You Are A Lawyer: Take Risks and Change Careers in Law

Fear, Confidence, and Jury Trials feat. Kyle Sherman (November 2020)

Kyle Sherman is a trial specialist, civil plaintiff’s attorney, and founder of Trial Structure. In this episode, Kyle shares why law school was the hardest season of his life, how Jerry Spence Trial College reshaped his confidence, and why he believes jury work is about persuasion, not convincing. What Can You Do with a Law Degree Kyle’s career demonstrates that legal education is less about memorizing doctrine and more about learning how to relate to people. He explains that jury trial work is not primarily about statutes or case law. It is about understanding human behavior, credibility, and persuasion. “Jury trial work is not law. Jury trial work is relating to people," explains Kyle Sherman, on this episode of You Are a Lawyer. Through his own growth, especially after attending Jerry Spence Trial College, Kyle reframed trial advocacy as structured storytelling. Legal training gave him analytical tools, but his success in the courtroom comes from listening, adapting, and presenting cases in a way jurors can understand and internalize. This episode is produced by Skip the Boring Stuff [https://www.skiptheboringstuff.com/], a podcast strategy company for business owners and creatives.

How valuable is a law degree? feat Kyla Denanyoh

In this episode, Kyla Denanyoh shares her journey from law firm volunteer to law school graduate and beyond. Kyla is interviewed by a fellow Southern University Law Center (SULC) alum, Vernon W. Thomas and she discusses her experiences at SULC, the challenges of the bar exam, and her unexpected career path that led her to work in a call center before finding her footing in the legal profession. Kyla also delves into her motivation for starting the podcast, the importance of mindset in content creation, and the value of sharing diverse stories within the legal community. Kyla Denanyoh explores themes of risk-taking, entrepreneurship, and personal growth. Kyla shares her journey from law school to podcasting, emphasizing the importance of embracing risks and creating opportunities. They discuss the evolution of her podcast, the challenges of monetizing content, and the significance of self-care and leisure in a busy life. The conversation culminates in reflections on the value of a law degree and the importance of taking risks in both personal and professional realms. This episode is produced by Skip the Boring Stuff [https://www.skiptheboringstuff.com/], a podcast strategy company for business owners and creatives.

Making Legal Services Easier to Access feat. Lawrence Blackmon

Lawrence Blackmon is a trial attorney, Mississippi House Representative, and the CEO of Legal Ease [https://legalease.com/], a consumer facing legal tech company using artificial intelligence to help people handle certain non complex legal matters without hiring an attorney. In this episode, Lawrence shares how mock trial shaped his confidence, how he stepped into public service, and why he believes lawyers can use their training far beyond traditional practice. Lawyer Side Hustles Lawrence co-founded Legal Ease in 2023 with the goal of making legal easier and more accessible for consumers. Legal Ease is built to help people handle what he calls non complex legal matters without going through the full traditional attorney process, especially when the work is largely checklist driven and expensive simply because it requires a lawyer’s time to ask questions and process information. “I like getting up every day and working towards building something,” Lawrence Blackmon expresses in Episode 234 of You Are a Lawyer. He describes Legal Ease as consumer facing legal technology powered by artificial intelligence, designed for matters like expungements, no fault divorce, and certain personal injury situations. The platform is meant to guide users through the same questions a lawyer would ask and help them move through the process without paying what he calls exorbitant fees. He even names the AI component of the platform. This episode is produced by Skip the Boring Stuff [https://www.skiptheboringstuff.com/], a podcast strategy company for business owners and creatives.

Suing the Government for Student Loan Relief feat. Francesca Chang

Francesca Chang is a lawyer, former travel blogger, and entrepreneur who sued the U.S. Department of Education to discharge nearly $260,000 in student loan debt. In this episode, Francesca shares what it was like to declare bankruptcy, represent herself pro se, and fight for relief in a system with a historic 0.1 percent success rate. Lawyer Side Hustles Before pursuing bankruptcy relief, Francesca built multiple careers outside traditional practice. From legal marketing to entrepreneurship to travel blogging in Taiwan, she consistently followed alignment over expectation. “Don’t let the debt keep you strapped to something you don’t want to do,” Francesca Chang expresses in Episode 233 of You Are a Lawyer. Her journey reflects the broader YAAL theme that a law degree is a tool, not a cage. Whether building businesses abroad or litigating pro se against the Department of Education, Francesca’s path demonstrates that lawyers can redefine success on their own terms. This episode is produced by Skip the Boring Stuff [https://www.skiptheboringstuff.com/], a podcast strategy company for business owners and creatives.

Finding Your Niche in Legal Operations with SeNita McRae (October 2022)

SeNita McRae is a legal operations professional with a background in broadcast journalism, public administration, and law. In this episode, SeNita shares how she built a thriving career in eDiscovery and legal operations, why passing the bar was not required for her success, and how every degree she earned eventually fit together. What Can You Do with a Law Degree After law school, SeNita’s career took an unexpected turn into eDiscovery and legal operations. Starting as a project attorney in document review, she gradually moved into litigation support, preservation coordination, and eventually legal operations roles embedded within large corporate environments. “This is an industry that I would stay in," explains SeNita McRae, on this episode of You Are a Lawyer. Her legal training allowed her to translate complex technical concepts for attorneys while also working directly with vendors and internal teams. SeNita’s experience shows how a JD can be a powerful credential even without bar licensure, particularly in operational, technology driven legal roles. This episode is produced by Skip the Boring Stuff [https://www.skiptheboringstuff.com/], a podcast strategy company for business owners and creatives.