of Law, Ashley practiced corporate law at two global firms before joining HyperDraft and is a frequent voice on AI and automation in industry publications and podcasts.

  --------  

  37:06

  --------

  37:06
• The Cost of Separation: Fighting for Immigrant Children’s Rights

  In episode seven of NAWL’s Bridging Divides series, NAWL member Marlow Svatek speaks with Kelly Kribs, Attorney at the Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights, about the organization’s mission and its work supporting immigrant children. They examine the 2018 family separation crisis, its lasting impact, and the reemergence of similar policies today. This episode highlights the legal and emotional consequences of child separation, the importance of mental health for advocates, and practical ways legal professionals can support immigrant families. Don’t miss this urgent and inspiring dialogue at the intersection of immigration, justice, and child welfare. Learn more about the Young Center and explore how YOU can make a meaningful impact in the immigration space today: Young Center Speaker Bios:  Kelly Albinak Kribs is a Co-Director for the Young Center’s Technical Assistance Program, which offers case consultation, connection to resources, training, and mentorship to attorneys and professionals working with immigrant children impacted by the domestic child welfare system. Kelly first joined the Young Center in 2016 and previously served as the Managing Attorney of the Child Advocate Program team in the Chicago office. In her time at the Young Center, Kelly has drawn upon principles of child welfare, international, and immigration law in order to evaluate and execute best interests advocacy on behalf of unaccompanied and separated immigrant children on matters of their care, custody, reunification, safe repatriation, and legal relief. She has collaborated closely with social worker colleagues to help develop an interdisciplinary approach to assessing best interests as well as best practices for child-centered, developmentally appropriate, and trauma-informed engagement with immigrant children. Before joining the Young Center, she worked in private practice and clerked for a federal district court judge. She received her law degree from the University of Chicago Law School and her undergraduate degree in communications from Northwestern University. Prior to attending law school, Kelly worked at a research center on Latin American issues and taught English in Nicaragua. She first began serving as a volunteer child advocate with the Young Center in 2008. Marlow Svatek is an associate in Barack Ferrazzano’s litigation group, where her practice spans a variety of substantive areas, including consumer class actions, business disputes, and securities and shareholder derivative matters. Marlow has extensive experience drafting dispositive motions and appellate briefs, managing discovery, taking depositions, preparing fact and expert witnesses for deposition and trial, and trying cases in court and before arbitration tribunals.Prior to joining Barack Ferrazzano, Marlow was a litigation associate at Sidley Austin in Chicago. She clerked for the Honorable Judge Joel M. Flaum on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit and the Honorable Judge Jon S. Tigar on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District in California. Before becoming an attorney, Marlow was a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer in Burkina Faso.Marlow also maintains an active pro bono practice. She has successfully obtained asylum for several individuals in deportation proceedings. Marlow was also the lead associate on the impact litigation team challenging the Department of Homeland Security’s “public charge” rule, in which she successfully argued several motions in the district court and led multiple rounds of briefing in the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals and United States Supreme Court, ultimately obtaining a nationwide vacatur of the challenged rule. In recognition of her outstanding pro bono service in protection of immigrant rights, Marlow was named a “Rising Star” by the National Immigrant Justice Center in 2020 and received the Award for Excellence in Public Interest Service from the Judges of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and the Chicago Chapter of the Federal Bar Association.Outside of her practice, Marlow is dedicated to promoting pro bono work and the advancement of women lawyers in the profession. She previously served as Chair of the Public Interest Law Initiative (PILI) Alumni Network Leadership Council and as a writer-in-residence for Ms. JD. She is also on the Annual Meeting Host Committee for the National Association of Women Lawyers (NAWL). 

  --------  

  21:39

  --------

  21:39
• U.S. v. Skrmetti: LGBTQ+ Rights and the Future of Equal Protection

  Explore how Lambda Legal is fighting for the civil rights of LGBTQ+ people here: https://lambdalegal.org/ Get the latest updates on LGBTQ+ legal battles, victories, and insights from the Lambda Legal Blog: Blog Posts Archive - Lambda Legal Learn more about the National LGBTQ+ Bar Association here: The National LGBTQ+ Bar Association | Attorneys & Lawyers Join thousands of legal professionals, students, and advocates at the 2025 Lavender Law Conference: The 2025 Lavender Law® Conference and Career Fair Follow the legal response to anti-LGBTQ+ executive orders with the LGBTQ+ Bar’s EO Litigation Tracker: Trump Anti-LGBTQ+ Executive Order Litigation Tracker - The National LGBTQ+ Bar Association Read the LGBTQ+ Bar's Bench Guide here: LGBTQ+ Inclusion From the Bench: A Best Practices Guide for Judges - The National LGBTQ+ Bar Association Bios: Whit Washington, Esq. (They/Them) is the Eileen A. Ryan Senior Attorney for the Nonbinary and Transgender Rights Project at Lambda Legal. Prior to joining Lambda Legal, Whit advocated on behalf of incarcerated people in the United States with a particular focus on the needs of incarcerated trans people. Whit was able to prioritize the rights of transgender incarcerated people through their Equal Justice Works Fellowship, their time with the Prison and Reentry Legal Services at the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia, and as a staff attorney for the Miss Major and Alexander Lee TGIJP Black Trans Cultural Center. Since joining Lambda Legal in December 2024, Whit has co-authored two amicus briefs and has been active in Lambda Legal’s state policy work. Whit’s achievements have earned them recognition from the DC Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs, which honored them with the "40 Under 40: Queer Women of Washington" award in 2019; and the National LGBTQ+ Bar Association, which honored them as the 40 Best LGBTQ+ Lawyers Under 40 in 2025. Whit’s work has been featured in the National LGBTQ Bar Association newsletter and Washington Lawyer Magazine, and their writing can be found on the Lambda Legal blog. In addition to their legal work, Whit is a board member of the National Trans Bar Association.Whit holds a Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies from the Johnston Center for Integrated Studies at the University of Redlands, a Juris Doctor from the American University Washington College of Law, and a Master of Arts in International Affairs from the American University School of International Service. Their commitment to justice and equity continues to guide their impactful legal career at Lambda Legal. Mari Nemec (she/her) serves as Advocacy Counsel at the National LGBTQ+ Bar (LGBTQ+ Bar), where she monitors and responds to policy and judicial issues impacting the LGBTQ+ legal community and facilitates many of the Bar’s programmatic initiatives, including the LGBTQ+ Bar’s Law Student Congress and the Judicial Nominations and Executive Appointments Committee. As Advocacy Counsel, she works to make the legal profession and our legal systems more accessible and equitable for the LGBTQ+ community in all of its diversity.Mari most recently joined the LGBTQ+ Bar in the summer of 2023, but her history with the organization goes back nearly a decade. She first joined the staff in the summer of 2017 as an intern, before serving as Manager of Public Affairs. In 2019, she left the LGBTQ+ Bar to attend law school, but remained involved in the organization’s work by serving in Law Student Congress first as Secretary and then for two years as Co-Chair. While in law school, she also clerked in the Superior Court of Los Angeles County, worked at Step Up to Justice, a local legal-aid organization in Tucson, Arizona, and served as a Congressional Intern to Congresswoman Ann Kirkpatrick. After graduating in 2022, Mari served as a Dorot Fellow at Alliance for Justice, preparing reports on federal judicial nominees and monitoring the federal courts.Mari received her J.D. from the University of Arizona, James E. Rogers College of Law and her B.A. from the College of William and Mary. In her free time, Mari enjoys reading, hiking, trying new foods, and joyfully following the whims of her beloved blue heeler, Miss Matilda Fig. Laura J. Maechtlen is a member of Seyfarth Shaw’s 7-member Executive Committee and the National Chair of the Labor and Employment Department.  She also led the Firm’s global belonging and inclusion work for more than a decade.  Her practice is focused on counseling related to people analytics and EEO compliance, as well as employment litigation and includes the defense of class, collective and multi-plaintiff actions.  Laura is a national leader on issues related to law firm management and inclusion in the legal industry, and has held a variety of leadership positions through which she has advocated for systemic improvement in the legal industry.  She currently serves on the Board of the National Association for Women Lawyers, the Advisory Council for the Law Firm Anti-Racism Alliance, and the Board of the Center for Workplace Law.  She is a previous Latina Commissioner for the Hispanic National Bar Association, past President of the National LGBT Bar Association and the California Minority Counsel Program, and served as a Fellow for the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD), among service to other organizations.Laura speaks and publishes regularly on a variety of employment law and litigation topics, and issues regarding innovation, management and inclusion in the legal profession, and has been quoted on those topics by Harvard Business Review, San Francisco Chronicle, Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Reuters, Vogue, The Daily Journal, Employment Law 360, and many others.     The views and opinions expressed in this episode of the NAWL Podcast may or may not reflect those of NAWL, the hosts, or participants. Unless otherwise indicated, the hosts and participants are speaking for themselves personally, and not for any firm, employer, or any other organization. This podcast is for educational purposes only, and does not constitute and should not be considered legal advice. 

  --------  

  40:01

  --------

  40:01

More Education podcasts

Trending Education podcasts

About NAWL Podcast