Jacqueline Horani

Founder, Horani Law PLLC

Founding Attorney, Teacher, Speaker, & Consultant 

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Jacqueline Horani is a lawyer and the founder of Horani Law, PLLC - the law firm think tank hub for the work she does through her ‘Legally Unconventional’ work. We discuss alternative pathways for young lawyers graduating from law school and seeking to make a positive change through their legal practice immediately.

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Bio

Show notes

Links

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Bio:

Jacqueline Horani is a lawyer and the founder of Horani Law, PLLC - the law firm think tank hub for the work she does through her ‘Legally Unconventional’ work.

 

Jacqueline graduated from NYU School of Law in 2016 to begin a career in impact litigation at Legal Aid. As she increasingly witnessed systemic corruption within the New York City housing courts, rigid disincentives against creating meaningful solutions for her clients, and as her father (with whom she was very close) grew ill and died of cancer during her years there, she experienced a major crisis of confidence.

 

In May of 2019, Jacqueline launched her own firm, reconnecting to the entrepreneurial spirit instilled by both of her parents, and within her first year went from defining her role as an Integrative Lawyer working with small businesses, to co-creating and teaching the first Conscious Contracts® based law school clinic in the US, alongside J. Kim Wright.

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Show notes:

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• [2:15] Jacqueline discusses her journey from a law student at NYU, learning about the integrative law movement, then going on to join a Legal Aid unit practising impact litigation.   

• [6:26] Law students are ready for alternative pathways to enter into changemaking areas of practice.

• [8:31] Jacqueline details the rampant corruption she witnessed in the New York Housing Court system. all while her father was suffering a terminal illness.  

• [14:48] Jacqueline realised soon after her father passed away that she had to do different work.

• [18:24] In her work, Jacqueline addresses alternatives to BigLaw for law graduates. This includes simplifying the hiring process so more alternative lawyers can hire graduates.

• [22:38] Through Legally Unconventional (the brand her law firm works under), Jacqueline advises on law and business consulting, or Conscious Contracts® consulting.

• [23:57] Jacqueline describes her Conscious Contracts® practice and how the values approach is not 'soft' but a hard-core critical component of contractual relationships. 

• [26:49] Conscious Contracts® offers innovative ways to address change in contractual relationships, which do not have to lead to conflicts.

• [31:09] I ask Jacqueline what her peers think of the alternative pathway she carved out for herself after leaving law school. 

• [35:47] We talk about the need to redesign the law school offering, with more focus on clinical experience, mental wellbeing and sustainability.

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Links:

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Horani Law PLLC: www.legallyunconventional.com

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​Conscious Contracts® website

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Rebellious Lawyers conference at Yale Law School

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J Kim Wright's book Lawyers as Peacemakers: Practicing Holistic, Problem-Solving Law

J Kim Wright's book Lawyers as Changemakers

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J Kim Wright interview on New Earth lawyer

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