Don’t believe everything you see on TV. Courtrooms aren’t stages for finger-pointing theatrics — and if you try that in real life, you’ll probably get tossed out.
On this week’s “Rookies to Rockstars,” Amanda Ziadeh and Camille Tuutti sit down with Jim Rittinger, general counsel and corporate secretary at Empower AI.
Jim spent a decade grinding 3,000 billable hours a year at a top litigation firm before becoming one of the youngest general counsels Ross Perot ever hired. Along the way, he:
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Learned to unlearn “default aggressive” litigation habits when moving in-house
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Faced imposter syndrome at 36 running legal for a billion-dollar company
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Made mistakes (like winning a battle but losing a working relationship) that taught him the value of diplomacy
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Realized the best lawyers aren’t just advocates—they’re problem solvers
And yes, he even admits there’s something to admire about Saul Goodman’s creativity.
Tune in to hear Jim’s candid lessons on surviving 100-hour weeks, navigating corporate culture shifts, and redefining success as a lawyer in GovCon.