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The Scarlet A Edition Sep 05, 2019

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At least one in four American women will have an abortion in her lifetime, and the Supreme Court deemed it a constitutional right in Roe v. Wade nearly five decades ago, yet the stigma is such that we're unable to have a civil conversation about the topic. In this edition, co-hosts Jon Amarilio and Chastidy Burns are joined by Katie Watson, a lawyer, professor, bioethicist, and the author of "Scarlet A: The Ethics, Law and Politics of Ordinary Abortion." Katie makes the argument that we need to start having real conversations about ordinary abortion because it impacts millions of Americans, and can help us unpack many other social issues, including civil rights, religion, socioeconomic stratification and more.

Special thanks to our sponsors, CourtFiling.net.

The Future of the Profession Crossfire Edition Aug 07, 2019

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In this edition, co-hosts Jon Amarilio and Jeff Moskowitz are joined by Bob Glaves and Jessica Bednarz from The Chicago Bar Foundation for a lively crossfire about the future of the legal profession and attorney regulation. Bob and Jess argue that the legal profession needs to make dramatic changes to the way it does business and regulates itself in order to adapt to the rapidly changing economy and solve the access to justice problem, while Jon and Jeff question whether the proposed changes will create a race to the bottom that will undermine the quality of legal services and attorneys' lives in the long run. Tune in to figure out where you stand in this ongoing debate.

Special thanks to our sponsors, CourtFiling.net.

The Chocolate Covered Edition Jul 03, 2019

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Our guest Valerie Beck proves that a legal career can be just like a box of chocolates—you never know what you're going to get. Valerie graduated from Harvard Law School and practiced in "Big Law" before leaving her legal practice to become a chocolate expert and entrepreneur. In this unique edition, co-hosts Jonathan Amarilio and Trisha Rich join Valerie on a tasting tour through the world of craft, artisan chocolate. They also chat about Valerie's unique career path, how consumers can influence and encourage major chocolate brands to become more ethical and sustainable, and Valerie's Chocolate Freedom Project, which is committed to ending child slave labor in the chocolate industry.

Special thanks to our sponsors, CourtFiling.net.

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

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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.

Special thanks to our sponsors, CourtFiling.net.

The Chief Justices Edition May 08, 2019

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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.

Special thanks to our sponsors, CourtFiling.net.

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

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In this edition, lawyer, diversity expert and author, Sharon Jones, provides an update on the current state of gender diversity in the legal profession and 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. She discusses how law firm compensation models play a role in the gender pay gap, highlights the importance of finding the right mentors and sponsors, and imparts some nuggets of wisdom from none other than the Queen B herself: Beyoncé.

Special thanks to our sponsors, CourtFiling.net.

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

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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.

Special thanks to our sponsors, CourtFiling.net.

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

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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. This episode provides a rare, behind-the-scenes look at the crimes and prosecution of the man dubbed the "The Killer Clown" by William "Bill" Kunkle, the lead prosecutor who took him on and sent him to his eventual execution.

Special thanks to our sponsors, CourtFiling.net.

Benching Judicial Independence: The Poland Edition Jan 03, 2019

Show notes

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. In this episode, hosts Jonathan Amarilio and Jennifer Byrne are joined by Mikołaj Pietrzak, Dean of the Warsaw Bar Association, for a discussion about the political and social conditions that led to this assault on Poland's judiciary, the impact it's had on the Polish people and legal system, what this tells us about similar efforts in other countries, and what can be done to defend the rule of law.

The Civility in Uncivil Times Edition Dec 05, 2018

Show notes

From presidential politics to internet trolls, our society seems to be more uncivil now than ever before. Lawyers, in particular, struggle with incivility in the profession and get a bad rap in the eyes of the public. What can we do to turn things around and hold ourselves to a higher standard? 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.

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