In today's Speaking of Justice, Scott Drake is joined by nationally respected Attorney Kathleen Wu of the firm Andrews and Kurth. Attorney Wu was recently featured in the Wall Street Journal as well as the Texas Lawyer discussing "What women lawyers can learn from Hillary", an opinion piece from a top flight attorney who has developed an impressive reputation both locally in Texas as well as nationally in the area of real estate law. 

One of the areas of interest to attorney's nationally, particularly women attorney's, is the ability to learn from and be mentored by other lawyers who have risen to a level of prominence. Kathleen in her article as well as this featured podcast on The Legal Broadcast Network uses Senator and former first Lady Hillary Clinton as an object lesson for women lawyers as to the pit falls that await women attorney's in particular.

What we at LBN particularly like about this podcast, and the accompanying article in Texas Lawyer that you can access by clicking here, is that Kathleen makes no apologies for being tough on herself and associates and in one section advises women attorney's to get a thicker skin, and in another to never under estimate your opponent. This is a really solid podcast and has interest far beyond just "women legal issues" but is an insightful analysis by an attorney who has walked the walk of building a dynamic and successful legal career and has value advice for law students, young lawyers and others looking to build a career and a practice.

You can learn more about Attorney Kathleen Wu by clicking here at her site at Andrews Kurth or by linking to her article in Texas Lawyer by clicking here.

The Wall Street Journal link is available here.  

The full podcast is available by clicking this link or by going to Speaking of Justice and looking for audio podcasts.  Just a reminder that Speaking of Justice's new social multi-media web site is now actively in beta test stage, is open for anyone to join and will be formally launched in 10 days.  

Late last week the Dean of the Washington and Lee University Law School announced a revolutionary change in how the highly esteemed law school would approach the third year of law school. Today on Speaking of Justice the man charged with developing this innovative new approach to legal education work, Dean Rodney A. Smolla, joins host Scott Drake to discuss just how this decision was made and what this highly regarded law school hopes to provide it's students through this intriguing change in 3L.

Click here to listen to the podcast of Dean Smolla on Speaking of Justice. 

The new third-year curriculum, approved unanimously by the Law School faculty, will be entirely experiential in nature. Traditional classroom instruction will be replaced by practice simulations, real-client interactions and the development of law practice skills. These project simulations will span the array of traditional legal subject matter, including transactional areas such as banking and corporate finance that have often been overlooked in the hands-on offerings of traditional law school curriculums. Also, the Law School's existing clinics and externship programs will be modestly expanded. All third-year students will be required to obtain a Virginia practice certificate and participate in at least one real-client experience during the year.

Legal education has been immersed in tradition and methodology that has remained largely unchanged for decades, if not hundreds of years, so this innovative departure is currently the talk of the legal world. Washington and Lee is considered one of the nation's finest law firms with a star studded list of alumni. Additionally Dean Smolla is regarded by many in the world of legal education as one of its leading innovators, with a reputation as a scholar, teacher, advocate and writer. His wide ranging scholarship includes a case book on the First Amendment, four legal treatises and many article in the nations top law reviews, in fact winning the ABA Silver Gavel Award and the William O. Douglass Award. Rodney Smolla is one of the nations leading legal scholars on first amendment issues and with this recent move now sure to be viewed nationally as one of the innovators in legal education, LBN is pleased to offer this podcast to it's listeners who want to know more about Washington and Lee, or who wish to learn more about Dean Smolla.

Listen to the entire podcast interview of Dean Rodney Smolla of Washington and Lee by clicking here.