Growing up Muslim in America, Sumbul Ali-Kalamari was accustomed to explaining her religious culture to non-Muslims, especially in the Stanford University dorms. After becoming a corporate attorney and earning an LL.M. in Islamic Law, the cultural questions continued. She wrote her first book in 2008 and has made a career of writing, lecturing, and educating the public to promote intercultural understanding in the world – while also actively practicing law.In this episode, Sumbul gives us a broad education on the evolution of Islam and Islamic Law over the centuries, dispelling myths and shining a light on often misunderstood nuances. She explains Shariah’s feminist roots and a legal system based on the notion that an amicable settlement is best. And she tells how a childhood crush on William Shatner’s Captain Kirk led her to draw parallels to Star Trek in her books.Join us on this journey through the origins and tenets of Islam and learn about how this Sticky Lawyer has followed a calling to educate others to create understanding and acceptance. 

Sticky Lawyers

An Education About Shariah From an Islamic Law Expert

For an attorney who once had political aspirations and started his career in public finance law, Richard Walawender’s deep Polish roots and serendipitous timing helped him create a fascinating law career that started in the 1980s Solidarity movement and continues today in his role as Honorary Consul for the Consulate of the Republic of Poland in Detroit.A senior partner at Miller Canfield in Detroit, Rick leads its Autonomous and Connected Vehicles Group and has played a substantial role in developing the firm’s international practice. But as the son of Polish immigrants, his interest in Polish history led him to a college experience with the burgeoning Polish Solidarity movement and a call to help the Solidarity government attract investors and create the first private commercial bank in Eastern Europe.Listen as Rick paints a vivid picture of evolving post-communist Poland, his work as a local honorary consul, and the warming relationship between Poles and Ukrainians in the U.S. and abroad. 

A Proud Polish-American Consul (and Counsel)

The 2022 midterms may be over, but who are the election lawyers behind the scenes? We found one – meet Katherine Knox. Election law piqued Kate’s interest during a law school internship, and she hasn’t looked back. As one of the most highly regarded lobbying and election law attorneys in Maine, Kate has helped pass groundbreaking legislation (including the first ballot initiative on same-sex marriage nationwide), worked with countless candidates at all levels of government, and serves as general counsel to the Maine Democratic Party.The law wasn’t her first career stop; Kate spent ten years as a clinical social worker before attending law school. Her emotional intelligence and passion for relationship building and working on a team to get results led her to a flourishing lobbying and election law practice at Bernstein Shur in Portland.In this episode, Kate shares how managing relationships and loving the energy of a chaotic legislative floor are the keys to successful lobbying. She also talks about how the tone of the 2022 midterm elections affected her counsel around election rules and ballot protection. Listen in to hear some fascinating stories from this standout Sticky Lawyer.

An Election Lawyer and Lobbyist Who Builds Relationships to Preserve Democracy

From forgery schemes to Nazi-looted art to patrimony laws to sanctions on Russian oligarchs, Steven Schindler has seen it all. As the leader of Schindler, Cohen & Hochman’s art law group, he proves that one interesting client can propel you to a niche practice area that shapes the rest of your career.Steve joined a large firm after law school and focused on commercial litigation and trials. After later starting a firm with two colleagues, his work on an art-related dispute piqued his interest in art law as a practice area. The field was wide open. Steve dove in, researched, wrote articles for law journals, and became a sought-after speaker on the subject. Along the way, he has handled everything from title contests to fraud, challenges to authenticity and provenances, restitution for stolen art, and various transactions for the purchase, sale, and commission of fine art and NFTs. Listen in as this Sticky Lawyer describes how a life-long appreciation took him from one legal career canvas to another.

Painting a Picture of Art Law

Zachary Strebeck has always loved games, whether on a board or a video screen. In law school, he took classes and participated in internships to gain the skills he knew he would need to represent clients in the games industry. And a niche law practice was born.A digital nomad who works from a laptop from any place in the world, Zachary solves the legal issues of game start-ups, successful video and board game publishers, and related industry players. His work as a graphic illustrator before law school informs his knowledge of the business, helps him build trust with clients, and allows him to speak their language. From contracts to copyrights to privacy law, Zachary has advised clients on myriad legal issues as their industry evolves to include artificial intelligence, augmented reality, and virtual reality.In this Sticky Lawyers episode, we hear how a guy with a passion for games created a successful practice built and operated on his own terms. Have a listen.

Game On: A Video Game Lawyer Who Plays By His Own Rules

Environmental warriors are often inspired by stories of ecological travesties or climate problems that speak to their souls, and Donald Simon is living proof. A National Geographic magazine article he read as a kid in Ohio sparked a lifelong passion for protecting the earth.Although he began working with nonprofits in environmental activism early in his legal career, he moved to San Francisco and pivoted into an entirely new area. His work in construction litigation led him to shape the green building industry and help clients develop green businesses. That work drew him to creating the benefit corporation, an alternative corporate structure now recognized in 37 states. Oh, and he founded a few eco-oriented nonprofits, too.Through it all, Donald’s focus and commitment to taking care of our planet have driven his practice and book of business. Listen in as he describes how he uses his problem-solving skills to create change in the world and help clients do the same.

An Eco-Conscious Lawyer Who Makes Going Green an Attractive Business Option

Christopher Melcher never dreamed about representing celebrities and wealthy clients in divorce court. Instead, as a young lawyer, he met an LA attorney with a high-end solo practice in divorce and family law who invited him to join the practice. He dove into the world of representing wealthy and celebrity clients, working with the teams that manage them, and never looked back. Managing the legal needs of these high-powered, sophisticated legal consumers requires the dedicated focus that this successful niche practice provides. But hobnobbing at Hollywood parties has never been his thing. Christopher’s humble and straightforward approach with his clients is what drives his success. In this episode, Christopher gives us a masterclass on marketing for niche practices. He describes the advice that worked for him and how using a video bio on your website can lead to more referrals. As a legal analyst for various media outlets, he also gives us some pointers on becoming a go-to legal commentator. Join us for this enlightening discussion.

A Celebrity and High-Wealth Divorce Lawyer Talks About Building His Practice

What do five-minute interviews, going broke on the first day of a fellowship in Nairobi, opening a high-end hosiery franchise, and being appointed to an international trade committee by the Obama administration have in common? They are all experiences that shaped the fascinating life and legal career of Craig Owen White.Nurtured by his father and teachers to be curious, Craig knew he wanted to be an attorney at a young age. A fellowship after college sent him on a yearlong journey of self-discovery in Kenya and Ghana and cemented a pattern of listening and learning as much as he instructed. After law school and several years as a corporate law associate, Craig and his wife opened a high-end retail hosiery business in downtown Cleveland to create jobs in the Black community. That experience shaped his work with the International Senior Lawyers Project in Africa, as well as an appointment by the Cleveland City Council to negotiate with the NFL to bring the Browns back to town. The current partner in charge at Hahn Loeser & Parks’ Cleveland office, Craig is also the chair of the Trade Advisory Committee on Africa to which he was appointed by the Obama Administration. This sticky lawyer has left his imprint all over the world. Enjoy his story.

Practice Local, Think Global

We&apos;ve talked to attorneys on this podcast who represent clients&apos; needs in distinct, niche areas of the law. But what about lawyers? They&apos;re humans with needs and a few flaws, just like the rest of us. Who do they call when they need a lawyer to represent them? If they&apos;re smart, they will hire today&apos;s guest.Meet Trisha Rich. A first-generation college graduate from a tiny town in Michigan, Trisha is a partner with international law firm Holland & Knight, based in Chicago and New York. Her practice focuses largely on legal ethics and professional responsibility matters, meaning she represents lawyers and law firms when they get into trouble or need legal assistance.  But Trish&apos;&apos;s devotion to the legal community doesn&apos;t stop there. She writes a column about professional responsibility ethics, teaches legal ethics at Northwestern Pritzker Law School and NYU, and co-hosts a Chicago Bar Association podcast. Oh, and she also helped create the Attorney Defense Initiative to help lawyers with disciplinary and wellness issues. None of it would have happened without a chance encounter she had while working at McDonald&apos;s in high school. Don&apos;t miss this episode.  

A Conversation With a Lawyer's Lawyer

She loves Elvis Presley, classic rock, and Northern Soul, and has a successful legal career in the music industry. Meet Erin Jacobson.  With a private practice in L.A. that has grown exponentially since its inception in 2009, Erin helps Grammy and Emmy winning singers, musicians, songwriters, legacy artists and catalogs, heirs and estates, and others navigate complex contract, licensing, and intellectual property laws. She is also one of the industry&apos;s leading attorneys in copyright recapture and termination issues. Erin has grown her busy practice by developing relationships promoting her thought leadership. She&apos;s a trusted resource within the music community and wrote a book to educate artists so they don&apos;t get screwed (her words, not ours). She even created the Indie Artist Resource to give artists template contracts and guidance to protect themselves when starting out. Talk about building a clientele from the ground up. In this episode, Erin gives us a crash course in music copyrights, infringement, and recapture. It is clear she&apos;s committed to protecting her clients&apos; rights, ownership of their catalogs, and the music itself - an obligation she feels she has to listeners who feel deeply connected to it.

A Music Lawyer Who Protects Artists, Songwriters, Their Songs, and Their Legacies

Thousands of kids have likely dreamed of working for NASA as an astronaut. But how many science fiction-loving youth dream of being a NASA lawyer when they grow up? Meet Laura Montgomery. Although NASA didn’t end up on her CV, Laura spent more than two decades as a space lawyer with the FAA. Now in private practice, she specializes in regulatory space law, commercial space transportation, and the Outer Space Treaties, while teaching space law at Catholic University.During her years as FAA counsel, Laura helped draft regulations for space launch safety, explosive siting, and commercial space tourism. But she explains how this niche area of law really includes all areas of law, including property law (space mining) and criminal law (US criminal justice jurisdiction extends to outer space).Join us on this episode as Laura spins fascinating tales of her experiences as a space lawyer and a science fiction writer. She has 16 titles in print that showcase her deep space knowledge and sometimes feature space lawyers in her casts of characters. 

An Out-of-This-World Lawyer Making Great Use of Space

Don’t discount the childhood pleasures that can shape your life. For David Concannon, hiking, exploring, and diving at summer camp fueled his lifelong passion for outdoor adventure – and a ridiculously cool legal niche along with a side business in exploration consulting.Inspired by his grandfather’s fascination with the air and the sea, David became general counsel of The Explorer’s Club (comprised of the world&apos;s greatest adventurers ) after being inducted as one of its youngest members, sparking relationships that launched his career advising deep-sea explorers on the legalities of visiting the Titanic and other shipwrecks, serving as general counsel to the X Prize Foundation, and working with Jeff Bezos to recover the rocket engines that propelled the Apollo program to the moon.Listen as David recounts tales that stretch from the courtroom to the deepest ocean depths and Earth&apos;s orbit. Not your ordinary law practice, to be sure. 

Stories From an Unsinkable Explorer Lawyer

Many comic book heroes use superpowers to defeat their evil foes and save the world. But their creators still need lawyers to negotiate their contracts. Who would have ever thought that “comic book lawyer” was an actual legal niche? We know a former professional dancer who spun into it by chance.Meet Caitlin DiMotta, a performing artist turned attorney fortunate enough to heed two career callings - the arts and law. After a chance encounter pointed her to law school, she befriended a renowned comic book creator who helped open her eyes to a community she has come to love.Whether you’re a DC or Marvel fan (or have never opened a comic book), listen to Caitlin talk about following her instincts to build a practice, working with talented writers and artists to publish comic books and get them to the big screen, and witnessing firsthand the fascinating transformation of Captain Marvel. Links From the EpisodeCowan, DeBaets, Abrahams & Sheppard LLP (Caitlin&apos;s Law Firm)Caitlin&apos;s EmailCriminal (comic book by Ed Brubaker)Scalped (comic book by Jason Aaron)Bitch Planet (comic book by Kelly Sue DeConnick) 

Holy Terms and Conditions! It’s a Comic Book Lawyer!

John Szymankiewicz always knew he wanted to be a lawyer. He also developed a life-long passion for beer – brewing it, drinking it, and after a slight detour into chemical engineering, building a law career around it.  Now, John is one of an elite group of Sticky Lawyers dedicated to counseling breweries, distilleries, and other small alcohol producers.Although practicing beer law sounds as enjoyable as hoisting a few pints with your friends, the work isn&apos;t all fun and drinking games. By knowing the industry so intimately, he can speak clients&apos; language and has become a trusted business partner. Whether navigating alcohol label compliance rules, creating employee manuals for brewpubs, or counseling distilleries about manufacturing hand sanitizer during a pandemic, the Beer Lawyer has seen it all. Pull up a barstool and listen to a business development masterclass within the context of a unique niche law practice.

Belly Up to the Bar (Exam)

Michael Hall developed an interest in UFOs and Bigfoot in the 1970s. And although he didn’t have grand plans to become The Paranormal Lawyer, he earned that moniker after decades of blending his side passion with his general law practice. As a paranormal field researcher who investigated UFO sightings for the Aerial Phenomena Research Organization, he met fellow ufologists and researchers who began to call on him for legal advice.Michael’s real estate law knowledge assisted a client in disclosing a haunted property. His contract law experience allowed him to craft nondisclosure agreements for ufologists negotiating TV deals. And then there was a researcher friend who feared for his life over a top-secret government document… but you’ll have to listen to hear that story.Join us for a fascinating dive into Michael’s story and how he has fashioned his general law practice into an out-of-this-world adventure.

Close Encounters of the Legal Kind

As an attorney, how do you build trust so your clients stick to you? Do your unique practice areas, contributions to the community, what you do outside the law, or your background make you stand out? How do you channel your strengths and talents in ways that deliver powerful results and leave lasting impressions? Host John Reed talks with real lawyers and has them share the stories about how they got sticky and what they've done to set themselves apart from the competition.

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Sticky Lawyers

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