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Ep. 117: Can A Robot Get A Patent? Aug 24, 2019

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For the first time ever, patent applications have been filed for a pair of inventions that were created by artificial intelligence – a situation that will force patent offices to grapple with thorny questions straight out of science-fiction. Senior intellectual property reporter Ryan Davis joins us this week to break down the issue. Also this week, Jones Day’s ongoing discrimination woes; a judicial dustup in DC over a reply-all email about climate change; and a lawsuit against Antonio Brown involving a frozen fish head.

Ep. 116: Down Goes LeClairRyan Aug 17, 2019

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LeClairRyan is no more. After years of losing money and hemorrhaging talent, the once-powerful Virginia firm announced last week that it would close its doors. Legal industry reporter Sam Reisman joins us this week to talk LeClairRyan -- the firm’s quick rise to national prominence, its unusual gamble on legal services, and how those choices ultimately led to its demise. Also this week: A ruling that allowed seven million people to sue Facebook over face-scanning; a judge who says his “grandmother” could have filed a case; and Ohio State University’s claim to a trademark on the most common word in the English language.

Ep. 113: Pay For Our Lawyers, Even If We Lose Aug 09, 2019

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This week’s hosts-only show tackles a trio of developments, all with high stakes and big money attached. We discuss a brewing Supreme Court fight over the U.S. U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s unusual policy of demanding attorney fees from litigants who challenge agency, regardless of who wins the case. We also share the latest on two big privacy settlements — Equifax paying $700 million to resolve fallout from a 2017 data breach and Facebook shelling out a record $5 billion to the Federal Trade Commission. And we drill down on a criminal indictment against a drug distributor that may be part of the Justice Department's new playbook to curtail the opioid crisis. Finally, Jimmy Hoover drops in with a harrowing anecdote about parallel parking under the watchful eye of the Supreme Court.

Ep. 115: Can Mexico Extradite The El Paso Shooter? Aug 09, 2019

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Last week’s mass shooting in El Paso killed eight Mexican citizens, leading Mexico’s government to suggest that it will take the unusual step of seeking to extradite the shooter. To discuss the legal and practical dimensions of the situation, we’re joined this week by John Bellinger, a partner at the law firm Arnold & Porter and a former legal adviser at the U.S. State Department. Also this week: a libel lawsuit filed by Sarah Palin against the New York Times; an egregious closing argument about what jurors “haven't seen”; and a weird copyright fight over the Phillie Phanatic.

Ep. 114: Burnt Out? Try Being An Immigration Lawyer Aug 03, 2019

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Immigration lawyers are burnt out. The first two years of the Trump administration have been a whirlwind of abrupt policy decisions, nationwide injunctions and deep uncertainty, and all that chaos is taking its toll on the attorneys in the trenches. Immigration beat reporter Nicole Narea joins us this week to talk about what lawyers are doing to stay sane. Also this week: mass confusion for law students gearing up for the California bar exam; another music copyright verdict, this time against Katy Perry; and a big appellate ruling — about banana costumes.

Ep. 112: Remembering John Paul Stevens Jul 20, 2019

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John Paul Stevens, a liberal icon who spent more than three decades as a justice on the U.S. Supreme Court, died Tuesday at the age of 99. On this week’s show, Supreme Court reporter Jimmy Hoover breaks down the life and legal legacy of the late justice. Also on this week’s show: A ruling upholding New York City’s ban on Uber ads; a novel foray into plaintiff-side work for BigLaw giant Kirkland & Ellis; and a judge’s social-media gag order against indicted political operative Roger Stone.

Ep. 111: High Court Pro Neal Katyal Talks Trends & Trump’s Census About-Face Jul 13, 2019

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The Supreme Court term is over, but what will we remember 10 years from now? On this week’s show we’re joined by former acting U.S. Solicitor General Neal Katyal who shares his take on the biggest trends, Trump finally abandoning his plan to add a citizenship question to the census two weeks after the high court ruled, and whether stare decisis is in trouble. Also this week we discuss the arrest and indictment of billionaire Jeffrey Epstein and touch down on a Ninth Circuit judge who isn’t afraid of Game of Thrones spoilers.

Ep. 110: Census, Gerrymandering, And Last Call At SCOTUS Jun 29, 2019

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The U.S. Supreme Court concluded its term in dramatic fashion on Thursday, issuing a pair of blockbuster opinions on the 2020 census and partisan gerrymandering that will have sweeping implications for American elections. On this week’s show we dive deep into each of those rulings, plus touch on a trio of others from the high court’s big final week, including two important decisions on federal regulations and another on profane trademarks and free speech.

Ep. 109: Alexander (Jones) And The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Week Jun 22, 2019

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In a series of events that’s bizarre even by his standards, conspiracy theorist Alex Jones this week accidentally turned over child pornography to people who are suing him for spreading lies about the Sandy Hook shooting, then claimed it had been planted by opposing counsel, and then issued a bounty on those lawyers. We’ll explain how that went over with a judge. Also on this week’s show, the first hotly anticipated Supreme Court ruling of the term; and an attorney who extorted millions by suing over internet porn.

Ep. 108: Stop Calling My Phone, Robot Jun 15, 2019

Show notes

If there’s one thing that everyone can agree on, it’s that robocalls are an abomination. Last month, Americans received roughly five billion of them -- about 1,700 per second -- and spam calls rank as the top complaint to the Federal Communication Commission. This week, telecom reporter Kelcee Griffis joins us to explain the problem and why it’s taken so long to fix. Also this week, an update on the "Varsity Blues" admission scandal; another round of copyright litigation for Led Zeppelin; and a musical update on New York City’s favorite personal injury lawyers, Cellino & Barnes.

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