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What if you can’t separate the lawyer from their identity?

This compilation features attorneys whose practices aren't just what they do—they're who they are. They didn't choose their niches through market analysis or strategic planning. Their practices chose them.

The pattern is clear: authenticity creates the most sustainable practices. The conscientious orthopedic surgeon becomes a conscientious personal injury lawyer. The geneticist who brings science to law and law to science. The proud son of Polish World War II refugees who helped shape Poland's commercial law framework.

The stories of these and eight other Sticky Lawyers prove that the most fulfilling legal careers emerge when lawyers bring their whole selves to their work—their backgrounds, their struggles, their victories, their identities.

In this special compilation, host John Reed looks back at guests who show that for some Sticky Lawyers, you can’t separate the person from the practice.

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What separates lawyers who wait for opportunities from those who create them?

Architects and builders don’t just succeed in their practices—they invent them. They see gaps in the legal landscape and fill them with innovation, creativity, and determination.

These are lawyers who treated their practices as laboratories, testing business models before scaling them. They created infrastructure for career paths that didn't exist, transforming fringe concepts into recognized professions. They designed self-sustaining programs and constructed technological platforms to solve systemic problems.

In this special compilation episode, Sticky Lawyers host John Reed looks back at guests who have rethought the practice of law, the solutions they offer, and ways to meet clients and their needs where they are.

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Many great attorneys are hyper-focused on the law they practice. But other remarkable lawyers enhance their practice skills with disciplines outside the law. We call them multidimensionalists.

Ultra-endurance racing. Stand-up comedy. Ballet and music. Emergency medical response. Even clown performance. More than hobbies or creative outlets, these parallel pursuits can be every bit as demanding—and rewarding—as a legal career.

This special episode looks back at Sticky Lawyers who refuse to let the profession consume them entirely. No armchair quarterbacks or weekend warriors here; just eleven attorneys who prove that expansion—not reduction—is the path to both professional excellence and personal fulfillment.

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What drives a lawyer to fight legal battles that others won't, to challenge an unacceptable status quo, or course-correct alarming trends? They may not be lucrative or glamorous causes. So why do it?

Because it's the right thing to do.

This special compilation episode celebrates the crusaders—Sticky Lawyers who aren't practicing law for a paycheck. A greater mission drives them. These are lawyers who looked at injustices and troubling circumstances around them and said, "This is wrong, and I'm going to try and fix it."

Listen in to hear from eleven crusaders fighting for civil rights, environmental protection, the rights of sexual assault survivors, election integrity, animal rights, indigenous sovereignty, rural access to justice, and more. Their individual efforts create transformation on a much larger scale. The work may never be done, and the rewards are a series of small wins on the way to lasting change.

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What makes a lawyer irreplaceable?

It's not credentials or years of experience. It's not how much money you make or the size of your firm. What makes you irreplaceable is being the answer to a specific question. When someone has a particular legal problem, there's only one name they think of.

Yours.

In this special compilation episode, John Reed celebrates the niche pioneers—Sticky Lawyers who saw unserved markets or entirely new legal questions and said, "I'm gonna own this." We’ll hear from lawyers who blazed trails for themselves and others in bicycle law, exploration law, paranormal law, and international war crimes. We’ll get insights from attorneys who counsel space companies, craft brewers, video game developers, outdoor recreation businesses, Amazon resellers, and graphic novelists

These lawyers established a vision for their practice and then went to extraordinary lengths to make it happen.

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Just in time for Thanksgiving, meet Charles "Chuck" Tatelbaum, an octogenarian attorney who has built an extraordinary 59-year legal career by recognizing opportunities and going all in.

When Congress enacted the new Bankruptcy Code in 1978, Chuck was ready to take the new laws and rules and run with them. When the chance arose to help post-communist countries draft their first-ever business laws, he got on a plane. And when he sees ways to give back—to the profession, to his South Florida neighbors, and at a certain parade this time of year in New York City—he steps up.

Listen in as Chuck talks about his remarkable legal career, misconceptions about bankruptcy law, notable cases, outreach efforts that took him abroad, and his commitment to pro bono work, public television, and the local immigrant community. It's not all serious, though; there's time for some clowning around, too.

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What drives someone to dedicate their entire legal career to fighting for the little guy? For Karla Gilbride, it began early—a fierce intolerance for injustice, amplified by her own lived experience as a blind person in a world that often told her, "No, you can't."

A path that started with mock trial competitions in high school led her to public interest advocacy at Public Justice and an unforgettable day when Karla stood before the justices of the U.S. Supreme Court and literally changed minds. A year later, after a presidential appointment and a Senate confirmation, she took on the role of General Counsel at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Now the deputy director of Litigation at Public Citizen, she continues her mission of standing up to power imbalances and helping underdogs speak their truth.

Listen as Karla shares stories about how her lived experience informs her perspective, preparing for a Supreme Court argument, navigating a Senate hearing, and why representing migrant farm workers in a California courtroom ranks among her personally meaningful professional achievements.

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In this bonus series, we’re catching up with previous guests to hear what makes them “Still Sticky.”

We first met Chris Jennison a couple of dozen episodes ago when he told the story of his position as a government attorney with the Federal Aviation Administration, his role as an American Bar Association officer, and his side gig as a volunteer emergency medical technician with the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Rescue Squad. This man packs a lot into 24 hours.

But unfortunately, Chris has had some extra time on his hands. As a federal employee, he has been furloughed since the latest government shutdown began on October 1, 2025.

In a conversation with host John Reed on October 23, 2025, Chris shared his experience and frustrations as a furloughed government employee. He explained how the deferred resignation program (DRP) has decreased his department’s attorneys by half and doubled the work of those remaining. He also offered insights into how this reduced workforce may affect case handling and adjudication.

If you’re expecting a political rant, you’ll be pleasantly disappointed. It’s just a Sticky Lawyer on the front lines in a new era of government discussing the current state of affairs.