š How I Lawyer #127: Michelle Kallen ā Appellate Partner and Former Virginia Solicitor General
š How I Lawyer #127: Michelle Kallen ā Appellate Partner and Former Virginia Solicitor General
š Welcome back to How I Lawyer!
Todayās episode, which I am very excited to share, featuresĀ Michelle Kallen, who is a Partner inĀ Jenner & Blockās Supreme Court and Appellate practice and previously served as the seventh Solicitor General for the Commonwealth of Virginia.Ā After graduating fromĀ Vanderbilt University Law School, Michelle clerked on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and then worked as a Litigation Associate atĀ Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLPĀ andĀ Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, before moving to the public sector.Ā 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:
šļø How Michelleās experience working in the appellate litigation clinic in law school gave her the opportunity to argue in the Sixth Circuit [3:04]
āļø How seeking pro bono appellate work as a junior associate allowed her to work on federal appeals early in her career [7:06]
š¼ How and why employing an appellate lawyer at the outset of litigation is valuable in constructing a winning appellate strategy [11:28]
šŖ How working in Virginiaās Solicitor Generalās Office opened the door to Michelleās current appellate litigation practice [14:00]
šļø How practicing in state court gives you the opportunity to argue a plethora of diverse legal issues [22:09]
š How creating a clear argument outline, before drafting, makes it easier and more efficient to write compelling briefs [26:55]
āļø How she prepares for appellate arguments using the same method that she learned in the appellate litigation clinical during law school [31:45]
š§© 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]
š 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]
If you liked this episode, support Michelle by following her on Instagram, @appealsinheels
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Thanks again for being a part of the How I Lawyer community and see you soon,
Jonah