@theBar

The Flint Water Crisis Edition: A Conversation with Lead Plaintiffs' Attorney Corey Stern Aug 25, 2021

In this edition, Jonathan Amarilio is joined by Corey Stern, lead counsel for the plaintiffs injured in the Flint, Michigan water crisis, including more than 2500 children who were lead poisoned by consuming water from the Flint River. Corey discusses the origins of the water crisis, the role citizen advocates played in seeking government accountability, and how he became involved in the case, eventually securing a $600 million settlement from the State of Michigan on behalf of his clients.

Special thanks to our sponsors, CourtFiling.net.

The #FreeBritney Edition Jul 29, 2021

In this edition, Jonathan Amarilio and co-host Jennifer Byrne are joined by California probate attorney Justin Gold to discuss a topic that is sensational, delicate, concerning, and much in the news: the conservatorship of Britney Spears. Justin explains how the conservatorship system is supposed to work, its pros, its cons, and how it – at least according to press accounts – seems to have failed Britney Spears.

Special thanks to our sponsors, CourtFiling.net.

The Art of Shameless Self-Promotion Edition Jun 30, 2021

In this edition, guest host Trisha Rich and co-host Jennifer Byrne are joined by public relations and legal marketing expert Debra Pickett of Page 2 Communications for a discussion about how lawyers can shift their mindset from lawyer to entrepreneur and embrace the art of shameless self-promotion to build their book of business. Special thanks to our sponsors, CourtFiling.net.

The Dark Waters Edition: A Discussion with Environmental Attorney Rob Bilott May 26, 2021

Rob Bilott sits down with host Jonathan Amarilio to discuss his struggle on behalf of tens of thousands of poisoned Ohio and West Virginia residents and his ongoing efforts to stop the use of toxins that have contaminated nearly all of humanity. Special thanks to our sponsors, CourtFiling.net.

The Speaking of Speakers Edition: A Discussion with Illinois' New House Speaker Emanuel "Chris" Welch Apr 15, 2021

New Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives Emanuel "Chris" Welch became the first Black lawmaker to hold the position. He joins the show to talk about his story, goals and plans for for the State of Illinois.

The Trial of the Chicago 7 Edition: Part 3 – Defendant John Froines Mar 18, 2021

Part 3 of @theBar’s three-part series on The Trial of the Chicago 7. In this episode, host Jonathan Amarilio and co-host Jennifer Byrne continue the conversation about the landmark trial with John Froines, one of the last two living members of the Chicago 7.

The Trial of the Chicago 7 Edition: Part 2 – Prosecutor Dick Schultz (Cont.) Mar 18, 2021

Part 2 of @theBar’s three-part series on The Trial of the Chicago 7. In this episode, host Jonathan Amarilio continues his conversation about the landmark trial with Dick Schultz who represented the United States Government in the prosecution of the Chicago 7.

The Trial of the Chicago 7 Edition: Part 1 – Prosecutor Dick Schultz Mar 18, 2021

Part 1 of @theBar’s three-part series on The Trial of the Chicago 7. In this episode, host Jonathan Amarilio discusses the landmark trial with Dick Schultz who represented the United States Government in the prosecution of the Chicago 7.

The Smartmatic v. Fox News Edition Feb 18, 2021

Erik Connolly discusses his $2.7 billion defamation lawsuit against Fox News, Rudy Giuliani, Sydney Powell and others, on behalf of his client, Smartmatic.

Teaser: The Trial of the Chicago 7 Dec 16, 2020

Take a sneak peak of what's to come in our next episode.

The Voting Rights Edition Oct 23, 2020

John Cusick joins the show to discuss the current state of voting rights.

The George Floyd Edition Sep 02, 2020

EXCLUSIVE: In their first long-format interview discussing the George Floyd case, Benjamin Crump and Antonio Romanucci, the attorneys representing Floyd’s estate, speak with host Jonathan Amarilio and co-host Martin Gould about the fateful events of May 25, 2020, and the civil rights lawsuit brought against the City of Minneapolis and the police officers accused of wrongfully taking Floyd’s life.

The Justice in Policing Act of 2020: A Discussion with Senator Dick Durbin Aug 11, 2020

Senator Durbin discusses the Act, its core goals, and how the Act seeks to achieve meaningful policing reform.

The Constitutionality of Covid Stay-At-Home Orders Edition May 20, 2020

Ann Lousin discusses the protesting of Illinois’ stay-at-home order and whether they have a case.

The Criminal Courts Adapt to COVID-19 Edition: How the Pandemic Is Impacting the Rights of the Accused Apr 24, 2020

Amy Campanelli talks about the constitutional issues and the impact on the rights of the accused as criminal courts adapt to the logistical challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Overcoming Loneliness Edition Apr 09, 2020

J.W. Freiberg talks about loneliness as a problem in our society and how we can overcome this isolation, social distancing and quarantine during the coronavirus pandemic.

The Represent Edition: Kate Black Explains How Women Can Run for Office and Change the World Mar 04, 2020

Kate Black discusses why it's important to eliminate barriers that may stop women from running for office by demystifying the process and how her book provides an accessible step-by-step guide that any person can follow.

The Killer Clown Edition: The Prosecution of John Wayne Gacy (Rebroadcast) Feb 12, 2020

William “Bill” Kunkle, the lead prosecutor, gives our listeners a rare, behind-the-scenes look at the crimes and prosecution of the man dubbed the “The Killer Clown”.

The Revolution Edition: A Live-Audience Conversation with Josh Deth, Founder of Revolution Brewing Jan 29, 2020

Josh Deth talks about his journey from brewing beer in his garage to founding one of the most successful independent breweries in the United States.

The Murder of Innocence Edition: A Look Back on the Laurie Dann School Shooting with Eric Zorn Dec 05, 2019

Eric Zorn discusses the Laurie Dan School shooting, what’s changed, what hasn’t changed, and what we can learn from the case that could help us stop the violence and restore peace in our schools.

The Angel of Death Row Edition Nov 06, 2019

Andrea Lyon talks about the politics, sociology and personal stories behind the death penalty in America.

The Keep Calm and Lawyer On Edition: A Candid Discussion about Mental Health and Addiction in the Legal Profession Oct 09, 2019

Dr. Diana Uchiyama andJonathan Beitner discuss lawyer mental health and addiction, as well as ways the legal profession can have a greater sense of wellness so that all lawyers can be happy and successful.

The Scarlet A Edition Sep 05, 2019

Katie Watson talks about what ordinary abortion is and how it impacts millions of Americans, as well as how understanding the term can help us unpack many other social issues, including civil rights, religion, socioeconomic stratification and more.

The Future of the Profession Crossfire Edition Aug 07, 2019

Bob Glaves and Jessica Bednarz from The Chicago Bar Foundation talks about the future of the legal profession and attorney regulation.

The Chocolate Covered Edition Jul 03, 2019

Valerie Beck talks about the world of craft, artisan chocolate and Valerie’s Chocolate Freedom Project, which is committed to ending child slave labor in the chocolate industry.

The Best Speech in Life is Free Edition: An Interview with Professor Geoffrey Stone Jun 06, 2019

In this edition, host Jonathan Amarilio is joined by distinguished constitutional law scholar and University of Chicago Law School Professor Geoffrey Stone for a discussion about current challenges surrounding the First Amendment and free speech. They talk about what constitutes a public forum on social media, whether private social media companies like Twitter, Facebook and Google have the right to censor speech, President Trump’s Twitter feed, speech on college campuses, campaign financing and more.

The Chief Justices Edition May 08, 2019

In this edition, co-hosts Jonathan Amarilio and Trisha Rich are joined by Dan Cotter, lawyer, historian, and author of “The Chief Justices: The Seventeen Men of the Center Seat, Their Courts and Their Times,” to discuss the history of the handful of jurists who have lead the Supreme Court. They discuss key decisions made by the chief justices, their challenges, and the cultural contexts surrounding their decisions, as well as which of the Chief Justices have had the most influential legacies.

The Mastering the Game Edition: Career Tips from Diversity Expert Sharon Jones Apr 10, 2019

Sharon Jones, provides an update on the current state of gender diversity in the legal profession. She chats with co-hosts Jonathan Amarilio and Chastidy Burns about strategies to master the unwritten rules for getting ahead in a profession that remains, in many ways, dominated by the “old boys’ club” culture.

The Tech Evangelist Preaches Edition: A Conversation with Legal Tech Journalist Niki Black Mar 06, 2019

In this edition, co-hosts Jonathan Amarilio and Nykoel Kahn chat with Nicole “Niki” Black about the legal profession’s reluctance to embrace technology and why lawyers must become more tech proficient or risk being outpaced in our rapidly evolving economy. They also discuss where the legal profession is headed, and debate whether attending law school is worth the cost.

The Killer Clown Edition: The Prosecution of John Wayne Gacy Feb 07, 2019

American serial killer and rapist, John Wayne Gacy, Jr., became notorious for the mass murder of at least 33 teenage boys and young men in the late 1970s. December 2018 marked the 40th anniversary of the discovery of the mass grave beneath his home, which shocked the American public and shattered the image of the safe suburban community.

Benching Judicial Independence: The Poland Edition Jan 03, 2019

In 2017, the Polish government passed an act to remove more than a third of the country’s supreme court judges and replace them with judges sympathetic to the governing party. Despite outcry from much of the public, Poland’s legal community, and the international community, the government moved forward with this and other efforts to undermine the judiciary’s independence.

The Civility in Uncivil Times Edition Dec 05, 2018

Our guests Jayne Reardon of the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism, and the Honorable Clare McWilliams of the Circuit Court of Cook County, chat with hosts Jon Amarilio and Chastidy Burns about current societal trends, best practices for appearing before the bench and how to shift the legal profession’s culture to one of greater respect and civility.

The Illinois Attorney General Election Edition, Part II: Erika Harold Oct 29, 2018

In this special, two-part edition, host Jon Amarilio sits down with the Democratic and Republican candidates in the race for Illinois Attorney General: Kwame Raoul and Erika Harold. Rather than a search for politicized sound bites, these interviews delve deeper into who the candidates are, how they grew up, why they’re running, and how they view the Office of Attorney General in an increasingly partisan age. Tune in before Election Day and join the conversation.

The Illinois Attorney General Election Edition, Part I: Kwame Raoul Oct 29, 2018

In this special, two-part edition, host Jon Amarilio sits down with the Democratic and Republican candidates in the race for Illinois Attorney General: Kwame Raoul and Erika Harold. Rather than a search for politicized sound bites, these interviews delve deeper into who the candidates are, how they grew up, why they’re running, and how they view the Office of Attorney General in an increasingly partisan age. Tune in before Election Day and join the conversation.

The Amanda Knox Again Edition: An Interview with the Defense Team Oct 03, 2018

Amanda Knox, the American college student charged with killing her British roommate while studying abroad in Italy, spent four years in jail before her murder conviction was overturned. In this episode, hosts Jon Amarilio and Trisha Rich speak with Amanda Knox's lead Italian defense lawyer, Carlo Dalla Vedova, and her media consultant, Alex Guittieres, getting a behind-the-scenes look at the trial that gripped the world.

The Brexit Brouhaha Edition Sep 05, 2018

What’s all the brouhaha about Brexit? In this episode, host Jonathan Amarilio and Andrew Walker, Queen’s Counsel and the 2018 Chair of the Bar of England and Wales, break it down for us with a rousing discussion about practice of law across the pond, how the legal community is impacted by Brexit and much more.

Special thanks to One Legal for sponsoring this episode.

The Financing the Fight Edition Aug 01, 2018

In this edition, our hosts Jon Amarilio and Jack Sanker are joined by Ajit Singh of the Law Finance Group and Travis Lenkner of Burford Capital to discuss how litigation financing is changing the face of modern litigation, the business of lawsuits, how litigation financing can be used by both the plaintiff’s and defense bar in creative ways, why increasing numbers of lawyers and their clients are turning to litigation financing and much more.

The AI Edition: Resistance is Futile Jul 02, 2018

In this edition, our hosts Jon Amarilio and Catherine Sanders Reach talk with Dennis Garcia, Assistant General Counsel for Microsoft Corporation and Conor Malloy the Founding Partner of Chi City Legal about the ever-evolving, hot-button topic of artificial intelligence and how its impacting the practice of law. Should lawyers be fearful that AI is coming for their jobs? Should we resist AI in the office? Can AI be embraced by lawyers to make their practice easier and more productive?

The Peaking Beneath the Blindfold Edition Jun 06, 2018

This edition features Joel Cohen, a prominent New York white-collar criminal defense attorney and frequent contributor to The Hill, HuffPost, Slate, and the New York Law Journal, as he discusses his recent books Blindfolds Off: Judges on How They Decide, which lifts the veil of secrecy surrounding judicial decision-making, and In Broken Scales: Reflections on Injustice, in which Joel interviewed individuals ill served by our justice system. Our hosts Jon Amarilio and Jennifer Byrne unpack Joel’s reflections on what motivates judges to make the decisions they make, and how injustices in our legal system can come to define our society and its perceptions of the judicial system as a whole.

The Chicago Gun Violence Edition May 08, 2018

In this edition, our hosts Jon Amarilio, Jack Sanker and Mghnon Martin ponder the question: What the heck is going on in Chicago and gun violence? They’re joined by Amy Thompson from the Office of the Cook County Public Defender and Max Kapustin from the University of Chicago Crime Lab to discuss the severity and root causes of Chicago’s gun violence problem, whether recent discourse in the national media and by President Trump accurately characterizes the problem, and how we can find workable solutions to make a difference.

The Love and Divorce Edition Apr 04, 2018

In this Edition, hosts Jon Amarilio and Jennifer Byrne talk with Chicago-based divorce practitioners from two of the city’s most prominent domestic relations law firms, Miles Beermann, of Beermann, Pritikin, Mirabelli & Swerdove LLP, and Kimberly Cook, of Schiller, DuCanto & Fleck, about the state of marriage and divorce in the U.S., and their experiences on the front lines representing clients in the contentious area of divorce and family law. Miles and Kim also share their thoughts on how they (hypothetically) would have handled some of the issues that came up in recently well publicized celebrity divorce cases, including the “Brangelina” and Johnny Depp divorces.

The Fear and Loathing in the Law Edition Mar 09, 2018

Brian Cuban, attorney and best-selling author of The Addicted Lawyer, Tales of The Bar, Booze, Blow, & Redemption, talks about how his life-long struggle with low self-esteem and depression led to substance dependency, destroyed his legal career, and caused his life to spiral out of control. Brian shares his advice on how the legal community can address its epidemic of substance abuse and his hope to inspire other struggling lawyers.

The Illinois Budget Crisis Edition: How the @#$^! Did This Happen? Mar 09, 2018

Illinois State Representative Greg Harris about the Illinois budget crisis that spiraled out of control and dominated headlines for Illinoisans throughout much of 2017. Representative Harris, who served on the Illinois Budget Committee, shares his firsthand knowledge of how Illinois (like many other states) reached a point of such financial turmoil, shares his insights on where the state stands financially and how Illinois and states like it can avoid falling into financial distress in the future.

The I’ll Be Dreaming About Donkeys Edition - an Interview with Judge Richard Posner (Ret.) Mar 09, 2018

In this edition, hosts Jon Amarilio and Carl Newman interview Retired Judge Richard Posner of the Seventh Circuit United States Court of Appeals – one of the preeminent legal minds of 20th century. Posner opens up about his unexpected recent retirement from the bench, his views about the treatment of unrepresented litigants in the legal system and his plans for the future.

@theBar Trailer Mar 09, 2018

Young and young-ish lawyers have interesting and unscripted conversations with their guests about legal news, events, topics, stories and whatever else strikes our fancy. The guests are prominent figures from the legal community, and legally related communities, and the discussions are informal, like you would have at a bar.

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