ABA Journal Podcasts - Legal Talk Network

Latest Episodes:

ABA Journal: Modern Law Library : What should you read about COVID-19? We asked an epidemiologist Mar 25, 2020

Show notes

With a barrage of information and misinformation about COVID-19 coming our way, it can be hard to evaluate what sources are trustworthy, and where to go for reliable medical news. So for this episode of the Modern Law Library, the ABA Journal's Lee Rawles called her friend Mary Lancaster, an epidemiologist for the federal government. They discuss how to evaluate social media claims, the best books and podcasts for people who want to know more about infectious diseases–and their recommendations on good fiction reads for people who need to take a break from the coronavirus news.

Special thanks to our sponsor, Headnote.

ABA Journal: Legal Rebels : President of the Legal Services Corp. reflects on his tenure Mar 18, 2020

Show notes

Asked to reflect on his nine-year tenure as president of the Legal Services Corp., Jim Sandman says he is proud of many things that he and his team accomplished. Under Sandman’s leadership, the LSC produced its seminal work, which found that 86% of civil legal needs reported by low-income Americans in the past year were either inadequately addressed or not met at all.

Special thanks to our sponsor, Nexa.

ABA Journal: Modern Law Library : How to achieve vocal power in and out of the courtroom Mar 11, 2020

Show notes

Public speaking is a crucial part of working as an attorney. It is especially important for female attorneys who are claiming their vocal authority in speaking roles in courts. In this episode of the Modern Law Library, ABA Publishing’s Olivia Aguilar speaks with Rena Cook, co-author of Her Voice in Law: Vocal Power and Situational Command for the Female Attorney, about various aspects of voice and presentation; power-stealing vocal traits; and why understanding your voice is an important first step to building confidence and strengthening your success.

Special thanks to our sponsor, Headnote.

ABA Journal: Modern Law Library : Two families connected by LA riots collide in 'Your House Will Pay Feb 26, 2020

Show notes

The riots in South Los Angeles in 1992 may be nearly three decades old, but in the present day, two families in the novel Your House Will Pay will find that the events from that time are far from over.

Shawn Matthews is a former gang member and ex-prisoner in his forties, trying to raise a family and help his cousin acclimate after a decade in prison. Grace Park is a 28-year-old pharmacist who lives at home with her Korean-immigrant parents, trying to understand the reasons behind her older sister's estrangement with the family. These two main characters have never met, but over the course of the book the reader comes to understand the web of connections between them.

In this episode of the Modern Law Library, the ABA Journal's Lee Rawles speaks with Steph Cha, author of Your House Will Pay, about the real-life incidents that provided the inspiration for her novel. They also discuss why Cha decided to go to law school–and why she decided to be a writer instead of a practicing attorney.

Special thanks to our sponsor, Headnote.

ABA Journal: Asked and Answered : Why did a Georgia city prohibit tattoos on Sundays? Feb 24, 2020

Show notes

These days, people from all walks of life get tattoos. But in Columbus, Georgia, it was illegal to give them on Sundays, until recently. No one knows for sure what led to the law, but some suspect that it was what’s known as a “blue law,” a term for state and municipal regulations that prohibits commerce on Sundays, when lawmakers thought people should be in church. In this new episode of Asked and Answered, Stephanie Francis Ward explores people’s changing views of laws inspired by Christian outlooks and whether it’s worth changing those laws, even if they are rarely if ever enforced.

Special thanks to our sponsor, LawPay.

ABA Journal: Legal Rebels : How 2 Texas lawyers are marketing their practice through song Feb 12, 2020

Show notes

Thanks to social media and the internet, it’s never been easier—or more affordable—for lawyers to advertise. On the other hand, having so many avenues available to lawyers makes it more difficult for anyone to stand out from the crowd. So when Waco, Texas, lawyers Will Hutson and Chris Harris got more than 500,000 views on YouTube for a clip showing them playing guitars and singing about the legal consequences of swallowing, destroying or concealing marijuana in front of police officers, it was almost like winning the lottery. In this new episode of the Legal Rebels Podcast, Hutson and Harris speak with ABA Journal Assistant Managing Editor Victor Li.

Special thanks to our sponsor, Nexa.

ABA Journal: Modern Law Library : How safe is your right to vote? Feb 05, 2020

Show notes

The story of voting rights in the United States is not just one of expansion; there have been periods (such as after Reconstruction) where voting rights that had once been exercised were blocked off, extinguished and suppressed. Uncounted: The Crisis of Voter Suppression in America tells the story of historical efforts of voter suppression and the modern-day dangers that face voters now. In this new episode of the Modern Law Library, Gilda R. Daniels speaks with the ABA Journal’s Lee Rawles.

Special thanks to our sponsor, Headnote.

ABA Journal: Asked and Answered : Getting real: What happens when clients go on reality TV Jan 27, 2020

Show notes

Imagine you are meeting a client for the first time, and they show up with a TV camera crew that wants to film your meeting. This month, the Asked and Answered podcast series is exploring the unique curiosities of the law, starting with what it’s like when your client shows up with a camera crew and wants to tell their story on film. In this new episode, Stephanie Francis Ward, host of Asked and Answered, speaks with three lawyers involved in the world of reality television.

Music featured in this episode:
“On the Line” by Bright Seed
“Seriously” by Adrian Walther
“Sun And The Moon” by Moments
“California Cruisin” by Mikey Geiger
“Keys And Thank You” by Fairlight

Special thanks to our sponsor, LawPay.

ABA Journal: Modern Law Library : The court of public opinion: Why litigation PR is a critical component of a case Jan 22, 2020

Show notes

A lawyer’s duties do not begin and end at the courtroom door. They extend beyond to the proverbial court of public opinion. As both an attorney and a public relations consultant, author James F. Haggerty has shared how to properly handle the media aspects of litigation in the third edition of his book, In the Court of Public Opinion: Winning Strategies for Litigation Communications. In this new episode of the Modern Law Library, Haggerty speaks with Olivia Aguilar of ABA Publishing.

Special thanks to our sponsor, Headnote.

ABA Journal: Legal Rebels : Reinventing the staid field of legal academic writing Jan 15, 2020

Show notes

Legal academic publishing isn't synonymous with innovation. The mere mention of it can, for some, bring up repressed memories of the most banal and stuffy aspects of law school. But the Massachusetts Institute of Technology wants to change that. In spring 2019, MIT announced the MIT Computational Law Report. In this new episode of the Legal Rebels Podcast, technology writer Jason Tashea talks to Bryan Wilson, editor-in-chief of the online publication.

Special thanks to our sponsor, Nexa.