What does it take to lead in law when the world is changing fast? Attorney General Hanaway and WashU Law Dean Stephanie Lindquist trace their paths from rural beginnings to senior leadership and explore how service, humility, and resilience translate at scale. They dig into AI’s impact on legal work—where it can drive efficiency and access, where it introduces new risks, and why governance, accountability, and human judgment matter more than ever. The conversation also tackles mentorship, navigating criticism, and taking strategic risks to grow as a legal professional—while strengthening institutions and preparing the next generation for an AI-shaped legal landscape.

Key Takeaways:

• Small-town “do what needs doing” experience builds adaptable leaders

• AI can accelerate legal work—but needs governance, verification, and safeguards

• Criticism is inevitable; leaders need filters, discipline, and trusted truth-tellers

• Mentorship compounds careers, and calculated risks create momentum

• The future belongs to professionals who pair tech fluency with humanity

Family court can be difficult for anyone—but LGBTQ+ parents and children often face extra legal friction because of parentage gaps, interstate complications, and bias hiding inside “best interests” discretion. In this episode, we break down the foundations that matter most: how parentage is established (and strengthened), why court orders travel better than paperwork, how custody decisions can go sideways when identity becomes the issue, and what a social justice lens looks like in real courtroom practice. You’ll also hear practical strategies for building a court-ready “go binder,” using child-centered language, documenting patterns without escalation, and advocating for respectful treatment of LGBTQ+ families—whether you’re a parent, attorney, mediator, GAL, judge, or community leader.

FERPA (the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) is the federal law that governs access to student education records and when schools can share student information. In this episode, we break FERPA down into a practical, step-by-step playbook: what counts as an education record, who has rights (parents vs. eligible students), how to request the full file, how to ask for the disclosure log, when consent is required, and the most common exceptions schools use (school officials, transfers, subpoenas, emergencies, and more).

You’ll also learn the difference between education records and exclusions like sole-possession notes and law enforcement unit records, how directory information opt-outs work, and how to document and escalate if a school delays or denies access.

Educational only—this is not legal advice.