This episode is sponsored by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠CONTENDER ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, The premier agency helping lawyers go from invisible to impossible to ignore on LinkedIn. Learn more at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://contenderllc.com/work-with-us⁠

John Clark is the Director of Strategic Initiatives at ETS, the organization behind the TOEFL and GRE. John started his professional journey as a lawyer before pivoting into international education, where he’s spent over a decade working at the intersection of admissions, assessment, student mobility, and global strategy. At ETS, he leads key initiatives to modernize English language testing for over 13,000 institutions worldwide. From AI-driven updates to score scale reforms, John is helping reshape how language proficiency is measured and how students prepare to study and work abroad. He’s especially passionate about equity and access, and how assessments can better reflect the realities of learners from all backgrounds — including those from the Global South. In this episode, we talk about his legal background, how the TOEFL is evolving, and what international students should know when choosing a language test and applying to law school abroad.

💡 Special Perk for Listeners: Use promo code WORLDLAW25 to get 7% off the TOEFL iBT, whether at a test center or through the Home Edition. Valid until September 30, 2025.

This episode is sponsored by ⁠⁠⁠⁠CONTENDER ⁠⁠⁠⁠, The premier agency helping lawyers go from invisible to impossible to ignore on LinkedIn. Learn more at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://contenderllc.com/work-with-us

Hana Dhanji, JD, MBA, is a legal career strategist and the founder of The Law School Edge, a coaching platform that helps law students succeed in competitive recruitment processes in Canada, the U.S., and beyond. A former corporate lawyer at Sullivan & Cromwell in New York, Hana combines her experience in global legal markets with a passion for helping students build confidence, clarity, and practical skills for long-term success. Through personalized coaching, she supports students in navigating recruitment, developing their personal brand, and preparing for life in practice.

This episode is sponsored by ⁠⁠⁠CONTENDER ⁠⁠⁠, The premier agency helping lawyers go from invisible to impossible to ignore on LinkedIn. Learn more at: ⁠⁠⁠https://contenderllc.com/work-with-us

Brian H. Potts is a partner at Husch Blackwell and the founder of the Legal Mentor Network, a nonprofit connecting thousands of aspiring lawyers with mentors across North America. A nationally recognized energy and environmental lawyer, Brian is also a legal tech entrepreneur, author, and frequent speaker on LinkedIn strategy and mentorship. His viral rejection letter post inspired the launch of one of the largest mentorship initiatives in the legal field. He is the inventor of the LegalBoard and has founded multiple startups, all rooted in helping others advance in their careers.

This episode is sponsored by ⁠⁠CONTENDER ⁠⁠, The premier agency helping lawyers go from invisible to impossible to ignore on LinkedIn. Learn more at: ⁠⁠https://contenderllc.com/work-with-us

Spencer May is a J.D. candidate at the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law, where he is currently entering his final year. He is a Dean’s List recipient, Dean’s Achievement Scholar, and a member of the Arizona Journal of Emerging Technology's Articles Committee.

Spencer brings a strong foundation in contracts, real estate, and business law. He currently serves as a Legal Intern on the Corporate Contracts and Risk Management team at Meritage Homes, where he drafts subcontractor agreements, acquisition documents, and conducts multi-jurisdictional legal research on lien and repair laws. He has also completed a legal internship at LifePlan Legal AZ, supporting estate planning work in a small-firm setting.

Prior to law school, Spencer gained practical business experience at ADP in client services and district management. His legal interests include transactional law, real estate, and supporting entrepreneurs through contract strategy and risk analysis.

Outside the classroom, Spencer is widely known for helping law students grow their presence on LinkedIn. He’s created a free guide on how to get started on the platform and regularly shares advice on networking, outreach, and building early professional relationships. His work blends a strategic approach to legal career-building with a strong focus on authenticity and community.

This episode is sponsored by ⁠CONTENDER ⁠, The premier agency helping lawyers go from invisible to impossible to ignore on LinkedIn. Learn more at: ⁠https://contenderllc.com/work-with-us

Fernando Garcia has over 15 years of experience as a General Counsel. His practice has included providing strategic and legal advice on Canada-wide and international operations, labour relations and employment law and all general legal matters. He holds an MIR from the University of Toronto and LLB/BCL from McGill and recently completed an MBA at Wilfrid Laurier University.

This episode is sponsored by CONTENDER , The premier agency helping lawyers go from invisible to impossible to ignore on LinkedIn. Learn more at: https://contenderllc.com/work-with-us

In this episode of Studying Law Around the World, Claudio Klaus talks with Jonah Perlin, a professor at Georgetown Law, former litigator, judicial clerk, and host of the How I Lawyer podcast. Jonah shares what led him to study law, how he moved from practice to teaching, and what keeps him motivated. He also reflects on building a meaningful legal career, lessons from speaking with over 150 lawyers, and the value of staying curious and making real connections. You’ll also hear about his newsletter Stand Out, Summer Associate! and why he finds so much joy in teaching future lawyers.

Bio:

Professor Jonah E. Perlin is an Associate Professor of Law, Legal Practice at Georgetown Law where he teaches first-year legal practice and advanced legal writing courses. His scholarship focuses on the intersection of legal ethics, the technology of law, legal communication, legal education, and the practice of law. His scholarship has appeared or is forthcoming in the Washington Law Review, the Yale Journal of Law & Technology, Legal Communication & Rhetoric, and the Georgetown Law Journal (student note). His article “Client Confidentiality as Data Security” which studies the lawyer’s duty of confidentiality in the digital age was the runner-up for the 2024 International Association of Legal Ethics’s Deborah Rhode Prize for the best legal ethics paper by an early career scholar. His article “Making Your (Power)Point” which studies how lawyers can better use and create digital presentations was selected for inclusion in volume 12 of the Legal Writing Institute’s Monograph Series and was featured both in the Virginia Lawyer and the Washington State Bar News.

In addition to his scholarly work, Jonah is the creator and host of the How I Lawyer Podcast where he interviews lawyers from across the profession about what lawyers do, why they do it, and how they do it well. The Podcast which has been downloaded more than 250,000 times has been ranked in the Top 25 for Careers on iTunes. Jonah is also a regular guest on podcasts about the legal profession and has spoken about legal careers and succeeding in the legal profession at law schools and law firms across the country. For his contributions to the legal profession, Jonah was honored in the 2024 vLex Fastcase 50.

At Georgetown Law, Jonah is a Senior Fellow at the Center for Ethics and the Legal Profession and the Coordinator of the Center’s Program on Technology, Ethics, and the Legal Profession. He also served as the Faculty Advisor to The Georgetown Law Journal from 2021-2024. Outside the law school, Jonah has served as the Chair of the PR and Social Media Committee of the Legal Writing Institute and as an Editor of the Legal Writing Institute’s Monograph Series. He is also a Founding Board Member of the Legal Mentor Network, a 501(c)(3) dedicated to providing legal mentorship for free and at scale.

Before joining the faculty in 2018, Jonah worked for several years as a litigator at Williams & Connolly LLP where he specialized in complex civil litigation in the United States and abroad. He also taught advanced legal writing as an adjunct professor at the Law Center. Early in his career, he clerked for then-Chief Judge Robert Katzmann on the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and Judge Ellen Segal Huvelle on the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.

Jonah is a proud Georgetown Law alumnus. He earned his J.D. magna cum laude in 2012 from the Law Center where he was an Articles Editor for The Georgetown Law Journal and a law fellow in the Legal Research and Writing Program. Before law school, Jonah received his A.B. magna cum laude from Princeton University and his A.M. in Religious Studies from the University of Chicago Divinity School.

Sandra Shime is the Director of Dispute Resolution Services. Sandra has extensive experience in dispute resolution, adjudication, and management in both the private and public sectors. Most recently she served for 13 years as a Vice Chair and the Alternate Chair at the Workplace Safety & Insurance Appeals Tribunal (WSIAT). Sandra adjudicated and mediated cases at the WSIAT and also worked on policy and training initiatives. Sandra has broad expertise in administrative law and mediation and has worked throughout the province with major unions and employers. Her prior roles included working as a litigation lawyer at a national law firm in NYC, as an Assistant District Attorney, and as Director of Pro Bono Programs at the Women's Bar Foundation in Massachusetts. In her volunteer work, Sandra has served as part of the executive team for Women in Leadership Foundation where she has led diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and worked on leadership initiatives in the areas of business, law and technology. She was selected as Co-Chair for the 2022-2023 year. Sandra also volunteers as a mentor with high school students for Achev, a non-profit in Ontario, and has worked as a mentor for law students at Justice for Children and Youth and at the Lincoln Alexander School of Law. Sandra has worked as a lecturer and speaker at the Society of Ontario Adjudicators and Regulators and at the Ontario Bar Association. Sandra is a certified mediator in New York, Massachusetts and Ontario. She is currently a member in good standing at the Law Society of Upper Canada and has been admitted to the bar in Massachusetts, Ontario and New York. Sandra was nominated for the 2021/2022 YWCA Women of Distinction Award and she was recently nominated in July 2022 for the Ministry for Women and Gender Equality and Youth Governor-General Award for her work with first generation students and on gender equality in the law.In this episode, Sandra Shime, Director of Dispute Resolution Services in Ontario, explores how legal professionals can bridge the gap between theory and practice. She shares insights on labour law, public service, career transitions, and why listening is a lawyer’s most underrated skill.

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Claudio Martellacci brings a unique mix of financial expertise, legal insight, and practical experience to his role as a Partner in Valuations and Litigation Support. A Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA), Chartered Accountant (CA), and Chartered Business Valuator (CBV), Claudio has spent his career helping clients navigate complex financial matters with clarity and purpose.

Before focusing on business valuation, Claudio specialized in assurance and tax compliance for a wide range of clients, including not-for-profits and public sector organizations. Today, he applies his valuation skills to support estate planning, corporate reorganizations, shareholder disputes, and litigation involving economic loss and family law matters.

What sets Claudio apart is his genuine passion for assigning value in ways that make a real difference in people’s lives. Whether he’s preparing expert calculations for court or helping clients plan for the future, he combines technical skill with a people-first mindset.

Claudio is a proud Toronto native and loyal fan of the city’s sports teams. When he's not working, you might find him playing sports, spending time with his family, or strumming his guitar.