Podcast
Matt Smith
Avoid These Mistakes When Seeking a Better ...
Financial Planning, Podcast
Matt Smith
Avoid the Golden Handcuffs of Debt with LJ Jones

In this episode of the Sidebar with a CFP®: Pierce the Veil on BigLaw Life, Career, and Money, Matt Smith speaks with fellow Texas Longhorn, LJ Jones. LJ, a CPA and a CFP, is principal and founder of Developing Financial LLC, where he services young lawyers, helping them make the right financial decisions so they can focus on their careers and the life they want to live.

Matt Smith
The Intersection of Law & Finance: Insights ...

In this inaugural episode of the Sidebar with a CFP®: Pierce the Veil on BigLaw Life, Career, and Money, Matt Smith speaks with Hadeel Abouhasira, an attorney at Holland & Knight. Hadeel specializes in U.S. business immigration law, guiding multinational corporations across industries like manufacturing, healthcare, logistics, and technology through the intricate maze of immigration compliance, strategy, and workforce mobility.

The Intersection of Law & Finance: Insights from Hadeel Abouhasira

estate planning

Avoid These Mistakes When Seeking a Better Position in Big Law with Alison Ketabchi

Sidebar with a CFP®: Pierce the Veil on BigLaw Life, Career, and Money with Matt Smith, Episode 3

In this episode of the Sidebar with a CFP®: Pierce the Veil on BigLaw Life, Career, and Money, Matt Smith, speaks with Alison Ketabchi, Director of Recruiting at Baker Botts, an international law firm, recognized as a leader in the energy, technology and life sciences sectors.

Tune in to the episode to hear about:

  • What it really takes to stand out and get hired in Big Law today

  • How the right (or wrong) headhunter can make or break your legal career

  • What’s changing in the law student recruiting process—and why it is now referred to as the “Wild West”

  • The biggest mistakes candidates make when navigating legal recruiting

  • How Baker Botts’ unique culture shapes the experience for new attorneys

Learn more about Alison Ketabchi:

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About “Sidebar with a CFP®: Pierce the Veil on BigLaw Life, Career, and Money”:

You bill in 6-minute increments. Let’s get you some of that time back. “Sidebar with a CFP®” is your space for candid conversations about life inside BigLaw—the real stuff they don’t teach in law school or show in recruiter brochures.

Hosted by Matt Smith, CFP® and founder of Concert Financial Planning, this show pulls back the curtain on what it actually feels like to climb the ranks, navigate transitions, and make big decisions in a high-stakes career.

You’ll hear from Partners, Associates, and experts across law and finance—each sharing stories, surprises, and strategies for building a life (and career) that works for you.

This isn’t a money podcast. It’s a life-in-BigLaw podcast—with a CFP® in the host chair.

Watch or listen to more episodes of Sidebar with a CFP®: Pierce the Veil on BigLaw Life, Career, and Money:

Connect and learn more from your host, Matt Smith and Concert Financial Planning: