on delivering babka to claes oldenburg, going from art galleries to courtrooms, and law as competitive storytelling
meet mina juhn
You’re most likely to spot lawyer Mina Juhn in or around Grand Central Terminal, visiting gallery shows in Chelsea or Tribeca, running along the Brooklyn waterfront, or having a beer with friends at her local Greenpoint bar. We talked with Mina about delivering babka to Claes Oldenburg and Kiki Smith, deciding to go law school, and more.
Paid subscribers can scroll down for more from our interview with Mina, including her favorite art exhibitions, her advice on the best way to build a home library, the artists she’s filled her home with, and more.
“Sometimes I see lawyering as a form of competitive storytelling. Being an advocate is all about being an effective and persuasive communicator. And like any form of communication, how one chooses to do that is an art. The laws and rules provide structure, and the exhibits and evidence are like props to tell the story. But in the end, law is about telling the better story — why this story is compelling, why you should compare it to other, equally compelling stories, and why this particular outcome or explanation makes the most sense. The best lawyers I’ve seen argue in court are those who will open with a broad narrative arc, fill in the details with individual characters and details, and then paint everything together into a cohesive story. I think one misconception people have about the law is that it can be dry or monotonous, but I find it quite the opposite.”
on her favorite art exhibitions