Not just a favorite pen. There are preferred point sizes. 0.5 is good. 0.38 has its place. And gel ink is, apparently, “correct.”

She keeps identical pen and pencil kits in different bags, uses color-coded sticky notes, still has a legit Rolodex, and maintains a home reference binder of trusted service providers (which we have already taken advantage of!). Give Chelsea enough information and she will organize it, map it, and figure out how it all connects.

Before Chelsea was a lawyer, she was an artist. A senior thesis sent her deep into the SMU law library, where an advisor suggested she consider becoming an art lawyer. Chelsea went to law school planning to do exactly that. Then, just as she became eligible for the art law classes, the professor went on a two-year sabbatical.

What followed was a career Chelsea describes as extraordinarily circuitous, eventually leading her to financial litigation and what she calls “litigation mitigation,” work she loves but never imagined when she started law school.

The path may have changed, but Chelsea never stopped looking at the world like an artist: noticing details, seeing patterns, and figuring out how seemingly unrelated pieces fit together.

So when she started hearing origin stories about different groups of women lawyers in Dallas and realized many were unfolding along the same timeline, her brain did what her brain does.

Hmm. Let’s deep dive.

Chelsea started researching and mapping the connections, trying to understand not only who these women were, but how their stories intersected. That curiosity eventually collided with Kandace Walter.

The two began talking about how to preserve these stories and make sure younger lawyers knew the women who had come before them. Then Kandace said, “It should be a documentary.”

Chelsea spent about five minutes trying to come up with a reason they shouldn’t do it. Then, as she puts it, “all the other tabs were closed.”

“Okay, well, let’s do a documentary.”

Nine months later, Chelsea and Kandace, working with filmmaker Alex Garcia Topete and associate producer Mackenzie Freeman, had researched, written, shot, edited, and finalized A Law Unto Themselves, preserving 70 years of stories about women lawyers in Dallas and the community they built together.

And maybe that’s what makes the whole thing feel so very Chelsea. The artist is still there. You can see it in the way she visualizes information, maps timelines, spots patterns, and builds a story from seemingly unrelated pieces.

Maybe that’s the finer point of Chelsea’s story: the path changed, but the way she sees the world never really did.

***Bonus: Chelsea curated her own Amazon supply list that you, too can own the “correct” pen: https://a.co/d/06V7LaRS

Listen now:

Find Chelsea at linkedin.com/in/chelsea-hilliard-5954815

Coming soon to a browser near you: A Law Unto Themselves – check https://dallaswomenlawyers.org/ for updates.

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Explicit Rating is for the occasional use of colorful language.

Kandace Walter did not grow up dreaming of becoming a lawyer. She was a painfully shy child who loved math and science, went to college to study chemical engineering, then switched to chemistry and pre-med to become a forensic pathologist. When she realized how long medical school was going to take, she reconsidered. Law school was three years, she liked Law & Order, and she quickly pivoted in a completely different direction.

It wasn’t the last time Kandace changed her mind. Her first jobs as a prosecutor quickly taught her that practicing criminal law was decidedly not how it was portrayed on TV. Eventually, after enough courtroom experiences left her questioning her life choices, Kandace decided prosecution was, in her words, “not my ministry.” She took her science background, passed the patent bar, reinvented herself as an intellectual property lawyer, and found work she loved helping entrepreneurs and creatives protect what they were building. Today, she owns her own firm, teaches at SMU Dedman School of Law's Small Business and Trademark Clinic, and reminds her students of something her own career demonstrates pretty well: you don't have to have it all figured out, and you can change your mind.

That willingness to follow an unexpected path may also explain how Kandace found herself doing something else she never planned on: making a documentary.

The idea for A Law Unto Themselves began with a simple observation between friends about the importance of preserving the history of women attorneys who helped shape the Dallas legal community and hear their stories. But the more women they identified and the more history they uncovered, the more obvious it became that a luncheon wasn't going to cut it. These women had broken barriers, fought for opportunities that didn't exist, and paved the way for generations behind them. Their stories deserved more than five minutes at a microphone.

So Kandace suggested they make a documentary.

“Do you know how?”
“No.”
“Do you?”
“No.”

And off they went.

In a matter of months, Kandace and Chelsea, working with filmmaker Alex Garcia Topete and associate producer Mackenzie Freeman, brought those stories to the screen. What emerged was an award-winning documentary preserving 70 years of history and raising a question that reaches well beyond the film: Who paved the way for us, and what battles are ours to fight for the people coming next? Kandace shares what it meant to hear these women's stories firsthand, why preserving them matters, and how the experience sparked a new interest in documenting history. As one of the women featured in the film reminded her, “no battle stays won.”

Of course, this is still Counsel Brew, so we also cover Kandace's coffee-protein-shake concoction (delish!), several years of saying yes followed by her attempted slow fade into saying no, backseat driving commentary from her six-year-old, and a $3 pink glitter blazer. Somewhere in between, Kandace gives us a funny, candid, and inspiring look at what can happen when you're willing to pivot, keep showing up, help the people coming behind you, and occasionally say yes to something you have absolutely no idea how to do.

Listen now:

Find Kandace at https://www.linkedin.com/in/kandacewalter/

Coming soon to a browser near you: A Law Unto Themselves – check https://dallaswomenlawyers.org/ for updates.

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Explicit Rating is for the occasional use of colorful language.

Most swag when you attend a conference is okay - nothing new that you don’t expect. A new coffee mug, a tote bag, maybe a charger you’ll toss in your desk drawer and forget about. Useful? Sure. Unforgettable? Not usually. But when Mark Shoffner handed out The Companion at the Texas General Counsel Forum Annual Conference on behalf of his firm, he broke the mold. The gift was a hit, the laughs kept coming, and months later people were still talking about it and, frankly, hoping it makes a comeback at the next annual conference. So naturally, when Mark joined us on Counsel Brew, The Companion came with him. As Mark joked, he might never have made it onto the podcast without it.

The Companion isn't the only unforgettable part of Mark’s story, though. Long before he became an employment lawyer, he thought law school would be a stop on the way to a career in government. A knee injury during high school unexpectedly traded sports for the debate team, where Mark learned to argue both sides of an issue, think on his feet, and make a case when he didn't know what was coming next. It turns out that was pretty useful preparation for a career he never really planned to have. There was even a side bet among the first-year associates at his first firm that Mark would be the first to quit. Fast forward several years, and we feel comfortable saying somebody lost that bet.

Today, Mark has built a career around employment law, litigation, and solving problems that rarely arrive with simple answers. He talks about the competitive streak hiding beneath his calm exterior, why a new client or unusual set of facts can still give him a dopamine hit, and what he loves about finding an argument no one else has made.

And because some victories deserve their own place in the record, Mark spills the beans on representing his mother-in-law over a speeding ticket in University Park. When Mark requested a jury trial, things got interesting. Needless to say, the parties found their way to a resolution in chambers before a jury ever had to hear the case. For a lawyer who has handled multimillion-dollar disputes, Mark still considers it some of his finest work. Add in law school memories, raising three kids, recruiting lawyers, the changing legal profession, and one truly unforgettable conference giveaway, and we had plenty to catch up on with Mark.

In This Episode

• Why Mark originally saw a law degree as a path to government rather than private practice
• How an injury and an unexpected turn on the debate team helped prepare him for a career in law
• Why employment law gives Mark the mix of strategy, competition, counseling, and problem-solving he still enjoys
• Where Mark sees real value for lawyers as AI changes the profession, and why you should still read the case
• How a speeding ticket turned into one of Mark's most memorable legal victories
• The story of The Companion, the best conference gift ever!!

About Mark Shoffner

Mark Shoffner is a partner at Bell Nunnally, where his practice focuses on employment counseling and litigation and commercial litigation. He advises businesses and executives on employment disputes, restrictive covenants, trade secrets, wage-and-hour matters, discrimination claims, employment and severance agreements, and other workplace issues. Mark earned his J.D. from SMU Dedman School of Law in 2002 after graduating from Louisiana Tech University. He also served as a judicial law clerk to U.S. District Judge Robert G. James in the Western District of Louisiana.

Listen now:

Find Mark at https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-shoffner-a1442b6/

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Explicit Rating is for the occasional use of colorful language.

Most people would look at Joe Cox's ten-year running streak and see dedication. Joe sees something much simpler: a chance to clear his head, experience a city one step at a time, and occasionally get stopped by neighbors who are less concerned about Joe than they are about where his dogs are. Spend an hour with Joe, though, and you realize the running isn't really the story. It's simply one example of the quiet consistency that has shaped the way he practices law, teaches future lawyers, and approaches life.

In this episode of Counsel Brew, Joe reflects on a legal career built through preparation, curiosity, and showing up every day ready to learn. From private practice to serving on the bench and now teaching legal ethics at SMU, he shares why success has very little to do with the name on your business card and everything to do with being prepared, treating people well, and earning trust through your actions.

What makes Joe such an engaging guest isn't just his experience. It's the way he finds meaning in the everyday moments that most of us would overlook. Whether he's explaining why the best way to experience a city is on your own two feet, reflecting on the unexpected lessons that came from years in the courtroom, or sharing stories that somehow become life lessons before you realize it, Joe has a way of finding the interesting part of an otherwise ordinary moment. His reflections are thoughtful without being preachy, practical without being simplistic, and delivered with his understated sense of humor.

Of course, our conversation also takes a few memorable detours. Joe shares the story behind trading Dr Pepper for Coca-Cola after a trip to Venezuela, the lengths he'll go to preserve a running streak, and a Stupid Shit Segment involving a wedding, outstanding warrants, and one timeless piece of advice: if you're going to cite a case, make sure you've actually read it. Joe reminds us that the careers we admire most are built one intentional step at a time.

In This Episode

• What inspired Joe to run every day for more than ten years and what the habit has taught him
• Why the best way to experience a city is on your own two feet
• The value of preparation in building a legal career
• Lessons from serving as a trial lawyer, judge, and professor
• Why mentoring the next generation of lawyers remains one of the most rewarding parts of his career
• How travel, running, and curiosity have shaped his perspective on life

About Joe Cox

Joe Cox is a partner at Duane Morris LLP, where he represents clients in complex commercial litigation, trials, and appeals. A former judge of the 160th Judicial District Court in Dallas County, Joe also serves as an adjunct professor at SMU Dedman School of Law, where he teaches Professional Responsibility and Legal Ethics. A graduate of the University of Texas School of Law and the University of Notre Dame, Joe is known for his thoughtful advocacy, commitment to mentoring young lawyers, practical approach to the profession, and an understated sense of humor that shines throughout this conversation.

Find Joe at https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-cox-a6936a6/

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Explicit Rating is for the occasional use of colorful language.

A Misto isn't just Lauren Brogdon's go-to coffee order. It's part of a routine she intentionally keeps simple, saving her energy for the decisions that matter most during her day. That same philosophy carries into every aspect of her career, especially when the stakes are high, which, in Lauren's world, is often.

In this episode of Counsel Brew, Lauren shares how a piece of advice she received early in her career became one of the guiding principles she still lives by today: be a duck on a pond. Calm on the surface. Paddling like crazy underneath. Whether she's helping clients navigate a cybersecurity incident, responding to a crisis, or balancing a demanding legal career with raising two young daughters, Lauren explains that confidence isn't just about always having the right answer. It's about bringing calm when everyone around you needs it most.

Lauren found her place in the law when she discovered a passion for crisis management. It's not every lawyer who gets excited about helicopter underwater escape training and learning how to survive a simulated crash in the ocean, but Lauren isn't every lawyer. She shares why she genuinely loves helping clients through some of their hardest days and how preparation, empathy, and a steady hand have become the foundation of her approach.

From simplifying everyday decisions to trusting her instincts, Lauren has learned that the secret formula to her impactful leadership is her ability to remain calm. Something she chooses, practices, and brings to others when they need it most. And that's why we think she's such a badass.

In This Episode

• Why "duck on a pond" became Lauren's philosophy for leadership and crisis management
• Finding a legal career that combined problem-solving, technology, and people
• Helping clients navigate times of crisis and some of their most difficult days
• Why confidence comes from preparation, not perfection
• Eliminating unnecessary decisions, from her daily Misto to her travel routine
• Balancing a demanding legal career while raising two young daughters
• Helicopter underwater escape training and other unexpected lessons from crisis response
• A memorable Stupid Shit Segment you won't forget

About Lauren Brogdon

Lauren Brogdon is a partner at Haynes and Boone, LLP, where she advises clients on cybersecurity, privacy, incident response, and complex technology-related matters. She regularly helps organizations navigate data breaches, regulatory investigations, and other high-pressure situations where clear communication and thoughtful leadership are essential. Her practice combines deep technical knowledge with practical problem-solving, helping clients navigate moments when calm, trusted counsel matters most.

Listen now: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2364055/episodes/19679404

Find Lauren at https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-brogdon/

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Explicit Rating is for the occasional use of colorful language.

A flat white earned Dr. Rhonda Evans an immediate nod of approval from Nicola before becoming the perfect springboard for a conversation about Australia, curiosity, and the unexpected opportunities that can shape an entire career.

Rhonda didn't get her first passport until she was 28 years old. She had no idea that one long flight to Australia would change the course of her life. In this episode of Counsel Brew, she reflects on how growing up as a first-generation college student in rural Ohio eventually led her halfway around the world, proving that some of life's biggest opportunities begin with simply saying yes.

Rhonda also reflects on starting her career as a lawyer before realizing her true calling was in higher education. She shares stories about teaching at The University of Texas, creating a study abroad program centered on the Great Barrier Reef, and helping students build confidence by stepping outside their comfort zones. Woven throughout the conversation are thoughtful reflections on curiosity, lifelong learning, and why the best career advice doesn't always involve having a plan. Sometimes it's simply being willing to follow where your interests lead.

From Australian coffee culture and long-haul flights to an unforgettable "stupid shit" story about her time as a prosecutor handling paternity investigations, the conversation moves effortlessly between the lighthearted and the unexpected. What begins as a humorous look back at one of the more unusual chapters of Rhonda's early legal career ultimately reveals a pivotal turning point, helping her realize that while she appreciated the law, her true passion is political science, higher education, and helping students discover where their own curiosity might lead.

In This Episode

• Growing up as a first-generation college student in rural Ohio
• How one opportunity to study in Australia changed the course of her career
• Why she left the practice of law to pursue teaching and research
• Creating a study abroad program focused on the Great Barrier Reef
• Helping students build confidence through international experiences
• What makes Australia so fascinating, from its politics and conservation efforts to its unique culture
• How curiosity became the compass for an unexpected career
• Flat whites!!

About Dr. Rhonda Evans

Dr. Rhonda Evans is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Government at The University of Texas at Austin and Director of the Australia, New Zealand & Pacific Studies Initiative. A former attorney, her teaching and research focus on Australian politics, comparative political institutions, and environmental policy. She is also the creator of UT's Maymester program in Australia, where students explore public policy and conservation while studying the Great Barrier Reef. Her work has been recognized for excellence in teaching and for helping students engage with the world through experiential learning.

Listen now:

Find Rhonda at https://www.linkedin.com/in/rhonda-evans-305aa4105/

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Explicit Rating is for the occasional use of colorful language.

It's often the moments that don't seem remarkable at the time that change everything. For Leigha Simonton, those moments included a move across state lines, a mock trial competition, and a mother who never stopped believing in her.

In this episode of Counsel Brew, Leigha reflects on the experiences that shaped her long before she stepped into leadership. She shares what it was like growing up in a rural Louisiana community, moving to Dallas as a teenager, discovering mock trial, and learning that success comes from adapting, asking questions, and putting in the work. Along the way, she talks about the influence of her mother, a former NASA mathematician, the mentors who helped shape her career, and the unexpected way a mock trial competition introduced her to her future husband.

The conversation also explores building high-performing teams, mentoring younger lawyers, and why she hopes to see the legal profession place an even greater emphasis on developing its next generation of leaders. Mixed in with stories about appellate arguments, Secret Service training, and a favorite morning coffee ritual, the episode offers a thoughtful look at a career built through curiosity and a commitment to continuous learning.

In This Episode

• Growing up in rural Louisiana and adapting to life in Dallas
• How mock trial shaped both a legal career and a lifelong partnership
• The influence of mentors, family, and the people who opened doors
• Lessons from a career in public service, including time as U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas
• Building high-performing teams and investing in the next generation of lawyers
• Balancing a demanding legal career with family life
• Secret Service driving school, appellate advocacy, and a few memorable stories from the Department of Justice
• Why curiosity and lifelong learning continue to guide her career

About Leigha Simonton

Leigha Simonton is Co-Chair of Dykema's White Collar & Government Investigations Section. Before joining Dykema, she served as the Senate-confirmed U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas after an 18-year career as an Assistant U.S. Attorney. A graduate of Yale Law School, Leigha now represents clients in complex investigations, white collar matters, commercial litigation, and regulatory matters while leading one of the Southwest's premier teams of former Department of Justice attorneys.

Listen now:

Find Leigha at https://www.linkedin.com/in/leigha-simonton-506b3a6/

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Explicit Rating is for the occasional use of colorful language.

His perfect morning is surprisingly simple: a couple cups of black coffee, one decaf to round out the trio, and then it's off to tackle whatever impossible challenge lands on his desk. Somewhere between leading a national tax practice, advocating for thousands of Texas tenants, and occasionally grabbing a karaoke microphone, he's also managed to build one of the largest eviction advocacy organizations in the country.

This week on Counsel Brew, Nicola and Shereen sit down with attorney and published author Mark Melton, co-chair of Holland & Knight's Tax and Executive Compensation & Benefits Practice Group and founder of the Dallas Eviction Advocacy Center.

What starts as a conversation about coffee, karaoke, and whether fantasy novels belong on a lawyer's bookshelf quickly turns into one of the most powerful stories we've shared on the podcast.

Before becoming a nationally recognized attorney and housing advocate, Mark was a young husband and father who lost everything after his employer collapsed. He experienced eviction firsthand, packed his family into a car, and drove to Dallas with little more than hope for a fresh start. Years later, one Facebook post during the uncertainty of COVID-19 unexpectedly launched what has become one of the country's largest tenant advocacy organizations, helping thousands of families navigate one of the hardest moments of their lives.

Along the way, Mark shares why access to justice is about far more than knowing the law, how one mentor changed the trajectory of his life, and why he believes a single conversation—or a single Facebook post—can change everything.

Of course, because this is Counsel Brew, there are plenty of laughs mixed in with the deeper moments. From meeting his wife at karaoke and building his own office during the pandemic to debating bookshelf etiquette and admitting that work-life balance isn't exactly his strong suit, Mark proves that even people doing extraordinary work still appreciate a good cup of coffee and a great story.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Growing up in Tulsa and rebuilding life after losing everything.
• The mentor who changed the course of his future.
• Why he accidentally became both a CPA and tax attorney.
• Founding the Dallas Eviction Advocacy Center during the pandemic.
• The hidden ripple effects of housing instability on families and children.
• Expanding tenant advocacy efforts beyond Dallas into Houston.
• Writing his newly released book, Injustice of the Peace.

Whether you're a lawyer, law student, policymaker, or simply someone who believes in using your skills to help others, this episode is a powerful reminder that some of the biggest changes begin with a single push of a button.

Grab your favorite brew and join us for one of our most inspiring conversations yet.

Find Mark at https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-melton-144b225/

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Explicit Rating is for the occasional use of colorful language.