A Leading Legal Storyteller: Dawn Schneider

Original Jurisdiction

Welcome to Original Jurisdiction, the latest legal publication by me, David Lat. You can learn more about Original Jurisdiction by reading its About page, and you can email me at [e-mail]. This is a reader-supported publication; you can subscribe by clicking here.

Where do I get my story ideas? Most arise organically out of the news, but some come from topic suggestions aka “pitches.” Sometimes pitches come from lawyers in the news, and sometimes they come from a lawyer or law firm’s public-relations or communications team—media-savvy professionals who work for attorneys and firms to help them secure favorable press (or avoid negative coverage).

Over the years, one of my best sources of pitches has been Dawn Schneider. After graduating from law school, Dawn worked in communications for two major corporations, Johnson & Johnson and Altria. She then combined her legal and media expertise and pivoted to focus on law firms, serving as director of communications at Boies Schiller Flexner. And then, ten years ago this month, she launched her own media-advisory firm, Schneider Group Media—where she continues to work for leading lawyers and law firms, as well as clients beyond the legal realm, helping them navigate a challenging, rapidly evolving media landscape.

I have a fair number of readers who are interested in “alternative careers”—roles that don’t involve practicing law, but where legal education and experience are valuable. So I thought it would be enlightening and enjoyable to interview Dawn, who has deployed her legal training and talent for communication in a cool and unusual way.

Thanks to Dawn for joining me, and congratulations to her on Schneider Group Media’s tenth anniversary.

Show Notes (Dawn doesn’t have much of an online presence—she prefers to keep the focus on her clients—but here’s her bio, as well as pieces I’ve written that resulted from her work):

• Dawn Schneider bio, Schneider Group Media

• On The Retirement Of Miles Ruthberg And The Rise Of Litigation At Latham & Watkins, by David Lat for Above the Law

• A Leading Litigation Boutique Turns 25, by David Lat for Original Jurisdiction

• Boies Schiller Star’s Ski Accident Tests Strength—and Builds It, by David Lat for Bloomberg Law

Prefer reading to listening? For paid subscribers, a transcript of the entire episode appears below.

Sponsored by:

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Dawn Schneider (courtesy photo by Clark Hodgin)

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