Nicknamed “Sledgehammer Shannon,” this Boston lawyer says she doesn’t just take on cases, she takes on industries. That includes negotiating a $100 million settlement with Uber.
Shannon Liss-Riordan is still representing plaintiffs in labor law class actions and arbitrations, and she’s still Boston-based, working with the firm she co-founded, Lichten & Liss-Riordan. She also continues to bring headline-grabbing cases. Among the many boldface names on the receiving end of her pleadings since 2016: Amazon, Elon Musk, Marriott and Michael Bloomberg.“Not much has changed,” she says. “I enjoy going up against the biggest companies in the country and helping level the playing field for working people.” But she has enjoyed trying some new things. Now that her children are grown and flown, she and her husband “have spread our wings and spend more time in other places.” She even gave politics a go, running for a Massachusetts U.S. Senate seat and state attorney general. “But I found that I am most suited for the courtroom,” she says.
This in-house counsel challenged herself to write a book by her birthday, which led to a second career as a best-selling novelist.
Today, Julie Lawson Timmer is neither an in-house counsel nor a novelist. After four “exhilarating but exhausting” years as a chief legal officer for a public safety organization in Michigan, she left the snow and stress, retiring to California at age 56. She and her husband, who also retired, play tennis and enjoy hiking the trails surrounding their desert home. But it’s not all fun in the sun—they’re also dedicated volunteers. “We spent a lot of time trying out various volunteer roles and discerning which create the most overlap of our specific impact-making goals, our skills and experience, and our individual passions,” she says. Timmer teaches writing, works with her local library and last year handled a pro bono asylum case on behalf of a young Afghan woman, an experience she describes as “the most important thing I will ever do with my law degree.” This spring, Timmer’s daughter and her husband are expecting their first child, meaning Timmer will soon take on another important role: grandmother.
This Yurok Tribal Court chief judge has devoted her legal career to restorative justice.
As Chief Judge Abby Abinanti closes in on 80 years old, she admits working 10-hour days isn’t as easy as it used to be, especially as she’s recovering from a recent illness. But Abinanti, who still presides over the Yurok Tribal Court, remains as active and engaged in restorative justice as ever. “It is disheartening to see what the invaders are doing in our homeland. The ancestors must be cringing yet again. The amount of unkindness, taking from others and outright lying is unnerving,” she says. Lately, she says, she’s been shifting her focus from Native American communities to non-Native partners and allies. “The entire family must be considered and cared for and about—it is a lesson that they have not been taught,” she says. “They do not have a grounding in reciprocal responsibilities to all things and places, so I know more than ever we must help them understand and live with honor.”
This singer and criminal defense lawyer used her voice for legal reform.
When prosecutor-turned-criminal-defense-solo Danielle Ponder appeared in the 10 Questions column, she was already a star on the rise. That ascent has only continued. “Since I was profiled, I’ve toured Europe and America and opened up for really amazing artists like Marcus Mumford and the Black Pumas,” says Ponder, who is now a full-time musician. Next up in 2026: Her second studio album is dropping soon. Ponder says she often thinks back to her 10Q profile for a very specific reason. Around the time of its publication, she explains, her father was in court, and the judge noticed his last name and told him that he had just read a story about his daughter in the ABA Journal. Her father was so excited that he called and left a voicemail detailing the encounter. “My father has dementia now and barely speaks, but that voicemail I will always cherish,” she says.
Comedian and Oregon lawyer stood up against sexual harassment.
Mitra Shahri is still using laughter and storytelling to ease the pressure and stress of law practice, but these days, she’s shifted from standup to scholarship. She is now developing legal education materials for bar exam preparation and a first-year law school curriculum that teaches core legal concepts using humor, story and music. “Looking back, I went from a scared, insecure first-year law student to a confident, outcome-driven lawyer, and that journey now feels personal again because I am channeling it into being of service to students who feel the way I once did,” she says of the project. “This season of life has brought more joy, more laughter, and a genuine excitement to wake up each day with something meaningful to build,” she says. “I feel happier, more alive, and more hopeful than ever.”
Single mother of five overcame a lifetime of obstacles to become a lawyer.
Ieshia Champs’ personal story was always going to resonate with readers. But after her 10 Questions profile, she says she was “flooded with messages of encouragement and support, along with powerful testimonies from people who said my story motivated them.” She even received job offers. “It’s been incredibly humbling and rewarding to see how far the impact has reached,” Champs says. Since then, Champs has served as a civil child welfare prosecutor, and she ran unsuccessfully to be a district juvenile judge (she plans to run again in the future). Most recently, she has launched her own practice, Champs Law Firm, which focuses on family law and child protective services defense. She’s also a frequent speaker for nonprofits, giving her the opportunity to “educate, inspire and advocate for families and communities in a broader capacity.”
A nurse/ lawyer took his health care skills to New York City during the COVID-19 pandemic, and he is now getting his license in a third discipline.
Since sharing his story, nurse-turned-lawyer Jim Mullen describes his life as a “whirlwind,” but “one I would not trade for anything.” The Dallas-area lawyer received honors from the Texas Trial Lawyers Association and the Dallas Trial Lawyers Association in recognition of his volunteer work as a nurse in New York City during the COVID-19 pandemic, and he and his wife also welcomed another daughter. In May of last year, he joined with two law school friends to establish the personal injury and criminal defense firm Garcia, Garcia & Mullen. Mullen now focuses primarily on catastrophic commercial vehicle injuries, and to better represent his clients, he recently enrolled in commercial truck driving school to earn his Class A license. “This training, along with my trauma nursing background, will provide our clients with a unique skill set and real-world experience that they are unlikely to find elsewhere,” he says.
After almost a decade in the MMA industry and being the NASCAR general counsel, this lawyer founded her own business.
After achieving myriad accomplishments with NASCAR, Tracey Lesetar-Smith left the league—and the law—to found TLSK Advisory. The company focuses on a range of sports with an emphasis on women. As CEO, Lesetar-Smith specializes in the management and operations of leagues, associations, commissions and more. But first, she and her husband took their two young children on what she describes as “the adventure of a lifetime.” They spent 2022 traveling the world, logging 42,475 miles across three continents. “It was transformative for the whole family and allowed me to start investing more time, work and personal resources into the international women’s sports space, [including] women’s soccer, basketball, sports broadcasting and combat sports,” she says. Lesetar-Smith also has become an ABA columnist, regularly offering real-world advice via “Survival Guide, Esq.”
One of the first lawyers to blow up on TikTok, this former Morrison Foerster associate now has a litigation boutique.
“Where to start? A ton has changed!” Cece Xie says. Since discussing her viral TikTok posts about being a BigLaw associate with 10Q, she
has scored a book deal, resigned from her associate position in Morrison Foerster’s Manhattan office, partnered with a former colleague to start an arts and entertainment boutique firm called Studio Legal, written a manuscript, separated from her publisher, gotten married despite her skepticism of the institution, and she is working on selling her book (again). Now she’s trying to figure out what a fulfilling professional life would look like. “I spend a lot of time thinking about how to balance my creative ambitions against capitalistic pragmatism,” she says. “I haven’t given up on the book yet but have accepted that my professional life will look much different than the straightforward path I’d originally envisioned.”
This New York City lawyer turned his sneaker obsession into a practice niche.
Since co-writing Sneaker Law, an expansive and accessible manual demystifying the sneaker business, in 2020, Kenneth Anand has seen the text used at schools ranging from Harvard Law School to Parsons School of Design. In September 2024, the second edition dropped, an occasion marked by an epic launch party where sneaker-loving lawyers mixed with celebrities, including rapper Kid Cudi. Sneaker Law V2 is twice the size and boasts more than 1,000 images.
In addition to working on the new edition, Anand recently helped launch the Creative Legal Alliance along with Jayaram Law, where he is director of client relations. Anand describes the venture as “a pro bono accelerator initiative that provides high-level legal and business support to established artists and designers who might not otherwise have access.”
Jenny B. Davis is a journalism professor at Southern Methodist University, a fashion stylist and a former practicing attorney. Her most recent book is Style Wise, a guide for aspiring fashion stylists.
Photos by David Fonda; Myra Klarman; courtesy of Abby Abinanti, Kern/Getty Images for ~Pourri; courtesy of Mitra Shahri; Ieshia Champs; Jim Mullen; courtesy of Jenny B. Davis; Tracey Lesetar-Smith; Morrison & Foerster; Elena Mudd; Kenneth Anand.
