Jess Sargus
The Legal Athlete
I am a dynamic keynote speaker, workshop leader, and high-performance coach dedicated to helping professionals take bold, strategic actions to lead their lives without waiting for permission. I am also the author of the upcoming book, "Fierce Agency TM," and the founder of The Legal Athlete, a company committed to assisting lawyers and high achievers in bridging the gap between their potential and their performance, aligning their lives with their most ambitious goals.
My talks are known for their transformative impact, rooted in mental performance mastery, sports psychology, and neuroscience. I teach lawyers and leaders to adopt the mindset and execution strategies of elite athletes, particularly in high-pressure situations. My signature approach is designed to help high-performers create successful, fulfilling, and sustainable lives and careers.
My background is as diverse as my coaching methods. Prior to establishing The Legal Athlete, I held several executive legal positions across various industries. I served as the Global Head of Business Affairs at Jellysmack, a unicorn ($1B) startup in the creator economy, and as Counsel at Marvel Studios and Disney. In these roles, I negotiated critical talent and production deals for blockbuster films, streaming series, and immersive theme park experiences. I have also litigated in courtrooms nationwide in personal injury, mass tort, and commercial cases, secured 9-figure settlements, and founded The Brazen Sports Agency, where I represented professional MMA fighters and boxers in major media and sponsorship deals.
I am the creator and host of The Legal Athlete Podcast and the video interview series, "Jess Gets a Round: Inside the Pro Fighter’s Mind." I hold degrees from the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School and Williams College, and am licensed to practice in NY, TX, and PA, as well as before the U.S. Supreme Court.
- New York
- New York State Office of Court Administration
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- Pennsylvania
- Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
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- Texas
- State Bar of Texas
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- English: Spoken, Written
- CEO & Founder, Speaker & High-Performance Coach
- The Legal Athlete
- - Current
- Chief Legal Officer
- Zinda Law Group, PLLC
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- Global Head of Business Affairs
- Jellysmack
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- Vice President of Legal
- Jellysmack
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- Counsel
- Marvel Studios
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- Senior Attorney, Mass Torts Department
- Parker Waichman LLP
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- Counsel
- Banjo
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- CEO & General Counsel, The Brazen Sports Agency
- Brazen Boxing & MMA
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- Attorney
- Montgomery McCracken Walker & Rhoads LLP
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- University of Pennsylvania Law School
- J.D.
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- Williams College
- B.A. | Psychology and Political Science
- Honors: Magna cum laude
- Activities: Multicultural Center diversity leader, Sports Information Office reporter, Gypsy Melodies a cappella group, Cap and Bells student theater, aerobics instructor
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- Super Lawyers - Rising Stars Edition for Pennsylvania
- Super Lawyers
- Awarded from 2010-2014 in Class Action/Mass Torts category
- Mid-Atlantic Association 141 lb Champion
- USA Boxing
- Pro Bono Honor Roll
- First Judicial District of Pennsylvania
- State Bar of Texas
- Member
- - Current
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- USA Cares
- Board of Directors, Advisor
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- USA Boxing, Inc.
- Mid Atlantic Association - Board of Directors, Secretary
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- Philadelphia Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts
- Pro Bono Counsel
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- Philadelphia Reads
- Reading Coach
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- Philadelphia VIP
- Pro Bono Counsel
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- Delaware Valley Children's Charity
- Donation Captain
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- Sister-to-Sister Shape Up
- Co-Organizer and Coach
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- State of the Art, Inc.
- Team Leader for Philadelphia - 100 Cities. One Night for Autism.
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- The Green Light Method: Mastering Your Mind & Legal Practice, Justia Webinars
- Justia
- Three Challenges to Effective Board Performance: Gender, Generation & Gentrification
- Council of New York Cooperatives and Condominiums
- Framing Jury Themes for Women’s Health Litigation, MDL Conference: 'Bet-the-Company' Mass Tort Litigation
- HarrisMartin
- Complex Litigation Nuts & Bolts, MDL Conference: The Mass Tort Litigation Landscape - A Critical Analysis
- HarrisMartin
- Recent Developments in Game Changing Dynamics, Interacting with Special Masters & Ethical Conundrums, MDL Conference: Current Mass Torts from E-Discovery Through Exit Strategies - Navigating "Game Changing" Dynamics
- HarrisMartin
- Certified Mental Performance Mastery Coach (MPM)
- Brian Cain Peak Performance
Unleash Your Full Potential: Introducing The Legal Athlete Podcast
Welcome to The Legal Athlete Podcast with Jess Sargus! In this trailer, I'm introducing myself and @TheLegalAthlete system. Each week, I'll be sharing the science, sports psychology, and neuroscience-based techniques...
Crush Your Trial Execution Like an Elite Athlete - The Legal Athlete Podcast - Episode 1
In this first episode of @TheLegalAthlete , host Jess Sargus, a high-performance coach for lawyers, explores how trial lawyers can adopt the mindset and preparation techniques of elite athletes to...
Prime Your Mind for Elite Performance - The Legal Athlete Podcast - Episode 2
In this episode of @TheLegalAthlete , host Jess Sargus, a high-performance coach for lawyers, explores how lawyers can progress towards their boldest goals every day by priming their minds and...
Recover Like an Athlete - The Legal Athlete Podcast - Episode 3
EXPLICIT CONTENT: LANGUAGE This post-election week, recovery is on many people's minds. In this episode of @TheLegalAthlete Podcast, host Jess Sargus dives into the vital yet often ignored topic of...
Why Elite Trial Lawyers Need to Train Like an MMA Champion - The Legal Athlete Podcast - Episode 4
In this episode, we'll learn why elite trial lawyers need to build their physical capacity just like MMA champions to enhance performance in the courtroom. We'll delve into the critical...
4 Steps to Create Elite Habits and Long-Term Success - The Legal Athlete Podcast - Episode 5
In this episode of The Legal Athlete Podcast, Jess Sargus dives into the importance of building performance-boosting habits and a supportive mindset community to drive sustained growth in your career....
Burnout to Brilliance: The Neuroscience & Power of Glimmers - The Legal Athlete Podcast - Episode 6
In this episode of The Legal Athlete Podcast, Jess Sargus dives into the powerful neuroscience behind glimmers—small, positive moments of joy, connection, or calm—and how they can combat burnout and...
Transformational Transference: How Sports Make You a Better and Less Stressed Lawyer - Episode 7
Episode Summary In this episode of The Legal Athlete Podcast, Jess Sargus explores how the skills and mental habits developed through sports—like resilience, focus, and adaptability—transfer to and can transform...
Let's Get Spiritual: Trial Law is a Calling and That's Your Neuroscience Superpower - Episode 8
In this episode, we explore the concept that trial law is more than just a profession—it's a calling, and aligning with your purpose is a true performance superpower. Jess shares...
3 Tools to Master Your Mindset & Turn Stress Into Success - The Legal Athlete Podcast - Episode 9
In this episode of The Legal Athlete Podcast, Jess Sargus dives into the idea that peak mental performance isn’t an event—it’s a lifestyle. She introduces listeners to actionable tools inspired...
Build Your 2025 Game Plan – The Art (and Craft) of Success - Episode 10
In this episode of The Legal Athlete Podcast, Jess Sargus helps trial lawyers set the stage for their best year yet by crafting a mission statement, creating a vision board,...
Be Present and Human--Insights for Trauma-Informed Lawyering with Special Guest Patty Montagnino
In this special guest episode of The Legal Athlete Podcast (and the first video episode - available only on YouTube), Jess Sargus welcomes licensed social worker and trauma expert Patty...
Zen and the Art of Trial Lawyering with Dean Soukeras - The Legal Athlete Podcast - Episode 12
In this special guest episode of The Legal Athlete Podcast, Dean Soukeras, Zen Master of Scaling Success, joins Jess Sargus to discuss the Zen of High-Growth for Trial Lawyers. Dean...
The Secret to Your Success is Love with Guest Dr. Mackenzie Cramblit - The Legal Athlete Podcast
In this enlightening episode of The Legal Athlete Podcast, Jess Sargus sits down with Dr. Mackenzie Cramblit, a certified relationship coach, cultural anthropologist, and former management consultant. Dr. Cramblit shares...
What Trial Lawyers Can Learn from Elite Race Car Drivers
In this episode of The Legal Athlete Podcast, host Jess Sargus draws striking parallels between elite race car drivers and high-performing trial lawyers, showing why mental performance training is the...
How to Hot-Wire Your Brain for Excellence with Habit Stacking -Episode 15- The Legal Athlete Podcast
In this episode of the Legal Athlete Podcast, Jess Sargus introduces the concept of habit stacking, a strategy for replacing bad habits with high-performance ones. The discussion delves into the...
Fear is Not Your Enemy: Elevate Your Mindset with Elite Mountaineer Lisa Thompson - Episode 16
On this episode of The Legal Athlete Podcast, host Jess Sargus interviews her guest, world-class mountaineer, high-performance coach, and breast cancer survivor Lisa Thompson, to dive deep into the mental...
Sweat Equity: How Sauna Sessions Pay Off in Performance and Resilience - Episode 17
In this episode of The Legal Athlete Podcast, host Jess Sargus breaks down one of the most underrated high-performance tools: sauna training. More than just relaxation, sauna use is a...
Happy Birthday to You (and Me): The Power of Today Plus Today - Episode 18
In this special birthday episode of The Legal Athlete Podcast, host Jess Sargus shares a powerful mindset shift that can transform the way you approach success, focus, and happiness. Inspired...
Slow is Smooth and Smooth is Fast -- How Trial Fight Camp Saves You Time and Stress
In this episode of The Legal Athlete Podcast, host Jess Sargus breaks down why trial preparation needs to be deliberate, structured, and systemized—not just an endless grind of working harder....
How to Stop Letting Comparison Kill Your Focus, Your Motivation, and Your Edge - Episode 20
In this episode of The Legal Athlete Podcast, host Jess Sargus breaks down why comparison is one of the biggest silent killers of motivation, confidence, and competitive edge—and how to...
Sour Candy and a Walk? Two Surprisingly Powerful Hacks to Derail an Anxiety Spiral - Episode 21
In this short, punchy episode of The Legal Athlete Podcast, Jess Sargus breaks down two neuroscience-backed tools that high performers can use to stop anxiety in its tracks—right when they...
Betting on Yourself: How Champions Turn Vision Into Motion - Episode 22
In this powerful episode, Jess Sargus dives deep into what it really means to bet on yourself—especially when fear is loud, the stakes are high, and the path ahead isn’t...
Become a LinkedIn Jedi with Special Guest Tony Albrecht - Episode 23
In this magnetizing episode of The Legal Athlete Podcast, Jess sits down with former litigator turned LinkedIn Jedi, Tony Albrecht—founder of CONTENDER, host of The Linked Legal Podcast, endurance athlete,...
The Neuroscience of Sisterhood: How Women Recharge in Community - Episode 24
In this timely episode recorded on the opening night of the Society of Women Trial Lawyers conference in New Orleans, Jess Sargus explores the science-backed truth that women’s community is...
I'm Fired Up! Is it OCD or Advanced Mental Performance? - Episode 25
What do elite athletes, trial lawyers, and high-performers all have in common? They don’t wait to feel fearless—they act anyway. In this episode, Jess breaks down one of the most...
You Are More Than Your Output - Why Rest IS the Work - Episode 27
In this episode, Jess Sargus tackles one of the deepest mental traps high-achievers face: the belief that our worth is equivalent only to our output. Jess dismantles the myth that...
Your Brain Hates Change - But You Don't Have To - The Legal Athlete Podcast Episode 29
In this episode of the Legal Athlete Podcast, Jess Sargus introduces the concept of habit stacking, a strategy for replacing bad habits with high-performance ones. The discussion delves into the...
Your Brain Hates Change - But You Don't Have To - The Legal Athlete Podcast Episode 29
In this episode of the Legal Athlete Podcast, Jess Sargus introduces the concept of habit stacking, a strategy for replacing bad habits with high-performance ones. The discussion delves into the...
No Masks in the Arena: Why Authenticity Wins Under Pressure - Episode 31 - The Legal Athlete Podcast
What if the very thing that makes you different is what gives you your edge? In this powerful episode, Jess Sargus unpacks why authenticity is not just a feel-good concept—it’s...
The Power of No: How Champions Protect Their Energy, Edge, and Excellence - Episode 32
"How bout NO?" https://youtu.be/2HJxya0CWco In this episode of The Legal Athlete Podcast, Jess Sargus unpacks The Power of No—one of the most critical (and underused) high-performance tools. Inspired by Warren...
Stillness Is Motion in Disguise: The Neuroscience of Doing Nothing (On Purpose) - Episode 33
In this episode of The Legal Athlete Podcast, Jess Sargus breaks down a high-performance strategy that most high-achievers overlook: stillness. Drawing from neuroscience, performance psychology, and her own evolution from...
Stillness Is Motion in Disguise: The Neuroscience of Doing Nothing (On Purpose) - Episode 33
In this episode of The Legal Athlete Podcast, Jess Sargus breaks down a high-performance strategy that most high-achievers overlook: stillness. Drawing from neuroscience, performance psychology, and her own evolution from...
The Power of Regret--How to Use What Hurts to Reveal What Matters - Episode 35
Regret hurts—but it also points directly to what matters most to us. In this episode, Jess shares a 30-year-old regret from her high school graduation day that still lingers—and what...
