#127: Michelle Kallen – Appellate Partner and Former Virginia Solicitor General
Jonah Perlin
Georgetown Legal Practice Professor | How I Lawyer Podcast Creator | vLex Fastcase 50 Honoree | ?? I write and speak about what lawyers do, why they do it, & how they do it ethically and effectively.
?? Welcome back to How I Lawyer!
Today’s episode, which I am very excited to share, features?Michelle Kallen, who is a Partner in?Jenner & Block’s Supreme Court and Appellate practice and previously served as the seventh Solicitor General for the Commonwealth of Virginia.? After graduating from?Vanderbilt University Law School, Michelle clerked on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and then worked as a Litigation Associate at?Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP?and?Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, before moving to the public sector.? Following her service as the first woman Solicitor General for the Commonwealth of Virginia, Michelle represented the Select Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives to investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol.
In this episode, Michelle Kallen shares valuable insights about the legal profession including:
??? How Michelle’s experience working in the appellate litigation clinic in law school gave her the opportunity to argue in the Sixth Circuit [3:04]
?? How seeking pro bono appellate work as a junior associate allowed her to work on federal appeals early in her career [7:06]
?? How and why employing an appellate lawyer at the outset of litigation is valuable in constructing a winning appellate strategy [11:28]
?? How working in Virginia’s Solicitor General’s Office opened the door to Michelle’s current appellate litigation practice [14:00]
??? How practicing in state court gives you the opportunity to argue a plethora of diverse legal issues [22:09]
?? How creating a clear argument outline, before drafting, makes it easier and more efficient to write compelling briefs [26:55]
?? How she prepares for appellate arguments using the same method that she learned in the appellate litigation clinical during law school [31:45]
?? How viewing yourself as a full member of the team, embracing an ownership mindset over your work, and presenting solutions to problems, can set you apart as a junior associate [40:04]
领英推荐
?? How surrounding yourself with excellent people, who are both kind and smart, can set you up for an amazing legal career and life [44:17]
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Thanks again for being a part of the How I Lawyer community and see you soon,
Jonah
Editor-at-Large for News Insights at Bloomberg Law
11 个月This is a great listen.
Solo Practitioner at Law Offices of Michael Pinchak
11 个月I have no doubt that one day Michelle will go from arguing before SCOTUS to being on SCOTUS.
Super Connector. National Director of Business Development at Blueprint Trial Consulting. Co-Founder of The Ad Idem Corporate Counsel Network.
11 个月I’m looking forward to tuning in! Michelle Kallen is such a resource for innovative ideas, and a true leader in the industry.
Trial & Appellate Lawyer
11 个月I am looking forward to listening! Thank you for the conversation breakdown too.
Government Contracts Partner at Jenner & Block
11 个月Great conversation! Michelle Kallen, the anecdote about oral argument prep over Thanksgiving is really powerful and illustrates how lawyers can invest in their careers.