Maximum Mom

This week on Maximum Mom, your host Elise Buie joined Laura Hartnett.

Laura started her early career interning on Capitol Hill and working for federal agencies while completing a Master’s in Public Policy, then became a management consultant advising federal agencies (IRS, the Pentagon, SSA) on how to be cheaper, better, and faster. Her friends didn't understand what she did, so they assumed she was a spy.

While she loved her job, she was sick of developing PowerPoints and missed writing in full sentences. She then went to law school and became a litigator. She recognized that while full sentences are helpful, sometimes clients need a digest, bullet points, and even a chart to understand the legal issue better.

Her first child was born, and BigLaw was draining. She joined the in-house counsel team at a Fortune 100 insurance company. Working directly with business clients, she saw even more that full sentences (and full memos) verged on uselessness. At the same time, she trained with her clients in design thinking - how do we provide services to humans, accepting them and operating first and foremost that the recipients of our services are humans?

It's a novel and revolutionary idea in the legal field. To her, it means developing an understanding of each of our clients, deliberating about the possible ways to be their legal expert, and delivering in new and different ways that delight clients.

She set out and formed a company with the mission of making lawyering better using these skills. She does not want women, minorities, and other marginalized groups leaving the practice of law. She wants them to ascend into legal leadership positions, and she recognizes that we're not going to get ahead practicing law the way that our largely white male predecessors did 50 years ago.

That's where she is committed to getting this work out there - teaching how to better communicate and connect with clients in ways that work better for lawyers and everyone involved.

2:35 cheaper, better, faster

6:27 body-positive messages

10:32 you’re serving a person

13:12 empathy

18:10 do it in bite-size pieces

22:01 do you delight in delivering these services

27:07 experiential people connections

30:00 giftology

34:58 you need all those perspectives together

38:02 authenticity

43:49 part of the solution

47:22 I became the spy

50:23 coming out with this mindset

Watch the interview here.

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This week on Maximum Mom, your host Elise Buie joined Zaira Solano.

Zaira earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Georgia College & State University. While earning her degree, she worked in the office of a solo practitioner in the metro Atlanta area. She gained valuable, hands-on experience in family law, criminal law, and worker’s compensation law prior to her legal education.

She worked for several firms throughout the Atlanta area while earning her law degree at Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School. Zaira discovered her passion for immigration during law school. Later in her training, she clerked at an immigration firm in Atlanta, Georgia. She also worked in the Fulton County Public Defender’s Office in the Complex Case Division.

In 2011, Zaira founded Solano Law Firm with a focus on immigration law to serve the Latino community. She believes in providing honest representation and educating clients throughout the process.

3:09 founded the firm in Atlanta

8:02 I have a kickass nanny

12:48 different experience

16:38 for my moms at the firm

20:16 the single parents

24:41 we will figure it out

29:10 being flexible enough

34:28 the mom guilt kicks in

38:23 some weight off my shoulders

Watch the interview here.

MaxLawCon tickets are on sale now! Grab your ticket today at www.MaxLawCon2022.com

Subscribe to Maximum Mom on your favorite podcast player so you never miss an episode!
Sign up for the Maximum Mom newsletter!

This week on Maximum Mom, your host Elise Buie joined Angela Barker.

As a black, immigrant woman who started her law career as a single parent, Angela shares her unique perspective on how you can use your strength to find success in your personal and professional life.

Angela Barker’s role is to assist clients to prepare for and transition through various life stages, including pre-nuptial agreements in anticipation of marriage, advice, and counsel to clients considering a separation or divorce, and if necessary, representing clients in divorce negotiations and court proceedings. As a family lawyer, she supports her clients in seeking a fair and equitable distribution of assets created during the course of marriage, including a fair award of alimony/maintenance and support.

3:56 moot court
6:24 practicing family law

9:27 practice litigation the right way

12:06 quality of judges

15:35 mandated mediation

19:00 road to independence

25:00 the bar exam

28:52 trip to Ghana

Watch the interview here.

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This week on Maximum Mom your host Elise Buie joins Renée Bauer.

Ms. Renée Bauer is an award-winning divorce attorney, published author, and founder of the family law firm, Bauer Law Group.

Renée’s insights are sought after by local, national and international media outlets, podcasts, and conferences where she speaks on co-parenting, blended family dynamics, relationships, and the art of reinvention. As an accomplished litigator, she boldly educates and inspires women to reclaim their right to happiness through her online course, the d∙course and podcast, Happy Even After.

Despite being a self-proclaimed introvert, Renée believes doing uncomfortable and hard things is something we all have the capacity to breathe though. Her need to share her message is greater than her fear of speaking in crowds. Stay tuned because being on stage as a Tedx speaker is on her short “to do” list even if she is going to have to take lots of deep breaths for that one.

Once private and reserved, Renée has stripped away the photo filters to talk candidly about the shame and guilt most women feel in their lives so they can find their own version of Happy Even After

Watch the interview here.

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This week on Maximum Mom your host Elise Buie joined Bunmi Emenanjo, an attorney with a biotechnology background.

Bunmi has a career that spans 17 years moving fluidly between the legal and biotechnology world. She started her career working in pharmaceutical litigation, before moving on to regulatory policy in emerging technology, such as synthetic biology and nanotechnology. She eventually made the transition to government ethics while working at the Food and Drug Administration.

While her current profession is as an ethics attorney, she continues to pursue her various passions. A mother to three Nigerian-American children, she created Atlas Book Club, a book subscription box company focused on globally diverse children's books, as part of her efforts to ensure that her children remain connected to their African heritage and continue to develop a global awareness through literature.

A student of authenticity and vulnerability, Bunmi studies the teachings of experts such as Brene Brown and Pema Chodron, incorporating these lessons into daily life. An avid reader and culture seeker, she believes that a curious mind, a yearning for constant learning, a fearless pursuit of your purpose, and an active practice of giving and gratitude are key to living your best life.

Watch the interview here.