About Erin Gulden
Articles written by Erin Gulden
An Ocean of Experience
Nevada's Miranda Du knows the value of educationMiranda Du has never questioned her decision to become a lawyer—but her parents did. "They would have preferred I go to med school or get an engineering degree," says Du, now a partner at McDonald Carano Wilson in Reno, Nev. "They didn't trust the [Vietnamese] legal system." Du's father was a member of the U.S.-supported Southern Vietnam Army during the Vietnam War, and in 1979, when Du was 9, her extended family—including aunts, uncles and cousins—fled the tumultuous country by boat. …
A Song for Justice O’Connor
Brett Busby clerked—and played violin—for the Supreme CourtTen years ago, Brett Busby got a call that would change the course of his law career. "[Retired Supreme Court] Justice Byron White called me in for a clerkship interview," Busby says. He got the job and ended up with a newfound calling in appellate law, and an appreciation of the justices' value of court procedure over partisan politics. He even met Erin, his future wife, a young Harvard Law grad and clerk. But Busby, 35, a lifelong violinist, never expected that the Supreme Court clerkship …
How a Mysterious Stranger Changed Yolanda Garcia’s Life
A classroom visitor supplied the key to a college educationYolanda Cornejo Garcia credits the unwavering support of her parents for her success. But there was one other person who played a huge part—she just doesn't know the woman's name. "She came and spoke to my class when I was 9," Garcia says. "She helped change my life and I really have no idea who she is!" Garcia, now a commercial litigator with Weil, Gotshal & Manges in Dallas, started life in an underprivileged area of Fort Worth. Neither of her parents graduated from high school, but her …
Rehabbing the System
Jim Grossman fights for the disabled and the organizations that help themIn 1982, the Mary Cariola Children's Center had a slight problem with its summer programs. The children couldn't get to the Children's Center without going to court. In order to get transportation to summer school, the parents of disabled students had to petition family court for funds—which in turn cost the families time and money. Jim Grossman worked pro bono on behalf of Mary Cariola, eventually getting the state, county and family court to revise the system, allowing the school to …
The Lawyer Is IN
Family law attorney John Karanian was once a shrink for the CIADuring the discovery phase of a recent custody dispute, opposition counsel accused John K. Karanian's client of child abuse. "They had an art therapist," Karanian says. "They were going to use art therapy"—that is, psychoanalysis of a child's artwork—"and daily interactions with the child to walk into court and say the child was abused." So Karanian wrote up a list of questions for his co-counsel to debunk the therapist's methods and call into question the scientific validity of the …
Sticks, Kicks and Suits
Whether he's sparring in the dojo or the courtroom, Craig Andrews plays to winIt was hard to ignore Craig Andrews' Red Badge of Courage. His left hand was swelled to twice the size of his right—the casualty of a weekend stick-fighting exercise gone awry. "It's a good conversation piece," the Heller Ehrman attorney says with a chuckle. "My wife and family think I'm nuts, but I think the clients find it funny and interesting." Andrews is in the midst of mastering Arnis-Kali, the Filipino art of stick fighting. He already has a black belt in traditional Japanese karate, …
Marathon Man
Harvey Levine goes the distanceHarvey Levine waited until he was 50—just about the time many runners give up on running altogether—to run his first marathon. But for Levine, racing 26.2 miles was just another challenge to be met and overcome. "I thought it would be an adventure," says Levine, who, at 62, has since completed 70 marathons—with a best time just a hair over three hours—including eight Boston Marathons plus a few Ironman Triathlons. "It is a great symbol for life—pushing through pain, training, reaching …
The Advocate
A battle with cancer brings Judith Todd closer to her clientsA cancer diagnosis is devastating for any family. It's even worse when a husband and wife receive the news only months apart. For Judith Todd, that scenario played out in 1994 when she was diagnosed with breast cancer just four months after her husband's colon cancer had returned. "It really taught me what I could and couldn't do in terms of being strong," says the Birmingham-based Sirote & Permutt attorney. "You get to know your limits; you begin to understand the importance of family." …
Selma Bound
Who says you can't go home again? Not Terri Sewell.Terri Sewell was already working when she was only 9 years old. The daughter of a librarian, she led story time at the Selma Public Library. "I would read about these places around the world and wanted to see them," Sewell remembers. "I would think, ‘I don't know how I am going to see Big Ben, but I'm going to get there.'" She got her chance 15 years later while studying as a Commonwealth Scholar at Oxford University. Her undergraduate degree had already taken her to Princeton, N.J., where in …
Gimme Shelter
Carol Stewart finds homes for canines and humansJudy Crittenden doesn't take no for an answerCarol Stewart estimates she's been a foster parent some 300 times in the past 10 years. "They usually come in groups of eight or 10 at a time, so it's not as bad as it sounds," Stewart says with a chuckle. The basement of the Burr & Forman attorney's Birmingham home is a haven for dogs awaiting adoption. Stewart and her husband take litters in whenever they have room and, through Alabama Animal Rescue, place them with deserving families. "It's hard to let them go sometimes—it's always a …
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