John Iino's law firm journey took him across the globe to Japan, where he was excited to connect with his roots. This experience set the stage for a career that would see him rise to the heights of the legal profession, not just as a lawyer, bu

BSing with Richard Gray

Apr 15th, 2024 53m 49s

With dreams of becoming an NAACP lawyer, Richard Gray set his sights on law school at an early age. After interning with the legal defense fund, he changed directions to focus his law school experience on courses he found interesting—leading hi

BSing with Mindy Gulati

Mar 18th, 2024 1h 4m

Mindy Gulati, Texas-based Civil Rights and DEI activist, was raised in Utah by grandparents who taught her the importance of standing up for herself and the rights of others. In this episode of B.S.: Beyond Stereotypes, Mindy shares her unique

BSing with Paul Watford

Feb 19th, 2024 57m 20s

Paul Watford recently made the unusual decision to step down from the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals bench to return to private practice as a partner with Wilson Sonsini. In this episode of BS: Beyond Stereotypes, Paul shares what motivated him t

BSing with Sonya Passi

Jan 15th, 2024 51m 37s

Sonya Passi’s fierce advocacy to raise awareness of gender-based violence began when she was a teenager in the UK. Thinking she wanted to become a human rights lawyer, she went to Berkeley Law where she started her first nonprofit. In this epis

BSing with Michelle Silverthorn

Nov 20th, 2023 53m 29s

Moving to the States from the Caribbean to go to college was an eye-opening experience for Michelle Silverthorn—she went from being a member of the majority to being “the only.” In this episode of BS: Beyond Stereotypes, Michelle talks with Mer

BSing with Michael Rhodes

Oct 16th, 2023 55m 30s

People make assumptions about blonde-haired, blue-eyed Michael Rhodes, partner with Cooley LLP, and his perceived white privilege. But Mike has a long history with learning from experiences that push him out of his comfort zone and immerse him

BSing with Eric Burton

Sep 18th, 2023 56m 7s

Reinventing your legal career is possible—especially when you set your mind and intention toward your goals. Eric Burton had done everything right, but he had not followed his dream of becoming an entertainment lawyer. He found the courage to s

BSing with Courtney Munnings

Jul 17th, 2023 49m 55s

Going through life masking to fit in can be exhausting and lead to burn out. Learning to believe the way you are is the right way to be can unlock your power and potential. Courtney Munnings, Diversity Lab’s Mansfield Rule and Knowledge Sharing

BSing with Josie Duffy Rice

Jun 19th, 2023 49m 56s

Inspired by her grandmother’s civil rights fame and the exposure her father gave her to cultural and economic differences growing up, Josie Duffy Rice solidified her desire to change the criminal justice system prior to attending Harvard Law Sc

BSing with Claudius Sokenu

May 15th, 2023 46m 25s

Born in the UK, Claudius Sokenu was sent to boarding school in Nigeria, which shaped him in innumerable ways and prepared him to venture to the US alone to practice law. In this episode of B.S.: Beyond Stereotypes, Claudius and Merle Vaughn dis

BSing with Darrell Miller

Apr 18th, 2023 51m 50s

Darrell Miller, LA Office Managing Partner for Fox Rothschild, is a singer, dancer, musician and lawyer who credits faith and work ethic for his success. As the first in his family to attend college, he found support from his school counselor,

BSing with Jennifer Brewer

Mar 20th, 2023 48m 7s

To the outside world, Jennifer Brewer, Chief Ethics & Compliance Officer for Activision Blizzard, appears to have led a life of privilege but, in reality, the road to fighting for equity and justice has been paved with obstacles that have requi

BSing with Melique Jones

Feb 21st, 2023 54m 21s

Melique Jones, Chief People Officer for the Lincoln Center, grew up with her mother and grandmother in Harlem. From an early age, her family set the expectation that she would make a difference in the world. Despite falling in love with the art

BSing with Bob Major

Jan 16th, 2023 1h 3m

When Bob Major founded Major, Lindsey & Africa in 1982, he could not have envisioned what the organization would become and the impact it would have on the legal profession. In this episode of B.S.: Beyond Stereotypes, Bob shares his extraordin

BSing with Mark Zemelman

Nov 14th, 2022 1h 2m

For Mark Zemelman, Kaiser Foundation’s recently retired GC, joining the legal department was a full circle experience—his father was one of the first physicians in the Southern California Permanente Medical Group, which is the KP medical group

BSing with Dipti Singh

Oct 17th, 2022 52m 10s

In this episode of BS: Beyond Stereotypes, Dipti Singh, GC of Planned Parenthood Pasadena & San Gabriel Valley, shares with Merle Vaughn how she developed a passion for human rights work while in law school. Dipti walks us down her unique caree

BSing with George Fatheree

Sep 15th, 2022 47m 11s

In this episode of BS: Beyond Stereotypes, George Fatheree, real estate partner at Sidley in Los Angeles, speaks with Merle Vaughn about leading the Bruce’s Beach case, the first land reparations granted to a Black American family and describes

BSing with Eli Albrecht

Aug 15th, 2022 45m 8s

Eli Albrecht, M&A attorney at Gibson Dunn, has been embraced on LinkedIn globally after sharing his epiphany to be authentic about his Orthodox Jewish culture in a professional setting. In this episode, Eli and Merle Vaughn discuss how he balan

BSing with John Haney

Jun 20th, 2022 45m

John Haney is an associate at Holland & Knight in their renowned Indian Law practice. As a member of the Seminole Indian tribe, John Haney has remained connected with Native American communities throughout his educational and professional journ

BSing with Dan Johnson

May 16th, 2022 52m 46s

Dan Johnson, IP attorney and vintner, learned early in his career the importance and necessity of being comfortable in his own skin and embracing his authentic self to succeed. In this episode of B.S.: Beyond Stereotypes, Dan talks to Merle Vau

BSing with Aiko Bethea

Apr 15th, 2022 49m 33s

For Aiko Bethea, a leadership development coach, being a leader and a DEI professional are one in the same. In this episode of B.S.: Beyond Stereotypes, Aiko shares how being raised by a Japanese mother in a Black community gave her a unique pe

BSing with Laurie Levenson

Mar 14th, 2022 43m 13s

You may know Laurie Levenson as a legal commentator for several high-profile, televised criminal cases. While she uses her knowledge and passion for criminal law to educate the general public, Laurie can more often be found in the classroom at

BSing with Raqiyyah Pippins

Feb 14th, 2022 42m 46s

Raqiyyah Pippins, partner at Arnold & Porter, brings her contagious energy to everything she does. In this episode of B.S.: Beyond Stereotypes, she shares how her beliefs and optimism have guided her and helped her succeed as a young Black atto

BSing with Dennis Garcia

Jan 17th, 2022 42m 15s

Dennis Garcia understands the importance of changing and evolving. He’s seen a life of evolution unfold for his grandmother who is now in her 100s. In this episode of B.S.: Beyond Stereotypes, Dennis talks to Merle Vaughn about how his upbringi