#138: Nancy Vinsel - Second Career Public Utilities Lawyer

Welcome back to another episode of the How I Lawyer Podcast, where Professor Jonah Perlin interviews lawyers about what they do, why they do it, and how they do it well. Today's guest is Nancy Vinsel, a retired lawyer who previously served as general counsel at a Kentucky state agency regulating public utilities. Nancy brings a unique perspective as a second-career lawyer who attended law school at age 50 after working as a librarian and paralegal. She's also an avid runner and the mother of previous podcast guest Ashley Herd (Episode 86). Nancy is a proud graduate of Brandeis Law at the University of Louisville. In this episode, Nancy shares valuable insights about the legal profession including: 👥📚 How informational interviews with practicing attorneys helped shape her decision to first become a paralegal before pursuing law school [2:16] 🎓💪 How her family's support, especially her husband's willingness to handle daily responsibilities, enabled her to focus entirely on law school [3:53] 🤝📖 How her approach to law school emphasized collaboration over competition, setting a positive tone for fellow students [5:52] 🎯💼 How she strategically pursued her legal career path by identifying an agency that matched her interests in civil matters and statutory interpretation [11:51] 📊🤝 How utility regulation requires constant learning and collaboration with financial analysts, accountants, and inspectors [14:30] ✍️📋 How writing clear, accessible legal documents for non-lawyer audiences became a crucial part of her role [21:24] 👩‍⚖️🔄 How navigating organizational hierarchy requires a balance of confidence without arrogance [25:10] 🌟👥 How actively seeking mentorship and later becoming a mentor shaped her career development [27:31] 💫📈 How successful mentorship requires vulnerability from mentees and patience from mentors [31:36] This episode is sponsored, edited, and engineered by LawPods, a professional podcast production company for busy attorneys.