Cause of Action with Spencer Pahlke
A show about building a thriving legal career and practicing law that can change the world.
In law school, you often hear a standard narrative. You can go into Big Law. Or you can get a job in government or nonprofits. In other words, you can either make money or do good in the world. But not both. Cause of Action with Spencer Pahlke dispels this myth, showing law students that there’s a third path: working as a plaintiffs’ attorney. With plaintiffs’ law, you can make a good living while fighting for causes you care about, from civil rights to environmental protection to corporate fraud.
Each episode, San Francisco-based plaintiffs’ attorney and UC Berkeley Law instructor Spencer Pahlke sits down with one of the top attorneys in the country, exploring what they do, and how law students can find a job they’ll love.
Cause of Action with Spencer Pahlke
Latest Episodes
10 | How to Win in the Supreme Court with Deepak Gupta
One crucial thing that often gets left out of conversations about legal cases is the appeal process. The corporate defense side has a long tradition of attorneys who specialize in appeals. But there are also plaintiff-side appellate attorneys. ...
9 | Holding Big Tech Accountable with Alexandra Walsh, plus NPLA Co-President Jan Rotich
Alexandra Walsh worked for two decades on the corporate defense side before starting her own plaintiffs’ firm and eventually joining Anapol Weiss. On today’s episode, she’ll d...
8 | Making It as a Trial Lawyer with Michael Cowen
Michael Cowen is one of the most successful and prolific personal injury attorneys around. He’s tried more than 120 jury trials alone, and has made a career holding big companies accountable for how their products and practices endanger the saf...
7 | Closing the Pay Gap with Lori Andrus
Some law students know right out the gates that practicing law is their calling. Today’s guest, Lori Andrus, started her career on Capitol Hill, and went to law school with every intention of staying in politics. Her goal was to use her knowled...
6 | When "We the People" Hire a Plaintiffs' Firm
Here’s something people don’t often mention: As a plaintiffs’ attorney, you can work side by side with government litigators, taking on some of the most important issues in the country. Case in point, today’s guest: June Pineda Hoidal. June is ...