Today we meet Greg Diskant, a Senior Litigator at Patterson Belknap and former Chair of the firm. In this special episode, Greg is interviewed by City Bar President Muhammad Faridi, a Patterson colleague. They discuss key moments from Diskant's illustrious career, including his clerkship with Justice Thurgood Marshall and Judge Skelly Wright, his experiences as an assistant U.S. attorney, and his successful trial work in private practice. The conversation delves into leadership at the highest firm levels, handling the pressure of significant cases, and the joys of the intellectual demands that come with patent litigation. Greg also shares his experience co-authoring a recent, major City Bar report calling on Congress to pass a mandatory and enforceable code of ethics for the U.S. Supreme Court.
Read the report: The Supreme Court Needs a Mandatory and Enforceable Code of Ethics (https://www.nycbar.org/reports/the-supreme-court-needs-a-mandatory-and-enforceable-code-of-ethics/)
Join a diverse network of over 23,000 colleagues—in private practice, public service, the judiciary, government, academia, in-house, and law school—who share membership and expand your personal and professional horizon. By becoming a member today, you help shape the future of the profession as a critical link in one of its most influential organizations: https://www.nycbar.org/member-committee-career-services/membership/
00:00 Introduction to the Podcast and Guest
02:25 Greg Diskant's Early Career and Influences
12:19 Insights into Trial Work
18:34 High-Profile Cases and Public Interest Litigation
26:09 Balancing Professional and Personal Life
32:08 Law Firm Leadership and Mentorship
36:53 Client Relations and Bet-the-Company Lawsuits
40:07 Pro Bono Work and Democracy Issues
42:38 Supreme Court Ethics and Reform
52:54 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
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Today we meet Greg Diskant, a Senior Litigator at Patterson Belknap and former Chair of the firm. In this special episode, Greg is interviewed by City Bar President Muhammad Faridi, a Patterson colleague. They discuss key moments from Diskant's illustrious career, including his clerkship with Justice Thurgood Marshall and Judge Skelly Wright, his experiences as an assistant U.S. attorney, and his successful trial work in private practice. The conversation delves into leadership at the highest firm levels, handling the pressure of significant cases, and the joys of the intellectual demands that come with patent litigation. Greg also shares his experience co-authoring a recent, major City Bar report calling on Congress to pass a mandatory and enforceable code of ethics for the U.S. Supreme Court.
Read the report: The Supreme Court Needs a Mandatory and Enforceable Code of Ethics (https://www.nycbar.org/reports/the-supreme-court-needs-a-mandatory-and-enforceable-code-of-ethics/)
Join a diverse network of over 23,000 colleagues—in private practice, public service, the judiciary, government, academia, in-house, and law school—who share membership and expand your personal and professional horizon. By becoming a member today, you help shape the future of the profession as a critical link in one of its most influential organizations: https://www.nycbar.org/member-committee-career-services/membership/
00:00 Introduction to the Podcast and Guest
02:25 Greg Diskant's Early Career and Influences
12:19 Insights into Trial Work
18:34 High-Profile Cases and Public Interest Litigation
26:09 Balancing Professional and Personal Life
32:08 Law Firm Leadership and Mentorship
36:53 Client Relations and Bet-the-Company Lawsuits
40:07 Pro Bono Work and Democracy Issues
42:38 Supreme Court Ethics and Reform
52:54 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
Today we meet Chaula Shukla, Manager of Legal Recruiting and Learning & Development at Sullivan & Cromwell. Chaula possesses a wealth of knowledge about navigating a legal career and creating opportunities for growth. Not only is she a Big Law professional development pro, but her career has taken her through many twists and turns of her own devising, from social work to public interest law to law school advising even before bringing her talents to Big Law. Chaula and Greg talked about building a supportive professional ecosystem filled with true friends. They investigated the narrow line between charismatic confidence and cringey self-sales. This is also one of our most emotional episodes because Chaula was so honest and open about her experience of loss and her ability to bring that part of herself to work.
Access a transcript of this episode here: https://bit.ly/3SeuPC3
00:51 Chaula Shukla's Career Journey
02:14 Transitioning from Social Work to Law
03:10 Experiences in Law School and Public Interest Law
04:06 Shifting to Career Development and Mentorship
07:45 Building Confidence on the Interview Circuit
13:27 How to Know When It’s Time for a Change
27:19 Professional Friends
33:36 Career Advancement and Management Committee of the City Bar
37:10 Sibling Loss and Opening Up in Work Spaces
44:09 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
47:21 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
This Lawyer's Life
Today we meet Greg Diskant, a Senior Litigator at Patterson Belknap and former Chair of the firm. In this special episode, Greg is interviewed by City Bar President Muhammad Faridi, a Patterson colleague. They discuss key moments from Diskant's illustrious career, including his clerkship with Justice Thurgood Marshall and Judge Skelly Wright, his experiences as an assistant U.S. attorney, and his successful trial work in private practice. The conversation delves into leadership at the highest firm levels, handling the pressure of significant cases, and the joys of the intellectual demands that come with patent litigation. Greg also shares his experience co-authoring a recent, major City Bar report calling on Congress to pass a mandatory and enforceable code of ethics for the U.S. Supreme Court.
Read the report: The Supreme Court Needs a Mandatory and Enforceable Code of Ethics (https://www.nycbar.org/reports/the-supreme-court-needs-a-mandatory-and-enforceable-code-of-ethics/)
Join a diverse network of over 23,000 colleagues—in private practice, public service, the judiciary, government, academia, in-house, and law school—who share membership and expand your personal and professional horizon. By becoming a member today, you help shape the future of the profession as a critical link in one of its most influential organizations: https://www.nycbar.org/member-committee-career-services/membership/
00:00 Introduction to the Podcast and Guest
02:25 Greg Diskant's Early Career and Influences
12:19 Insights into Trial Work
18:34 High-Profile Cases and Public Interest Litigation
26:09 Balancing Professional and Personal Life
32:08 Law Firm Leadership and Mentorship
36:53 Client Relations and Bet-the-Company Lawsuits
40:07 Pro Bono Work and Democracy Issues
42:38 Supreme Court Ethics and Reform
52:54 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
