Sydney Siegel grew up in Beverly Hills. Today, as a public defender in Brooklyn, she represents people whose lives often look nothing like hers. She doesn't try to hide that difference.

In this episode of That One Lawyer Podcast, Sydney joins Neal Goldstein to discuss earning clients' trust without pretending to share their experiences. She explains how meeting the people behind criminal complaints changed her assumptions about defense work, and how a conversation with a homeless client challenged her own desire for more.

Sydney also shares the story behind a transportation project she developed during an internship in Los Angeles. After seeing a man struggle to reach court, she pitched Uber on providing ride vouchers for public defender clients. The project grew from a simple observation: people sometimes need practical help before they can meet the demands of a criminal case.

From Division I track at Columbia to Brooklyn Law School, Survivor, and The Challenge, Sydney has pursued a life with several competing ambitions. She talks about what reality television taught her about confidence, how those lessons show up in negotiations with prosecutors, and why she wants her legal work to remain at the center of her professional identity.

The conversation also includes her father's example of enjoying a legal career while being present at home, the importance of courthouse relationships, and her account of workplace antisemitism after October 7.

Follow or subscribe to That One Lawyer Podcast for more candid conversations with Neal Goldstein about law, relationships, identity, and the lives we build along the way.

Neal Goldstein - Hosted by Neal Goldstein. IG: / nealagoldsteinlaw

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Sydney Segal- IG - https://www.instagram.com/queensydney?obrf=MTY5bXVzejB4Zmp6Zw== LI - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sydney-segal-144b66100/