David Lat is a lawyer turned legal writer who created Above The Law and his current, legal newsletter and podcast Original Jurisdiction, which is now his full-time job. Prior to writing he was a practicing attorney and worked as a federal prosecutor in the Department of Justice under Chris Christie. David is a husband and the father of two kids. In today's conversation we discussed:
The transition from an in-house legal career to the world of writing and podcasting and what that has done for his family
Surrogacy
Important legal considerations for parents
Navigating feelings of parental guilt
How to talk to your kids about different family types and configurations
The fallacy of making logical appeals to children
His approach to interviewing for childcare
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Where to find David Lat
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidlat/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/DavidLat
- Original Jurisdiction: https://davidlat.substack.com/
Where to find Adam Fishman
- FishmanAF Newsletter: https://www.fishmanafnewsletter.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamjfishman/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startupdadpod/
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In this episode, we cover
[1:47] Welcome
[2:04] Professional background
[2:53] The decision to go from practicing law to writing about law
[5:02] David's family now
[5:37] Their decision to start a family
[7:21] Surrogacy
[9:37] Family/work balance
[12:34] Was career choice influenced by becoming a dad?
[14:54] Legal considerations for parents
[17:32] What is a pre-birth order?
[19:11] Earliest memory of becoming a dad
[20:57] What emotions came up when you realized it was “real”?
[22:57] Most surprising thing about becoming a dad?
[25:15] Advice for younger self
[28:40] His interview approach for childcare
[30:17] Parental guilt
[34:56] Parenting Frameworks
[36:27] How has your parenting style changed over time?
[38:10] Area where David and his partner don’t align
[40:30] Logical appeals vs. children
[41:59] How do you recharge your batteries?
[43:38] What is a mistake you made as a dad?
[45:02] Talking to son about same-sex parenting
[48:27] Follow along
[49:23] Rapid fire
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Show references:
Clueless: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112697/
Carly Aroldi, Good Enough Parenting: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/good-enough-parenting/id1708282417
Creative Family Connections: https://www.creativefamilyconnections.com/
Chris Christie: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Christie
Chris Christie on David's Podcast: https://davidlat.substack.com/p/chris-christie-podcast-interview-with-david-lat
Above The Law: https://abovethelaw.com/
BabyConnect: https://en.babyconnect.com/
My Two Dads and Me by Michael Joosten: https://www.amazon.com/My-Two-Dads-Michael-Joosten/dp/0525580107
Snoo: https://www.amazon.com/SNOO-Smart-Sleeper-Happiest-Baby/dp/B0716KN18Z
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For sponsorship inquiries email: podcast@fishmana.com.
For Startup Dad Merch: www.startupdadshop.com
Production support for Startup Dad is provided by Tommy Harron at http://www.armaziproductions.com/
