Podcasts about women lawyers

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As I celebrate the 200th episode of The Joyful Practice for Women Lawyers podcast, I'm taking a moment to reflect on the question a former colleague posed to me way back in 2018, just months after I completed my coaching certification: "What do you wish you had known when you practiced law that you've learned since becoming a coach?"   In this special episode, I'm excited to share with you the top 10 lessons I wish I had known back then. Whether you're a seasoned lawyer or just starting your legal career, these lessons have the potential to reshape your perspective and enhance your professional and personal life.    Get full show notes and more information here: https://thejoyfulpractice.com/200

Send us a text lovethylawyer.comA transcript of this podcast is available at lovethylawyer.com. Judge Lise Pearlman was the first presiding judge of the California State Bar Court. She is now a bestselling author and speaker on historical legal cases. She has also served as chair of the Oakland Public Ethics Commission and president of Women Lawyers of Alameda County. Throughout her career, Judge Pearlman has presided over high-profile cases, contributed to legal ethics reforms, and written extensively on major 20th-century trials, including her recent book about the Lindbergh kidnapping case, Suspect No. 1: The Man Who Got Away. Her work sheds new light on historical events through meticulous research. In this interview, Judge Pearlman shares intriguing insights into the Lindbergh kidnapping trial, her views on justice and fairness in the legal system, and her thoughts on how lawyers can improve their advocacy. Tune in to this episode for a compelling look at history, law, and the pursuit of truth, and discover the surprising findings Judge Pearlman uncovered in one of America's most famous cases. The Lindbergh Kidnapping Suspect No. 1: The Man Who Got Away https://www.amazon.com/Lindbergh-Kidnapping-Suspect-No-Away/dp/1587904950Please subscribe and listen. Then tell us who you want to hear and what areas of interest you'd like us to cover.    Louis Goodman www.louisgoodman.comhttps://www.lovethylawyer.com/510.582.9090Music: Joel Katz, Seaside Recording, MauiTech: Bryan Matheson, Skyline Studios, OaklandAudiograms: Paul Robert louis@lovethylawyer.com

Marketing strategies for law firms are ripe for disruption, and women lawyers are leading the charge. In this episode, Davina Frederick, founder and CEO of Wealthy Woman Lawyer, shares how women are redefining traditional law firm marketing. From embracing authenticity to leveraging technology and social media, Davina discusses how female lawyers can build deeper connections with clients while scaling to seven figures. This conversation dives into the unique challenges women face in the legal field and the transformative power of owning their voices and experiences.

In this episode of "The Free Lawyer," host Gary, a seasoned lawyer with 46 years of experience, converses with Elena Deutsch, the founder of "Women Interested in Leaving Law" (WILL). Established in 2017, WILL aims to help women lawyers achieve fulfilling careers and lives. The discussion delves into the unique challenges of mindset, setting boundaries, and community support. She shares success stories and practical advice, encouraging women lawyers to align their careers with their personal values and aspirations. Elena Deutsch, MPH is committed to helping lawyers create careers and lives they love. She founded WILL in 2017 after seeing many women lawyers give their whole lives overto work, leaving them depleted and unfulfilled. She's helped over 100 lawyers create careers that include freedom, flexibility and fulfillment, either in law or out. Her work has been featured in The American Lawyer, Bloomberg Big Law Business, Above the Law, and The Wall Street Journal.She regularly leads workshops for organizations such as the DC Bar, NY County Lawyers Association and the New York City Bar Association. Challenges Faced by Women Lawyers (00:04:45)Financial Concerns in Leaving Law (00:05:31)Helping Lawyers Avoid Trauma (00:09:24)Mindset Shifts in Clients (00:10:00)Unique Strengths of Women Lawyers (00:11:42)Fear of Losing Income (00:13:31)Aligning Values for Fulfillment (00:15:30)Breaking Through Career Barriers (00:17:16)Dealing with External Judgments (00:19:09)Importance of Community in WILL (00:21:17)Women Supporting Women (00:21:40)Inspiration from Success Stories (00:22:32)Boundary Setting Framework (00:27:14)Effective Communication of Boundaries (00:28:45)Clients Choosing to Stay (00:32:24)Impact on Families (00:34:08)Independent Coaching Benefits (00:34:49) Would you like to learn more about Breaking Free or order your copy? https://www.garymiles.net/break-free  Would you like to schedule a complimentary discovery call? You can do so here: https://calendly.com/garymiles-successcoach/one-one-discovery-call

I share a recording of a powerful workshop I conducted recently with a group of women lawyers, where the focus was on you as a leader in the new year. The end of the calendar year is the perfect time to look back on the wins you've had, the areas where you've struggled, and what you can apply going forward, and I guide you through this process in this episode.    Learn a series of reflective exercises designed to help you envision your breakthrough year and who you need to be as a leader to make it happen. Discover the importance of celebrating your leadership wins from 2024, how to begin exploring the success strategies that have gotten you to where you are today, and a process for stretching your imagination to see what might be possible for you in 2025.   Get full show notes and more information here: https://thejoyfulpractice.com/187  

In this episode of "The Free Lawyer," host Gary Miles converses with Leslee Cohen, managing partner of All Rise Legal. Leslee recounts her journey from big law to founding her own firm, emphasizing the importance of work-life balance, flexibility, and supportive workplace culture. She discusses the challenges of client acquisition, maintaining competitive fees, and the significance of financial literacy. Leslee also highlights mentoring young attorneys and building strong client relationships. Her story underscores that lawyers can achieve a fulfilling and successful legal practice with strategic planning, dedication, and a focus on client needs. Leslee Cohen is the founder and Managing Partner of AllRise Legal Counsel.  AllRise concentrates its transactional practice on securities and startup law, corporate finance, technology law, mergers and acquisitions, and general corporate law. It represents clients across many industries, from consumer products to technology companies, healthcare businesses, and real estate firms.  Leslee started her practice at a Wall Street firm in 1992, spent 13 years honing her skills at a large firm based in Chicago, and left to form AllRise in 2010. AllRise was founded on Leslee's desire to work with earlier-stage and smaller businesses. Each of its attorneys is big firm-trained and experienced.  Leslee has been named by Illinois Super Lawyers as a Top 100 Lawyers in the State of Illinois and Top 50 Women Lawyers in the State of Illinois, corporate finance and securities, every year since 2010, a Leading Lawyer in mergers & acquisitions, securities and venture finance every year since 2007, the Advocate of the Year by the Small Business Advocacy Council in 2019, an Enterprising Woman of the Year by Enterprising Women Magazine in 2023 and, most recently, an Entreprenista Top 100 in 2024.  Career Shift (00:02:10)Wall Street Experience (00:02:33)Moving Back to Chicago (00:03:02)Starting Her Own Firm (00:04:02)Key Elements of Success (00:04:33)Finding a Niche (00:05:34)Networking Strategy (00:06:01)Client Referrals (00:07:58)Balancing Expertise and Service (00:10:21)Mindset Shift (00:12:01)Training New Lawyers (00:12:02) Contract Review Methodology (00:13:07)Billing Practices (00:14:04)Common Mistakes in Starting a Firm (00:15:27)Handling Unexpected Challenges (00:17:05)Learning Business Fundamentals (00:18:35)Advice for Aspiring Firm Owners (00:19:16)Vision and Culture in Law Firms (00:20:49)Creating a Flexible Work Environment (00:22:02)Team Availability and Support (00:23:06)Transitioning from Big Law (00:24:03)Fostering Team Communication (00:25:15)Finding Personal Balance (00:26:17)Mentoring Younger Attorneys (00:29:01)Competing with Larger Firms (00:30:56)Maintaining Client Relationships (00:33:52)Advice to Younger Self (00:37:01)The Importance of Coaching (00:38:30) Would you like to learn more about Breaking Free or order your copy? https://www.garymiles.net/break-free  Would you like to schedule a complimentary discovery call? You can do so here: https://calendly.com/garymiles-successcoach/one-one-discovery-call

Marka osobista prawnika in-house niejedno ma imię. Odbiorcami są ludzie w firmie, partnerzy biznesowi i prawnicy z kancelarii. Każda z tych relacji wymaga innego podejścia.Moim gościem w 114. odcinku podcastu "Marketing prawniczy w praktyce" jest Iga Iwulska - Dyrektor Działu Prawnego SATOIA S.A. Iga to także jedna z Top 25 Women Lawyers in Business by Forbes 2024. Kluczowe doświadczenie zawodowe zdobywała kierując działem prawnym w „Dino Polska” S.A. oraz jako prawnik w Najwyższej Izbie Kontroli.Rozmawiamy m.in. o:

Meighan Harmon Repeats History and is Voted by Her Peers as Best Lawyers “Lawyer of the Year” Award in Family Law for the Second Time About Meighan HarmonEducationUniversity of Notre Dame, J.D. (1996)University of Illinois, B.S. (1993) Meighan Harmon focuses her practice on complex family law cases involving the distribution of high net worth estates and represents successful business professionals and their spouses from a variety of industries, as well as individuals with multi-generational wealth. Meighan is a versatile attorney who provides her clients a wide range of options for resolving their disputes. She is an experienced litigator who can be fierce in the courtroom, but she is also a trained collaborative lawyer and a family law mediator who can devise creative solutions and amicably settle even the toughest of cases. No two divorces are the same, and Meighan possesses the skills necessary to provide the right solution for each unique situation with the ability to pivot between ADR and litigation when necessary. Not only does Meighan assist her clients in dissolving their marriages, but she also encourages them to be future focused. She believes divorce offers clients a unique opportunity to build a positive future for themselves, complete with financial and emotional security. To this end, she provides her clients with the tools necessary to help them construct a solid foundation on which to navigate their new lives.  For Meighan's clients, divorce can be a spring board to reinventing themselves. Meighan is part of an elite group of leaders in family law and has been included in the Top 100 Lawyers in Illinois (all practice areas) since 2017. In 2011, she was elected by her peers to be President of the Illinois Chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. Beginning in 2022, Meighan earned international recognition by Chambers and Partners USA, which ranked her in the top tier (Band 1) for Family/Matrimonial Law: High Net Worth. Super Lawyers also named Meighan as one of the Top 50 Women Lawyers in Illinois each year since 2016. In 2021, Meighan was named a "Lawyer of the Year" in Family Law by The Best Lawyers in America. She has been recognized by the Leading Lawyers Network and Illinois Super Lawyers since 2006.  A frequent lecturer on family law topics, she is also a published author, having assisted in the researching and drafting of the book Problems in Family Law. Thank you for listening to "Can You Hear Me?". If you enjoyed our show, please consider subscribing and leaving a review on your favorite podcast platform.Stay connected with us:Follow us on LinkedIn!Follow our co-host Eileen Rochford on Linkedin!Follow our co-host Rob Johnson on Linkedin!

Imagine the power of stepping into a coaching container full of women lawyers just like you. They're smart, high-achieving, values-driven, excellence-seeking women who want to pursue big goals, overcome their challenges, and grow their professional careers. For the last 18 months, I've hosted my own group coaching program for women lawyers where I help them do this, and I'm revealing everything you need to know about the power of coaching in community this week.   You'll hear what is so compelling about being in a group setting with like-minded women, some of the biggest transformations that can happen, and how group coaching sets you up for success in every way possible.   Get full show notes and more information here: https://thejoyfulpractice.com/162    

In the next episode of the Council of Firsts, Amanda Arriaga, first Latina president of the Austin Bar, talks to Gabrielle Smith, president-elect of the Travis County Women Lawyers' Association. To become members of TCWLA or learn more about the organization, visit tcwla.org

The leadership mindset is a common and emerging theme in my work with women lawyers. They often come to me at an inflection point in their careers where they need to make a big decision around their development, and it usually involves examining the role that leadership plays in their lives.   Discover what it means to adopt a leadership mindset and the top five characteristics of a leader. I'm highlighting the reasons for pursuing a leadership mindset, even though it may be challenging, what happens when you make this deep shift, and how to begin adopting a leadership mindset.    Get full show notes and more information here: https://thejoyfulpractice.com/160

With 37 verdicts of more than a million dollars, few lawyers in America can match the track record of success of New York trial lawyer Judy Livingston.  What's more, many of Judy's verdicts came at a time when few women were trial lawyers.  Join Ben and Rahul for their in-depth interview with Judy in which they explore the sources of the courage and fortitude that fueled her success.  Judy shares accounts of her early trial practice, where she literally had to create a new mold as a woman in the courtroom.  Judy discusses her approach to trying complex medical malpractice cases and connecting with a jury.  She talks about juggling life and the demands of raising a family with a husband who, like her, is a renowned trial lawyer.  If you are a trial lawyer or aspire to be, there is no way you can listen to this episode without feeling inspired.  About Judy LivingstonTop Personal Injury Attorneys | Kramer Dillof Livingston & Moore (kdlm.com) Judith A. Livingston has long been one of the most successful plaintiff's attorneys in the United States. Reserved, methodical and precise, Ms. Livingston has been called “A Legal Legend” by Law Dragon and named one of “The 50 most influential women lawyers in America” by New York magazine. She has been a partner at the law firm of Kramer, Dillof, Livingston & Moore since 1989. Ms. Livingston has won 37 trials with verdicts in excess of $1 million and has negotiated hundreds of settlements that have resulted in payments to her clients of almost a half-billion dollars. She specializes in medical malpractice and personal injury cases. Ms. Livingston is the current President of the Inner Circle of Advocates, an invitation-only group limited to 100 of the best plaintiff lawyers in the United States who possess exceptional qualifications, are experienced and skillful in the handling of courtroom litigation, and who are respected among their peers. She was the first female, and youngest member invited to be a part of this prestigious organization. Judith A. Livingston has the distinction of being named in Best Lawyers magazine for 2011 and 2013 as the New York Medical Malpractice “Lawyer of the Year.” She was cited by the National Law Journal as one of “40 lawyers who have made their mark in the area of health care law,” and she has been listed yearly by New York magazine and Super Lawyers magazine as one of the best lawyers in New York. New York magazine also cited her as one of “the 50 most influential women lawyers in America.” And in every listing, since Lawdragon began recognizing the top 500 lawyers in the United States, Ms. Livingston has been selected as one of the country's top lawyers. In 2022, Judith was inducted into the Maurice A. Deane School of Law Hall of Fame at Hofstra University. Hofstra Law established the Hall of Fame “to honor alumni whose exemplary careers and extraordinary service to the betterment of society have significantly impacted the Hofstra Law community and beyond.” She received the Presidential Medal from Hofstra University and the Fordham Founder's Award in 2014. The former is awarded to “distinguished persons in recognition of outstanding career achievement and professional leadership.” The latter “recognizes individuals whose personal and professional lives reflect the highest aspirations of the University's defining traditions, as an institution dedicated to wisdom and learning in the service of others." A fellow of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers, Judith Livingston has participated nationally in lectures and seminars on subjects ranging from trial strategy to women in the courtroom. Ms. Livingston sits on the Board of Directors of the New York State Trial Lawyers Association. She is a member of the American College of Trial Lawyers; the International Society of Barristers; the Bar Association of the City of New York; the American Association of Justice, and the International Academy of Trial Lawyers. From 2006 through 2009, Ms. Livingston was co-president of the Judges and Lawyers Breast Cancer Alert (JALBCA.) She continues on the JALBCA Board of Directors, helping to educate women in the fight against breast cancer. Judith A. Livingston graduated from The State University of New York, Stony Brook, with high honors; and from Hofstra University School of Law in 1979, where she received a J.D. degree and an Honorary Doctor of Laws in 1998. In 2014, Ms. Livingston gave the Commencement address at Hofstra University School of Law, the second time she was given that honor. Bar AdmissionsNew York, 1979 EducationJuris Doctor (J.D.), Hofstra University School of Law, Hempstead, New York, 1979Honorary Doctor of Laws, Hofstra University School of Law, Hempstead, New York, 1998Honorary Degree, Fordham University School of Law, New York, New York, 2015Bachelor of Arts magna cum laude, Honors: With High Honors(B.A.), State University of New York, Stony Brook, New York, 1976 Honors, Awards and Special RecognitionsMaurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University: Inducted into the Hall of Fame, 2022Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Women in Law, Champions of Justice, 2019Citizen's Union: “Gotham Great” Honoree, October, 2017, Gotham Great: “Honoring outstanding leaders who enhance the vitality of New York City.”Feerick Center For Social Justice: “Spirit Of Hope Award”, October, 2016, “Honoring individuals who have dedicated themselves to service and justice.”Hofstra Law School: “Outstanding Women In The Law” Award, April, 2016Hofstra University: Alumnus of The Year, September, 2015Fordham University: “Fordham Founder's Award”, May, 2014, “The highest honor conferred by the University, in recognition of individuals whose personal and professional lives reflect the highest aspirations of the University's defining traditions, as an institution dedicated to wisdom and learning in the service of others.”Hofstra University: “Presidential Medal”, May, 2014, “The highest honor conferred by the University, awarded to distinguished persons in recognition of outstanding career achievement and professional leadership.”Brooklyn A Legal Services Corporation: “Champion Of Justice Award”, November, 2010United Cerebral Palsy – “Women Who Care” Award, May, 2009Best Lawyers®: “Lawyer of The Year”, 2011 and 2013Listed in Best Lawyers in America©, 1993 – presentHofstra University, “Allan Tod Gittleson Society – Inaugural Member”, June, 2013National Law Journal: “Profiles In Power: The 50 Most Influential Women Lawyers”LawDragon Magazine, Named one of the “Top 500 Lawyers In The United States” annually since the inception of the listing (from 2007 through 2017)LawDragon 500, “The Hall of Fame”, November 2015, “To commemorate the 50 lawyers who have made the Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America each year it has been published.”Super Lawyers®, Named to the Top 10 New York – Metro Lawyers 2020-presentSuper Lawyers®, Named one of the Top 50 Women Lawyers in New York annuallySuper Lawyers®, Named one of the Top 100 Lawyers in New York on an annual basisJudges And Lawyers Breast Cancer Alert – “JALBCA” Leadership Achievement Award, May, 2008NYSTLA, “Civil Justice Honor 2006 Award”, June, 2006United Jewish Appeal – Trial Lawyer's Division “Outstanding Leadership And Contributions On Behalf of The Legal Community And All Humanity” Award, April, 1996Hofstra Law School – Dean's Award For Distinguished Alumnus, November, 1995 Professional Associations and MembershipsInner Circle of Advocates, President, 2022Inner Circle of Advocates, Vice President, 2020 – 2022International Academy of Trial Lawyers, FellowNew York State Trial Lawyers Association, Board of DirectorsAmerican College of Trial Lawyers, MemberInternational Society of Barristers, MemberBar Association of the City of New York, MemberAmerican Association of Justice, Member Pro Bono ActivitiesJudges and Lawyers Breast Cancer (JALBCA), Board Member and Past PresidentNew York State Continuing Legal Education BoardGovernor's Second Judicial Department Screening CommissionAmerican College of Trial Lawyers, New York Downstate Committee Location: New York, New YorkServing all five Boroughs of New York City, Long Island and Westchester County 

Despite best intentions, sexual harassment is still a very prevalent issue that impacts the legal profession on a wide, wide basis to this day. In this episode, Rio sits down with the founders of Women Lawyers on Guard to discuss their work to confront sexual harassment, and other issues impacting women in law and what you (yes! You!) can do about it. — Rio Peterson:  Hello, everybody, and welcome to In Brief episode 83, Women Lawyers on Guard. My name is Rio Peterson. I am the Bar Partnership Strategist at ALPS, and today, I'm going to be chatting with two fantastically inspiring women, Cory Amron and Corrine Parver. Cory, Corrine, thank you so much for joining us. It's great to have you.  Corrine Parver:  Thanks so much.  Cory Amron:  Thank you, Rio.  Rio Peterson:  Thank you.  Cory Amron:  I'm really pleased to be here.  Rio Peterson:  Wonderful. So, before we dive in, I know we've got a really interesting conversation ahead of us today, which I've been very looking forward to for the past few weeks, since we had our first chat. But before we started, I wanted to find out if you could tell us a little bit about you, who you are, where you live, where you came from. Corey, why don't we start with you?  Cory Amron:  Okay, great. Alphabetical order. I live in Arlington, Virginia, right outside of Washington, D.C. I've been here for yeah, 30 some-odd years. I'm now retired, but I worked primarily for a number of law firms that, some of which are no longer around, but most recently retired from the firm of Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease, which started as a Midwest-based firm, here in D.C.  I have been working over my 40-year legal career not only day-to-day clients, et cetera, but also on women's and diversity issues. So, for instance, I was the chair of the American Bar Association's Commission on Women in the Profession, the second chair. In 1991, I took over right over right as Anita Hill was testifying in the Senate at Clarence Thomas' confirmation hearing. So, that was kind of a trial by fire.  Rio Peterson:  Right.  Cory Amron:  So, I've also had a lot of experience working on sexual harassment and things like that, and then, fast-forward, co-founded Women Lawyers on Guard in 2017.  Rio Peterson:  Great. All right, fantastic. Corrine, how about you?  Corrine Parver:  I'm also a retired lawyer. First career was as a physical therapist for 15 years before going to law school. So, I went to law school primarily because I wanted to work in the health law area. My practice, when I was a partner in a law firm, was geared towards policy, regulations, as opposed to litigation.  After I retired from practicing law, I was a law professor for close to 10 years, where I created the Health Law and Policy program at American University Washington College of Law and enjoyed teaching the young students and remained involved with the law school over the past few years, even though I am retired from actually teaching, and joined forces with Cory and our gang of warriors in 2017 to now be the president of Women Lawyers on Guard Action Network.  Rio Peterson:  Got it. So, you both retired to then go on to do more incredible things in your post-retired life. Fantastic. Now, you mentioned you both founded and you run Women Lawyers on Guard. We know that's a nonprofit organization that's been doing some really especially important work around understanding and addressing sexual harassment in the legal profession, and that's what obviously what we're here to talk about today. So, before we really dig into the deeper part of this conversation, I'd love for the audience to learn a bit more about what Women Lawyers on Guard does. What is your mission? Why don't you tell us a little bit about how everything got started?  Cory Amron:  Okay, so in the end of 2016, I was a member of a national network of women lawyers, and we decided that we really needed to do something, both to protect women's rights that we had worked so hard over 40 plus years, and also expand women's rights into the next couple of years. So, we organized Women Lawyers on Guard that first year, in 2017, to bring together our volunteers, because as I said, we have a network around the country, with the legal needs of other nonprofits.  Corrine and I went around and met with a lot of nonprofits and asked them what their legal needs were, because we weren't quite sure what exactly we wanted to do. We wanted to do something. And frankly, our volunteers didn't know exactly what they wanted to do, either. So, this was sort of marriages made in heaven, and we would match our volunteers with those legal needs.  After about a year or so of doing that, we decided we really needed to focus our areas, and that's when we did some very heavy-duty strategic planning and came up with three areas that we were going to focus on. So, sexual harassment obviously was key, because right at that time, #metoo exploded, but we decided also that we were not going to just do one area, but we also picked women's reproductive rights, which actually at that time was not exploding but is of course now, and gender and workplace equity. Those are the three.  Rio Peterson:  Right. I'm curious to know, how was it that sexual harassment and this area was something you both identified as an area that you wanted to be involved in? Is this something that's impacted you directly in your life? I mean, you both had pretty incredible, long careers, so I suspect that at some point, you may have encountered this.  Corrine Parver:  Well, as Cory said, the #metoo explosion made it even more impressed upon us that we needed to speak up for this particular area, and there were other groups that were focusing on, for example, Hollywood and the restaurant industry, and the marketing and public relations areas. We thought we needed to focus on the legal profession, and that's because we had heard stories for years, the years that we practiced, that this was a concern with people.  We wanted to be able to represent their interests and try to do something about it, and that's how we got really involved in focusing on the legal profession, because no other group was doing that on a national basis. There were some people statewide doing certain surveys and the like, but not on a national basis. And because we were, and are, a national organization, that's what we decided to focus on.  Cory Amron:  And just if I could add too, that when we started to talk to lots of people in the profession when #metoo exploded, and came to determine really that there were those who didn't see it happening in the legal profession, either because well, because it wasn't happening to them, and so they just thought, "Well, we have all of these policies, and we have these trainings, and that's ... we're good to go."  Then, we talked to other people, and not just young people, who said, "Oh my God, let me tell you what happened yesterday to me," or to my colleague, or to somebody I was in the room with, et cetera. It was like, "Ugh." We'll get into our survey, but that's kind of what led us to do that.  Rio Peterson:  Got it. Right. Absolutely. So, really realizing that despite best intentions, this is still a very prevalent issue that impacts the legal profession on a wide, wide basis. So, let's talk quickly a little bit about DWL's mission. I know you mentioned that you focus on three areas, and what is the overarching mission of your organization?  Cory Amron:  Well, we have a very broad mission because again, as I mentioned, we didn't quite know what we were going to do at the beginning. So, our mission is that we are a national network harnessing the power of the law to ... well, to go after and make sure that people have equality, they have justice, and there's equal opportunity for all. So, it's a very broad mission. We have a 501(c)(3), which is the one behind me, and we have a 501(c)(4) which is what's behind Corrine, so that we can do different things in these spaces with the different organizations.  For instance, obviously we do a lot of programming around these topics, and of course with the pandemic, we've been able to do that around the country. We not only sign onto amicus briefs, but we've also written amicus briefs, particularly one in the Dobbs case, on behalf of women lawyer organizations, which of course was ignored. We do studies, obviously we'll talk about them, and initiatives around these various topics.  And of course, we have this network that we activate when needs be, and we also advocate. As I said, we have different arms that we can do different types of things, but we've done lobbying and with letters, advocating to policymakers. We sign petitions, and we get out there and march.  Corrine Parver:  I've had some really interesting experiences doing that. One of the other things that we do also is work in coalition with other groups there from out of the University of Texas, The Council on Women and the Law and the National Conference of Women Bar Associations, and the National Association of Women Lawyers. So, we have done programs with all of those groups and attended various coalition meetings to learn about what these groups are doing. The American Bar association also, as Cory had mentioned earlier, has a commission on women in the profession, and we are looking to collaborate with them, as well.  Rio Peterson:  All right. Fantastic. I know we're kind of deviating just a little bit, but we will definitely be talking about the survey, but I'm curious to know, so obviously, you're doing a lot. You're doing a lot of work, and so is the organization run primarily by volunteers? I'm guessing you have a pretty incredible team.  Corrine Parver:  Yes, we are. We are 100% volunteer-driven, and it's pretty much been the same board of directors that have been together since its inception. We've had some people go into certain government roles that prohibited them from continuing to be on our board, but they all, they continue to support us. We have a Facebook presence. We have a LinkedIn presence, and Instagram, trying to make ourselves known via social media. So, through that, we get our messages out to the various communities.  Rio Peterson:  Got it. Oh, fantastic. Fantastic. It's really wonderful that you're devoting your time to this undertaking. It's fantastic.  Cory Amron:  And we're always looking for more to grow our network.  Rio Peterson:  Fantastic. I think at the end of the chat, we'll have a chance to ... We'll plug and let everyone know where to get ahold of you and how they can participate.  Cory Amron:  That's great. That's super.  Rio Peterson:  All right, so now, we've kind of alluded to a survey a few different times, so I would love to dive into that, because it's really, really fascinating. So, in 2020, I know you published a report titled Still Broken, and that shared the results of the national survey that was conducted by Women Lawyers on Guard, and the intention of the survey was to better understand not so much the prevalence of sexual harassment but rather the experience of those affected by it, in addition to uncovering the impact that this has on the legal profession. So, I would really love to know if you could share with us some of the methodology behind the survey itself, and expand on how the survey is different from typical surveys about sexual harassment.  Corrine Parver:  What we were very fortunate in being able to collaborate with a well-known researcher who is a woman by the name of Dr. Arin Reeves, who is also a lawyer in addition to having her PhD in certain aspects of statistical analyses. We put together a group that went through the actual drafting of the survey questions, and it took us a good couple of months to be able to go back and forth to hone in on all the areas that we wanted to investigate.  Rio Peterson:  Right.  Corrine Parver:  Cory?  Cory Amron:  Yeah, so what else? My job actually was sending this out and trying to get people to respond it. So, it was not a survey where it was a closed box of respondents. It was a survey where we were just trying to get as many people as we could to respond to it, both women and men. Lo and behold, we did get a representative sample, even though we hadn't put that sample together, but we analyzed it afterwards and compared it to the demographics that the ABA keeps about lawyers, and was very representative of the box of the profession and where people were geographically, and ages and things like that. So, it was, we felt, a pretty good picture of what was going on.  We were also, because we asked people to tell us the sort of 10-year tranche when something that they were talking about in the survey occurred, we were able to measure change over time, and I think that's one of the things about the survey that's been extremely valuable, to be able to say, "This was like this, and now it's like this."  Corrine Parver:  We also gave the respondents the opportunity to comment throughout the survey questions. So, when it came time to look at an issue of great import, we allowed comments.  When we collated all the information, we gathered literally hundreds of different comments from our respondents, and included some of the quotes from their comments in an appendix in the Still Broken report. So, I would encourage everyone who listens to this podcast to actually go online to our website and read the report, and also the appendices, so that they can see the lasting effect of some of the experiences that they went through.  Rio Peterson:  Absolutely, and that's something that really stood out to me when I was reading the report. I think it's very often that we overlook the context surrounding these types of experiences, and I found that that really just added so much depth to understanding the issue and just understanding the experiences of those who have been impacted by sexual harassment in their workplace and just in all different ways. It was really unique, I think, the way that you've approached this. Yeah. Can you share with us some of the results of the study?  Cory Amron:  Yes, absolutely. Well, first, I guess I wanted to say some of the positive things that we saw. There were some. For instance, we asked about the culture of harassment within the person's employment setting, and as I mentioned, these are settings all across the board, everything from the judiciary to academia, to law firms and associations, the government, et cetera.  What we found was that, at the very least ... We gave them choices. They could say it was often part of the culture. In other words, it was just ubiquitous. Or they could say it was part of the culture, so it was within certain departments, or groups, or whatever. Or they could say it was rare, rarely manifested itself.  So, 30 years ago, we found that the respondents said 51% of these incidents were often, often part of the culture, 38% just various departments, and only 10% was it rare. Now, we've found, and these will be easier to see when the people read the report, 25% was often. So, it went from 51% to 25% was often.  Rio Peterson:  Wow.  Cory Amron:  So, that actually shows that there is change, and that the change is for the better. However, they also said that 48% part of the culture. So, if you add often and part together, you find what you see is that 30 years ago, 89% of these cultures had either often or in some places in the employment setting, whereas now, it's 73%, right?  Rio Peterson:  Yeah.  Cory Amron:  So, it's better, but it's obviously not right. So, that's one of the more positive aspects. Another positive aspect we saw was that, we asked about, in one place, who was doing the harassing. We found that a lot less now from professors in law school and a lot less now from judges in court. However, partners-  Corrine Parver:  And there's always a however.  Rio Peterson:  There's always a however, yeah.  Cory Amron:  However, partners and supervisors still kind of similar statistics from 30 years ago, and now, there's maybe somewhat more from clients.  Corrine Parver:  Another positive finding was that, in comparison over the 30-year span that we asked about, is that there were fewer sexual assaults and rapes nowadays than occurred in the past, although I think what we saw an increase in was a lot of verbal comments, name-calling such as the like. So, there was a plus on one side, but then again, the bubble expanded in another area where there is more name-calling and appearance criticisms, et cetera.  Cory Amron:  So, some of the negative results that we found were, as we mentioned, it's still insidious, and we called it insidious and alarming, the incidents. We'll talk about some of these things later, but the barriers to reporting were absolutely identical today as they were 30 years ago, things like, they didn't think they would be believed, or they thought they'd be retaliated against, nothing was going to happen, et cetera.  The price to the people who were harassed, and by the way, most of these people are women, not all of them, but most of them, was just devastating, and long-lasting. I mean, there was one quote where, "Even though this happened once while I was a law student over 30 years ago, it still haunts me."  So, the consequences to the people who are harassed, long-lasting anxiety in the workplace, fear of retaliation, loss of productivity, loss of confidence, and in the entire workplace, you find loss of productivity, anxiety, et cetera, things like that. So, the consequences to the workplace, even if it's not just the people who are harassed, is consequential, and in fact so consequential that we made a determination, not statistically, but that the consequences to the people who were harassed was greater than the people who were doing the harassing.  Rio Peterson:  Right. Right, and unfortunately, that sounds ... Yeah. That sounds not surprising.  Cory Amron:  Yeah, unfortunately.  Corrine Parver:  Another major finding that was a little bit surprising to us was that people at every level of the profession have experienced harassment of one form or another. Professors, judges have responded to us that in their capacity at really the highest levels of the profession still have experienced that kind of harassment.  Cory Amron:  Partners, general counsel.  Rio Peterson:  Yes. I think that was something that really disappointed and surprised me deeply. You would think that, once you reach a certain level in your career, you maybe garner enough respect that that type of behavior is curbed in others, but that doesn't seem to be the case, and I definitely found that to be very surprising and discouraging, in a lot of ways. I mean, you work really, really hard to get to where you are, and you still have to [inaudible 00:25:49] that same sort of nonsense, it's very disappointing. Yeah.  Cory Amron:  Yeah. I think we shouldn't lose sight of the fact that, at least the way that we look at this, that sexual harassment is not a sexual thing. It's a control thing. And so people find ways to control other people, whether those people are partners or associates, or supervisors, or general counsel, whatever. This is a tool that some people use to control others. So yes, it's somewhat surprising, but maybe not so if you look at it through that lens.  Rio Peterson:  Right. Absolutely. That's an excellent, excellent way to think about it. Was there any other findings that you both found surprising?  Corrine Parver:  I think the numbers that we were able to calculate on the issue of reporting sexual harassment, that was a bit surprising, that the vast majority of people don't report. Either they don't have the right circumstances in their place of employment for them to report an incident. For example, if there is someone working in a small law firm, and there is on HR department, or even if there is, it could be the spouse of one of the senior partners, or the named partner of the small firm. How do you go about doing the reporting in that circumstance? So, the numbers were really quite staggering, as far as many people not reporting incidents.  Cory Amron:  It was something like 86% currently are not reported.  Rio Peterson:  Wow.  Cory Amron:  Mm-hmm.  Rio Peterson:  Wow. That's a very large number. So, I know that the goal of this study is not only to understand these experiences, but also to take these findings and use them to impact some kind of positive change in the legal professional. So, I'm curious to know, thinking about all these points that we've just touched on, what were some of the recommendations that came about as a result of the survey?  Cory Amron:  Yeah, go ahead.  Corrine Parver:  No, go ahead.  Cory Amron:  No, you. No, you.  Corrine Parver:  There's so much that we want to say, we want to make sure we get it all in.  Cory Amron:  Right, right, right. Well, I just want to mention three, three recommendations. There were a lot of recommendations, and Corrine, please pick up after I finish. The three that I want to mention are the reporting, because of just the terrible statistics, something we call transparency, and also individual accountability.  So, the reporting, you can have the greatest policies, and training, and all that in the world, but if people don't feel comfortable reporting, and of course all the barriers that we just mentioned, then you're not going to hear about it. You're not going to be able to fix it. So, you need not only better reporting mechanisms, you need multiple reporting mechanisms, and you need support for reporting. That somewhat goes to the culture, so that has to come from the top down. I've heard male general counsels say that if you put better reporting mechanisms into place and your reporting goes up, you're actually doing a good job, because now, you're finding out about things that were happening that you did not know about before because there were too many barriers. So, reporting.  The second thing is transparency, and what that means is what the workplace knows. Oftentimes, in the statistics that we found from the survey, we found that even in the 14% of incidences that were reported, 50% of those, there was absolutely no consequence, and another 20%, the person who'd been harassed was never told what the consequences were.  So, knowing what happens and what steps the employer took is key, I think, in first of all creating a culture of A, reporting, and B, a lot less sexual harassment, but it also, everybody knows that it happened. I mean, if the employer thinks that this is under wraps and, "I'm doing my privacy thing by not telling anybody what we did," which employers do say, "Oh, privacy, and we can't tell anybody," everybody knows what has happened, and everybody needs to know that something was done about it. And it doesn't always have to be the person was fired, okay?  Which gets to individual accountability. In the most egregious cases, the person actually is let go, and if it's a law firm, sometimes what happens is they just go across the street with their clients, leaving the firm to clean up the mess, because now, there is not only somebody who's been harassed, but now, you have ... and particularly because a lot of these people are rainmakers, so you're leaving behind a lot of people who now have no work to do. And in the worst possible case, people are suing employer, and the employer now has to come up with funds to settle these lawsuits. Sometimes, the individual goes off Scott free.  So, there needs to be individual accountability. We've been looking and talking to a lot of people about the ethics requirements and disciplinary requirements, and that's okay, as far as it goes, but there has to be a lot more thought given to how to make sure that the individual is accountable for what they've done.  Corrine Parver:  So, the consequences really aren't just for the individual who was harassed, but to the location of the employment, the place of employment, whether it's even government, or a small firm, or a large firm. The business imperative exists for companies to act properly in informing the employees or partners, but the people in the workplace what has occurred, because the gossip will permeate the institution. People will know, as Cory mentioned, and so the consequences financially and otherwise are of concern.  Cory Amron:  But there are also a lot of positive things that employers can do to get ahead of the situation before it gets to that point. So, positive reinforcement for mentoring and for let's say 360 reviews to try to figure out what's going on, to putting in place conversations about what is appropriate, what is not appropriate in this particular organization. I know of general counsels who go, and magic partners, who go around to all of their offices to lead by example and talk about what the culture of the place is. So, positive reinforcement, not just always negative consequences.  Corrine Parver:  Two important recommendations that really laid the foundation for the next initiative that came out through the publication of the report and the survey findings, is that we need to come up with a creative way in order to make a shift in the landscape. Not that the teachings and videos for example that companies use to inform their employees about the latest EEOC regs or what has happened from the Supreme Court in cases, what the obligations are, the dos and don'ts, focusing mainly on the don'ts, the recommendations to engage in conversations with primarily, at least initially, with men, to involve men and to have men become active allies for their female colleagues. Out of those recommendations came our Conversations With Men initiative.  Rio Peterson:  Yes. Yes, absolutely, which is I thought just so creative. So, why don't we just, yeah, let's dive into it. Would you like to tell us a bit about it? The initiative is Conversations With Men, and so what does that look like?  Corrine Parver:  A good segue into it.  Rio Peterson:  Segue.  Corrine Parver:  Which is still going. The power of male allyship is, we deem to be, quite significant and crucial, and a lot of the work that's being done in the legal profession on these issues has been done by women, primarily. You'll have a lot of women's initiatives in law firms, women in charge of mentoring and education that really has nothing to do with the practice of law but working in legal employment settings. So, that has been something that we wanted to make sure that we were able to develop an initiative that would address those issues.  Cory Amron:  Yeah, and we did a lot of research just looking at who was doing what and what exactly were they doing in the male allyship space. We talked to some of the experts, people who've written books on the topic, and we convened some thought leaders to talk to us about what we might be able to do.  We also convened what we called an expert taskforce. We had people on that taskforce like Chai Feldblum, who was an EEOC commissioner. She was the author of the seminal work on sexual harassment in the workplace for the EEOC. Corrine mentioned that our Still Broken survey was spearheaded by Dr. Arin Reeves. We got her also to help us structure these conversations, because we wanted them to be open and honest with prompts and very thoughtful information.  But we also decided, with the help of that expert task force, that the facilitator should be ... We knew the facilitator was going to be a professional, but we decided that it was going to be a male. We thought that was important because we wanted no barrier to honest conversation. If they wanted to talk about their locker rooms, go for it, okay?  But we couldn't find a male facilitator that had this expertise. I mean, there's just a tiny handful of these people. So, we paired up a professional facilitator, who was actually a clinical law professor at Harvard of facilitation and mediation, we paired him up with Dr. Reeves, and together with Women Lawyers on Guard, we structured the sessions.  Rio Peterson:  Right. Let's talk a little bit more about those sessions. What did the mechanics of those meetings look like? I know this is still, this project is ongoing. So, how did it start? What was the first couple sessions like?  Corrine Parver:  Well, we decided that we would ask our network of women lawyers to nominate men to participate in the focus groups. We sent letters to ... Once we had the information about the men they were going to nominate, we realized quickly that everybody was very enthusiastic and accepted the invitation almost instantly.  Rio Peterson:  It's what you planned, right? [inaudible 00:39:46].  Corrine Parver:  Right. So, we convened focus groups of 10 men, and each of the focus groups met twice. They had an initial meeting with the facilitator. We also had a male note-taker who was introduced at the start of the session and then sort of was blank space afterwards, so that we were able to get notes from each of the sessions.  Cory Amron:  Anonymous, by the way.  Rio Peterson:  Right.  Corrine Parver:  The people did not know each other, who were in the groups. We made sure that the groups were diverse in every respect you could think, area of the country, legal place of employment, seniority, and the like.  Cory Amron:  Race, ethnicity.  Corrine Parver:  Ethnicity. Yeah. We tried to over every-  Cory Amron:  We had gay guys. We had a disabled person. Yeah.  Corrine Parver:  We had professors. We had judges, partners in law firms, general counsel of corporations. So, we had 50 people in the five focus groups. They met twice officially, and the facilitator had a curriculum and encouraged ... Really, it wasn't a lecture type of curriculum. It wasn't professorial. It was a true conversations that were structured over issues of sexual harassment.  Rio Peterson:  Right, and so for the first session, they would have a discussion and talk about things, and then what happened in the second session?  Cory Amron:  Well, first of all, before they got to the first session, they were told that they should read Still Broken.  Rio Peterson:  Got it.  Cory Amron:  We gave them a bunch of resources to look at, but Still Broken was at the top of the list. So, the conversation centered around what was happening and what they had read, what they had experienced, the types of prompts that was structuring the discussion. By and large, these were guys who obviously had ... well, had been nominated, right? So, they wanted to be there. By and large, they were shocked and credulous. They were just like, "Wow, really?" Because again, they were the ones that really weren't seeing it, for the most part. There were some that were working in their places of employment on these issues, but for the most part, these were people who were not seeing it.  So, in between the first and the second session, they were asked to talk to women in their lives, their relatives, their colleagues at work, their neighbors, whatever, just to ask them, "Just talk to me about sexual harassment." Not were you sexually harassed, but just talk to me.  To a person, when they came back into the second session, they were blown away. Absolutely blown away. They had no idea that their wife, let's say, this was the way she comported herself, or this is what the experiences that she has seen, or just that part of their life, their lived life. So, they were extremely, very, very impacted by this.  Rio Peterson:  Right. So, you mentioned that initially, this was two sessions, but that these conversations are still continuing today. Can you tell me a little bit about that?  Corrine Parver:  Well, we had provided the men with some active ally actions that they could take once the two sessions, two conversations were complete, and it was an extensive list of things that they could do. About a dozen or so of the 50 men decided that they wanted to continue the conversations with the facilitator, and they've been meeting now how long, Cory? Over a year.  Cory Amron:  Over a year and a half.  Corrine Parver:  Yeah, with a facilitator.  Cory Amron:  Every month.  Corrine Parver:  Once a month, every month. We are now seriously trying to plan the next cohort of 50 men.  Rio Peterson:  Yeah. Did it surprise you that they wanted to continue the conversation?  Corrine Parver:  Yeah.  Rio Peterson:  Yes?  Corrine Parver:  Yeah. Yeah. We were constantly getting feedback, whether through the notes from the note-taker or from our conversations with the facilitator, which we held religiously. Some of the discussions also entered into the area of gender discrimination and the role of women in the legal profession, which was fine with us, if the conversations expanded to include that type of discussion. The facilitator always brought the focus back into what are the active ally actions were they engaging it, et cetera? So, they didn't veer too far off of the topic, but they obviously were seeing changes that they were able to impart within their places of employment, and they were just enjoying the comradery that was developed and, "This is what happened to me and my firm," type of discussions.  Rio Peterson:  Right.  Cory Amron:  One thing that I also appreciated and would not have otherwise appreciated was how they talked about the nuances of what maybe ... Like if you were a bystander, and you saw this happening, they brought a lot of that into these discussions and talked over, "Oh, what should I have done?" Or, "What did I do, and was that the right thing to do?"  Talking about these nuances, I think made them realize that you know, not every situation is the same, and you just don't have one script that you can work off of in every single situation. So, I thought that was fascinating, that they came to that realization and were very, very attuned to not necessarily what they wanted to do, but what the person that was being harassed, I hesitate to say needed, but from that person's perspective, what might the bystander do?  Rio Peterson:  Yeah, what could be helpful or useful in the moment.  Cory Amron:  Yes. Right.  Corrine Parver:  Which is what led us to develop a Bystander Intervention Toolkit, which we're in the process of finalizing.  Rio Peterson:  Oh, fantastic. I think that's such an important way to help people frame a situation, is perhaps not so much think about yourself in that moment, but how can I be of service? How can I be helpful? And also, the importance of recognizing it's a dynamic issue. There is not a one-size-fits-all solution for every situation, and that's a really powerful tool. I mean, it sounds like it's inspired some pretty tangible, positive change, really, at the end of the day.  Corrine Parver:  Right.  Rio Peterson:  I'm curious to know, how does that make you both feel? Do you feel accomplished and fantastic about that? Because you should. It's pretty amazing.  Corrine Parver:  Thank you. I think the bystander toolkit will really be of help, particularly when these occurrences take place in a group setting. One of the things, the surprising things also that we discovered was that it's not just in a single office with one-on-one interactions. It could happen, and does happen, in group settings.  So, if you're a fella, and there's five guys around and one woman, and someone makes an untoward comment, how should you react? What are the things that you could say or do in the moment to diffuse a situation or, "We don't talk like that around here," or things like that, you know? "That's very surprising you should make a comment like that," and the like.  Cory Amron:  And actually, sometimes they are coming to the realization that the person who's being harassed has it under control and that it's best not to be the knight in shining armor zapping in or whatever, being patronized or whatever. So, that's also an important perspective, trying to discern the difference between those situations. It's hard.  Rio Peterson:  Right, trying to navigate the nuances.  Cory Amron:  Mm-hmm.  Rio Peterson:  Certainly not a map we're all just born with, so it's very, very important. Oh, that's fantastic. So, we've got the bystander toolkit coming up, where you're working on facilitating a second round of conversations with men. What else is next? Is there more on the horizon for Women Lawyers on Guard?  Cory Amron:  Go for it.  Corrine Parver:  Well, I don't know that we can talk too much without getting our board approval on that.  Rio Peterson:  So yes, but to be coming soon.  Corrine Parver:  But I think in the other areas that we're working on, the reproductive healthcare rights, is a never-ending avenue for us to give our assistance. There's been so many court cases that have altered the landscape, and so that is something that's taking up a fair amount of our time right now, as well.  Rio Peterson:  Right. Absolutely. It's a massive mountain to scale, that one. Yeah. Well, this is fantastic. I know we've got just a couple more minutes left. I would love for you to tell us how people can get involved with Women Lawyers on Guard. Where can they find you? How can they lend their support?  Corrine Parver:  That's a wonderful question to end with.  Cory Amron:  Well first, if there's anybody who would like to nominate a guy for our upcoming sessions, we would love to hear from them. My email address is C Amron, so camron, C-A-M-R-O-N @womenlawyersonguard.org. So, we'd really love to hear your nominations.  Corrine Parver:  And we'd love to have you join us. There is no fee to join Women Lawyers on Guard. The website is www.womenlawyersonguard.org, where you can see all the reports of the work that we've accomplished thus far and also take a look at some of the amicus briefs that we've participated in. That's all online. We would love to have your listeners join our mighty band.  Rio Peterson:  And we would love for them to do that, as well, and we'll make sure to put the website and your email, Cory, in the show notes so that if anybody would like to get in touch, they have an easy way to do that, and definitely nominate someone to participate in more Conversations With Men. That'd be fantastic. Well, thank you both so much. This has been really incredible. It's really incredible work that you're both doing, and I'm very happy we got to discuss it today.  Cory Amron:  Well, thank you.  Corrine Parver:  Thank you. We really appreciate you inviting us.  Cory Amron:  Yes, and ALPS has been a stalwart supporter of ours, so we're very appreciative about that.  Rio Peterson:  Oh, wonderful. Well, hopefully once you have the toolkit out and the next round of Conversations With Men, we can do this again, keep the conversation going.  Cory Amron:  Sounds good.  Corrine Parver:  That's a date. Thank you.  Rio Peterson:  Wonderful. All right. Thank you so much, everyone, and this has been episode 83 of In Brief, and we will see you next time. There we go. We're done.  Corrine Parver:  Yay.  Rio Peterson:  Wonderful. Oh, thank you both so much. That was fantastic.  Corrine Parver:  I'm glad that you found it worthwhile. Good.  Rio Peterson:  Yeah, absolutely.  Cory Amron:  Yeah. Thank you for your enthusiasm. It wasn't just like, "Oh, let's see, what's the next question?"  Rio Peterson:  Well, it's definitely something I feel is very important, and it hits close to home in a lot of ways. I'm just so blown away just reading through Still Broken and the Conversations With Men. It's just such a fascinating approach, too. The way you've tackled this issue, it's really inspiring. I've really, really enjoyed digging into your work and getting to talk with you both about this.  Corrine Parver:  Thank you.  Cory Amron:  Thank you, especially because there have been some who have looked at the construct that we're trying to bring forth, which is active male allies, and said that they can't ... not that they can't support the initiative, but they can't use their DEI dollars for it because it doesn't either A, they can't see the obvious impact on women, or B, they can't spend money on something that is just male-oriented. I'm like, "But you don't see the tunnel."  Corrine Parver:  Yeah, very frustrating.  Cory Amron:  Yeah, it is. It's very frustrating.  Rio Peterson:  There's a very larger picture you're not seeing there.  Cory Amron:  Yeah.  Corrine Parver:  And for us, the funding issue becomes an issue. It's very important that we can be able to garner sufficient funds to keep these programs going, because we don't have a fee to belong to the organization. So, like what ALPS has given us in contributions has been very important.  Rio Peterson:  All right. Well, hopefully we can keep that going, keep that support coming.  Cory Amron:  Thank you so, so much.  Corrine Parver:  Thank you.  Rio Peterson:  Absolutely.  Cory Amron:  Great to see you.  Rio Peterson:  Great to see you both. So, I will let you know when the episode publishes and we can tag you in the social posts, and get the word out there. Yeah.  Cory Amron:  Great. Great.  Corrine Parver:  Thank you.  Cory Amron:  Great. Thank you.  Rio Peterson:  Thank you both so much. I hope you guys have a great day.  Cory Amron:  Thanks. You, too.  Corrine Parver:  Bye.  Rio Peterson:  Bye-bye. 

In this episode, we pass the mic to Starr Linette Brookins to discuss advocating for children and judicial office. Starr was raised in a law enforcement and military family. She decided to become an attorney in elementary school after participating in a peer mediation exercise. She is a trial attorney with extensive experience and serves as a Hearing officer. She is very involved with the community and has local and state-wide bar association service, board service, and community service. She chairs the Young Women of Promise Committee of The Athena Society; she is a volunteer judge with Teen Court; she teaches middle and high school students about effective communication and healthy relationships; she is currently the President-Elect of the Hillsborough Association for Women Lawyers; Vice President of the Guardian Ad Litem Foundation of Tampa Bay d/b/a Hero to a Child; Board Member of the Regent; Board Member of the Tampa Tiger Bay Club; former Chair of the Human Relations Board for Hillsborough County; a member of the Divine Nine Greek Family (Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc.); and, she formerly served as the Historical Society Chair of the George Edgecomb Bar Association; a member of the Federalist Society, the American Constitution Society, the NAACP, and the Urban League.  This interview does not and should not be construed as an endorsement for this or any political candidate. Social Media Website: www.journeytoesquire.com Email: info@journeytoesquire.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/dive... Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JourneytoEsq/ YT: https://youtube.com/@journeytoesquire Twitter: @JourneytoEsq                 https://mobile.twitter.com/journeytoesq Instagram: @JourneytoEsq  https://www.instagram.com/journeytoesq/ www.journeytoesquire.com info@journeytoesquire.com @JourneytoEsquire --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/journey-to-esquire/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/journey-to-esquire/support

In this podcast episode, Dr. Jonathan H. Westover talks with Kara H. North about supporting other women in our professional sphere. Kara H. North is a native of Orem, Utah, and obtained a B.S. in Business Management from UVU in 2007. She then graduated from the S.J. Quinney College of Law at the University of Utah in 2010 with her Juris Doctorate. She began her legal career with a large insurance defense firm in Las Vegas, Nevada. After returning to Utah, Kara began practicing law in Utah County, with a practice primarily focused on plaintiff's personal injury litigation, criminal defense, and adoption. She has successfully argued for her clients in Juvenile, District, Mental Health Court, and the Utah Court of Appeals. In 2022, Kara partnered with Jill Coil at Moxie Law Group, a boutique personal injury firm in Utah County. Kara currently serves as the UVU Alumni Board President and is a member of the UVU Board of Trustees and UVU Foundation Board. She is the 2023 Women's Caucus Chair for the Utah Association for Justice, 4th District Chair for Women Lawyers of Utah, and previously served as the President of the Central Utah Bar Association. Kara has also recently been recognized as a 2023 Mountain States Super Lawyer, a Top 25 by the National Women Trial Lawyers Association, and by Utah BusinessQ Magazine as a 40 Under 40. Check out all of the podcasts in the HCI Podcast Network! Check out the ⁠HCI Academy⁠: Courses, Micro-Credentials, and Certificates to Upskill and Reskill for the Future of Work! Check out the LinkedIn ⁠Alchemizing Human Capital⁠ Newsletter. Check out Dr. Westover's book, ⁠The Future Leader⁠. Check out Dr. Westover's book, ⁠'Bluer than Indigo' Leadership⁠. Check out Dr. Westover's book, ⁠The Alchemy of Truly Remarkable Leadership⁠. Check out the latest issue of the ⁠Human Capital Leadership magazine⁠. Each HCI Podcast episode (Program, ID No. 655967) has been approved for 0.50 HR (General) recertification credit hours toward aPHR™, aPHRi™, PHR®, PHRca®, SPHR®, GPHR®, PHRi™ and SPHRi™ recertification through HR Certification Institute® (HRCI®). Each HCI Podcast episode (Program ID: 24-DP529) has been approved for 0.50 HR (General) SHRM Professional Development Credits (PDCs) for SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCPHR recertification through SHRM, as part of the knowledge and competency programs related to the SHRM Body of Applied Skills and Knowledge™ (the SHRM BASK™). Human Capital Innovations has been pre-approved by the ATD Certification Institute to offer educational programs that can be used towards initial eligibility and recertification of the Certified Professional in Talent Development (CPTD) and Associate Professional in Talent Development (APTD) credentials. Each HCI Podcast episode qualifies for a maximum of 0.50 points.

In this episode, NAWL Board Member, Chair of the NAWL Women in Military and Government Service Affinity Group, and Retired Lieutenant Colonel, Mary Card Mina, speaks with Sean Watts, a Professor in the Department of Law at the United States Military Academy at West Point. This is the final part of a series of three episodes and is offered in response to current world events and international conflicts, it informs on applicable laws in these conflicts for listeners who wish to learn about this highly specialized area of the law and to better understand the conflicts taking place in our world from a legal perspective.Sean Watts is a Professor in the Department of Law at the United States Military Academy at West Point where he co-directs the Lieber Institute for the Law of Land Warfare. He serves as co-editor-in-chief of the law of war blog Articles of War.Professor Watts is also the James L. Koley '54 Professor of Constitutional Law at Creighton University Law School. He co-founded of the annual Creighton Law School Nuremberg to The Hague Summer Program in international criminal law. He serves as a Senior Fellow with the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Center of Excellence in Tallinn, Estonia. He is a Visiting Professor at the School of Law, University of Reading, United Kingdom.From 2010-2016 Professor Watts participated in drafting both volumes of The Tallinn Manual on International Law Applicable to Cyber Warfare. From 2009-2011 he served as a defense team member in Gotovina et al. at the International Criminal Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia. In December 2017, he testified as an expert in the law of war at the Military Commissions at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.Prior to teaching, Professor Watts served as an active-duty U.S. Army officer for fifteen years in legal and operational assignments as a military lawyer and as an Armor officer in a tank battalion. He later served in Army Reserve billets at the Army JAG School, West Point, and U.S. Strategic Command.Watts holds an LL.M. from the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General's School, a J.D. from the College of William & Mary School of Law, and a B.A. from the University of Colorado, Boulder. He earned his commission as an Army R.O.T.C. distinguished military graduateMary Card Mina is the Supervisory Senior Financial Disclosure Counsel, at the Office of General Counsel, Ethics Division, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).  Before this position, Mary served on active duty for more than 22 years in the United States Army Judge Advocate General's Corps, retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel. She served as Assistant Legal Advisor, Department of Defense, Office of Military Commissions, and as the Staff Judge Advocate for Aberdeen Proving Ground.  She served as the Deputy Staff Judge Advocate at the U.S. Army Fires Center of Excellence, Fort Sill, Oklahoma, as the Chief of Judge Advocate Recruiting at the United States Army Legal Services Agency, and as an Executive Officer for the Assistant Judge Advocate General for Law and Military Operations. Her deployments include serving as the Command Judge Advocate for Task Force Falcon, with duty at Camp Monteith, Kosovo, and as a Brigade Judge Advocate for the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, with duty at Forward Operating Base Kalsu, Iraq. Mary also served with the 1st Armored Division in Germany and at Camp Humphreys, Korea. Her areas of practice include government ethics, administrative law, military justice, and the law of armed conflict.Mary holds a Master of Military Arts and Sciences from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College; an L.L.M in Military Law from The Judge Advocate General's School, U.S. Army; a Juris Doctor from the Columbus School of Law, The Catholic University of America; and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, with a minor in philosophy, from The Catholic University of America. Mary has served as an adjunct faculty member with the University of Maryland and with the Columbus School of Law, Catholic University.She is admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of the United States, the Court of Appeals for the United States Armed Forces, and the Court of Federal Claims, and is licensed to practice in the State of Connecticut. Mary's awards include an HHS Office of General Counsel Leadership Award, a Legion of Merit and Bronze Star from the Army JAGC, and a Presidential Volunteer Service Award. Mary is currently serving as Vice President of the Board of Directors for the Catholic University of America Alumni Association as well as on the Board of the National Association of Women Lawyers.

In this episode, NAWL Board Member, Chair of the NAWL Women in Military and Government Service Affinity Group, and Retired Lieutenant Colonel, Mary Card Mina, speaks with Sean Watts, a Professor in the Department of Law at the United States Military Academy at West Point. This episode is part two of a series of three episodes and delves deeper with specific examples and how the law of war applies. This podcast series is offered in response to current world events and international conflicts and informs on applicable laws in these conflicts for listeners who wish to learn about this highly specialized area of the law and to better understand the conflicts taking place in our world from a legal perspective.Sean Watts is a Professor in the Department of Law at the United States Military Academy at West Point where he co-directs the Lieber Institute for the Law of Land Warfare. He serves as co-editor-in-chief of the law of war blog Articles of War.Professor Watts is also the James L. Koley '54 Professor of Constitutional Law at Creighton University Law School. He co-founded of the annual Creighton Law School Nuremberg to The Hague Summer Program in international criminal law. He serves as a Senior Fellow with the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Center of Excellence in Tallinn, Estonia. He is a Visiting Professor at the School of Law, University of Reading, United Kingdom.From 2010-2016 Professor Watts participated in drafting both volumes of The Tallinn Manual on International Law Applicable to Cyber Warfare. From 2009-2011 he served as a defense team member in Gotovina et al. at the International Criminal Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia. In December 2017, he testified as an expert in the law of war at the Military Commissions at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.Prior to teaching, Professor Watts served as an active-duty U.S. Army officer for fifteen years in legal and operational assignments as a military lawyer and as an Armor officer in a tank battalion. He later served in Army Reserve billets at the Army JAG School, West Point, and U.S. Strategic Command.Watts holds an LL.M. from the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General's School, a J.D. from the College of William & Mary School of Law, and a B.A. from the University of Colorado, Boulder. He earned his commission as an Army R.O.T.C. distinguished military graduateMary Card Mina is the Supervisory Senior Financial Disclosure Counsel, at the Office of General Counsel, Ethics Division, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).  Before this position, Mary served on active duty for more than 22 years in the United States Army Judge Advocate General's Corps, retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel. She served as Assistant Legal Advisor, Department of Defense, Office of Military Commissions, and as the Staff Judge Advocate for Aberdeen Proving Ground.  She served as the Deputy Staff Judge Advocate at the U.S. Army Fires Center of Excellence, Fort Sill, Oklahoma, as the Chief of Judge Advocate Recruiting at the United States Army Legal Services Agency, and as an Executive Officer for the Assistant Judge Advocate General for Law and Military Operations. Her deployments include serving as the Command Judge Advocate for Task Force Falcon, with duty at Camp Monteith, Kosovo, and as a Brigade Judge Advocate for the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, with duty at Forward Operating Base Kalsu, Iraq. Mary also served with the 1st Armored Division in Germany and at Camp Humphreys, Korea. Her areas of practice include government ethics, administrative law, military justice, and the law of armed conflict.Mary holds a Master of Military Arts and Sciences from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College; an L.L.M in Military Law from The Judge Advocate General's School, U.S. Army; a Juris Doctor from the Columbus School of Law, The Catholic University of America; and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, with a minor in philosophy, from The Catholic University of America. Mary has served as an adjunct faculty member with the University of Maryland and with the Columbus School of Law, Catholic University.She is admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of the United States, the Court of Appeals for the United States Armed Forces, and the Court of Federal Claims, and is licensed to practice in the State of Connecticut. Mary's awards include an HHS Office of General Counsel Leadership Award, a Legion of Merit and Bronze Star from the Army JAGC, and a Presidential Volunteer Service Award. Mary is currently serving as Vice President of the Board of Directors for the Catholic University of America Alumni Association as well as on the Board of the National Association of Women Lawyers.

In this episode, NAWL Board Member, Chair of the NAWL Women in Military and Government Service Affinity Group, and Retired Lieutenant Colonel, Mary Card Mina, speaks with Sean Watts, a Professor in the Department of Law at the United States Military Academy at West Point. This episode is part one of a series of three episodes offered in response to current world events and international conflicts and informs on applicable laws in these conflicts for listeners who wish to learn about this highly specialized area of the law and to better understand the conflicts taking place in our world from a legal perspective.Sean Watts is a Professor in the Department of Law at the United States Military Academy at West Point where he co-directs the Lieber Institute for the Law of Land Warfare. He serves as co-editor-in-chief of the law of war blog Articles of War.Professor Watts is also the James L. Koley '54 Professor of Constitutional Law at Creighton University Law School. He co-founded of the annual Creighton Law School Nuremberg to The Hague Summer Program in international criminal law. He serves as a Senior Fellow with the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Center of Excellence in Tallinn, Estonia. He is a Visiting Professor at the School of Law, University of Reading, United Kingdom.From 2010-2016 Professor Watts participated in drafting both volumes of The Tallinn Manual on International Law Applicable to Cyber Warfare. From 2009-2011 he served as a defense team member in Gotovina et al. at the International Criminal Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia. In December 2017, he testified as an expert in the law of war at the Military Commissions at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.Prior to teaching, Professor Watts served as an active-duty U.S. Army officer for fifteen years in legal and operational assignments as a military lawyer and as an Armor officer in a tank battalion. He later served in Army Reserve billets at the Army JAG School, West Point, and U.S. Strategic Command.Watts holds an LL.M. from the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General's School, a J.D. from the College of William & Mary School of Law, and a B.A. from the University of Colorado, Boulder. He earned his commission as an Army R.O.T.C. distinguished military graduateMary Card Mina is the Supervisory Senior Financial Disclosure Counsel, at the Office of General Counsel, Ethics Division, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).  Before this position, Mary served on active duty for more than 22 years in the United States Army Judge Advocate General's Corps, retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel. She served as Assistant Legal Advisor, Department of Defense, Office of Military Commissions, and as the Staff Judge Advocate for Aberdeen Proving Ground.  She served as the Deputy Staff Judge Advocate at the U.S. Army Fires Center of Excellence, Fort Sill, Oklahoma, as the Chief of Judge Advocate Recruiting at the United States Army Legal Services Agency, and as an Executive Officer for the Assistant Judge Advocate General for Law and Military Operations. Her deployments include serving as the Command Judge Advocate for Task Force Falcon, with duty at Camp Monteith, Kosovo, and as a Brigade Judge Advocate for the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, with duty at Forward Operating Base Kalsu, Iraq. Mary also served with the 1st Armored Division in Germany and at Camp Humphreys, Korea. Her areas of practice include government ethics, administrative law, military justice, and the law of armed conflict.Mary holds a Master of Military Arts and Sciences from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College; an L.L.M in Military Law from The Judge Advocate General's School, U.S. Army; a Juris Doctor from the Columbus School of Law, The Catholic University of America; and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, with a minor in philosophy, from The Catholic University of America. Mary has served as an adjunct faculty member with the University of Maryland and with the Columbus School of Law, Catholic University.She is admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of the United States, the Court of Appeals for the United States Armed Forces, and the Court of Federal Claims, and is licensed to practice in the State of Connecticut. Mary's awards include an HHS Office of General Counsel Leadership Award, a Legion of Merit and Bronze Star from the Army JAGC, and a Presidential Volunteer Service Award. Mary is currently serving as Vice President of the Board of Directors for the Catholic University of America Alumni Association as well as on the Board of the National Association of Women Lawyers.

In this episode, we pass the mic to Jamesia Jackson, our 2L Ambassador at #FAMU Law to discuss trusting the process with the Honorable Doug Walker, Orange County Judge for Florida's Ninth Judicial Circuit. From the Ninth Judicial Circuit's Judicial Spotlight's website: "Many of us remember the moment we made a life-changing decision. For Judge Doug Walker, that moment happened to take place in a dentist's office. After some time wondering what direction he wanted to take in life, it was pure chance that he came across an article titled “The Versatility of a Law Degree” while waiting in the lobby that day. And it was at that moment that he knew his next move. " Watch the video here: https://ninthcircuit.org/openninth/judicial-spotlight-5 Judge Walker received his Juris Doctor: Florida International University, College of Law, Cum Laude, Bachelor of Arts , Political Science and Bachelor of Science, Telecommunications: University of Florida, and his Associate of Arts:  Santa Fe Community College. He is a member of the County Bar Association, Paul C. Perkins Bar Association, Central Florida Association of Women Lawyers, Federalist Society, and Board Member, Early Learning Coalition of Osceola County. Jamesia Jackson is a 2L at Florida A&M Agricultural University College of Law; she received her B.A. from FAMU ("Double Rattler") in biology and premed. This year she is our Podcast Ambassador. Social Media Website: www.journeytoesquire.com Email: info@journeytoesquire.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/dive... Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JourneytoEsq/ YT: https://youtube.com/@journeytoesquire Twitter: @JourneytoEsq                 https://mobile.twitter.com/journeytoesq Instagram: @JourneytoEsq  https://www.instagram.com/journeytoesq/ www.journeytoesquire.com info@journeytoesquire.com @JourneytoEsquire --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/journey-to-esquire/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/journey-to-esquire/support

Valentines Day Letdowns By regularguy13 – listen to the Podcast at Steamy Stories. Aunt regrets stealing his virginity. She makes it right Thursday night, Feb 13th Harvey Fielding, the aged patriarch of the family stood and looked out with pride at the group sitting around the dinner table. Three generations were present. With him, were his daughter, daughter-In-law, and their remaining families. Harvey's wife was not with them. Unfortunately, she had passed away. So had his son, Harvey junior. They were at his daughter-in-law's house in Richmond, Virginia. Meadow was a widowed woman with a single child. Her daughter, Wendy, was twenty and a sophomore at Randolph-Macon College. Meadow was an only child of two deceased parents. She was raising Wendy, the patriarch's beloved granddaughter.Sitting across from them was his daughter, Breeze, and her family: her husband, Bill and their son, Arlo. The group had enjoyed a good meal. Harvey Fielding said, "I stand here a proud and happy man. These get-togethers are too short and too infrequent." His family murmured their agreement. He continued, "Congratulations Meadow, on being recognized by the National Association of Women Lawyers for the mentoring program you run for high school girls." My departed wife and son, God rest their souls; would be so proud, as would your own departed parents.  You are truly a daughter to me. Everyone raised their glass and congratulated her. Then Harvey said, "Congratulations to Arlo for his scholarship to my favorite school, Randolph-Macon College. If I say so myself, it is an excellent institution of higher learning. I am pleased that you're planning to major in my favorite field; Philosophy and Ethics." Breeze laughed and said good-naturedly, "Father, it looks like you won. Arlo has your temperament. I tried to develop his artistic side, but he has not found his creative art talents yet."  With a mentor like you, he will go far in his studies. "Wendy caught that bug," Meadow said with a laugh. "Maybe you and I were supposed to trade kids." Breeze was a talented artist. She inherited that skill from her mother & father. Like her mother, Breeze could draw, paint and sculpt. She and Bill earned their living selling the art they produced. Harvey dramatically lowered his voice and said, "Arlo, happy as I am that you'll be joining your cousin Wendy at R-MC, unfortunately, I have to report that the quality of the teaching staff there has diminished significantly recently." He was kidding and everyone knew it. They all laughed. He had retired from the college last year after thirty years of teaching philosophy and ethics. Meadow met Harvey junior as college students. Meadow had been a great student in Professor Fielding's classes. She still credit's her philosophy & ethics training for making her a more forceful and persuasive courtroom litigator. He waited for the laughter to die and then said, "And lastly, let us say bon voyage to our travelers. Breeze and Bill are off tomorrow for a well-deserved, ten-day vacation to St. Bart's. While they are having fun in the sun, the rest of us will be suffering through a cold and dreary Virginia February." Breeze said, "I'll send you all photos from the warm and sunny Caribbean." "No thanks," Harvey chirped. "I don't need to see pictures of you two, naked." The family laughed. Bill and Breeze were artists, but they weren't free spirits. Everyone knew them to be serious, shy, quiet souls. They would never frolic naked on a beach or anywhere else for that matter. Harvey waited until he had everyone's attention and then he said, "I will close the night with a quote from a brilliant philosopher." He raised his glass and said, "To alcohol: the cause of, and solution to all the world's problems. At least so says Homer Simpson." Cheers and laughter broke out. Everyone raised their glass and drank. After the meal, Bill and Breeze said their goodbyes. They had to catch an early flight out of Baltimore-Washington Airport and they were spending the night at a hotel near the airport. Breeze hugged her boy and said, "Enjoy the tour of the campus and sitting in on some classes. Promise me you will talk to the other students." She looked concerned. "Ah Mom," Arlo whined. Arlo took after his parents. He too was a shy person. He was naturally quiet, but it was more than that, he was awkward around people and uncomfortable to engage with them. He was not a "people person" and had never had a lot of friends. His behavior was partly due to his timid nature. His upbringing also contributed to his demeanor. When he was young, he only had limited opportunities to interact with other children. He hadn't attended regular school. He was home schooled. His parents taught him what they thought was necessary, and let classic books supplement their efforts. He became a big reader and gravitated to ethics because it was a field of study that suited his nature. He could read and think and pursue it alone. Arlo's opportunity to connect with other kids was hurt by his family's nomadic lifestyle. The family was forced to move to follow artistic projects. He was always the new kid in town and he often moved before anyone got to know him or he got to know them. His parents prayed he would outgrow his shyness. They hoped that college would be that time. Wendy was the next person to say her goodbyes. She was returning to school. "Bye Mom," Wendy said. "My sorority is having an event." Meadow knew that was code for ‘I have a party to go to'. She was fine with that. Wendy was a good girl and she kept her grades up. However, she felt they should give her nephew an opportunity to attend the party. She said, "Wendy, why don't you take Arlo with you?" Wendy was planning to hook up with her boyfriend. She didn't want to be stuck with her nerdy cousin. However, she knew she couldn't object outright. She decided to roll the dice and invite him. She was betting his shy nature would cause him to decline. "Arlo," Wendy asked brightly. "Would you like to go? There's a party tonight. Lots of people will be there." Arlo started to sweat. Crowds and parties scared him. He stammered as he responded, "Ah. Ah. No, thank you. Gramps and I were planning to discuss ethics." Wendy smiled. She was happy her plan had worked and she when off to the party unencumbered. Meadow cleaned up and headed off to bed. It had been a long day for her. Harvey and Arlo had an enjoyable time discussing philosophy and ethics. Harvey played the role of Socratic professor. During their conversation, he asked, "Arlo, what does it mean to be good." Arlo spoke clearly. “First one must settle his convictions of what ‘good' is.” He was comfortable talking to his grandfather and very comfort talking about ethics. He gave the textbook answer. "To be honest, courageous, respectful and concerned about others. To be a good citizen. Obey just laws, protect what is under your care, be informed and be involved with society." "Why should we strive to live by these standards?" the old professor asked. "Our world would be unpleasant and chaotic if we didn't. We'd be miserable if everyone lied and cheated and was mean to each another. If people acted on their baser instincts of greed and self-interest, we couldn't build a functioning society. It is noble to sacrifice for the greater good of others" "Do you believe the goals of humans are joy, happiness, and contentment and the best way to achieve these goals is ethical behavior?" Arlo nodded. "I agree also," Harvey said. "Now, how do we get there?" They discussed different versions of ethical theory. Arlo was a proponent of one theory. His Grandfather favored another. Harvey summed up his argument this way. He said, "As you know, in consequential ethics, the outcome determines the morality of the act." Arlo interjected, "For you, the end justifies the mean. Do you really believe there are no standards of behavior that should be upheld?" "Yes and no," Harvey conceded. "The thing that makes an action right or wrong is the consequences of the action. Being truthful is a noble goal, but I believe it is okay to lie sometimes." "But a lie is a lie," Arlo stated. For him, everything was black or white; idealistic. "Yes, a lie is a lie," Harvey agreed. "But a lie can be a good thing. Consider this scenario, an overweight wife asks her husband if her butt is too big. Which is the better choice? If he's truthful and says "Yes, dear. You're fat." He hurt her feelings. If he lies and says, "No. You look fine." She is happy and believe me, it increases the husband's happiness too." "That's an innocent lie," Arlo pointed out. "You need to be truthful about significant things." "Like life or death issues?" "Certainly." Harvey said, "What would you do in this circumstance? A criminal breaks into your home. He demands to know if anyone else in the house?. You know your mother is upstairs. Do you tell him? Or do you attempt to protect her and say 'I'm the only one here.'" "I lie to protect my mother," Arlo answered. "Exactly," Harvey said. "It is acceptable, I would argue necessary at times, to break the moral code to be moral. The essence of morality is determined by the outcome of the act. One cannot blindly follow a set of precepts and expect to achieve good results." Arlo said, "You make a good argument for your system, but I still have problems with it. Many people believe in God and follow the Ten Commandments. That is a good thing for them and society. They would say you are replacing God's law with man's judgment. Religious people won't like that. And considering the nature of man, won't a man always find a way to justify his behavior? "And isn't it a better, simpler and faster method of moral behavior to have standards and to live by them? I can see the world grinding to a halt as we all say 'Time out. I need to do a moral calculation of all my possible actions to see which is best for the greatest number of people.'" Harvey laughed and said, "This is exactly why I find ethics so fascinating. Lying is bad. You should strive to always tell the truth unless the situation dictates that a lie is the better choice. You should follow God's laws except when you know better. The end justifies the mean except when it causes you to break some moral code." Harvey smiled good-naturedly and said, "Another reason I find Ethics so fascinating is because it is the perfect excuse to argue and drink; two of my favorite things." Harvey stood and finished his drink. He was impressed with his grandson's grasp of the subject and his intellect. He leaned in close so Meadow couldn't hear from the other room. "Arlo, I'll leave you with one more question that may push you to my side. If the tip of your dick is resting on the labia of a beautiful and willing female, would you lie to her so both of you could enjoy out of this world sex? "Let's say she pauses and asks if you love her. What are you going to say? "In my scenario, you like her, but you aren't in love with her. If you are completely honest, you and she miss out on a wonderful experience. You deny each other the joy of great sex.” Arlo said with confidence. "Ethics is about good and evil, right and wrong. If the goal of your actions is the greatest good for the greatest number, then you must lie and fuck her. To needlessly uphold a rigid, abstract standard in this situation serves no purpose, correct?" Harvey walked away. He grabbed his coat and returned to his house. Arlo went to bed. He laid on the floral sheets and pondered the last question his grandfather put to him. His dick was hard and thought the answer was obvious. Friday, February 14th Aunt Meadow and Arlo had breakfast together. She said, "Today's the big day. So, you're going to sit in on some classes?" He nodded to avoid speaking. They left at the same time. He went to the college to tour the campus and she went to prosecute a child molester. Arlo returned to this Aunt's house late-afternoon. No one was there. He watched television. "Indiana Jones, you rock," Arlo said. He had just watched the movie "Raiders of the Lost Ark". It was his favorite movie. In his dreams, he was the handsome, swashbuckling hero. He won the girl and saved the day. In real life, he was a shy eighteen-year-old who was awkward around people and especially timid and nervous around females. Needless to say, he didn't date and he was a virgin. He walked into the bathroom and said, "I love indoor plumbing." He peed in the toilet, flushed and said, "Why do my parents put up with a smelly, camper toilet when if we lived like normal people we could all use this wonderful, hygienic device?" Since his parents moved frequently to work on commissioned art project, they lived in a camper that they pulled by an SUV. "How about a shower?" he asked rhetorically. He answered himself continuing to talk out loud. "That sounds good. A nice, long, hot shower. Another marvelous experience denied to trailer people." Arlo undressed. He dropped his clothes in a pile on the floor. He said, "Oh. They have a hamper." He left his clothes on the floor and went to the wicker container. He flipped open the top. He saw a sexy black, lacy bra and a pair of panties. "Whoa!" He picked up the bra. He had never seen something so beautiful, so sexy, and certainly never on a live girl. He was not the kind of guy who could seduce a woman. None of his mother's bras were like this one. She was a petite woman with small breasts. She usually didn't bother with one because she didn't need to. If she wore one, they were soft, stretchy bandeau tube style bras. Functional. Not sexy. "36C," he snickered as he read the label. "She certainly is the big aunt." He examined the cups and fingered the lace. His dick got hard thinking about the soft flesh that filled them. Next, he picked up the underwear. It also had lace and was alluring. He studied it and did the unthinkable. He brought the crotch to his nose and sniffed. "Oh! Um." He was overwhelmed with the acrid, musky odor of a woman. His dick twitched and grew hard. He said, "Aunt Meadow wore these! This is her scent." He held the panties to his nose with his left hand and stroked his dick with his right. "Umm," he groaned breathing deeply. He looked around for something to use as a lubricant. He spied hand lotion on the counter by the sink. He pumped a large amount on his hand and masturbated. He sniffed the panties, stroked his cock and kept thinking about how this article of clothing had been pressed up against a woman's cunt. "Oh! Oh! God!" he called out as he came in the sink. He dropped the panties and gripped the counter for support as he jacked off into the basin. "Oh! Fuck," he cried as the last of his spunk landed in the sink. His heart was pounding and his breathing was ragged. He rested a bit and then turned on the tap and cleaned up. He sent his cum down the drain. He returned the sexy underwear to the dirty clothes hamper and hopped in the shower. He shampooed his hair and scrubbed his body hard. He was trying to wash away the sin of masturbation made worse by sniffing his Aunt's soiled underwear. Hours later, Meadow shouted, "Hello, Arlo" as she entered her home. Arlo had been reading a book. He stood and silently greeted his Aunt. She came into the family room and asked, "Did you have a good day? Did you find a way to amuse yourself?" she asked with a warm smile. Arlo blushed. Immediately, he thought, "Oh God! It's like she knows I beat off while sniffing her panties". He was embarrassed and stuttered as he answered her, "Ah. Ah. Yes." He held up his book and said, "Um. I find a good book is always good company." "Yes. We all would be better off if we read more." She looked at her watch and said, "Oh. I have to hurry. I have a date tonight. It's Valentine's Day, but of course, you know that. Will you be okay on your own?" "Yes. I'll order a pizza." Meadow dashed off to shower and changed. Meadow stood in front of the mirror and debated whether she should put on a bra. She wasn't wearing one under her favorite red slinky dress. Her hard nipples pressed obscenely against the clingy fabric. The contours of her areolas and her tight peaks were visible. She decided to be risqué tonight and let the girls be free. "Good thing I have my cashmere wrap," she chuckled. She didn't mean her bare shoulders would need to be covered. She knew that without a bra and wearing this slinky dress, her nipples would be visible to everyone all night. She brought the warp in case she lost her nerve. She slipped on her highest heels, threw the wrap over her arm and walked out of her bedroom. She encountered Arlo. His eyes grew wide as he viewed her. The dress was hot. Her braless breasts were lewd. The way her nipples were visible through the dress was scandalous. His eyes were riveted to her chest. "Wow! That's some dress," he said. "Too much?" she asked. Seeing his expression caused her to re-think her decision to forego the bra. "No. Gorgeous. Beautiful. I was just thinking if you are going to wear that dress you should come with a warning label." "Ahem," he cleared his throat and then did his best Bette Davis imitation, "Fasten your seatbelts. It's going to be a bumpy night." Meadow laughed and said, "Good. It's Valentine's Day. A time to be flirty and sexy. I loved your impression of Bette Davis! I'm surprised you'd know a line from a movie made before you were born." "Um," he shyly admitted, "I don't have many friends. I spend a lot of time with classic movies and books." "Oh." She felt sorry for him. The clock on the mantel chimed. She said, "I need to go." She draped the wrap over her shoulders. Arlo helped her put on her coat and she left to meet her boyfriend for dinner. She drove to the fancy restaurant where she and Ted had agreed to meet. She had a drink and then another while she waited. She called him numerous times and got no answered. She became worried. Ted was a responsible person, a wealthy, well-respected attorney. It was out of character for him to stand her up. "Maybe some thing's happened," she told herself after waiting an hour. She decided to go to his home. She pulled up to his house and walked to the front door. "That's odd. The door is open," she said. She let herself in. She heard noises coming from the den and headed that way. She entered the room and was shocked by what she saw. Her boyfriend was naked and stretched out on the sofa. There were two naked women in the room with him. Their appearance screamed crack whore. The women were gaunt, bags of bones. Their sorry, empty tits sagged down their chest. Meadow looked at their unkempt hair and the dark circles under their eyes and wondered when was the last time they had combed their hair or slept. One woman was snorting cocaine off the glass coffee table and the other was sucking on her boyfriend's dick. "Ted!" Meadow shouted. "What's going on?" "We, we're having a party," he slurred. "Help yourself to some blow." "What?" Meadow screamed. She'd never seen her boyfriend do drugs and certainly not behave like this. Ted laughed. "I got fired today. They discovered I was embezzling money from the firm. I bought some cocaine and decided to get high. I met these two ladies and we've been fucking and snorting for hours. Join us." Meadow was shocked and disgusted. She turned around without saying another word and drove home. The Refuge "Keep the change," Arlo mumbled to the pizza delivery guy. He watched television as he ate his dinner. “9:00, let's see if we can find a good movie, other than sappy chick-flicks” Meadow burst through the door. Arlo went to investigate because he wasn't expecting anyone to come home at this hour. "Oh. It's you, Aunt Meadow," he said. He saw that she'd been crying. A normal person would have asked, "Is everything okay?". Arlo wasn't normal. He didn't ask. She ripped her coat off. The shawl came off with it. She said angrily, "Worse Valentine's Day ever." She kicked off her shoes and bent over at the hips to pick them up. She leaned over so far that Arlo saw her big brown nipples. She showed no hint of caring that she'd flashed her tits to her nephew. She had too many other things on her mind. She marched off quickly to her bedroom. "Whoa. Nipples," Arlo said to himself. That was a first for him. He'd seen pictures of women's breasts but never had he seen an actual one. It gave him a chubby. When she returned. Meadow had a royal blue robe on over her flannel sleeping gown. Her feet were covered by slipper socks. The terry cloth material kept her feet warm and it had a rubber sole. Her faced was scrubbed clean of makeup and her hair tied back into a ponytail. She ignored Arlo and headed straight to the kitchen. She mumbled, "I need a drink." She fixed herself a stiff drink. She downed half of it and refilled her glass. She sat at the kitchen table and brooded about the evening. Arlo could see she was upset. He stayed away giving her a wide berth. Occasionally, he'd turn his head and check on her. When he glanced her way, he saw her sitting at the kitchen table talking to herself and drinking. "Cocaine?" Meadow said. She was appalled by her boyfriend's drug use. Ex-boyfriend. She took a drink. "I've never seen him take drugs," she mused and tossed down the glass and then re-filled it. "Whores? Two prostitutes!" Meadow said. She was disgusted. She guzzled more alcohol. "I gave him my body. I sucked his cock and he cheats on me with two crack whores," she lamented. "He never called to cancel our date. Bastard." Meadow finished her drink and got another. "The bum kept me sitting in the restaurant." She gulped a large amount. "Everyone there knew I had been stood up." She sipped heartily on the whiskey. "I felt like a fool." She drained the glass and got another. "I cared for him!" she wailed. She swallowed her drink. The alcohol burned her throat as it went down. Tears fell from her eyes. Arlo heard his Aunt crying. He ignored her for a long time, but even he was moved by her sobbing. Finally, he went to her and asked, "Wha, what's the matter?" "You mean besides wasting six months of my life dating an embezzler and drug user?" She reached for the bottle to top off her drink and knocked it over. "Fuck!" she cried out and reached for the bottle. Arlo picked up the bottle. She wrenched it out of his hand. When she did, the bottle flew up and hit Arlo in the face. "Ouch," he cried out. He wrestled the bottle away from her. He set the bottle on the counter out of his Aunt's reach. His eye hurt. He rubbed it gently. He said, "Aunt Meadow, don't you think you've had enough?" "I'll be the judge of that," she slurred. She stood and tried to go through Arlo to get to the liquor. She pummeled and scratched him. Arlo was only an average size guy, but he easily stopped her. She was drunk, unsteady and uncoordinated. "Let me by!" she demanded. Arlo stood his ground. Meadow tried to pass him on one side than the other. Then, she stopped. Arlo had been sliding left and right to block her. He hoped her lack of movement meant she'd given up. Meadow looked up at him. She didn't look well. She wasn't well. She hurled. Vomit poured out of her. It splattered on Arlo's face and chest. Some went down his shirt and on his pants. "Oh God!" Arlo cried as he was hit with puke. The sight and putrid smell made him throw up. He raised his hands to block it. His vomit hit his hands and ricocheted onto his arms and shirt. It then dripped down on his pants and the floor. He was a smelly mess. He wanted to leave. He wanted to scream at his aunt, but just  then his own words, “It's noble to sacrifice for the good of others” came back to him, along with the mental image of his grandfather's approving, proud smile. Miraculously, Aunt Meadow was unsoiled. However, she was still drunk and still unsteady. She lost her balance and fell into Arlo. She hugged him to keep from falling over. It didn't work. They both ended up on the floor, rolling around and getting covered in the smelly, slimy puke. Meadow freaked out. She shouted, "Take me to the bathroom! I have to get this off me!" Arlo led the filthy, unsteady woman to the bathroom. "Oh God! The smell!" Meadow complained. She ripped off her robe. She stood there in her nightgown and slurred, "Ya. Y'alls a mess, too. We need tah get them dirty clothes offa ya." She began undressing her nephew. Arlo agreed. The smell was sickening. She helped him remove his shirt and pants. They both tossed their stinky clothing into a the open hamper. He stripped until he was down to his underwear. "Eya stinks. Eyes needs a shaw were," Meadow said. She went to the shower and turned the water on. While she waited for the warm water, she pulled her gown over her head. She was too drunk to do this safely. The gown got stuck when it was half way off. She wasn't wearing anything underneath. Arlo stared at her bare ass. She swayed as she struggled to escape the nightgown. Arlo moved in closed and held her hips. As he feared, she toppled over. He caught her and took a hard elbow to the body. "Pull it off," Meadow demanded. Arlo steadied her with one hand around her waist and used his other hand to pull the nightgown off. He tossed it aside. Meadow cared not a whit that she was naked. Her focus was on getting clean. She stepped into the shower, turning the water on and adjusted the water's temperature. Arlo was right behind her keeping her from falling. Arlo said to himself, ‘Wow. She's naked. Her skin is so soft. I didn't expect a woman in her forties to be this attractive. Meadow lost her balance again and Arlo had to catch her. He wrapped both arms around her to keep her upright. One arm met her breasts. She didn't notice or care. She said nothing about it. Arlo was nervous and scared. He expected to be berated at any moment for touching her boobs. His face blushed bright red. His mind screamed, ‘You're so dead for touching her boobs. She's going to scream at you and tell Mom'. She stood in the stream of warm water. When she didn't say anything, Arlo allowed himself to think about her breasts. He thought, ‘Her boobs are awesome. So big. So soft. Her nipples are sticking out obscenely.'. Her bare rump was pressed against his groin and his dick grew hard. She fidgeted and he had to adjust his grip on her nude body. A hand cupped her right breast. Her head turned to him and he expected the worst. "I'm dirty. I ma need a shower," she said with the simplicity of a six-year-old. Her words stunned him. It took a moment for him to respond. "Aunt Meadow, I'm worried you'll fall if I let go of you." She looked down at the arms around her as if just noticing them; then looked back at him. He had vomit on him. She wrinkled her nose and said, "You smell bad." She turned around and luxuriated in the spray and let the water beat down on her foggy skull. Arlo used this time to study and marvel at her body. This was the first nude woman he'd ever seen. His dick tented his wet shorts. She rinsed all traces of the vomit off her body. Arlo stood behind her. He kept his hands on her to make sure she didn't fall. What he saw astounded him. "She beautiful," he thought as he gazed at her. He loved everything about her. Her long, slender neck leading to her bare back fascinated him. He studied the soft curve of her shoulders and the indentation in the center of her back where her spinal column was. He loved how her broad shoulders swept down to a narrow waist and delightfully flared out at the hips. She had a plump womanly ass. Her back was tanned. Surprisingly, her bottom was too. ‘She suntans in the nude. Cool,' Arlo thought. He stepped back to get a complete view. She had firm thighs, slender calves, and small feet. Her dainty toenails were painted fire engine red. Beautiful. Meadow grabbed the shampoo, squeezed some into her hand and turned about as she worked it into her hair. "Oh!" Arlo gasped. She kept her eyes closed while she worked the shampoo through her hair and thoroughly scrubbed. She didn't seem to care that he was seeing her naked. Arlo studied her front quickly in case this was his only chance. He checked her face to be sure her eyes were still closed. He noticed she had a round face, a thin nose, and full lips. Quickly his eyes stared at her breasts. They sagged. The nipples faced East and West, but he didn't care. They looked wonderful to him. ‘Fuck! This is unbelievable.' Arlo thought. ‘Look at her big tits bounce and shake. She has huge, hard nipples'. His internal conversation continued, ‘God! Look at her cunt. That hair is jet black. The hair on her head is brown. I can see her vulva!' Streams of water ran down her fully tanned, fit body. The water cascaded over her breasts, across her stomach and flattened and separated her pubic hair as it ran down her body. Arlo could see her thick vaginal lips through the soaked, parted hair. Arlo kept his hands on her hips as his eyes devoured her body. It was the first naked woman he'd seen in the flesh and it was as hot and exciting as he'd imagine. Meadow washed and rinsed her hair and then casually washed her body. Arlo hard cock lurched when she soaped her breasts. He almost came when she touched her ass and cunt thoroughly swabbed her most intimate parts. Meadow was in her own world as she scrubbed her body. After she rinsed off, she opened her eyes. They brightened in recognition that Arlo was in the shower too. She wasn't self-conscious about her nudity. In a matter of fact way, she said, "Let's gets y'all cleaned too." She reached out and began washing his upper body. She smirked when she noticed he was in the shower with his underwear on. "This won't do," she said. She pulled his shorts off and giggled when his erection popped into view. She grabbed it and began washing it. "Someone's grown up," she purred. "Ah. Ah," Arlo stammered. "You don't have to do that," he said embarrassed. She grasped his dick, stroked him and asked, "Are you sure you want me to stop?" Arlo was too scared and nervous to speak, but he prayed she'd ignore his protestations. She looked into his eyes and saw a pleading look. "I thought not," she said with a knowing smile. "Oh. Oh," Arlo moaned as she jacked him off. He almost cried when she stopped. She handed him the soap and said, "Clean up." He hurriedly washed the vomit off his body. She stood and smiled watching his erection bounce around. When he was done, she held her hand out and said, "Give me the soap. Your back needs to get washed." He did, then turned his back to her. Then, she soaped up his shoulders, back and under his arms. She set the soap on the dish and wrapped her sudsy hands around both sides of him, then back down to his stiff cock and said, "This needs a little more attention." She soaped up his cock, dropped the soap and resumed beating him off. She pressed her tits into his back and breathed lustily into his ear as she stroked him. His eyes rolled back into his head and she held him steady as he moaned loudly, "Oh!" He came. She held his cock like a hose and directed the blasts of cum against the tile walls of the shower. Meadow laughed and milked his cock until he'd finished. “I gawda fire hose! Where's the fire! Gawd I love my fire hose.” She giggled . “ Hey, who turned my hose off?” She stroked his some more, but then gave up a few seconds later. Then she got quiet and looked around. She turned them both around and rinsed Arlo off as if nothing unusual had happened. Arlo stared at her plump rump and enjoyed the wonderful sensation of his very first handjob as he gasped for air. Meadow, now clean, pushed open the shower door and stepped out. She immediately slipped and fell hard on her ass. "Oh, my God! Are you okay?" Arlo called out. He was worried that she'd hurt herself. He quickly exited and went to her side. She was still inebriated. She said simply, "My bum hurts." To be continued. By regularguy13 for Literotica

Valentines Day Letdowns By regularguy13 – listen to the Podcast at Steamy Stories. Aunt regrets stealing his virginity. She makes it right Thursday night, Feb 13th Harvey Fielding, the aged patriarch of the family stood and looked out with pride at the group sitting around the dinner table. Three generations were present. With him, were his daughter, daughter-In-law, and their remaining families. Harvey's wife was not with them. Unfortunately, she had passed away. So had his son, Harvey junior. They were at his daughter-in-law's house in Richmond, Virginia. Meadow was a widowed woman with a single child. Her daughter, Wendy, was twenty and a sophomore at Randolph-Macon College. Meadow was an only child of two deceased parents. She was raising Wendy, the patriarch's beloved granddaughter.Sitting across from them was his daughter, Breeze, and her family: her husband, Bill and their son, Arlo. The group had enjoyed a good meal. Harvey Fielding said, "I stand here a proud and happy man. These get-togethers are too short and too infrequent." His family murmured their agreement. He continued, "Congratulations Meadow, on being recognized by the National Association of Women Lawyers for the mentoring program you run for high school girls." My departed wife and son, God rest their souls; would be so proud, as would your own departed parents.  You are truly a daughter to me. Everyone raised their glass and congratulated her. Then Harvey said, "Congratulations to Arlo for his scholarship to my favorite school, Randolph-Macon College. If I say so myself, it is an excellent institution of higher learning. I am pleased that you're planning to major in my favorite field; Philosophy and Ethics." Breeze laughed and said good-naturedly, "Father, it looks like you won. Arlo has your temperament. I tried to develop his artistic side, but he has not found his creative art talents yet."  With a mentor like you, he will go far in his studies. "Wendy caught that bug," Meadow said with a laugh. "Maybe you and I were supposed to trade kids." Breeze was a talented artist. She inherited that skill from her mother & father. Like her mother, Breeze could draw, paint and sculpt. She and Bill earned their living selling the art they produced. Harvey dramatically lowered his voice and said, "Arlo, happy as I am that you'll be joining your cousin Wendy at R-MC, unfortunately, I have to report that the quality of the teaching staff there has diminished significantly recently." He was kidding and everyone knew it. They all laughed. He had retired from the college last year after thirty years of teaching philosophy and ethics. Meadow met Harvey junior as college students. Meadow had been a great student in Professor Fielding's classes. She still credit's her philosophy & ethics training for making her a more forceful and persuasive courtroom litigator. He waited for the laughter to die and then said, "And lastly, let us say bon voyage to our travelers. Breeze and Bill are off tomorrow for a well-deserved, ten-day vacation to St. Bart's. While they are having fun in the sun, the rest of us will be suffering through a cold and dreary Virginia February." Breeze said, "I'll send you all photos from the warm and sunny Caribbean." "No thanks," Harvey chirped. "I don't need to see pictures of you two, naked." The family laughed. Bill and Breeze were artists, but they weren't free spirits. Everyone knew them to be serious, shy, quiet souls. They would never frolic naked on a beach or anywhere else for that matter. Harvey waited until he had everyone's attention and then he said, "I will close the night with a quote from a brilliant philosopher." He raised his glass and said, "To alcohol: the cause of, and solution to all the world's problems. At least so says Homer Simpson." Cheers and laughter broke out. Everyone raised their glass and drank. After the meal, Bill and Breeze said their goodbyes. They had to catch an early flight out of Baltimore-Washington Airport and they were spending the night at a hotel near the airport. Breeze hugged her boy and said, "Enjoy the tour of the campus and sitting in on some classes. Promise me you will talk to the other students." She looked concerned. "Ah Mom," Arlo whined. Arlo took after his parents. He too was a shy person. He was naturally quiet, but it was more than that, he was awkward around people and uncomfortable to engage with them. He was not a "people person" and had never had a lot of friends. His behavior was partly due to his timid nature. His upbringing also contributed to his demeanor. When he was young, he only had limited opportunities to interact with other children. He hadn't attended regular school. He was home schooled. His parents taught him what they thought was necessary, and let classic books supplement their efforts. He became a big reader and gravitated to ethics because it was a field of study that suited his nature. He could read and think and pursue it alone. Arlo's opportunity to connect with other kids was hurt by his family's nomadic lifestyle. The family was forced to move to follow artistic projects. He was always the new kid in town and he often moved before anyone got to know him or he got to know them. His parents prayed he would outgrow his shyness. They hoped that college would be that time. Wendy was the next person to say her goodbyes. She was returning to school. "Bye Mom," Wendy said. "My sorority is having an event." Meadow knew that was code for ‘I have a party to go to'. She was fine with that. Wendy was a good girl and she kept her grades up. However, she felt they should give her nephew an opportunity to attend the party. She said, "Wendy, why don't you take Arlo with you?" Wendy was planning to hook up with her boyfriend. She didn't want to be stuck with her nerdy cousin. However, she knew she couldn't object outright. She decided to roll the dice and invite him. She was betting his shy nature would cause him to decline. "Arlo," Wendy asked brightly. "Would you like to go? There's a party tonight. Lots of people will be there." Arlo started to sweat. Crowds and parties scared him. He stammered as he responded, "Ah. Ah. No, thank you. Gramps and I were planning to discuss ethics." Wendy smiled. She was happy her plan had worked and she when off to the party unencumbered. Meadow cleaned up and headed off to bed. It had been a long day for her. Harvey and Arlo had an enjoyable time discussing philosophy and ethics. Harvey played the role of Socratic professor. During their conversation, he asked, "Arlo, what does it mean to be good." Arlo spoke clearly. “First one must settle his convictions of what ‘good' is.” He was comfortable talking to his grandfather and very comfort talking about ethics. He gave the textbook answer. "To be honest, courageous, respectful and concerned about others. To be a good citizen. Obey just laws, protect what is under your care, be informed and be involved with society." "Why should we strive to live by these standards?" the old professor asked. "Our world would be unpleasant and chaotic if we didn't. We'd be miserable if everyone lied and cheated and was mean to each another. If people acted on their baser instincts of greed and self-interest, we couldn't build a functioning society. It is noble to sacrifice for the greater good of others" "Do you believe the goals of humans are joy, happiness, and contentment and the best way to achieve these goals is ethical behavior?" Arlo nodded. "I agree also," Harvey said. "Now, how do we get there?" They discussed different versions of ethical theory. Arlo was a proponent of one theory. His Grandfather favored another. Harvey summed up his argument this way. He said, "As you know, in consequential ethics, the outcome determines the morality of the act." Arlo interjected, "For you, the end justifies the mean. Do you really believe there are no standards of behavior that should be upheld?" "Yes and no," Harvey conceded. "The thing that makes an action right or wrong is the consequences of the action. Being truthful is a noble goal, but I believe it is okay to lie sometimes." "But a lie is a lie," Arlo stated. For him, everything was black or white; idealistic. "Yes, a lie is a lie," Harvey agreed. "But a lie can be a good thing. Consider this scenario, an overweight wife asks her husband if her butt is too big. Which is the better choice? If he's truthful and says "Yes, dear. You're fat." He hurt her feelings. If he lies and says, "No. You look fine." She is happy and believe me, it increases the husband's happiness too." "That's an innocent lie," Arlo pointed out. "You need to be truthful about significant things." "Like life or death issues?" "Certainly." Harvey said, "What would you do in this circumstance? A criminal breaks into your home. He demands to know if anyone else in the house?. You know your mother is upstairs. Do you tell him? Or do you attempt to protect her and say 'I'm the only one here.'" "I lie to protect my mother," Arlo answered. "Exactly," Harvey said. "It is acceptable, I would argue necessary at times, to break the moral code to be moral. The essence of morality is determined by the outcome of the act. One cannot blindly follow a set of precepts and expect to achieve good results." Arlo said, "You make a good argument for your system, but I still have problems with it. Many people believe in God and follow the Ten Commandments. That is a good thing for them and society. They would say you are replacing God's law with man's judgment. Religious people won't like that. And considering the nature of man, won't a man always find a way to justify his behavior? "And isn't it a better, simpler and faster method of moral behavior to have standards and to live by them? I can see the world grinding to a halt as we all say 'Time out. I need to do a moral calculation of all my possible actions to see which is best for the greatest number of people.'" Harvey laughed and said, "This is exactly why I find ethics so fascinating. Lying is bad. You should strive to always tell the truth unless the situation dictates that a lie is the better choice. You should follow God's laws except when you know better. The end justifies the mean except when it causes you to break some moral code." Harvey smiled good-naturedly and said, "Another reason I find Ethics so fascinating is because it is the perfect excuse to argue and drink; two of my favorite things." Harvey stood and finished his drink. He was impressed with his grandson's grasp of the subject and his intellect. He leaned in close so Meadow couldn't hear from the other room. "Arlo, I'll leave you with one more question that may push you to my side. If the tip of your dick is resting on the labia of a beautiful and willing female, would you lie to her so both of you could enjoy out of this world sex? "Let's say she pauses and asks if you love her. What are you going to say? "In my scenario, you like her, but you aren't in love with her. If you are completely honest, you and she miss out on a wonderful experience. You deny each other the joy of great sex.” Arlo said with confidence. "Ethics is about good and evil, right and wrong. If the goal of your actions is the greatest good for the greatest number, then you must lie and fuck her. To needlessly uphold a rigid, abstract standard in this situation serves no purpose, correct?" Harvey walked away. He grabbed his coat and returned to his house. Arlo went to bed. He laid on the floral sheets and pondered the last question his grandfather put to him. His dick was hard and thought the answer was obvious. Friday, February 14th Aunt Meadow and Arlo had breakfast together. She said, "Today's the big day. So, you're going to sit in on some classes?" He nodded to avoid speaking. They left at the same time. He went to the college to tour the campus and she went to prosecute a child molester. Arlo returned to this Aunt's house late-afternoon. No one was there. He watched television. "Indiana Jones, you rock," Arlo said. He had just watched the movie "Raiders of the Lost Ark". It was his favorite movie. In his dreams, he was the handsome, swashbuckling hero. He won the girl and saved the day. In real life, he was a shy eighteen-year-old who was awkward around people and especially timid and nervous around females. Needless to say, he didn't date and he was a virgin. He walked into the bathroom and said, "I love indoor plumbing." He peed in the toilet, flushed and said, "Why do my parents put up with a smelly, camper toilet when if we lived like normal people we could all use this wonderful, hygienic device?" Since his parents moved frequently to work on commissioned art project, they lived in a camper that they pulled by an SUV. "How about a shower?" he asked rhetorically. He answered himself continuing to talk out loud. "That sounds good. A nice, long, hot shower. Another marvelous experience denied to trailer people." Arlo undressed. He dropped his clothes in a pile on the floor. He said, "Oh. They have a hamper." He left his clothes on the floor and went to the wicker container. He flipped open the top. He saw a sexy black, lacy bra and a pair of panties. "Whoa!" He picked up the bra. He had never seen something so beautiful, so sexy, and certainly never on a live girl. He was not the kind of guy who could seduce a woman. None of his mother's bras were like this one. She was a petite woman with small breasts. She usually didn't bother with one because she didn't need to. If she wore one, they were soft, stretchy bandeau tube style bras. Functional. Not sexy. "36C," he snickered as he read the label. "She certainly is the big aunt." He examined the cups and fingered the lace. His dick got hard thinking about the soft flesh that filled them. Next, he picked up the underwear. It also had lace and was alluring. He studied it and did the unthinkable. He brought the crotch to his nose and sniffed. "Oh! Um." He was overwhelmed with the acrid, musky odor of a woman. His dick twitched and grew hard. He said, "Aunt Meadow wore these! This is her scent." He held the panties to his nose with his left hand and stroked his dick with his right. "Umm," he groaned breathing deeply. He looked around for something to use as a lubricant. He spied hand lotion on the counter by the sink. He pumped a large amount on his hand and masturbated. He sniffed the panties, stroked his cock and kept thinking about how this article of clothing had been pressed up against a woman's cunt. "Oh! Oh! God!" he called out as he came in the sink. He dropped the panties and gripped the counter for support as he jacked off into the basin. "Oh! Fuck," he cried as the last of his spunk landed in the sink. His heart was pounding and his breathing was ragged. He rested a bit and then turned on the tap and cleaned up. He sent his cum down the drain. He returned the sexy underwear to the dirty clothes hamper and hopped in the shower. He shampooed his hair and scrubbed his body hard. He was trying to wash away the sin of masturbation made worse by sniffing his Aunt's soiled underwear. Hours later, Meadow shouted, "Hello, Arlo" as she entered her home. Arlo had been reading a book. He stood and silently greeted his Aunt. She came into the family room and asked, "Did you have a good day? Did you find a way to amuse yourself?" she asked with a warm smile. Arlo blushed. Immediately, he thought, "Oh God! It's like she knows I beat off while sniffing her panties". He was embarrassed and stuttered as he answered her, "Ah. Ah. Yes." He held up his book and said, "Um. I find a good book is always good company." "Yes. We all would be better off if we read more." She looked at her watch and said, "Oh. I have to hurry. I have a date tonight. It's Valentine's Day, but of course, you know that. Will you be okay on your own?" "Yes. I'll order a pizza." Meadow dashed off to shower and changed. Meadow stood in front of the mirror and debated whether she should put on a bra. She wasn't wearing one under her favorite red slinky dress. Her hard nipples pressed obscenely against the clingy fabric. The contours of her areolas and her tight peaks were visible. She decided to be risqué tonight and let the girls be free. "Good thing I have my cashmere wrap," she chuckled. She didn't mean her bare shoulders would need to be covered. She knew that without a bra and wearing this slinky dress, her nipples would be visible to everyone all night. She brought the warp in case she lost her nerve. She slipped on her highest heels, threw the wrap over her arm and walked out of her bedroom. She encountered Arlo. His eyes grew wide as he viewed her. The dress was hot. Her braless breasts were lewd. The way her nipples were visible through the dress was scandalous. His eyes were riveted to her chest. "Wow! That's some dress," he said. "Too much?" she asked. Seeing his expression caused her to re-think her decision to forego the bra. "No. Gorgeous. Beautiful. I was just thinking if you are going to wear that dress you should come with a warning label." "Ahem," he cleared his throat and then did his best Bette Davis imitation, "Fasten your seatbelts. It's going to be a bumpy night." Meadow laughed and said, "Good. It's Valentine's Day. A time to be flirty and sexy. I loved your impression of Bette Davis! I'm surprised you'd know a line from a movie made before you were born." "Um," he shyly admitted, "I don't have many friends. I spend a lot of time with classic movies and books." "Oh." She felt sorry for him. The clock on the mantel chimed. She said, "I need to go." She draped the wrap over her shoulders. Arlo helped her put on her coat and she left to meet her boyfriend for dinner. She drove to the fancy restaurant where she and Ted had agreed to meet. She had a drink and then another while she waited. She called him numerous times and got no answered. She became worried. Ted was a responsible person, a wealthy, well-respected attorney. It was out of character for him to stand her up. "Maybe some thing's happened," she told herself after waiting an hour. She decided to go to his home. She pulled up to his house and walked to the front door. "That's odd. The door is open," she said. She let herself in. She heard noises coming from the den and headed that way. She entered the room and was shocked by what she saw. Her boyfriend was naked and stretched out on the sofa. There were two naked women in the room with him. Their appearance screamed crack whore. The women were gaunt, bags of bones. Their sorry, empty tits sagged down their chest. Meadow looked at their unkempt hair and the dark circles under their eyes and wondered when was the last time they had combed their hair or slept. One woman was snorting cocaine off the glass coffee table and the other was sucking on her boyfriend's dick. "Ted!" Meadow shouted. "What's going on?" "We, we're having a party," he slurred. "Help yourself to some blow." "What?" Meadow screamed. She'd never seen her boyfriend do drugs and certainly not behave like this. Ted laughed. "I got fired today. They discovered I was embezzling money from the firm. I bought some cocaine and decided to get high. I met these two ladies and we've been fucking and snorting for hours. Join us." Meadow was shocked and disgusted. She turned around without saying another word and drove home. The Refuge "Keep the change," Arlo mumbled to the pizza delivery guy. He watched television as he ate his dinner. “9:00, let's see if we can find a good movie, other than sappy chick-flicks” Meadow burst through the door. Arlo went to investigate because he wasn't expecting anyone to come home at this hour. "Oh. It's you, Aunt Meadow," he said. He saw that she'd been crying. A normal person would have asked, "Is everything okay?". Arlo wasn't normal. He didn't ask. She ripped her coat off. The shawl came off with it. She said angrily, "Worse Valentine's Day ever." She kicked off her shoes and bent over at the hips to pick them up. She leaned over so far that Arlo saw her big brown nipples. She showed no hint of caring that she'd flashed her tits to her nephew. She had too many other things on her mind. She marched off quickly to her bedroom. "Whoa. Nipples," Arlo said to himself. That was a first for him. He'd seen pictures of women's breasts but never had he seen an actual one. It gave him a chubby. When she returned. Meadow had a royal blue robe on over her flannel sleeping gown. Her feet were covered by slipper socks. The terry cloth material kept her feet warm and it had a rubber sole. Her faced was scrubbed clean of makeup and her hair tied back into a ponytail. She ignored Arlo and headed straight to the kitchen. She mumbled, "I need a drink." She fixed herself a stiff drink. She downed half of it and refilled her glass. She sat at the kitchen table and brooded about the evening. Arlo could see she was upset. He stayed away giving her a wide berth. Occasionally, he'd turn his head and check on her. When he glanced her way, he saw her sitting at the kitchen table talking to herself and drinking. "Cocaine?" Meadow said. She was appalled by her boyfriend's drug use. Ex-boyfriend. She took a drink. "I've never seen him take drugs," she mused and tossed down the glass and then re-filled it. "Whores? Two prostitutes!" Meadow said. She was disgusted. She guzzled more alcohol. "I gave him my body. I sucked his cock and he cheats on me with two crack whores," she lamented. "He never called to cancel our date. Bastard." Meadow finished her drink and got another. "The bum kept me sitting in the restaurant." She gulped a large amount. "Everyone there knew I had been stood up." She sipped heartily on the whiskey. "I felt like a fool." She drained the glass and got another. "I cared for him!" she wailed. She swallowed her drink. The alcohol burned her throat as it went down. Tears fell from her eyes. Arlo heard his Aunt crying. He ignored her for a long time, but even he was moved by her sobbing. Finally, he went to her and asked, "Wha, what's the matter?" "You mean besides wasting six months of my life dating an embezzler and drug user?" She reached for the bottle to top off her drink and knocked it over. "Fuck!" she cried out and reached for the bottle. Arlo picked up the bottle. She wrenched it out of his hand. When she did, the bottle flew up and hit Arlo in the face. "Ouch," he cried out. He wrestled the bottle away from her. He set the bottle on the counter out of his Aunt's reach. His eye hurt. He rubbed it gently. He said, "Aunt Meadow, don't you think you've had enough?" "I'll be the judge of that," she slurred. She stood and tried to go through Arlo to get to the liquor. She pummeled and scratched him. Arlo was only an average size guy, but he easily stopped her. She was drunk, unsteady and uncoordinated. "Let me by!" she demanded. Arlo stood his ground. Meadow tried to pass him on one side than the other. Then, she stopped. Arlo had been sliding left and right to block her. He hoped her lack of movement meant she'd given up. Meadow looked up at him. She didn't look well. She wasn't well. She hurled. Vomit poured out of her. It splattered on Arlo's face and chest. Some went down his shirt and on his pants. "Oh God!" Arlo cried as he was hit with puke. The sight and putrid smell made him throw up. He raised his hands to block it. His vomit hit his hands and ricocheted onto his arms and shirt. It then dripped down on his pants and the floor. He was a smelly mess. He wanted to leave. He wanted to scream at his aunt, but just  then his own words, “It's noble to sacrifice for the good of others” came back to him, along with the mental image of his grandfather's approving, proud smile. Miraculously, Aunt Meadow was unsoiled. However, she was still drunk and still unsteady. She lost her balance and fell into Arlo. She hugged him to keep from falling over. It didn't work. They both ended up on the floor, rolling around and getting covered in the smelly, slimy puke. Meadow freaked out. She shouted, "Take me to the bathroom! I have to get this off me!" Arlo led the filthy, unsteady woman to the bathroom. "Oh God! The smell!" Meadow complained. She ripped off her robe. She stood there in her nightgown and slurred, "Ya. Y'alls a mess, too. We need tah get them dirty clothes offa ya." She began undressing her nephew. Arlo agreed. The smell was sickening. She helped him remove his shirt and pants. They both tossed their stinky clothing into a the open hamper. He stripped until he was down to his underwear. "Eya stinks. Eyes needs a shaw were," Meadow said. She went to the shower and turned the water on. While she waited for the warm water, she pulled her gown over her head. She was too drunk to do this safely. The gown got stuck when it was half way off. She wasn't wearing anything underneath. Arlo stared at her bare ass. She swayed as she struggled to escape the nightgown. Arlo moved in closed and held her hips. As he feared, she toppled over. He caught her and took a hard elbow to the body. "Pull it off," Meadow demanded. Arlo steadied her with one hand around her waist and used his other hand to pull the nightgown off. He tossed it aside. Meadow cared not a whit that she was naked. Her focus was on getting clean. She stepped into the shower, turning the water on and adjusted the water's temperature. Arlo was right behind her keeping her from falling. Arlo said to himself, ‘Wow. She's naked. Her skin is so soft. I didn't expect a woman in her forties to be this attractive. Meadow lost her balance again and Arlo had to catch her. He wrapped both arms around her to keep her upright. One arm met her breasts. She didn't notice or care. She said nothing about it. Arlo was nervous and scared. He expected to be berated at any moment for touching her boobs. His face blushed bright red. His mind screamed, ‘You're so dead for touching her boobs. She's going to scream at you and tell Mom'. She stood in the stream of warm water. When she didn't say anything, Arlo allowed himself to think about her breasts. He thought, ‘Her boobs are awesome. So big. So soft. Her nipples are sticking out obscenely.'. Her bare rump was pressed against his groin and his dick grew hard. She fidgeted and he had to adjust his grip on her nude body. A hand cupped her right breast. Her head turned to him and he expected the worst. "I'm dirty. I ma need a shower," she said with the simplicity of a six-year-old. Her words stunned him. It took a moment for him to respond. "Aunt Meadow, I'm worried you'll fall if I let go of you." She looked down at the arms around her as if just noticing them; then looked back at him. He had vomit on him. She wrinkled her nose and said, "You smell bad." She turned around and luxuriated in the spray and let the water beat down on her foggy skull. Arlo used this time to study and marvel at her body. This was the first nude woman he'd ever seen. His dick tented his wet shorts. She rinsed all traces of the vomit off her body. Arlo stood behind her. He kept his hands on her to make sure she didn't fall. What he saw astounded him. "She beautiful," he thought as he gazed at her. He loved everything about her. Her long, slender neck leading to her bare back fascinated him. He studied the soft curve of her shoulders and the indentation in the center of her back where her spinal column was. He loved how her broad shoulders swept down to a narrow waist and delightfully flared out at the hips. She had a plump womanly ass. Her back was tanned. Surprisingly, her bottom was too. ‘She suntans in the nude. Cool,' Arlo thought. He stepped back to get a complete view. She had firm thighs, slender calves, and small feet. Her dainty toenails were painted fire engine red. Beautiful. Meadow grabbed the shampoo, squeezed some into her hand and turned about as she worked it into her hair. "Oh!" Arlo gasped. She kept her eyes closed while she worked the shampoo through her hair and thoroughly scrubbed. She didn't seem to care that he was seeing her naked. Arlo studied her front quickly in case this was his only chance. He checked her face to be sure her eyes were still closed. He noticed she had a round face, a thin nose, and full lips. Quickly his eyes stared at her breasts. They sagged. The nipples faced East and West, but he didn't care. They looked wonderful to him. ‘Fuck! This is unbelievable.' Arlo thought. ‘Look at her big tits bounce and shake. She has huge, hard nipples'. His internal conversation continued, ‘God! Look at her cunt. That hair is jet black. The hair on her head is brown. I can see her vulva!' Streams of water ran down her fully tanned, fit body. The water cascaded over her breasts, across her stomach and flattened and separated her pubic hair as it ran down her body. Arlo could see her thick vaginal lips through the soaked, parted hair. Arlo kept his hands on her hips as his eyes devoured her body. It was the first naked woman he'd seen in the flesh and it was as hot and exciting as he'd imagine. Meadow washed and rinsed her hair and then casually washed her body. Arlo hard cock lurched when she soaped her breasts. He almost came when she touched her ass and cunt thoroughly swabbed her most intimate parts. Meadow was in her own world as she scrubbed her body. After she rinsed off, she opened her eyes. They brightened in recognition that Arlo was in the shower too. She wasn't self-conscious about her nudity. In a matter of fact way, she said, "Let's gets y'all cleaned too." She reached out and began washing his upper body. She smirked when she noticed he was in the shower with his underwear on. "This won't do," she said. She pulled his shorts off and giggled when his erection popped into view. She grabbed it and began washing it. "Someone's grown up," she purred. "Ah. Ah," Arlo stammered. "You don't have to do that," he said embarrassed. She grasped his dick, stroked him and asked, "Are you sure you want me to stop?" Arlo was too scared and nervous to speak, but he prayed she'd ignore his protestations. She looked into his eyes and saw a pleading look. "I thought not," she said with a knowing smile. "Oh. Oh," Arlo moaned as she jacked him off. He almost cried when she stopped. She handed him the soap and said, "Clean up." He hurriedly washed the vomit off his body. She stood and smiled watching his erection bounce around. When he was done, she held her hand out and said, "Give me the soap. Your back needs to get washed." He did, then turned his back to her. Then, she soaped up his shoulders, back and under his arms. She set the soap on the dish and wrapped her sudsy hands around both sides of him, then back down to his stiff cock and said, "This needs a little more attention." She soaped up his cock, dropped the soap and resumed beating him off. She pressed her tits into his back and breathed lustily into his ear as she stroked him. His eyes rolled back into his head and she held him steady as he moaned loudly, "Oh!" He came. She held his cock like a hose and directed the blasts of cum against the tile walls of the shower. Meadow laughed and milked his cock until he'd finished. “I gawda fire hose! Where's the fire! Gawd I love my fire hose.” She giggled . “ Hey, who turned my hose off?” She stroked his some more, but then gave up a few seconds later. Then she got quiet and looked around. She turned them both around and rinsed Arlo off as if nothing unusual had happened. Arlo stared at her plump rump and enjoyed the wonderful sensation of his very first handjob as he gasped for air. Meadow, now clean, pushed open the shower door and stepped out. She immediately slipped and fell hard on her ass. "Oh, my God! Are you okay?" Arlo called out. He was worried that she'd hurt herself. He quickly exited and went to her side. She was still inebriated. She said simply, "My bum hurts." To be continued. By regularguy13 for Literotica

This episode of The Marriage Life Coach podcast is a special edition, it was originally recorded for The Joyful Practice for Women Lawyers with Paula Price.    Paula is a life coach for lawyers, and I worked in a law firm for almost ten years before I was a life coach. We had so much fun making legal analogies and talking about how to have relationships that feel good MOST of the time – because that's really what five-star thriving is all about.   We hit on so many interesting concepts in our conversation that I knew this episode would really help you, too. So I'm releasing it here to make sure you can access the perspectives and teachings I shared for creating your own five-star relationship.    Listen to hear more about: How perfectionism impacts your relationships The role of self-care in your marriage Why appreciation and gratitude are so important The foundational theory that ALL my work is based on   If you're a woman in a relationship with a partner you love, but you feel frustrated more often than you feel delighted (I know you, I see you), then you're going to get SO much out of our conversation.    RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: The Joyful Practice for Women Lawyers The Questions for Couples Journal Enroll in The Marriage MBA Today The Marriage Mindset Makeover  

Shortly before the end of his term in 2022, former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta pledged to end gender-based violence in his country by 2026. With two years left before the deadline, is Kenya still on track to fulfill the promises made to Kenyan women? And how is Kenyan media keeping the fight alive?   This week, we're sharing an episode from Foreign Policy's “Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women”, about how reality TV is helping women's rights activists press the Kenyan government to uphold its pledge.   Guests:   Audrey Mugeni, the co-founder of Counting Dead Women Kenya   Anne Ireri, the executive director of the Federation of Women Lawyers in Kenya   Hosts:     Reena Ninan, founder of Good Trouble Productions   Laura Rosbrow-Telem, senior producer at Foreign Policy   If you appreciate this episode and want to support the work we do, please consider making a donation to World Affairs. We cannot do this work without your help. Thank you.

Louisville, Kentucky trial lawyer Sheila Hiestand has harnessed the same competitive zeal she had as a starting center on a division one college basketball team to become one of Kentucky's leading trial lawyers.  Sheila has successfully litigated and tried many high-profile cases, including a recent case in which she obtained a $36 Million judgment on behalf of the family of victims of a January 2018 shooting at Marshall County High School in which two students were killed and several others injured.  Sheila discusses this case, including some of the many legal obstacles she confronted and the impact on the families she represented after this tragedy. About Sheila Hiestand Website: https://mhkylaw.com/ “The Lady Litigator”As a college basketball player who started in two final four appearances, Sheila knows the importance of hard work, drive and heart. Sheila—aka “The Lady Litigator” for her tenacity in court—is dedicated to helping women and their families through the very difficult process of personal injury claims. She has served as the president of the Kentucky trial lawyers with the Kentucky Justice Association and has worked tirelessly to fight for injured people for more than 30 years. This includes several trials with extraordinary results for her clients, such as an auto accident case where she earned a $743,000 verdict and a medical practice failure to diagnose cancer case where she earned a $1.3 million verdict.  She also has achieved many 7-figure settlements for her clients in trucking, medical malpractice, auto and motorcycle cases. After graduating from Centre College, Sheila received her Juris Doctorate from the University of Kentucky School of Law. Soon after she was recognized as the Fayette County Bar Association Outstanding Young Lawyer and was rated an “AV Lawyer” by Martindale-Hubbell®. She has also been recognized among the American Trial Lawyers Association's Top 100 Trial Lawyers in Kentucky; Super Lawyers Top 50 Lawyers in Kentucky;  Super Lawyers Top 25 Women Lawyers in Kentucky; as Top Lawyer by Louisville Magazine, and has received a long list of awards. When not practicing law, Sheila enjoys spending time with her three children and husband and loves to compete in triathlons. She plays viola, violin, cello and piano and is a past member of the Lexington Singers. Sheila is also fluent in Spanish and has volunteered at the Federal Correctional Institute to assist Spanish-speaking inmates with legal matters pro bono.EducationGraduated from Centre College with a double major in English and SpanishJuris Doctorate from the University of Kentucky, College of Law MembershipsKentucky Justice Association, Past PresidentKentucky Bar Association, Past Board of GovernorsKentucky Bar Association Young Lawyers Section, Past PresidentMillion Dollar Advocates ForumMulti-Million Dollar Advocates ForumAmerican Board of Trial AdvocatesInjury BoardThe American Society of Legal AdvocatesAmerican Association for Justice President of Fayette County Young Lawyers, Past PresidentLouisville Sports Commission Board MemberMemory Walk for the Alzheimer's Association, Committee ChairVolunteer Center of Central Kentucky Annual Fundraiser, Committee ChairLexington Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation's Sixty Five Roses Ball, Co-ChairTop Attorney Personal Injury LicensesCommonwealth of KentuckyState of IndianaState of TennesseeUS District Courts for Eastern, Middle and Western Districts of KentuckyUS District Court for Southern District of IndianaUS District Court for Northern District of IllinoisUnited States 6th Circuit Court of AppealsSupreme Court of the United States of America AwardsFayette County Bar Association Outstanding Young Lawyer , 1998Kentucky Justice Association Peter Perlman Award recipient for Outstanding Trial Attorney 2018AV® Preeminent™ Peer Review Rated by Martindale-HubbellThe American Trial Lawyers Association , Top 100 Trial Lawyers in KentuckySelected for inclusion in Kentucky Super Lawyers ® for more than a decadeSelected as a Top 50 Kentucky Super Lawyers in Kentucky for multiple yearsSelected as a Top 25 Kentucky Women Super Lawyers in Kentucky for multiple yearsSelected for inclusion in the  Who's Who in American LawAVVO Perfect 10 Rating – Top Personal Injury AttorneyOutstanding Attorney by the Greater Lexington Paralegal AssociationNational Academy of Personal Injury AttorneysNAOPIA Top 10 Attorney for KYGlobal Who's Who Best Lawyers in America

In this podcast episode, host Gary welcomes Erin Gerner, founder of Powerhouse Lawyers, to discuss her transition from big law to creating a company aimed at empowering female lawyers. They explore Erin's journey, the gap between legal education and practical lawyering, and the challenges faced by women in the legal profession. Erin shares her experience with imposter syndrome and the pivotal role her coach played in guiding her to support other female lawyers. Erin discusses the benefits of coaching, setting boundaries, managing overwhelm, and the transformative power of retreats and community for personal and professional growth. Erin emphasizes the importance of asking the right questions to gain clarity in life and career aspirations, and how community and connection can lead to thriving in the legal field. Erin is a former attorney turned life coach empowering women in law through community and connection. Challenges in the legal profession (00:00:41) The overwhelming experience of being unprepared in the legal profession, lack of mentorship, and the impact of these challenges on young lawyers. Empowering female lawyers (00:02:44) The foundation and purpose of Powerhouse Lawyers, focusing on mentorship, community, and the unique challenges faced by female lawyers. Overcoming imposter syndrome (00:04:26) Erin's struggle with imposter syndrome and how a coach inspired her to empower female lawyers, highlighting the role of coaching in personal and professional growth. Recognizing superpowers (00:07:20) The importance of recognizing one's talents and abilities, overcoming imposter syndrome, and utilizing strengths to succeed in the legal profession. Establishing boundaries (00:09:42) The significance of setting boundaries, prioritizing self-care, and the impact of boundaries on personal and professional well-being. Managing overwhelm (00:11:28) Strategies for managing overwhelm, including brain dumps, time management, and organizing tasks to reduce work-related stress. The impact of retreats (00:14:00) The transformative effect of retreats on female lawyers, providing a space for reflection, learning, and creating an action plan for personal and professional growth. Worthiness and capability (00:17:34) Exploring the concepts of worthiness and capability, healing self-doubt, and building confidence through self-affirmation and recognizing achievements. Becoming the CEO of your life (00:19:38) Practical steps to prioritize joy, gratitude, and self-care, emphasizing the importance of taking control of one's life and career. Finding Joy in Life (00:21:41) Discusses the importance of finding joy, setting priorities, and making time for personal fulfillment. Mindset Obstacles for Women Lawyers (00:22:07) Addresses common mindset obstacles faced by women lawyers, such as feeling incapable and getting stuck in the "how." The Power of Asking "Who" (00:23:24) Explains the shift from asking "how" to asking "who" in achieving goals and overcoming obstacles. Advice for Struggling Women Lawyers (00:25:29) Provides advice for women lawyers struggling to find happiness and fulfillment in their careers. Empowerment through Community and Connection (00:28:22) Discusses the transformative impact of community and connection in empowering women lawyers. Would you like to learn more about Breaking Free or order your own copy? https://www.garymiles.net/break-free

Kenyan president Uhuru Kenyatta pledged to end gender-based violence by 2026, soon before the end of his term in 2022. With two years left before 2026, is Kenya still on track to fulfill the promises made to Kenyan women?  On today's episode of the Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women, we talk to women's rights activists who have pressed the Kenyan government to uphold its pledge to end gender-based violence. First, reporter Pauline Ongaji speaks with Audrey Mugeni, Co-Founder of Counting Dead Women Kenya, about the state of femicide in Kenya. Then we talk to Anne Ireri, Executive Director of the Federation of Women Lawyers in Kenya, or FIDA Kenya. Founded more than 35 years ago, FIDA Kenya has provided legal aid to millions of women – and thousands since Kenyatta's pledge to end gender-based violence. Ireri talked about that pledge and FIDA Kenya's other work with our senior producer Laura Rosbrow-Telem.  While this is our last episode of the season, you will not need to wait long for HERO Season 6. Starting in March, we will focus our entire next season on girls – how they're thriving, despite the odds. And what they need most from the rest of the world right now. So stay tuned.  Finally, we would love to hear your thoughts about this season, which was all about accountability. We are conducting a listener survey to better understand what you like about the podcast and what you'd like to hear in future episodes. All participants in the survey who provide their email will be placed in a raffle to win a $100 Amazon gift card.  To participate, follow the link below. Thank you very much for your time and feedback. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/heropodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Valentines Day LetdownsBy regularguy13 – listen to the Podcast at Steamy Stories.Aunt regrets stealing his virginity. She makes it rightThursday night, Feb 13thHarvey Fielding, the aged patriarch of the family stood and looked out with pride at the group sitting around the dinner table. Three generations were present. With him, were his daughter, daughter-In-law, and their remaining families. Harvey’s wife was not with them. Unfortunately, she had passed away. So had his son, Harvey junior.They were at his daughter-in-law's house in Richmond, Virginia. Meadow was a widowed woman with a single child. Her daughter, Wendy, was twenty and a sophomore at Randolph-Macon College. Meadow was an only child of two deceased parents. She was raising Wendy, the patriarch's beloved granddaughter.Sitting across from them was his daughter, Breeze, and her family: her husband, Bill and their son, Arlo.The group had enjoyed a good meal.Harvey Fielding said, “I stand here a proud and happy man. These get-togethers are too short and too infrequent.”His family murmured their agreement.He continued, “Congratulations Meadow, on being recognized by the National Association of Women Lawyers for the mentoring program you run for high school girls.” My departed wife and son, God rest their souls; would be so proud, as would your own departed parents.  You are truly a daughter to me.Everyone raised their glass and congratulated her. Then Harvey said, “Congratulations to Arlo for his scholarship to my favorite school, Randolph-Macon College. If I say so myself, it is an excellent institution of higher learning. I am pleased that you’re planning to major in my favorite field; Philosophy and Ethics.”Breeze laughed and said good-naturedly, “Father, it looks like you won. Arlo has your temperament. I tried to develop his artistic side, but he has not found his creative art talents yet.”  With a mentor like you, he will go far in his studies.“Wendy caught that bug,” Meadow said with a laugh. “Maybe you and I were supposed to trade kids.”Breeze was a talented artist. She inherited that skill from her mother & father. Like her mother, Breeze could draw, paint and sculpt. She and Bill earned their living selling the art they produced.Harvey dramatically lowered his voice and said, “Arlo, happy as I am that you’ll be joining your cousin Wendy at R-MC, unfortunately, I have to report that the quality of the teaching staff there has diminished significantly recently.”He was kidding and everyone knew it. They all laughed. He had retired from the college last year after thirty years of teaching philosophy and ethics. Meadow met Harvey junior as college students. Meadow had been a great student in Professor Fielding's classes. She still credit's her philosophy & ethics training for making her a more forceful and persuasive courtroom litigator.He waited for the laughter to die and then said, “And lastly, let us say bon voyage to our travelers. Breeze and Bill are off tomorrow for a well-deserved, ten-day vacation to St. Bart’s. While they are having fun in the sun, the rest of us will be suffering through a cold and dreary Virginia February.”Breeze said, “I’ll send you all photos from the warm and sunny Caribbean.”“No thanks,” Harvey chirped. “I don’t need to see pictures of you two, naked.”The family laughed. Bill and Breeze were artists, but they weren’t free spirits. Everyone knew them to be serious, shy, quiet souls. They would never frolic naked on a beach or anywhere else for that matter.Harvey waited until he had everyone’s attention and then he said, “I will close the night with a quote from a brilliant philosopher.” He raised his glass and said, “To alcohol: the cause of, and solution to all the world’s problems. At least so says Homer Simpson.”Cheers and laughter broke out. Everyone raised their glass and drank.After the meal, Bill and Breeze said their goodbyes. They had to catch an early flight out of Baltimore-Washington Airport and they were spending the night at a hotel near the airport.Breeze hugged her boy and said, “Enjoy the tour of the campus and sitting in on some classes. Promise me you will talk to the other students.” She looked concerned.“Ah Mom,” Arlo whined.Arlo took after his parents. He too was a shy person. He was naturally quiet, but it was more than that, he was awkward around people and uncomfortable to engage with them. He was not a “people person” and had never had a lot of friends.His behavior was partly due to his timid nature. His upbringing also contributed to his demeanor. When he was young, he only had limited opportunities to interact with other children. He hadn’t attended regular school. He was home schooled.His parents taught him what they thought was necessary, and let classic books supplement their efforts. He became a big reader and gravitated to ethics because it was a field of study that suited his nature. He could read and think and pursue it alone.Arlo’s opportunity to connect with other kids was hurt by his family’s nomadic lifestyle. The family was forced to move to follow artistic projects. He was always the new kid in town and he often moved before anyone got to know him or he got to know them.His parents prayed he would outgrow his shyness. They hoped that college would be that time.Wendy was the next person to say her goodbyes. She was returning to school.“Bye Mom,” Wendy said. “My sorority is having an event.”Meadow knew that was code for ‘I have a party to go to'. She was fine with that. Wendy was a good girl and she kept her grades up. However, she felt they should give her nephew an opportunity to attend the party.She said, “Wendy, why don’t you take Arlo with you?”Wendy was planning to hook up with her boyfriend. She didn’t want to be stuck with her nerdy cousin. However, she knew she couldn’t object outright. She decided to roll the dice and invite him. She was betting his shy nature would cause him to decline.“Arlo,” Wendy asked brightly. “Would you like to go? There’s a party tonight. Lots of people will be there.”Arlo started to sweat. Crowds and parties scared him. He stammered as he responded, “Ah. Ah. No, thank you. Gramps and I were planning to discuss ethics.”Wendy smiled. She was happy her plan had worked and she when off to the party unencumbered.Meadow cleaned up and headed off to bed. It had been a long day for her.Harvey and Arlo had an enjoyable time discussing philosophy and ethics. Harvey played the role of Socratic professor. During their conversation, he asked,“Arlo, what does it mean to be good.”Arlo spoke clearly. “First one must settle his convictions of what ‘good' is.” He was comfortable talking to his grandfather and very comfort talking about ethics. He gave the textbook answer. “To be honest, courageous, respectful and concerned about others. To be a good citizen. Obey just laws, protect what is under your care, be informed and be involved with society.”“Why should we strive to live by these standards?” the old professor asked.“Our world would be unpleasant and chaotic if we didn’t. We’d be miserable if everyone lied and cheated and was mean to each another. If people acted on their baser instincts of greed and self-interest, we couldn’t build a functioning society. It is noble to sacrifice for the greater good of others”“Do you believe the goals of humans are joy, happiness, and contentment and the best way to achieve these goals is ethical behavior?”Arlo nodded.“I agree also,” Harvey said. “Now, how do we get there?”They discussed different versions of ethical theory. Arlo was a proponent of one theory. His Grandfather favored another.Harvey summed up his argument this way. He said, “As you know, in consequential ethics, the outcome determines the morality of the act.”Arlo interjected, “For you, the end justifies the mean. Do you really believe there are no standards of behavior that should be upheld?”“Yes and no,” Harvey conceded. “The thing that makes an action right or wrong is the consequences of the action. Being truthful is a noble goal, but I believe it is okay to lie sometimes.”“But a lie is a lie,” Arlo stated. For him, everything was black or white; idealistic.“Yes, a lie is a lie,” Harvey agreed. “But a lie can be a good thing. Consider this scenario, an overweight wife asks her husband if her butt is too big. Which is the better choice? If he’s truthful and says "Yes, dear. You’re fat.” He hurt her feelings. If he lies and says, “No. You look fine.” She is happy and believe me, it increases the husband’s happiness too.“"That’s an innocent lie,” Arlo pointed out. “You need to be truthful about significant things.”“Like life or death issues?”“Certainly.”Harvey said, “What would you do in this circumstance? A criminal breaks into your home. He demands to know if anyone else in the house?. You know your mother is upstairs. Do you tell him? Or do you attempt to protect her and say ‘I’m the only one here.’”“I lie to protect my mother,” Arlo answered.“Exactly,” Harvey said. “It is acceptable, I would argue necessary at times, to break the moral code to be moral. The essence of morality is determined by the outcome of the act. One cannot blindly follow a set of precepts and expect to achieve good results.”Arlo said, “You make a good argument for your system, but I still have problems with it. Many people believe in God and follow the Ten Commandments. That is a good thing for them and society. They would say you are replacing God’s law with man’s judgment. Religious people won’t like that. And considering the nature of man, won’t a man always find a way to justify his behavior?"And isn’t it a better, simpler and faster method of moral behavior to have standards and to live by them? I can see the world grinding to a halt as we all say 'Time out. I need to do a moral calculation of all my possible actions to see which is best for the greatest number of people.’”Harvey laughed and said, “This is exactly why I find ethics so fascinating. Lying is bad. You should strive to always tell the truth unless the situation dictates that a lie is the better choice. You should follow God’s laws except when you know better. The end justifies the mean except when it causes you to break some moral code.”Harvey smiled good-naturedly and said, “Another reason I find Ethics so fascinating is because it is the perfect excuse to argue and drink; two of my favorite things.”Harvey stood and finished his drink. He was impressed with his grandson’s grasp of the subject and his intellect. He leaned in close so Meadow couldn't hear from the other room. “Arlo, I’ll leave you with one more question that may push you to my side. If the tip of your dick is resting on the labia of a beautiful and willing female, would you lie to her so both of you could enjoy out of this world sex?"Let’s say she pauses and asks if you love her. What are you going to say?"In my scenario, you like her, but you aren’t in love with her. If you are completely honest, you and she miss out on a wonderful experience. You deny each other the joy of great sex.” Arlo said with confidence. "Ethics is about good and evil, right and wrong. If the goal of your actions is the greatest good for the greatest number, then you must lie and fuck her. To needlessly uphold a rigid, abstract standard in this situation serves no purpose, correct?”Harvey walked away. He grabbed his coat and returned to his house. Arlo went to bed. He laid on the floral sheets and pondered the last question his grandfather put to him. His dick was hard and thought the answer was obvious.Friday, February 14thAunt Meadow and Arlo had breakfast together. She said, “Today’s the big day. So, you’re going to sit in on some classes?”He nodded to avoid speaking.They left at the same time. He went to the college to tour the campus and she went to prosecute a child molester.Arlo returned to this Aunt’s house late-afternoon. No one was there. He watched television.“Indiana Jones, you rock,” Arlo said.He had just watched the movie “Raiders of the Lost Ark”. It was his favorite movie. In his dreams, he was the handsome, swashbuckling hero. He won the girl and saved the day. In real life, he was a shy eighteen-year-old who was awkward around people and especially timid and nervous around females. Needless to say, he didn’t date and he was a virgin.He walked into the bathroom and said, “I love indoor plumbing.”He peed in the toilet, flushed and said, “Why do my parents put up with a smelly, camper toilet when if we lived like normal people we could all use this wonderful, hygienic device?”Since his parents moved frequently to work on commissioned art project, they lived in a camper that they pulled by an SUV.“How about a shower?” he asked rhetorically.He answered himself continuing to talk out loud. “That sounds good. A nice, long, hot shower. Another marvelous experience denied to trailer people.”Arlo undressed. He dropped his clothes in a pile on the floor.He said, “Oh. They have a hamper.”He left his clothes on the floor and went to the wicker container. He flipped open the top. He saw a sexy black, lacy bra and a pair of panties.“Whoa!”He picked up the bra. He had never seen something so beautiful, so sexy, and certainly never on a live girl. He was not the kind of guy who could seduce a woman.None of his mother’s bras were like this one. She was a petite woman with small breasts. She usually didn’t bother with one because she didn’t need to. If she wore one, they were soft, stretchy bandeau tube style bras. Functional. Not sexy.“36C,” he snickered as he read the label. “She certainly is the big aunt.”He examined the cups and fingered the lace. His dick got hard thinking about the soft flesh that filled them. Next, he picked up the underwear. It also had lace and was alluring. He studied it and did the unthinkable. He brought the crotch to his nose and sniffed.“Oh! Um.”He was overwhelmed with the acrid, musky odor of a woman. His dick twitched and grew hard. He said, “Aunt Meadow wore these! This is her scent.”He held the panties to his nose with his left hand and stroked his dick with his right.“Umm,” he groaned breathing deeply.He looked around for something to use as a lubricant. He spied hand lotion on the counter by the sink. He pumped a large amount on his hand and masturbated. He sniffed the panties, stroked his cock and kept thinking about how this article of clothing had been pressed up against a woman’s cunt.“Oh! Oh! God!” he called out as he came in the sink. He dropped the panties and gripped the counter for support as he jacked off into the basin.“Oh! Fuck,” he cried as the last of his spunk landed in the sink. His heart was pounding and his breathing was ragged. He rested a bit and then turned on the tap and cleaned up. He sent his cum down the drain.He returned the sexy underwear to the dirty clothes hamper and hopped in the shower. He shampooed his hair and scrubbed his body hard. He was trying to wash away the sin of masturbation made worse by sniffing his Aunt’s soiled underwear.Hours later, Meadow shouted, “Hello, Arlo” as she entered her home.Arlo had been reading a book. He stood and silently greeted his Aunt.She came into the family room and asked, “Did you have a good day? Did you find a way to amuse yourself?” she asked with a warm smile.Arlo blushed. Immediately, he thought, “Oh God! It’s like she knows I beat off while sniffing her panties”. He was embarrassed and stuttered as he answered her, “Ah. Ah. Yes.”He held up his book and said, “Um. I find a good book is always good company.”“Yes. We all would be better off if we read more.”She looked at her watch and said, “Oh. I have to hurry. I have a date tonight. It’s Valentine’s Day, but of course, you know that. Will you be okay on your own?”“Yes. I’ll order a pizza.”Meadow dashed off to shower and changed.Meadow stood in front of the mirror and debated whether she should put on a bra. She wasn’t wearing one under her favorite red slinky dress. Her hard nipples pressed obscenely against the clingy fabric. The contours of her areolas and her tight peaks were visible. She decided to be risqué tonight and let the girls be free.“Good thing I have my cashmere wrap,” she chuckled. She didn’t mean her bare shoulders would need to be covered. She knew that without a bra and wearing this slinky dress, her nipples would be visible to everyone all night. She brought the warp in case she lost her nerve.She slipped on her highest heels, threw the wrap over her arm and walked out of her bedroom. She encountered Arlo. His eyes grew wide as he viewed her. The dress was hot. Her braless breasts were lewd. The way her nipples were visible through the dress was scandalous. His eyes were riveted to her chest.“Wow! That’s some dress,” he said.“Too much?” she asked. Seeing his expression caused her to re-think her decision to forego the bra.“No. Gorgeous. Beautiful. I was just thinking if you are going to wear that dress you should come with a warning label.”“Ahem,” he cleared his throat and then did his best Bette Davis imitation, “Fasten your seatbelts. It’s going to be a bumpy night.”Meadow laughed and said, “Good. It’s Valentine’s Day. A time to be flirty and sexy. I loved your impression of Bette Davis! I’m surprised you’d know a line from a movie made before you were born.”“Um,” he shyly admitted, “I don’t have many friends. I spend a lot of time with classic movies and books.”“Oh.” She felt sorry for him. The clock on the mantel chimed. She said, “I need to go.”She draped the wrap over her shoulders. Arlo helped her put on her coat and she left to meet her boyfriend for dinner.She drove to the fancy restaurant where she and Ted had agreed to meet. She had a drink and then another while she waited. She called him numerous times and got no answered. She became worried. Ted was a responsible person, a wealthy, well-respected attorney. It was out of character for him to stand her up.“Maybe some thing’s happened,” she told herself after waiting an hour.She decided to go to his home. She pulled up to his house and walked to the front door.“That’s odd. The door is open,” she said.She let herself in. She heard noises coming from the den and headed that way. She entered the room and was shocked by what she saw. Her boyfriend was naked and stretched out on the sofa. There were two naked women in the room with him. Their appearance screamed crack whore.The women were gaunt, bags of bones. Their sorry, empty tits sagged down their chest. Meadow looked at their unkempt hair and the dark circles under their eyes and wondered when was the last time they had combed their hair or slept.One woman was snorting cocaine off the glass coffee table and the other was sucking on her boyfriend’s dick.“Ted!” Meadow shouted. “What’s going on?”“We, we’re having a party,” he slurred. “Help yourself to some blow.”“What?” Meadow screamed. She’d never seen her boyfriend do drugs and certainly not behave like this.Ted laughed. “I got fired today. They discovered I was embezzling money from the firm. I bought some cocaine and decided to get high. I met these two ladies and we’ve been fucking and snorting for hours. Join us.”Meadow was shocked and disgusted. She turned around without saying another word and drove home.The Refuge“Keep the change,” Arlo mumbled to the pizza delivery guy. He watched television as he ate his dinner. “9:00, let's see if we can find a good movie, other than sappy chick-flicks”Meadow burst through the door. Arlo went to investigate because he wasn’t expecting anyone to come home at this hour.“Oh. It’s you, Aunt Meadow,” he said. He saw that she’d been crying. A normal person would have asked, “Is everything okay?”. Arlo wasn’t normal. He didn’t ask.She ripped her coat off. The shawl came off with it. She said angrily, “Worse Valentine’s Day ever.”She kicked off her shoes and bent over at the hips to pick them up. She leaned over so far that Arlo saw her big brown nipples. She showed no hint of caring that she’d flashed her tits to her nephew. She had too many other things on her mind. She marched off quickly to her bedroom.“Whoa. Nipples,” Arlo said to himself. That was a first for him. He’d seen pictures of women’s breasts but never had he seen an actual one. It gave him a chubby.When she returned. Meadow had a royal blue robe on over her flannel sleeping gown. Her feet were covered by slipper socks. The terry cloth material kept her feet warm and it had a rubber sole.Her faced was scrubbed clean of makeup and her hair tied back into a ponytail. She ignored Arlo and headed straight to the kitchen. She mumbled, “I need a drink.”She fixed herself a stiff drink. She downed half of it and refilled her glass. She sat at the kitchen table and brooded about the evening. Arlo could see she was upset. He stayed away giving her a wide berth. Occasionally, he’d turn his head and check on her. When he glanced her way, he saw her sitting at the kitchen table talking to herself and drinking.“Cocaine?” Meadow said. She was appalled by her boyfriend’s drug use. Ex-boyfriend. She took a drink.“I’ve never seen him take drugs,” she mused and tossed down the glass and then re-filled it.“Whores? Two prostitutes!” Meadow said. She was disgusted. She guzzled more alcohol.“I gave him my body. I sucked his cock and he cheats on me with two crack whores,” she lamented.“He never called to cancel our date. Bastard.” Meadow finished her drink and got another.“The bum kept me sitting in the restaurant.” She gulped a large amount.“Everyone there knew I had been stood up.” She sipped heartily on the whiskey.“I felt like a fool.” She drained the glass and got another.“I cared for him!” she wailed.She swallowed her drink. The alcohol burned her throat as it went down. Tears fell from her eyes.Arlo heard his Aunt crying. He ignored her for a long time, but even he was moved by her sobbing. Finally, he went to her and asked, “Wha, what’s the matter?”“You mean besides wasting six months of my life dating an embezzler and drug user?” She reached for the bottle to top off her drink and knocked it over.“Fuck!” she cried out and reached for the bottle. Arlo picked up the bottle. She wrenched it out of his hand. When she did, the bottle flew up and hit Arlo in the face.“Ouch,” he cried out.He wrestled the bottle away from her. He set the bottle on the counter out of his Aunt’s reach. His eye hurt. He rubbed it gently.He said, “Aunt Meadow, don’t you think you’ve had enough?”“I’ll be the judge of that,” she slurred.She stood and tried to go through Arlo to get to the liquor. She pummeled and scratched him. Arlo was only an average size guy, but he easily stopped her. She was drunk, unsteady and uncoordinated.“Let me by!” she demanded.Arlo stood his ground. Meadow tried to pass him on one side than the other. Then, she stopped. Arlo had been sliding left and right to block her. He hoped her lack of movement meant she’d given up.Meadow looked up at him. She didn’t look well. She wasn’t well. She hurled. Vomit poured out of her. It splattered on Arlo’s face and chest. Some went down his shirt and on his pants.“Oh God!” Arlo cried as he was hit with puke.The sight and putrid smell made him throw up. He raised his hands to block it. His vomit hit his hands and ricocheted onto his arms and shirt. It then dripped down on his pants and the floor. He was a smelly mess. He wanted to leave. He wanted to scream at his aunt, but just  then his own words, “It's noble to sacrifice for the good of others” came back to him, along with the mental image of his grandfather's approving, proud smile.Miraculously, Aunt Meadow was unsoiled.However, she was still drunk and still unsteady. She lost her balance and fell into Arlo. She hugged him to keep from falling over. It didn’t work. They both ended up on the floor, rolling around and getting covered in the smelly, slimy puke.Meadow freaked out. She shouted, “Take me to the bathroom! I have to get this off me!”Arlo led the filthy, unsteady woman to the bathroom.“Oh God! The smell!” Meadow complained.She ripped off her robe. She stood there in her nightgown and slurred, “Ya. Y'alls a mess, too. We need tah get them dirty clothes offa ya.”She began undressing her nephew. Arlo agreed. The smell was sickening. She helped him remove his shirt and pants. They both tossed their stinky clothing into a the open hamper. He stripped until he was down to his underwear.“Eya stinks. Eyes needs a shaw were,” Meadow said.She went to the shower and turned the water on. While she waited for the warm water, she pulled her gown over her head. She was too drunk to do this safely. The gown got stuck when it was half way off. She wasn’t wearing anything underneath. Arlo stared at her bare ass.She swayed as she struggled to escape the nightgown. Arlo moved in closed and held her hips. As he feared, she toppled over. He caught her and took a hard elbow to the body.“Pull it off,” Meadow demanded.Arlo steadied her with one hand around her waist and used his other hand to pull the nightgown off. He tossed it aside. Meadow cared not a whit that she was naked. Her focus was on getting clean. She stepped into the shower, turning the water on and adjusted the water’s temperature. Arlo was right behind her keeping her from falling.Arlo said to himself, ‘Wow. She’s naked. Her skin is so soft. I didn’t expect a woman in her forties to be this attractive.Meadow lost her balance again and Arlo had to catch her. He wrapped both arms around her to keep her upright. One arm met her breasts. She didn’t notice or care. She said nothing about it.Arlo was nervous and scared. He expected to be berated at any moment for touching her boobs. His face blushed bright red. His mind screamed, ‘You’re so dead for touching her boobs. She’s going to scream at you and tell Mom'.She stood in the stream of warm water.When she didn’t say anything, Arlo allowed himself to think about her breasts. He thought, ‘Her boobs are awesome. So big. So soft. Her nipples are sticking out obscenely.'.Her bare rump was pressed against his groin and his dick grew hard. She fidgeted and he had to adjust his grip on her nude body. A hand cupped her right breast. Her head turned to him and he expected the worst.“I’m dirty. I ma need a shower,” she said with the simplicity of a six-year-old.Her words stunned him. It took a moment for him to respond. “Aunt Meadow, I’m worried you’ll fall if I let go of you.”She looked down at the arms around her as if just noticing them; then looked back at him. He had vomit on him. She wrinkled her nose and said, “You smell bad.”She turned around and luxuriated in the spray and let the water beat down on her foggy skull. Arlo used this time to study and marvel at her body. This was the first nude woman he’d ever seen. His dick tented his wet shorts.She rinsed all traces of the vomit off her body. Arlo stood behind her. He kept his hands on her to make sure she didn’t fall.What he saw astounded him. “She beautiful,” he thought as he gazed at her. He loved everything about her. Her long, slender neck leading to her bare back fascinated him. He studied the soft curve of her shoulders and the indentation in the center of her back where her spinal column was.He loved how her broad shoulders swept down to a narrow waist and delightfully flared out at the hips. She had a plump womanly ass.Her back was tanned. Surprisingly, her bottom was too. ‘She suntans in the nude. Cool,' Arlo thought.He stepped back to get a complete view. She had firm thighs, slender calves, and small feet. Her dainty toenails were painted fire engine red. Beautiful.Meadow grabbed the shampoo, squeezed some into her hand and turned about as she worked it into her hair.“Oh!” Arlo gasped.She kept her eyes closed while she worked the shampoo through her hair and thoroughly scrubbed. She didn’t seem to care that he was seeing her naked. Arlo studied her front quickly in case this was his only chance. He checked her face to be sure her eyes were still closed. He noticed she had a round face, a thin nose, and full lips. Quickly his eyes stared at her breasts. They sagged. The nipples faced East and West, but he didn’t care. They looked wonderful to him.‘Fuck! This is unbelievable.' Arlo thought. ‘Look at her big tits bounce and shake. She has huge, hard nipples'.His internal conversation continued, ‘God! Look at her cunt. That hair is jet black. The hair on her head is brown. I can see her vulva!'Streams of water ran down her fully tanned, fit body. The water cascaded over her breasts, across her stomach and flattened and separated her pubic hair as it ran down her body. Arlo could see her thick vaginal lips through the soaked, parted hair.Arlo kept his hands on her hips as his eyes devoured her body. It was the first naked woman he’d seen in the flesh and it was as hot and exciting as he’d imagine.Meadow washed and rinsed her hair and then casually washed her body. Arlo hard cock lurched when she soaped her breasts. He almost came when she touched her ass and cunt thoroughly swabbed her most intimate parts.Meadow was in her own world as she scrubbed her body. After she rinsed off, she opened her eyes. They brightened in recognition that Arlo was in the shower too. She wasn’t self-conscious about her nudity. In a matter of fact way, she said,“Let’s gets y'all cleaned too.”She reached out and began washing his upper body. She smirked when she noticed he was in the shower with his underwear on.“This won’t do,” she said.She pulled his shorts off and giggled when his erection popped into view. She grabbed it and began washing it.“Someone’s grown up,” she purred.“Ah. Ah,” Arlo stammered. “You don’t have to do that,” he said embarrassed.She grasped his dick, stroked him and asked, “Are you sure you want me to stop?”Arlo was too scared and nervous to speak, but he prayed she’d ignore his protestations. She looked into his eyes and saw a pleading look.“I thought not,” she said with a knowing smile.“Oh. Oh,” Arlo moaned as she jacked him off.He almost cried when she stopped. She handed him the soap and said, “Clean up.”He hurriedly washed the vomit off his body. She stood and smiled watching his erection bounce around.When he was done, she held her hand out and said, “Give me the soap. Your back needs to get washed.”He did, then turned his back to her. Then, she soaped up his shoulders, back and under his arms. She set the soap on the dish and wrapped her sudsy hands around both sides of him, then back down to his stiff cock and said, “This needs a little more attention.”She soaped up his cock, dropped the soap and resumed beating him off. She pressed her tits into his back and breathed lustily into his ear as she stroked him. His eyes rolled back into his head and she held him steady as he moaned loudly, “Oh!”He came. She held his cock like a hose and directed the blasts of cum against the tile walls of the shower. Meadow laughed and milked his cock until he’d finished.“I gawda fire hose! Where's the fire! Gawd I love my fire hose.” She giggled . “ Hey, who turned my hose off?” She stroked his some more, but then gave up a few seconds later. Then she got quiet and looked around. She turned them both around and rinsed Arlo off as if nothing unusual had happened.Arlo stared at her plump rump and enjoyed the wonderful sensation of his very first handjob as he gasped for air.Meadow, now clean, pushed open the shower door and stepped out. She immediately slipped and fell hard on her ass.“Oh, my God! Are you okay?” Arlo called out. He was worried that she’d hurt herself. He quickly exited and went to her side.She was still inebriated. She said simply, “My bum hurts.”To be continued.By regularguy13 for Literotica

Valentines Day LetdownsBy regularguy13 – listen to the Podcast at Steamy Stories.Aunt regrets stealing his virginity. She makes it rightThursday night, Feb 13thHarvey Fielding, the aged patriarch of the family stood and looked out with pride at the group sitting around the dinner table. Three generations were present. With him, were his daughter, daughter-In-law, and their remaining families. Harvey’s wife was not with them. Unfortunately, she had passed away. So had his son, Harvey junior.They were at his daughter-in-law's house in Richmond, Virginia. Meadow was a widowed woman with a single child. Her daughter, Wendy, was twenty and a sophomore at Randolph-Macon College. Meadow was an only child of two deceased parents. She was raising Wendy, the patriarch's beloved granddaughter.Sitting across from them was his daughter, Breeze, and her family: her husband, Bill and their son, Arlo.The group had enjoyed a good meal.Harvey Fielding said, “I stand here a proud and happy man. These get-togethers are too short and too infrequent.”His family murmured their agreement.He continued, “Congratulations Meadow, on being recognized by the National Association of Women Lawyers for the mentoring program you run for high school girls.” My departed wife and son, God rest their souls; would be so proud, as would your own departed parents.  You are truly a daughter to me.Everyone raised their glass and congratulated her. Then Harvey said, “Congratulations to Arlo for his scholarship to my favorite school, Randolph-Macon College. If I say so myself, it is an excellent institution of higher learning. I am pleased that you’re planning to major in my favorite field; Philosophy and Ethics.”Breeze laughed and said good-naturedly, “Father, it looks like you won. Arlo has your temperament. I tried to develop his artistic side, but he has not found his creative art talents yet.”  With a mentor like you, he will go far in his studies.“Wendy caught that bug,” Meadow said with a laugh. “Maybe you and I were supposed to trade kids.”Breeze was a talented artist. She inherited that skill from her mother & father. Like her mother, Breeze could draw, paint and sculpt. She and Bill earned their living selling the art they produced.Harvey dramatically lowered his voice and said, “Arlo, happy as I am that you’ll be joining your cousin Wendy at R-MC, unfortunately, I have to report that the quality of the teaching staff there has diminished significantly recently.”He was kidding and everyone knew it. They all laughed. He had retired from the college last year after thirty years of teaching philosophy and ethics. Meadow met Harvey junior as college students. Meadow had been a great student in Professor Fielding's classes. She still credit's her philosophy & ethics training for making her a more forceful and persuasive courtroom litigator.He waited for the laughter to die and then said, “And lastly, let us say bon voyage to our travelers. Breeze and Bill are off tomorrow for a well-deserved, ten-day vacation to St. Bart’s. While they are having fun in the sun, the rest of us will be suffering through a cold and dreary Virginia February.”Breeze said, “I’ll send you all photos from the warm and sunny Caribbean.”“No thanks,” Harvey chirped. “I don’t need to see pictures of you two, naked.”The family laughed. Bill and Breeze were artists, but they weren’t free spirits. Everyone knew them to be serious, shy, quiet souls. They would never frolic naked on a beach or anywhere else for that matter.Harvey waited until he had everyone’s attention and then he said, “I will close the night with a quote from a brilliant philosopher.” He raised his glass and said, “To alcohol: the cause of, and solution to all the world’s problems. At least so says Homer Simpson.”Cheers and laughter broke out. Everyone raised their glass and drank.After the meal, Bill and Breeze said their goodbyes. They had to catch an early flight out of Baltimore-Washington Airport and they were spending the night at a hotel near the airport.Breeze hugged her boy and said, “Enjoy the tour of the campus and sitting in on some classes. Promise me you will talk to the other students.” She looked concerned.“Ah Mom,” Arlo whined.Arlo took after his parents. He too was a shy person. He was naturally quiet, but it was more than that, he was awkward around people and uncomfortable to engage with them. He was not a “people person” and had never had a lot of friends.His behavior was partly due to his timid nature. His upbringing also contributed to his demeanor. When he was young, he only had limited opportunities to interact with other children. He hadn’t attended regular school. He was home schooled.His parents taught him what they thought was necessary, and let classic books supplement their efforts. He became a big reader and gravitated to ethics because it was a field of study that suited his nature. He could read and think and pursue it alone.Arlo’s opportunity to connect with other kids was hurt by his family’s nomadic lifestyle. The family was forced to move to follow artistic projects. He was always the new kid in town and he often moved before anyone got to know him or he got to know them.His parents prayed he would outgrow his shyness. They hoped that college would be that time.Wendy was the next person to say her goodbyes. She was returning to school.“Bye Mom,” Wendy said. “My sorority is having an event.”Meadow knew that was code for ‘I have a party to go to'. She was fine with that. Wendy was a good girl and she kept her grades up. However, she felt they should give her nephew an opportunity to attend the party.She said, “Wendy, why don’t you take Arlo with you?”Wendy was planning to hook up with her boyfriend. She didn’t want to be stuck with her nerdy cousin. However, she knew she couldn’t object outright. She decided to roll the dice and invite him. She was betting his shy nature would cause him to decline.“Arlo,” Wendy asked brightly. “Would you like to go? There’s a party tonight. Lots of people will be there.”Arlo started to sweat. Crowds and parties scared him. He stammered as he responded, “Ah. Ah. No, thank you. Gramps and I were planning to discuss ethics.”Wendy smiled. She was happy her plan had worked and she when off to the party unencumbered.Meadow cleaned up and headed off to bed. It had been a long day for her.Harvey and Arlo had an enjoyable time discussing philosophy and ethics. Harvey played the role of Socratic professor. During their conversation, he asked,“Arlo, what does it mean to be good.”Arlo spoke clearly. “First one must settle his convictions of what ‘good' is.” He was comfortable talking to his grandfather and very comfort talking about ethics. He gave the textbook answer. “To be honest, courageous, respectful and concerned about others. To be a good citizen. Obey just laws, protect what is under your care, be informed and be involved with society.”“Why should we strive to live by these standards?” the old professor asked.“Our world would be unpleasant and chaotic if we didn’t. We’d be miserable if everyone lied and cheated and was mean to each another. If people acted on their baser instincts of greed and self-interest, we couldn’t build a functioning society. It is noble to sacrifice for the greater good of others”“Do you believe the goals of humans are joy, happiness, and contentment and the best way to achieve these goals is ethical behavior?”Arlo nodded.“I agree also,” Harvey said. “Now, how do we get there?”They discussed different versions of ethical theory. Arlo was a proponent of one theory. His Grandfather favored another.Harvey summed up his argument this way. He said, “As you know, in consequential ethics, the outcome determines the morality of the act.”Arlo interjected, “For you, the end justifies the mean. Do you really believe there are no standards of behavior that should be upheld?”“Yes and no,” Harvey conceded. “The thing that makes an action right or wrong is the consequences of the action. Being truthful is a noble goal, but I believe it is okay to lie sometimes.”“But a lie is a lie,” Arlo stated. For him, everything was black or white; idealistic.“Yes, a lie is a lie,” Harvey agreed. “But a lie can be a good thing. Consider this scenario, an overweight wife asks her husband if her butt is too big. Which is the better choice? If he’s truthful and says "Yes, dear. You’re fat.” He hurt her feelings. If he lies and says, “No. You look fine.” She is happy and believe me, it increases the husband’s happiness too.“"That’s an innocent lie,” Arlo pointed out. “You need to be truthful about significant things.”“Like life or death issues?”“Certainly.”Harvey said, “What would you do in this circumstance? A criminal breaks into your home. He demands to know if anyone else in the house?. You know your mother is upstairs. Do you tell him? Or do you attempt to protect her and say ‘I’m the only one here.’”“I lie to protect my mother,” Arlo answered.“Exactly,” Harvey said. “It is acceptable, I would argue necessary at times, to break the moral code to be moral. The essence of morality is determined by the outcome of the act. One cannot blindly follow a set of precepts and expect to achieve good results.”Arlo said, “You make a good argument for your system, but I still have problems with it. Many people believe in God and follow the Ten Commandments. That is a good thing for them and society. They would say you are replacing God’s law with man’s judgment. Religious people won’t like that. And considering the nature of man, won’t a man always find a way to justify his behavior?"And isn’t it a better, simpler and faster method of moral behavior to have standards and to live by them? I can see the world grinding to a halt as we all say 'Time out. I need to do a moral calculation of all my possible actions to see which is best for the greatest number of people.’”Harvey laughed and said, “This is exactly why I find ethics so fascinating. Lying is bad. You should strive to always tell the truth unless the situation dictates that a lie is the better choice. You should follow God’s laws except when you know better. The end justifies the mean except when it causes you to break some moral code.”Harvey smiled good-naturedly and said, “Another reason I find Ethics so fascinating is because it is the perfect excuse to argue and drink; two of my favorite things.”Harvey stood and finished his drink. He was impressed with his grandson’s grasp of the subject and his intellect. He leaned in close so Meadow couldn't hear from the other room. “Arlo, I’ll leave you with one more question that may push you to my side. If the tip of your dick is resting on the labia of a beautiful and willing female, would you lie to her so both of you could enjoy out of this world sex?"Let’s say she pauses and asks if you love her. What are you going to say?"In my scenario, you like her, but you aren’t in love with her. If you are completely honest, you and she miss out on a wonderful experience. You deny each other the joy of great sex.” Arlo said with confidence. "Ethics is about good and evil, right and wrong. If the goal of your actions is the greatest good for the greatest number, then you must lie and fuck her. To needlessly uphold a rigid, abstract standard in this situation serves no purpose, correct?”Harvey walked away. He grabbed his coat and returned to his house. Arlo went to bed. He laid on the floral sheets and pondered the last question his grandfather put to him. His dick was hard and thought the answer was obvious.Friday, February 14thAunt Meadow and Arlo had breakfast together. She said, “Today’s the big day. So, you’re going to sit in on some classes?”He nodded to avoid speaking.They left at the same time. He went to the college to tour the campus and she went to prosecute a child molester.Arlo returned to this Aunt’s house late-afternoon. No one was there. He watched television.“Indiana Jones, you rock,” Arlo said.He had just watched the movie “Raiders of the Lost Ark”. It was his favorite movie. In his dreams, he was the handsome, swashbuckling hero. He won the girl and saved the day. In real life, he was a shy eighteen-year-old who was awkward around people and especially timid and nervous around females. Needless to say, he didn’t date and he was a virgin.He walked into the bathroom and said, “I love indoor plumbing.”He peed in the toilet, flushed and said, “Why do my parents put up with a smelly, camper toilet when if we lived like normal people we could all use this wonderful, hygienic device?”Since his parents moved frequently to work on commissioned art project, they lived in a camper that they pulled by an SUV.“How about a shower?” he asked rhetorically.He answered himself continuing to talk out loud. “That sounds good. A nice, long, hot shower. Another marvelous experience denied to trailer people.”Arlo undressed. He dropped his clothes in a pile on the floor.He said, “Oh. They have a hamper.”He left his clothes on the floor and went to the wicker container. He flipped open the top. He saw a sexy black, lacy bra and a pair of panties.“Whoa!”He picked up the bra. He had never seen something so beautiful, so sexy, and certainly never on a live girl. He was not the kind of guy who could seduce a woman.None of his mother’s bras were like this one. She was a petite woman with small breasts. She usually didn’t bother with one because she didn’t need to. If she wore one, they were soft, stretchy bandeau tube style bras. Functional. Not sexy.“36C,” he snickered as he read the label. “She certainly is the big aunt.”He examined the cups and fingered the lace. His dick got hard thinking about the soft flesh that filled them. Next, he picked up the underwear. It also had lace and was alluring. He studied it and did the unthinkable. He brought the crotch to his nose and sniffed.“Oh! Um.”He was overwhelmed with the acrid, musky odor of a woman. His dick twitched and grew hard. He said, “Aunt Meadow wore these! This is her scent.”He held the panties to his nose with his left hand and stroked his dick with his right.“Umm,” he groaned breathing deeply.He looked around for something to use as a lubricant. He spied hand lotion on the counter by the sink. He pumped a large amount on his hand and masturbated. He sniffed the panties, stroked his cock and kept thinking about how this article of clothing had been pressed up against a woman’s cunt.“Oh! Oh! God!” he called out as he came in the sink. He dropped the panties and gripped the counter for support as he jacked off into the basin.“Oh! Fuck,” he cried as the last of his spunk landed in the sink. His heart was pounding and his breathing was ragged. He rested a bit and then turned on the tap and cleaned up. He sent his cum down the drain.He returned the sexy underwear to the dirty clothes hamper and hopped in the shower. He shampooed his hair and scrubbed his body hard. He was trying to wash away the sin of masturbation made worse by sniffing his Aunt’s soiled underwear.Hours later, Meadow shouted, “Hello, Arlo” as she entered her home.Arlo had been reading a book. He stood and silently greeted his Aunt.She came into the family room and asked, “Did you have a good day? Did you find a way to amuse yourself?” she asked with a warm smile.Arlo blushed. Immediately, he thought, “Oh God! It’s like she knows I beat off while sniffing her panties”. He was embarrassed and stuttered as he answered her, “Ah. Ah. Yes.”He held up his book and said, “Um. I find a good book is always good company.”“Yes. We all would be better off if we read more.”She looked at her watch and said, “Oh. I have to hurry. I have a date tonight. It’s Valentine’s Day, but of course, you know that. Will you be okay on your own?”“Yes. I’ll order a pizza.”Meadow dashed off to shower and changed.Meadow stood in front of the mirror and debated whether she should put on a bra. She wasn’t wearing one under her favorite red slinky dress. Her hard nipples pressed obscenely against the clingy fabric. The contours of her areolas and her tight peaks were visible. She decided to be risqué tonight and let the girls be free.“Good thing I have my cashmere wrap,” she chuckled. She didn’t mean her bare shoulders would need to be covered. She knew that without a bra and wearing this slinky dress, her nipples would be visible to everyone all night. She brought the warp in case she lost her nerve.She slipped on her highest heels, threw the wrap over her arm and walked out of her bedroom. She encountered Arlo. His eyes grew wide as he viewed her. The dress was hot. Her braless breasts were lewd. The way her nipples were visible through the dress was scandalous. His eyes were riveted to her chest.“Wow! That’s some dress,” he said.“Too much?” she asked. Seeing his expression caused her to re-think her decision to forego the bra.“No. Gorgeous. Beautiful. I was just thinking if you are going to wear that dress you should come with a warning label.”“Ahem,” he cleared his throat and then did his best Bette Davis imitation, “Fasten your seatbelts. It’s going to be a bumpy night.”Meadow laughed and said, “Good. It’s Valentine’s Day. A time to be flirty and sexy. I loved your impression of Bette Davis! I’m surprised you’d know a line from a movie made before you were born.”“Um,” he shyly admitted, “I don’t have many friends. I spend a lot of time with classic movies and books.”“Oh.” She felt sorry for him. The clock on the mantel chimed. She said, “I need to go.”She draped the wrap over her shoulders. Arlo helped her put on her coat and she left to meet her boyfriend for dinner.She drove to the fancy restaurant where she and Ted had agreed to meet. She had a drink and then another while she waited. She called him numerous times and got no answered. She became worried. Ted was a responsible person, a wealthy, well-respected attorney. It was out of character for him to stand her up.“Maybe some thing’s happened,” she told herself after waiting an hour.She decided to go to his home. She pulled up to his house and walked to the front door.“That’s odd. The door is open,” she said.She let herself in. She heard noises coming from the den and headed that way. She entered the room and was shocked by what she saw. Her boyfriend was naked and stretched out on the sofa. There were two naked women in the room with him. Their appearance screamed crack whore.The women were gaunt, bags of bones. Their sorry, empty tits sagged down their chest. Meadow looked at their unkempt hair and the dark circles under their eyes and wondered when was the last time they had combed their hair or slept.One woman was snorting cocaine off the glass coffee table and the other was sucking on her boyfriend’s dick.“Ted!” Meadow shouted. “What’s going on?”“We, we’re having a party,” he slurred. “Help yourself to some blow.”“What?” Meadow screamed. She’d never seen her boyfriend do drugs and certainly not behave like this.Ted laughed. “I got fired today. They discovered I was embezzling money from the firm. I bought some cocaine and decided to get high. I met these two ladies and we’ve been fucking and snorting for hours. Join us.”Meadow was shocked and disgusted. She turned around without saying another word and drove home.The Refuge“Keep the change,” Arlo mumbled to the pizza delivery guy. He watched television as he ate his dinner. “9:00, let's see if we can find a good movie, other than sappy chick-flicks”Meadow burst through the door. Arlo went to investigate because he wasn’t expecting anyone to come home at this hour.“Oh. It’s you, Aunt Meadow,” he said. He saw that she’d been crying. A normal person would have asked, “Is everything okay?”. Arlo wasn’t normal. He didn’t ask.She ripped her coat off. The shawl came off with it. She said angrily, “Worse Valentine’s Day ever.”She kicked off her shoes and bent over at the hips to pick them up. She leaned over so far that Arlo saw her big brown nipples. She showed no hint of caring that she’d flashed her tits to her nephew. She had too many other things on her mind. She marched off quickly to her bedroom.“Whoa. Nipples,” Arlo said to himself. That was a first for him. He’d seen pictures of women’s breasts but never had he seen an actual one. It gave him a chubby.When she returned. Meadow had a royal blue robe on over her flannel sleeping gown. Her feet were covered by slipper socks. The terry cloth material kept her feet warm and it had a rubber sole.Her faced was scrubbed clean of makeup and her hair tied back into a ponytail. She ignored Arlo and headed straight to the kitchen. She mumbled, “I need a drink.”She fixed herself a stiff drink. She downed half of it and refilled her glass. She sat at the kitchen table and brooded about the evening. Arlo could see she was upset. He stayed away giving her a wide berth. Occasionally, he’d turn his head and check on her. When he glanced her way, he saw her sitting at the kitchen table talking to herself and drinking.“Cocaine?” Meadow said. She was appalled by her boyfriend’s drug use. Ex-boyfriend. She took a drink.“I’ve never seen him take drugs,” she mused and tossed down the glass and then re-filled it.“Whores? Two prostitutes!” Meadow said. She was disgusted. She guzzled more alcohol.“I gave him my body. I sucked his cock and he cheats on me with two crack whores,” she lamented.“He never called to cancel our date. Bastard.” Meadow finished her drink and got another.“The bum kept me sitting in the restaurant.” She gulped a large amount.“Everyone there knew I had been stood up.” She sipped heartily on the whiskey.“I felt like a fool.” She drained the glass and got another.“I cared for him!” she wailed.She swallowed her drink. The alcohol burned her throat as it went down. Tears fell from her eyes.Arlo heard his Aunt crying. He ignored her for a long time, but even he was moved by her sobbing. Finally, he went to her and asked, “Wha, what’s the matter?”“You mean besides wasting six months of my life dating an embezzler and drug user?” She reached for the bottle to top off her drink and knocked it over.“Fuck!” she cried out and reached for the bottle. Arlo picked up the bottle. She wrenched it out of his hand. When she did, the bottle flew up and hit Arlo in the face.“Ouch,” he cried out.He wrestled the bottle away from her. He set the bottle on the counter out of his Aunt’s reach. His eye hurt. He rubbed it gently.He said, “Aunt Meadow, don’t you think you’ve had enough?”“I’ll be the judge of that,” she slurred.She stood and tried to go through Arlo to get to the liquor. She pummeled and scratched him. Arlo was only an average size guy, but he easily stopped her. She was drunk, unsteady and uncoordinated.“Let me by!” she demanded.Arlo stood his ground. Meadow tried to pass him on one side than the other. Then, she stopped. Arlo had been sliding left and right to block her. He hoped her lack of movement meant she’d given up.Meadow looked up at him. She didn’t look well. She wasn’t well. She hurled. Vomit poured out of her. It splattered on Arlo’s face and chest. Some went down his shirt and on his pants.“Oh God!” Arlo cried as he was hit with puke.The sight and putrid smell made him throw up. He raised his hands to block it. His vomit hit his hands and ricocheted onto his arms and shirt. It then dripped down on his pants and the floor. He was a smelly mess. He wanted to leave. He wanted to scream at his aunt, but just  then his own words, “It's noble to sacrifice for the good of others” came back to him, along with the mental image of his grandfather's approving, proud smile.Miraculously, Aunt Meadow was unsoiled.However, she was still drunk and still unsteady. She lost her balance and fell into Arlo. She hugged him to keep from falling over. It didn’t work. They both ended up on the floor, rolling around and getting covered in the smelly, slimy puke.Meadow freaked out. She shouted, “Take me to the bathroom! I have to get this off me!”Arlo led the filthy, unsteady woman to the bathroom.“Oh God! The smell!” Meadow complained.She ripped off her robe. She stood there in her nightgown and slurred, “Ya. Y'alls a mess, too. We need tah get them dirty clothes offa ya.”She began undressing her nephew. Arlo agreed. The smell was sickening. She helped him remove his shirt and pants. They both tossed their stinky clothing into a the open hamper. He stripped until he was down to his underwear.“Eya stinks. Eyes needs a shaw were,” Meadow said.She went to the shower and turned the water on. While she waited for the warm water, she pulled her gown over her head. She was too drunk to do this safely. The gown got stuck when it was half way off. She wasn’t wearing anything underneath. Arlo stared at her bare ass.She swayed as she struggled to escape the nightgown. Arlo moved in closed and held her hips. As he feared, she toppled over. He caught her and took a hard elbow to the body.“Pull it off,” Meadow demanded.Arlo steadied her with one hand around her waist and used his other hand to pull the nightgown off. He tossed it aside. Meadow cared not a whit that she was naked. Her focus was on getting clean. She stepped into the shower, turning the water on and adjusted the water’s temperature. Arlo was right behind her keeping her from falling.Arlo said to himself, ‘Wow. She’s naked. Her skin is so soft. I didn’t expect a woman in her forties to be this attractive.Meadow lost her balance again and Arlo had to catch her. He wrapped both arms around her to keep her upright. One arm met her breasts. She didn’t notice or care. She said nothing about it.Arlo was nervous and scared. He expected to be berated at any moment for touching her boobs. His face blushed bright red. His mind screamed, ‘You’re so dead for touching her boobs. She’s going to scream at you and tell Mom'.She stood in the stream of warm water.When she didn’t say anything, Arlo allowed himself to think about her breasts. He thought, ‘Her boobs are awesome. So big. So soft. Her nipples are sticking out obscenely.'.Her bare rump was pressed against his groin and his dick grew hard. She fidgeted and he had to adjust his grip on her nude body. A hand cupped her right breast. Her head turned to him and he expected the worst.“I’m dirty. I ma need a shower,” she said with the simplicity of a six-year-old.Her words stunned him. It took a moment for him to respond. “Aunt Meadow, I’m worried you’ll fall if I let go of you.”She looked down at the arms around her as if just noticing them; then looked back at him. He had vomit on him. She wrinkled her nose and said, “You smell bad.”She turned around and luxuriated in the spray and let the water beat down on her foggy skull. Arlo used this time to study and marvel at her body. This was the first nude woman he’d ever seen. His dick tented his wet shorts.She rinsed all traces of the vomit off her body. Arlo stood behind her. He kept his hands on her to make sure she didn’t fall.What he saw astounded him. “She beautiful,” he thought as he gazed at her. He loved everything about her. Her long, slender neck leading to her bare back fascinated him. He studied the soft curve of her shoulders and the indentation in the center of her back where her spinal column was.He loved how her broad shoulders swept down to a narrow waist and delightfully flared out at the hips. She had a plump womanly ass.Her back was tanned. Surprisingly, her bottom was too. ‘She suntans in the nude. Cool,' Arlo thought.He stepped back to get a complete view. She had firm thighs, slender calves, and small feet. Her dainty toenails were painted fire engine red. Beautiful.Meadow grabbed the shampoo, squeezed some into her hand and turned about as she worked it into her hair.“Oh!” Arlo gasped.She kept her eyes closed while she worked the shampoo through her hair and thoroughly scrubbed. She didn’t seem to care that he was seeing her naked. Arlo studied her front quickly in case this was his only chance. He checked her face to be sure her eyes were still closed. He noticed she had a round face, a thin nose, and full lips. Quickly his eyes stared at her breasts. They sagged. The nipples faced East and West, but he didn’t care. They looked wonderful to him.‘Fuck! This is unbelievable.' Arlo thought. ‘Look at her big tits bounce and shake. She has huge, hard nipples'.His internal conversation continued, ‘God! Look at her cunt. That hair is jet black. The hair on her head is brown. I can see her vulva!'Streams of water ran down her fully tanned, fit body. The water cascaded over her breasts, across her stomach and flattened and separated her pubic hair as it ran down her body. Arlo could see her thick vaginal lips through the soaked, parted hair.Arlo kept his hands on her hips as his eyes devoured her body. It was the first naked woman he’d seen in the flesh and it was as hot and exciting as he’d imagine.Meadow washed and rinsed her hair and then casually washed her body. Arlo hard cock lurched when she soaped her breasts. He almost came when she touched her ass and cunt thoroughly swabbed her most intimate parts.Meadow was in her own world as she scrubbed her body. After she rinsed off, she opened her eyes. They brightened in recognition that Arlo was in the shower too. She wasn’t self-conscious about her nudity. In a matter of fact way, she said,“Let’s gets y'all cleaned too.”She reached out and began washing his upper body. She smirked when she noticed he was in the shower with his underwear on.“This won’t do,” she said.She pulled his shorts off and giggled when his erection popped into view. She grabbed it and began washing it.“Someone’s grown up,” she purred.“Ah. Ah,” Arlo stammered. “You don’t have to do that,” he said embarrassed.She grasped his dick, stroked him and asked, “Are you sure you want me to stop?”Arlo was too scared and nervous to speak, but he prayed she’d ignore his protestations. She looked into his eyes and saw a pleading look.“I thought not,” she said with a knowing smile.“Oh. Oh,” Arlo moaned as she jacked him off.He almost cried when she stopped. She handed him the soap and said, “Clean up.”He hurriedly washed the vomit off his body. She stood and smiled watching his erection bounce around.When he was done, she held her hand out and said, “Give me the soap. Your back needs to get washed.”He did, then turned his back to her. Then, she soaped up his shoulders, back and under his arms. She set the soap on the dish and wrapped her sudsy hands around both sides of him, then back down to his stiff cock and said, “This needs a little more attention.”She soaped up his cock, dropped the soap and resumed beating him off. She pressed her tits into his back and breathed lustily into his ear as she stroked him. His eyes rolled back into his head and she held him steady as he moaned loudly, “Oh!”He came. She held his cock like a hose and directed the blasts of cum against the tile walls of the shower. Meadow laughed and milked his cock until he’d finished.“I gawda fire hose! Where's the fire! Gawd I love my fire hose.” She giggled . “ Hey, who turned my hose off?” She stroked his some more, but then gave up a few seconds later. Then she got quiet and looked around. She turned them both around and rinsed Arlo off as if nothing unusual had happened.Arlo stared at her plump rump and enjoyed the wonderful sensation of his very first handjob as he gasped for air.Meadow, now clean, pushed open the shower door and stepped out. She immediately slipped and fell hard on her ass.“Oh, my God! Are you okay?” Arlo called out. He was worried that she’d hurt herself. He quickly exited and went to her side.She was still inebriated. She said simply, “My bum hurts.”To be continued.By regularguy13 for Literotica

In this episode, we pass the mic to Barbara Pittman to discuss embracing new opportunities and sports law. Barbara Pittman owns the Law Offices of Barbara Pittman, P.A.. She handles legal matters in the following practice areas: Family Law, Divorce, Child Custody, Child Support, Time/Sharing Visitation Rights, Personal Injury, Automobile Accidents, Criminal Defense, Juvenile Law, and Sports Law. She was admitted to practice in 1986, Florida U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida and U.S. Court of Appeals, 11th Circuit. She graduated from Florida State University with her J.D. Member: American Bar Association; Florida Bar; Hillsborough County Bar Association; National Bar Association; Past President, Virgil Hawkins Florida Chapter National Bar Association; George Edgecomb Bar Association; Hillsborough Association of Women Lawyers; Florida Association Of Women Lawyers; Carrollwood Bar Association. Biography: Assistant State Attorney, 1985-1988 (Hillsborough County, Florida); Former Chair, Thirteenth Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission; Former Vice Chair, Thirteenth Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission; Former Member, Florida Bar's 13-F Grievance Committee; Former Member, Florida Bar's Criminal Procedure Rules Committee; Former Member, Florida Bar's Continuing Legal Education Committee; Member, Florida Board of Bar Examiners. Social Media Website: www.journeytoesquire.com Email: info@journeytoesquire.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/dive... Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JourneytoEsq/ YT: https://youtube.com/@journeytoesquire Twitter: @JourneytoEsq                 https://mobile.twitter.com/journeytoesq Instagram: @JourneytoEsq  https://www.instagram.com/journeytoesq/ www.journeytoesquire.com info@journeytoesquire.com @JourneytoEsquire --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/journey-to-esquire/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/journey-to-esquire/support

In this episode we pass the mic to Kristin Norse to discuss developing an appellate practice and women in the law. Kristin Norse is a partner at Kynes, Markman & Felman, P.A., where she practices exclusively in the areas of appellate practice, litigation support, and trial consulting in state and federal courts. Ms. Norse has over 30 years of experience in Florida trial and appellate courts. She received her juris doctorate degree from Boston University School of Law, and has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English, cum laude, from Boston University's College of Arts and Sciences. After law school, she joined Hampton, Stoddard, Griffin & Runnells, P.A., and later worked with the firm of Harris, Barrett, Mann & Dew, P.A. After seven years in private practice, Ms. Norse became a senior staff attorney for the Honorable Chris W. Altenbernd at the Second District Court of Appeal. She remained in that position until joining Kynes, Markman & Felman, P.A. Ms. Norse is the current chair of the Rules of General Practice and Judicial Administration Committee and a past Chair of the Appellate Practice Section and a past Chair of the Appellate Court Rules Committee. She is a past president of the Florida Association for Women Lawyers and the Hillsborough Association for Women Lawyers. She has served on The Florida Bar's Citizen's Advisory Council as a lawyer member, and on the Special Committee on Gender Bias. She is also a mentor for Starting Right Now, and a mother to a law student and wife to an attorney who works for Bay Area Legal Services. Social Media Website: www.journeytoesquire.com Email: info@journeytoesquire.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/dive... Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JourneytoEsq/ YT: https://youtube.com/@journeytoesquire Twitter: @JourneytoEsq                 https://mobile.twitter.com/journeytoesq Instagram: @JourneytoEsq  https://www.instagram.com/journeytoesq/ www.journeytoesquire.com info@journeytoesquire.com @JourneytoEsquire --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/journey-to-esquire/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/journey-to-esquire/support

In this podcast episode, Gary interviews Rachel Clar, founder and CEO of Interconnected Us, a company providing an online community and peer mastermind groups for women lawyers. They discuss Rachel's career transition from law to real estate development, and her passion for creating a supportive space for women lawyers. Rachel highlights the challenges women lawyers face, including self-doubt, work-life balance, and societal expectations. She emphasizes the importance of setting boundaries and delegating tasks effectively. Rachel also shares how her company helps women lawyers find their community, and the positive impact this has on their careers.  Challenges women lawyers face (00:08:48) Rachel discusses the unique challenges women lawyers face, including being mothers and the socialization to play nice in the professional environment. The importance of boundaries for women lawyers (00:10:31) Rachel discusses the significance of setting boundaries for women lawyers and how it can be a game changer for their success and well-being. Challenging the lack of a clear path to success for women lawyers (00:13:17) Rachel shares the story of a junior partner in a law firm who is struggling with the lack of guidance on how to advance in her career, highlighting the need for boundaries in challenging the system. Delegating and the fear of letting go (00:16:05) Rachel talks about the challenges lawyers face when it comes to delegating tasks and how it relates to boundaries, growth mindset, and the importance of creating talent in others. Delegating and Boundaries (00:18:56) Rachel and Gary discuss the connection between delegating and boundaries, and how it impacts leadership and coaching. Rachel Clar, Esq. is Founder and CEO of Interconnected Us, which is an online private community for female lawyers to meet in confidence and ask the questions they need answered to get off the hamster wheel of endless "productivity" and start making it rain. Interconnected Us offers a monthly membership option, and peer-to-peer mastermind groups where women lawyers meet regularly with their cohort (those who work in a similar work environment (i.e. BigLaw associates, Solo firm owners, etc.) bimonthly to discuss private challenges that are harder to address in public. Before founding Interconnected Us, Rachel worked in the real estate development sector, developing affordable housing and solar arrays. Her professional experience in developing business relationships, combined with her personality style and deep inner healing work, give her a unique perspective which she uses to create inclusive, welcoming spaces for women lawyers to ask, and get answers, to the questions they need to advance professionally. Rachel is passionate about helping progressive women lawyers envision the lives they want and then strategize alongside their peers to make their vision become a reality. Rachel calls herself a "Compassionate Disruptor" and feels a responsibility to use her voice to shift the status quo. In 2022, she joined the ABA Law Practice Division's Women Rainmakers Committee, and in 2023 she was appointed to join the ABA Law Practice Division's Client Development Committee. She is a committed, lifelong learner, community leader and community builder. Connect with Rachel through LinkedIn at http://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelclar/.  Learn more about how Interconnected Us can help you grab the steering wheel of your legal career at https://www.interconnectedus.com. You may order your copy of Breaking Free here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CPKSQ59R

The information I am providing is my opinion and not necessarily that of my firm or this platform.  I am only providing general educational information and not any customized investment recommendations. You should consult with your Financial Advisor, Tax Advisor or Attorney on your specific situation. Nothing shall be construed as Financial, Tax or legal advice or recommendations.   Jana Chebat is a highly dedicated and hardworking attorney, recognized for her exceptional legal acumen in handling cases involving severe personal injuries, medical malpractice, products liability, and wrongful death in South Florida. Originating as a law clerk at Goldberg & Rosen while simultaneously preparing for the bar and maintaining a full-time role, Jana is celebrated for her hands-on approach and passionate advocacy for her clients. With roots in both Miami-Dade and Broward County, she graduated from St. Thomas Aquinas High School and Florida International University with a bachelor's degree in psychology. Jana continued her educational journey, obtaining a Paralegal Certificate from Boston University and pursuing law school at Loyola University College of Law in New Orleans, Louisiana. During her legal education, she clerked for Chief Magistrate Judge John J. O'Sullivan, interned with the Endress + Hauser Group in Switzerland, and achieved a top 5 ranking in the Southern Classic Trial Advocacy Competition as an active member of the Danny and Mary Becnel Trial Advocacy program. Fluent in Spanish, admitted to practice in Florida, and a member of the Florida Association of Women Lawyers, Jana takes pride in her impactful legal work and meaningful client relationships.   This episode features Jana Chebat, a legal professional specializing in personal injury, medical malpractice, and wrongful death cases at a Florida-based legal firm. Jana discusses her journey from a psychology degree to law school, highlighting her background as a tutor and preschool teacher. She dispels misconceptions about personal injury attorneys, emphasizing the firm's commitment to helping clients rather than being solely driven by financial gain. The interview delves into the evaluation process for cases, covering liability, insurance, and damages. Jana stresses the importance of communication in alleviating clients' stress during the legal process and managing their expectations. Looking ahead, Jana shares her goal of becoming one of the best personal injury attorneys in Florida, expressing gratitude for the support of the firm's partners. Here is what to expect on this week's show: Career Transition and Passion for Law: hear about a unique journey from a psychology background to pursuing a law degree. Dispelling Misconceptions about Personal Injury Attorneys: challenge common misconceptions about personal injury attorneys, with an emphasis on the goal of genuinely assisting clients rather than being solely motivated by financial gain. Key Aspects of Case Evaluation: insights into the crucial elements of evaluating personal injury cases, emphasizing the importance of assessing liability, insurance coverage, and damages to determine the course of action. Client Communication and Stress Management: The interview underscores the significance of communication in the legal process, particularly in managing clients' stress and expectations. Future Goals and Professional Development: discussing the continuous learning and improvement inherent in her professional journey. Connect with Jana Chebat https://www.goldbergandrosen.com/our-attorneys/jana-chebat/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this podcast episode, Dr. Angela Schill and Dr. Jonathan H. Westover talk with Kara H. North about leveraging generational examples of working women and positive impact. Kara H. North is a native of Orem, Utah, and obtained a B.S. in Business Management from UVU in 2007. She then graduated from the S.J. Quinney College of Law at the University of Utah in 2010 with her Juris Doctorate. She began her legal career with a large insurance defense firm in Las Vegas, Nevada. After returning to Utah, Kara began practicing law in Utah County, with a practice primarily focused on plaintiff's personal injury litigation, criminal defense, and adoption. She has successfully argued for her clients in Juvenile, District, Mental Health Court, and the Utah Court of Appeals. In 2022, Kara partnered with Jill Coil at Moxie Law Group, a boutique personal injury firm in Utah County. Kara currently serves as the UVU Alumni Board President and is a member of the UVU Board of Trustees and UVU Foundation Board. She is the 2023 Women's Caucus Chair for the Utah Association for Justice, 4th District Chair for Women Lawyers of Utah, and previously served as the President of the Central Utah Bar Association. Kara has also recently been recognized as a 2023 Mountain States Super Lawyer, a Top 25 by the National Women Trial Lawyers Association, and by Utah BusinessQ Magazine as a 40 Under 40.  Check out all of the podcasts in the HCI Podcast Network! Check out the ⁠HCI Academy⁠: Courses, Micro-Credentials, and Certificates to Upskill and Reskill for the Future of Work! Check out the LinkedIn ⁠Alchemizing Human Capital⁠ Newsletter. Check out Dr. Westover's book, ⁠The Future Leader⁠. Check out Dr. Westover's book, ⁠'Bluer than Indigo' Leadership⁠. Check out Dr. Westover's book, ⁠The Alchemy of Truly Remarkable Leadership⁠. Check out the latest issue of the ⁠Human Capital Leadership magazine⁠. Each HCI Podcast episode (Program, ID No. 627454) has been approved for 0.50 HR (General) recertification credit hours toward aPHR™, aPHRi™, PHR®, PHRca®, SPHR®, GPHR®, PHRi™ and SPHRi™ recertification through HR Certification Institute® (HRCI®). Each HCI Podcast episode (Program ID: 24-DP529) has been approved for 0.50 HR (General) SHRM Professional Development Credits (PDCs) for SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCPHR recertification through SHRM, as part of the knowledge and competency programs related to the SHRM Body of Applied Skills and Knowledge™ (the SHRM BASK™). Human Capital Innovations has been pre-approved by the ATD Certification Institute to offer educational programs that can be used towards initial eligibility and recertification of the Certified Professional in Talent Development (CPTD) and Associate Professional in Talent Development (APTD) credentials. Each HCI Podcast episode qualifies for a maximum of 0.50 points.

In this podcast episode, Gary interviews Jackie Harounian, the managing partner of Wisselman Harounian, a family law firm in New York. They discuss Jackie's career progression, changes in family law, and the challenges lawyers face today. Jackie emphasizes the shift towards joint custody and the rise of women as breadwinners. She also highlights the importance of mediation and empathetic listening in the legal process. Jackie shares her leadership approach, focusing on creating a supportive work environment and using communication tools. She also discusses her passion for public speaking, teaching, and marketing her business. Jacqueline Harounian is the Managing Partner and sole shareholder of Wisselman, Harounian Family Law, P.C. The firm was established in 1976 and has been a recognized leader in matrimonial and family law for nearly 50 years. Her educational background includes Columbia College (BA 1991), Hofstra Law School (JD 1994), and SUNY graduate degree in Psychology (2017). Jackie's unique multidisciplinary and multicultural background, including a graduate degree in Behavioral Forensic Psychology and Family Systems Therapy, enables her to handle complex divorce and custody matters with a holistic and compassionate approach that maximizes outcomes for settlement and co-parenting. She currently serves as co-chair of the Matrimonial Committee of the New York Women's Bar Association and as a Director of the Brandeis Bar Association and JALBCA (Judges and Lawyers Breast Cancer Alert). Jackie is recognized as “AV Preeminent” 2023 by Martindale Hubbell, the highest possible rating for ethics and professionalism. Jackie was repeatedly chosen to the Super Lawyers' most prestigious list - “Top 50 Women Lawyers” in New York. Her firm's ten lawyers were recognized in 2023 as “Best Lawyers” by US News and World Report, and her firm was selected as one of the Best Places to Work by Long Island Business News in 2022. Would you like to sign up to be on the waitlist for Breaking Free? You can sign up here: https://upbeat-trailblazer-9238.ck.page/ab08c861d9

Michelle Banks is a Senior Advisor and Executive Coach for BarkerGilmore, a boutique executive firm focusing on legal and compliance recruiting, executive search, coaching, and advising. As a former general counsel, she facilitates leadership development and support by coaching general counsels, delivering keynote speeches, and leading workshops. Michelle is a co-author of Women in Law: Discovering the True Meaning of Success and is a board member on several initiatives that support women in the legal profession. For show notes and more information, visit paulaedgar.com/podcast. In this episode… Building a community as a lawyer or business professional is an invaluable resource. While the fruits of your labor may not be visible initially, the long-term dividends are well worth the effort. If executed effectively, the people around you will reflect and amplify your personal brand. As a coach working with women general counsels, Michelle Banks has cultivated an impactful brand. Her advice is to build a strong network organically and find likeminded people who share your vision. She has used this approach to support and strengthen women practicing law. Learn her tips for those looking to create widespread, meaningful change. In this episode of Branding Room Only, Paula Edgar talks with Michelle Banks, Senior Advisor and Executive Coach for BarkerGilmore, to discuss community building and inclusion for lawyers. They break down helpful tips, do's and don'ts, and examples of how to build a personal brand and a strong professional relationshipsDiscover how to transform your women's affinity group into a dynamic force that aligns with your organization's mission and empowers women to thrive in leadership roles. Don't miss this opportunity to reshape the future of women's leadership within your organization.February 13 - 12 to 1 pm ETRegister for Is Your Women's Group Winning? at https://www.paulaedgar.com/events/

With a feminist perspective you see more options Our talk on zoom took place in the first week after the cruel attack on Israeli civilians close to Gaza and the start of the war between Israel and the terror organisation Hamas. Rotem Aloni, mother of three boys, lawyer and activist was sitting at home in Ramat Gan, in the center of Israel. All family members stayed at home, ready to seek out the shelter in case the sirenes go off warning them of missile attacks from the Hamas. Podcast Rotem Aloni: Feminist Peace Activist Israel The first aspect Rotem mentions is her family and her three sons. They are her biggest concern and she feels very strongly for all the parents who lost their kids or who are fearing for the kidnapped kids. Rotem speaks about the trauma caused by the attack close to Gaza. The fear for the kids and not knowing what will happen next in this war. Rotem engages in activities to bring back the civilians who have been kidnapped. Everybody knows somebody who was kidnapped, everybody knows somebody who was murdered. We are all trying to do something to help each other because sitting and doing nothing makes you crazy. Rotem Aloni Rotem is a member of The Women Lawyers for Social Justice, an Israeli Palestinian and Israeli Jewish organisation. They were taught how to negotiate from a feminist perspective. One of their first actions after the attack was to write letters to foreign embassies to help mediating in the hostage negotiations. They are also trying to create pressure from the inside of Israel to convince the government not going into Gaza but first of all trying to free the hostages. They are engaged mostly in communication work via different media channels. Rotem talks about the male dominance perspective on the media and that there are only men around the decision making table. Women from civil society are not visible but in their group, they keep doing whatever they can to make the women's voices heard. As a feminist, Rotem looks at this situation in a bigger context, widening the perspective to see more options and more solutions. It's all about men figthing who is stronger and not what we as civilians on both sides need to be safe .... I am sure if there were more women in the government, they could see more options. And going into Gaza now and getting more soldiers killed won't make us feel safer. Rotem Aloni Rotem also talks about the longer term aspects of the war. The need to find a solution for two peoples living together in such a small territory. If you want to come to some kind of a solution you need to understand the needs of both sidesand vengeance is not a need.There are voices in the Palestinians that you can talk to . We need to make them stronger and help them find their voice and {we need to} help ourselves to find our voice. And maybe these two voices can connect and we can live here in peace. Rotem Aloni *on the picture you see Rotem Aloni with her son Omer

Women attorneys are intelligent and brave, but they still face particular challenges in the legal profession. Jared chats with Rachel Clar of Interconnected Us about her mission to create safe environments for women in law to get the support they need to grow their influence and flourish in legal practice. Later, in perhaps the most uniquely named Rump Roast game yet, Jared and Rachel play “Town in Upstate NY, Town in Rural Alabama, or Discontinued Household Cleaner?” And, yeah—the name is pretty self-explanatory. And, we know you're sick of hearing about AI, but Jared still has a few things that need to be said. First, don't be a moron and believe everything AI tells you, and second, *do* save yourself time by using AI for contracts, emails, and generating workflows. Rachel Clar is founder and CEO at Interconnected Us. ----- We talked about how law firms can use generative AI tools right now, so here's a playlist about AI, designed by AI. Hey, we had a nice run. ----- Our opening track is Two Cigarettes by Major Label Interest. Our closing track is Night Whispers by Dr. Delight.

Women attorneys are intelligent and brave, but they still face particular challenges in the legal profession. Jared chats with Rachel Clar of Interconnected Us about her mission to create safe environments for women in law to get the support they need to grow their influence and flourish in legal practice. Later, in perhaps the most uniquely named Rump Roast game yet, Jared and Rachel play “Town in Upstate NY, Town in Rural Alabama, or Discontinued Household Cleaner?” And, yeah—the name is pretty self-explanatory. And, we know you're sick of hearing about AI, but Jared still has a few things that need to be said. First, don't be a moron and believe everything AI tells you, and second, *do* save yourself time by using AI for contracts, emails, and generating workflows. Rachel Clar is founder and CEO at Interconnected Us. ----- We talked about how law firms can use generative AI tools right now, so here's a playlist about AI, designed by AI. Hey, we had a nice run. ----- Our opening track is Two Cigarettes by Major Label Interest. Our closing track is Night Whispers by Dr. Delight.

Buck conventions and shake things up—that's Christy Childers' (@childersmccain) approach to building a standout legal practice. This trucking legend and founder of the Mother Truckers and Childers + McCaine wants to spark creativity and innovation in the field. How? By having “no limit experiences” that disrupt the status quo. Christy is talking reinvented CLEs, niche expertise, and next-level storytelling techniques. Unconventional approaches most lawyers would avoid, but can transform your practice when done right. Toss out predictability and break the trial lawyer mold. Christy shares her rule-breaking methods that help attorneys push boundaries and reimagine success. With insights from this bold attorney and founder of the Georgia Association of Women Lawyers, you'll uncover new ways to shock complacency and achieve game-changing results. Links Want to hear more from elite personal injury lawyers and industry-leading marketers? Follow us on social media for more. Rankings.io Instagram Chris Dreyer Instagram Personal Injury Mastermind Instagram Personal Injury Mastermind Threads Rankings.io Twitter Rankings.io Website Christy Crow Childers LinkedIn  Childers + McCaine Website   Christy Childers Instagram  Georgia Association of Women Lawyers Website What's in This Episode: Who is Christy Childers? Should trucking attorneys get their CDL? What you need to get started in trucking.  What goes into becoming a board-certified trucking attorney? Past Guests Past guests on Personal Injury Mastermind: Brent Sibley, Sam Glover, Larry Nussbaum, Michael Mogill, Brian Chase, Jay Kelley, Alvaro Arauz, Eric Chaffin, Brian Panish, John Gomez, Sol Weiss, Matthew Dolman, Gabriel Levin, Seth Godin, David Craig, Pete Strom, John Ruhlin, Andrew Finkelstein, Harry Morton, Shay Rowbottom, Maria Monroy, Dave Thomas, Marc Anidjar, Bob Simon, Seth Price, John Gomez, Megan Hargroder, Brandon Yosha, Mike Mandell, Brett Sachs, Paul Faust, Jennifer Gore-Cuthbert Additional Episodes You Might Enjoy 80. Mike Papantonio, Levin, Papantonio, & Rafferty — Doing Well by Doing Good 84. Glen Lerner, Lerner and Rowe – A Steady Hand in a Shifting Industry 101. Pratik Shah, EsquireTek — Discovering the Power of Automation 134. Darryl Isaacs, Isaacs & Isaacs — The Hammer: Insights from a Marketing Legend 104. Taly Goody, Goody Law Group — Finding PI Clients on TikTok 63. Joe Fried, Fried Goldberg LLC — How To Become An Expert And Revolutionize Your PI Niche 96. Brian Dean, Backlinko — Becoming a Linkable Source 83. Seth Godin — Differentiation: How to Make Your Law Firm a Purple Cow 73. Neil Patel, Neil Patel — Digital A New Approach to Content and Emerging Marketing Channels

In this bonus episode, we speak about lifelong learning and professional development with Gina Alexandris, certified coach and long-serving education advocate. We discuss the specific tactics that incoming lawyers need before entering the workforce as well as skill development tools that are applicable for all legal professionals.  NOTE: While the episode preview above is available for everyone, the full ~120 minute version of this bonus episode is available exclusively for members of the Lawyered Patreon community. If you want to hear all of our bonus episodes (and unlock more bonus content), check out our Patreon page HERE! In the full episode, you'll hear Gina discuss a number of topics, including:

Robyn Crowther, the Regional Managing Partner for California at Steptoe & Johnson, sits down with host M.C. Sungaila to share her path to leadership in a large law firm, her earlier experience at a pathbreaking boutique litigation firm, and her work as a trial lawyer and community and bar leader which has led to her being repeatedly named by the Daily Journal as one of the Top 100 Women Lawyers in California.

In this week's episode, Elizabeth Manno, partner at Venable and co-chair of the National Association of Women Lawyers research committee, discusses some of the issues attorneys have pointed to that could explain the steady and significant attrition of women from law firms relative to the number of women entering the profession as associates.

In this episode, we pass the mic to Class of 2023 Scholar Jessica Sivillo to discuss academic success in law school. Jessica graduated from WMU Cooley Law School, where she was a leader in many student organizations, including on the board of the Florida Association of Women Lawyers, and the Executive Notes Editor for the Cooley Law Review. She also had the honor of being chosen by her classmates as the valedictory speaker for graduation. She also received a degree from the University of Tampa; her activities there included the following- Secretary of The National Society of Collegiate Scholars, Phi Eta Sigma National Honor Society, Best Buddies, Alpha Chi Omega, The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, Sigma Delta Pi National Collegiate Hispanic Honor Society Activities and societies: Secretary of The National Society of Collegiate Scholars, Phi Eta Sigma National Honor Society, Best Buddies, Alpha Chi Omega, The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, Sigma Delta Pi National Collegiate Hispanic Honor Society…see more Major: Communications Minors: Spanish; Law, Justice, and Advocacy We create lawyers who lead, mentor, and inspire ... one student at a time. The Journey to Esquire: Scholarship & Leadership Program* provides academic and professional development for students interested in becoming lawyers.  The journey to esquire is a long one, but we are here to help! ​ We are essential for diverse law students who need financial and emotional support because we provide cash scholarships, mentors, and training, which helps them pass the bar exam, obtain employment with competitive and powerful employers, and obtain leadership positions in professional associations. Social Media Website: www.journeytoesquire.com Email: info@journeytoesquire.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/dive... Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JourneytoEsq/ YT: https://youtube.com/@journeytoesquire Twitter: @JourneytoEsq                 https://mobile.twitter.com/journeytoesq Instagram: @JourneytoEsq  https://www.instagram.com/journeytoesq/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/journey-to-esquire/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/journey-to-esquire/support

On today's episode, I'm talking to lawyer and sports executive Marcia Caporn about learning new skills. Marcia is currently the Head of Revenue at Credenza where she's incorporating web3 solutions and cutting-edge technologies into professional and collegiate sports. She's been learning new skills all throughout her career to make sure she's ready to create change. Marcia was a two-sport athlete at Stanford who was driven to go to law school to keep other athletes from sharing her experience playing professional soccer during the collapse of the WUSA league. Later, her career took another turn when she went back to get her MBA to empower herself to understand the business on a more quantitative level.We talk about:The soft skills that benefit former athletes in their future careersAsking the hard questions upfrontMultiple identities at work and at homeYou can find the show notes and more resources at https://madamathlete.comKeep an eye out for new content or let us know what you'd like to see next by following us on social:Instagram: @theMadamAthleteFacebook: @MadamAthleteTwitter: @MadamAthlete

About Our GuestJudith Kaluzny practiced divorce and family law in Fullerton, CA, for over 40 years. She began mediating in 1986 and was trained in the best programs, more than 100 hours. Then she limited her practice to guiding people through various marriage and partnership issues, from pre-marital agreements, staying together agreements to resolve problems and improve the relationship, to the divorce process. She mediated for couples from the counties of Riverside, San Bernardino and Los Angeles, as well as Orange. Her clients did not need to go to court to complete the dissolution of marriage process. She didn't start off doing mediation, but her friend used her as attorney consultant and as she sat in on mediation, she became interested and quit litigation to start mediation. She has seven children and learned a great deal from them. Now she writes and continues to freelance as a reporter and contributing writer for the Fullerton Observer.  Notable Links:Website: https://www.judithkaluzny.com/?fbclid=IwAR0MVchpfq9uQg39Fz5zp0XZ5IVWzLXMkGMqZVNUOzEvHV1dbfPwpV-HxFwBook: https://marriagelicensetest.com/Movie Mentioned: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0138524/  

Welcome back to Powerhouse Lawyers with Erin Gerner! Intro [0:00] Are you playing small? [00:26] You showing up everyday trying not to be too loud or assertive, feeling like you have to apologize for being you, is you playing small, love. The secret sauce to putting a stop to that not-so empowering behavior? Community. May Retreat [01:18] I hosted my very first retreat for women in law, last week. My main takeaway: none of us felt like we had to play small around each other. In fact, we spent most of that time lifting each other up in our individual super powers. There is MAGIC in creating a community with like-minded people. https://www.eringerner.com/re:treat-texas-hill-country  Playing Small [05:31] Life's every day tasks can trick us into believing that we are showing up as 100% our best selves. But, if you've ever thought that you were being too loud, or too smart, or too funny, or too assertive… guess what, babe? You too have been playing small. The Power of Community in the Law [09:25] There are more women out there that are looking to create community amongst themselves. When we create space for ourselves and others, we tap into: The career and life opportunities that not playing small presents Access to women that show you what is possible and how to dream a little bigger A badass group of women that are coming behind you to push you forward every step of the way Join the Powerhouse Lawyers community now!  https://www.eringerner.com/powerhouselawyers-podcast    Stay connected with Erin Gerner Website eringerner.com   LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/erin-gerner/  Facebook https://www.facebook.com/erin.w.gerner  Instagram https://www.instagram.com/eringerner/?hl=en  About Me Book a Discovery Call: Here  

This week we're replaying a classic episode where your hosts Steve and Yvonne interview Bibi Fell of Fell Law, PC (https://www.fellfirm.com/).   Remember to rate and review GTP in iTunes: Click Here to Rate and Review   View/Download Trial Documents   Case Details: California trial lawyer Bibi Fell, a founding partner at Fell Law, PC and a partner at Athea Trial Lawyers, shares how she successfully represented a breast cancer patient who fell victim to the beliefs and unconventional cancer treatment of a New York Times bestselling author masquerading as a licensed doctor. Plaintiff Dawn Kali was diagnosed with treatable Stage 1 breast cancer and rejected traditional treatment options in favor of the "Father of the Alkaline Diet" Robert O. Young's "pH Miracle" approach, which focused on making the body less acidic and more alkaline. This process involved costly extended stays at Young's Rancho del Sol in Valley Center, California and expensive intravenous treatments that consisted of little more than baking soda. Unable to pay, Dawn worked for Young in exchange for treatments that were ultimately ineffective. After much time had passed, Dawn went to an oncologist and was diagnosed with terminal Stage 4 cancer that had spread to her spine and femur. At trial, Bibi Fell demonstrated that Young's "pH Miracle" treatment was neither scientifically nor medically sound. In spite of the defense's claims that Dawn was aware that Young was not a licensed medical doctor and that she was not prevented from seeking conventional medical treatment, a San Diego jury found in favor of Dawn for her claims against Young of intentional misrepresentation, negligent misrepresentation, false promise and negligence. In October 2018, the jury awarded Dawn a $105,356,000 verdict, including $15 million in punitive damages. Guest Bio: Bibi Fell Bibi represents plaintiffs who suffered catastrophic injuries or the death of a loved one. She is the Founding Partner of Fell Law, PC, in San Diego, California and is a Partner at Athea Trial Lawyers, a nationwide plaintiff's firm comprised of six prominent female trial lawyers. Bibi is one of the few women attorneys to have received a verdict over $100,000,000.00 as lead trial counsel. Bibi is a National Board Member for the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA). Membership is extended by invitation only to lawyers who have demonstrated extensive trial experience, civility and professionalism. In 2018, Bibi was one of three finalists for Consumer Attorneys of California's “Consumer Advocate of the Year,” Consumer Attorneys of San Diego's “Trial Lawyer of the Year” award and received the “Outstanding Trial Lawyer” award and “Outstanding Advocate” award from Consumer Attorneys of San Diego. In 2020, she received the “Trial Lawyer of the Year” award from Pepperdine Law School. Bibi has also been selected to be a member of Lawdragon 500, The National Trial Lawyers: Top 100 Trial Lawyers, the Daily Journal's Top 100 Women Lawyers, and has been selected as a Top 50 San Diego Superlawyer and Top 25 Women Superlawyer. Bibi gives back by teaching Advanced Trial Advocacy at the USD Law, serving as the program director for the National Institute for Trial Advocacy's Pacific Deposition Skills program, and teaching trial skills through NITA around the country and internationally. Bibi devotes her time to serve as a “Parent Partner” to parents of children newly diagnosed with Hepatoblastoma, a malignant liver tumor found in young children. Read Full Bio   Show Sponsors: Legal Technology Services - LegalTechService.com Digital Law Marketing - DigitalLawMarketing.com Harris Lowry Manton LLP - hlmlawfirm.com   Free Resources: Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 1 Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 2

Welcome to Legally Bliss Conversations, where we bring together a panel of successful women lawyers to discuss important topics and help you thrive in your legal career!In today's episode, we dive into the world of failure and explore how it can become a source of growth, resilience, and self-confidence. Join host Suzi Hixon, and guest panelists Amanda Stark, Sarah Ovando, and Claire Parsons as they share their personal experiences, lessons learned, and practical tips on embracing failure and coming out stronger on the other side. In this inspiring conversation, we'll discuss: The importance of resilience and vulnerability when facing failure The role of mindset in overcoming setbacks and challenges Strategies for moving forward and learning from past mistakes The power of self-compassion and support within the legal community Don't miss this empowering and insightful discussion that aims to inspire and support women lawyers in their journey toward becoming fierce advocates for themselves and others. Hosted by Suzi Hixon, IP Attorney, Founder of Legally Blissed and Advogence™️ To learn more self-confidence skills to be a better advocate for others and yourself, subscribe to #BlissNotes at https://legallyblissed.com/ Sara Ovando is a Partner at Ovando Bowen LLP and co-founder of cruelty-free beauty boutique Indy and Ari. She emphasizes that accidents and failures are a part of life, and it's important to accept them. She suggests asking "What's the worst that can happen?" to help navigate failure. Find Sara: https://www.ovandobowen.com/ Claire E. Parsons is an mployment, municipal, and litigation attorney, mindfulness and compassion teacher, and author. She acknowledges that failure is a reality and can have negative consequences. She points out that failure is perceived differently for women and men, and women need to give themselves permission to fail. Find Claire: https://brilliantlegalmind.com/ Author of How to be a Badass Lawyer: https://www.amazon.com/How-Badass-Law... and Mommy Needs a Minute:

lovethylawyer.comA transcript of this podcast is available at lovethylawyer.com.Renee Rosshttps://www.rossfamilylaw.com/attorneys/Renée Ross is a Fellow in the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and International Academy of Family Lawyers. She is also a Certified Family Law Specialist. Renee has been recognized as a “Super Lawyer” every year since 2014 and has received annual recognition as one of the Top 50 Women Lawyers in Northern California. Renee has practiced family law exclusively since 2005, including in Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco, Santa Clara, Napa, and Marin counties. She is experienced in all types of family law, including divorce, custody, spousal and child support, paternity, domestic partnership dissolution, and high-asset, complex property division.   . Please subscribe and listen. Then tell us who you want to hear and what areas of interest you'd like us to cover. Louis Goodman www.louisgoodman.comhttps://www.lovethylawyer.com/510.582.9090Music: Joel Katz, Seaside Recording, MauiTech: Bryan Matheson, Skyline Studios, OaklandAudiograms: Paul Roberts louis@lovethylawyer.com