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Sonya Mehta is a trial attorney and partner at a workers’ rights law firm, where she represents employees and labor unions in cases involving discrimination, retaliation, and workplace issues. She focuses on holding powerful employers accountable and advocating for fair treatment of workers. She has been practicing law for over a decade and has built her career in the same firm, eventually becoming a partner. Before becoming a lawyer, she spent years as a community organizer, which shaped how she approaches legal work and understands power and advocacy. She has handled major cases, including trials and large settlements, and has also taken on leadership roles in legal organizations and professional groups. In the episode, Sonya talks about how legal work connects with organizing and real-world change, and why many workplace issues are unfair but not always illegal. She also explains how she selects cases, what it takes to succeed in trial work, and how lawyers can stay grounded while dealing with difficult cases and losses. Tune in to hear a clear view of how law can be used to support workers and challenge powerful institutions, and hear practical advice on building a legal career, choosing the right cases, and staying resilient in a demanding field.

Siegel, Yee, Brunner & Mehta
https://siegelyee.com/

Louis Goodman
www.louisgoodman.com
https://www.lovethylawyer.com/
510.582.9090
Music: Joel Katz, Seaside Recording, Maui
Tech: Bryan Matheson, Skyline Studios, Oakland
Audiograms: Paul Robert

louis@lovethylawyer.com

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In this special episode of Love Thy Lawyer, Louis shares a personal story instead of interviewing a guest. After nearly forty years as a private criminal defense attorney, Louis explains how he is returning to the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office as a Deputy District Attorney, the same office where he began his career decades ago. He reflects on his early days as a young prosecutor in the late 1970s and early 1980s, when the legal community in Alameda County was smaller and lawyers learned quickly by handling many different kinds of cases. Louis also talks about the mentors who shaped his thinking about the law, including prosecutors, a public defender, and Judge Bob Fairwell, whose kindness and respect for everyone in the courtroom left a lasting impression on him. The episode also explores the long path Louis took after leaving the District Attorney’s office, building a criminal defense practice, learning how to run a business, and eventually launching Love Thy Lawyer. He then shares how a conversation with Alameda County District Attorney Ursula Jones Dickson unexpectedly led to the opportunity to return to public service. This episode has the feeling of a full circle moment, as Louis reflects on the people and experiences that shaped his life in the law. Listeners will hear about career changes, mentorship, the realities of the criminal justice system, and the meaning of coming back to where everything began. Tune in to hear Louis tell this personal story and learn how decades of experience can lead someone back to the very place where their legal journey started. It is a thoughtful look at career, purpose, and the surprising ways life sometimes brings things back around.

Louis Goodman
www.louisgoodman.com
https://www.lovethylawyer.com/
510.582.9090
Music: Joel Katz, Seaside Recording, Maui
Tech: Bryan Matheson, Skyline Studios, Oakland
Audiograms: Paul Robert

louis@lovethylawyer.com

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Brian Ripley is a business attorney based in Oakland, California who works with small business owners, real estate investors, and licensed professionals. He often serves as outside general counsel, helping clients set up businesses and handle legal questions as their companies grow. He began his legal career in the early 1980s and spent many years working as a litigator, handling cases such as insurance defense and product liability. After decades in litigation, he started his own firm and later shifted his focus to business transactions after a major health crisis led him to reconsider the pace and stress of litigation work. Today he helps entrepreneurs build strong legal foundations for their businesses and advises them on contracts, structure, and risk. During the conversation, he talks about the importance of lawyers developing their own client base and understanding how to run a business. He also shares his views on mentorship, the challenges solo attorneys face, and why having a network of trusted professionals is important for long term success. Tune in to hear practical advice about building a legal career, managing clients, and thinking like a business owner. The discussion also offers useful lessons about professional relationships, career changes, and how lawyers can create sustainable practices.

Brian Ripley
https://www.brianripley.com/

Louis Goodman
www.louisgoodman.com
https://www.lovethylawyer.com/
510.582.9090
Music: Joel Katz, Seaside Recording, Maui
Tech: Bryan Matheson, Skyline Studios, Oakland
Audiograms: Paul Robert

louis@lovethylawyer.com