SPARKS

About SPARKS

Hosted by two law school deans, SPARKS shines a light on Cardozo lawyers and provides an inside look at the lives of leaders in their fields.

Publisher

Melanie Leslie, Carey Bertolet Grand

Category

education · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

17 Jan 2024

Latest episode

17 Sept 2026

Latest episodes

28 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   17 Sept 2026

   Lekha Menon '18 — Senior Litigation Attorney at GIFFORDS Law Center

   The road to success isn’t always linear. In this episode of SPARKS, Lekha Menon ’18 reflects on her journey through law school, big law, and a judicial clerkship before landing her current role as senior litigation attorney at GIFFORDS Law Center. She discusses how she found her love for litigation and the lessons that shaped her as a student and professional.

2. 

   29 Jul 2026

   Olivia Greer '12 — Partner and Head of U.S. Privacy & Cybersecurity at Weil

   On this episode of SPARKS, Deans Melanie Leslie and Carey Bertolet Grand spoke with Olivia Greer '12, Head of U.S. Privacy & Cybersecurity at Weil and a partner in the firm's Technology & IP Transactions Practice. Technology in the legal field is rapidly evolving, with a major impact on privacy, cybersecurity, and the use of artificial intelligence – hear more about how firms are answering these questions.

3. 

   25 Jun 2026

   Jackie Pearce '13 (Fried Frank) & Andrea Sáenz (Co-Counsel)

   This episode of SPARKS was recorded live at Cardozo's 34th INSPIRE! Awards. We spoke with the event’s two Community Impact Honorees: Jackie Pearce '13, Pro Bono Immigration Attorney at Fried Frank, and Andrea Sáenz, Senior Counsel at Co-Counsel NYC and Managing Director of the National Immigration Habeas Institute (NIHI). Jackie and Andrea have spent their careers representing detained immigrants navigating one of the most complex areas of the legal system, often without access to an attorney.

Who has been a guest on SPARKS

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Ayana McPherson
• Rachel Strom
• Matias Ricardo Gallego-Manzano

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

1,465

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

2 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

1 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 36 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

21

Social presence

0

YouTube

68

Engagement

60

Contact SPARKS

Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.