The Hearing – A Legal Podcast
Thomson Reuters
The Hearing is a legal podcast from Thomson Reuters. Listen to insightful discussions with lawyers, legal experts, and other interesting people connected to the legal industry. We delve into anything and everything – trailblazers in the law, the latest insights on legal innovation and trends, and how the profession is evolving. With hosts based in the UK and the US, we cover issues around the globe. Our hosts: Becky Annison – Trained at a London law firm before moving in-house. Spent 12 years as a senior solicitor in a large international company, before joining Practical Law's In-house practice area team. Now, as Head of Engagement for The Chancery Lane Project, Becky uses her knowledge of contracting and law to help tackle the climate crisis. Janelle Wrigley – An attorney based in California. As head of the Antitrust & Competition team at Practical Law, leads a team of lawyers producing practical guidance for competition lawyers worldwide. Previously, Janelle was a litigator at the US Federal Trade Commission and at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP in New York. Jennifer Thibodaux – An attorney, speaker, and writer based in New Jersey. A member of the Litigation team at Practical Law, where she creates procedural and substantive content, plus professional development resources. Previously, Jennifer was a partner at Gibbons P.C. in Newark, New Jersey, focusing on commercial litigation. Lauren Sobel – An attorney, editor, and frequent presenter on trending legal topics based in New York City. At Practical Law, she uses her experience as a litigator and federal law clerk in multiple jurisdictions to help other attorneys in their practice. Before joining Thomson Reuters, Lauren was a partner at Shutts & Bowen LLP in Miami, Florida, specialising in business litigation. Teneé Frazier – An attorney, editor, and speaker based in Alabama. As a member of the State and Local Government team at Practical Law, she uses her expertise in municipal law to produce substantive content for local government attorneys. Previously, Teneé was Assistant General Counsel at the Alabama League of Municipalities. Yasmin Sheikh – Executive coach, trainer, consultant, and speaker, with a background as a lawyer – practising for 12 years in a large international law firm. Founder of Diverse Matters – which helps promote equality, diversity, and inclusivity within organisations. Yasmin is also a former vice chair of the Disabled Solicitors Network at the Law Society of England and Wales. Find out more about The Hearing and other Thomson Reuters podcasts at tr.com/thehearing.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Feb 10, 2025 • 59min
EP. 168 – Abimbola Johnson (UK Police Independent Scrutiny & Oversight Board)
The world can feel hopelessly polarised at times, especially on topics such as racism and criminal justice. If your spirits need lifting, and if you need reassurance that respectful dialogue is possible, even if people disagree with each other, then this episode is for you.
Abimbola Johnson, a barrister at London's Doughty Street Chambers, speaks with host Yasmin Sheikh about her work as chair of the Independent Scrutiny and Oversight Board, which addresses racism in policing. They discuss the importance of having challenging conversations in ways that maintain respect for differing viewpoints and Abimbola's hopes for the legacy of the Board's Police Race Action Plan (https://www.npcc.police.uk/our-work/police-race-action-plan/) as it enters its final year.
Jan 27, 2025 • 47min
EP. 167 – Kent Halkett (Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services)
In a recent survey, 79% of legal professionals said they felt the profession had negatively affected their mental health. And over 15% had even considered suicide. These are two of the worrying statistics we learned from this episode's guest, Kent Halkett. Kent is an attorney with the Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services who has written articles about mental health in the legal community for a host of publications. Kent chats with host Teneé Frazier about his journey to becoming an advocate for improving mental health within the legal profession. Kent shares the story of his own mental health challenges, which culminated with him attempting suicide. He explains how publishing his story catapulted him, and this often-taboo subject, into the spotlight. During their conversation, Kent describes some of the warning signs of mental health issues, stresses the importance of a work-life balance, and outlines the support available for those in need. Kent also shares insights on how the problem could be addressed, such as by increasing awareness through better education – both in law schools and as part of continuous professional development. You can find out more about the ALM and Law.com Compass mental health survey of the legal profession here: https://www.law.com/americanlawyer/2024/05/17/mental-health-by-the-numbers-the-2024-survey-infographic/?slreturn=20250123165408
You can read one of Kent's articles, Mental Health in the Legal Profession: A Crisis, a Case Study and a Call to Action, here: https://www.tba.org/?pg=Articles&blAction=showEntry&blogEntry=59057
Jan 13, 2025 • 28min
EP. 166 – Derek Walker (Future Generations Commissioner)
We are leaving future generations to face more challenges than ever. Yet it can be incredibly difficult for governments to act for the long term when so many of their incentives encourage short-term thinking.
In this episode, host Becky Annison chats with Derek Walker, the Future Generations Commissioner for Wales, about how Wales is attempting to solve this problem. Derek explains why Wales passed the Well-being of Future Generations Act, how this pioneering legislation obliges the Welsh government to act for the long term, and whether other nations can follow this example.
Dec 16, 2024 • 55min
EP. 165 – Matthew Campbell (Native American Rights Fund)
Native Americans are fighting for their legal rights across many important fronts in the US. In this episode, Janelle Wrigley speaks with Matthew Campbell, Deputy Director of the Native American Rights Fund, about NARF's legal and advocacy work.
Matthew and Janelle's wide-ranging discussion covers issues such as voting rights, the protection of places that are sacred to tribal nations, and access to natural resources. They also discuss the sovereignty of tribal nations, their relationship with the US government, and the challenges of ensuring access to voting.
Dec 2, 2024 • 37min
EP. 164 – Lucie Allen (BARBRI)
In this chat, Lucie Allen, Managing Director of BARBRI, dives into the shifting landscape of legal career development. She highlights the impact of new qualification standards and the need for resilience and adaptability among legal professionals. Lucie shares her journey as a menopause advocate, emphasizing the importance of open conversations in the workplace. They discuss the transformative potential of the SQE for enhancing diversity in legal education and the vital role of supportive environments in fostering professional growth.
Nov 18, 2024 • 54min
EP. 163 – Terah Shelton Harris (heir property)
"From 1910 to 1997, Black Americans have lost 90 percent of farmland to heir property. The Department of Agriculture has deemed it the worst problem that you've never heard of." These are just two of the staggering facts we've learned about heir property from writer and author Terah Shelton Harris.
Terah chats with new host Tenee' Frazier about her recent novel, Long After We Are Gone. It's about a family trying to save their ancestral land from being taken from them – shining a light on the damaging effects of heir property. She explains what heir property is, the detrimental effects it has on property ownership in African American communities, and the steps heirs should take to avoid land loss. Terah also shares her journey to becoming an author and the life events that helped shape her writing style.
Nov 4, 2024 • 49min
EP. 162 – Jury nullification in the UK (Richard Vogler, University of Sussex)
"Mind your privilege, give not away your right!" With those words, William Penn urged the jurors in his 1670 religious freedom trial to remember the power and the responsibility of their role in the English judicial system. For this episode, we return to the topic of jury nullification – the power of juries to acquit despite evidence of the defendant's guilt – with a fresh take from the UK. Professor Richard Vogler of the University of Sussex chats with host Becky Annison about the role of jury nullification, going all the way back to William Penn's trial in the 17th century up to its relevance in climate change cases of today. They discuss why legal institutions began viewing juries with more suspicion from the 1970s, and why it’s more important than ever to defend the jury's place within our legal system – including its power to nullify convictions.
For more on this topic, listen to Janelle Wrigley’s conversation with Glenn Reynolds, from the University of Tennessee, about jury nullification in the US (ep.159) – https://pod.fo/e/269d1a.
Oct 14, 2024 • 47min
EP. 161 – Garrard Beeney (Sullivan & Cromwell)
Content warning: This episode discusses sexual violence, domestic violence, and criminalized survivorship. If you or anyone you know needs help, please safely contact one of the organizations in our show notes. To mark Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Jenn sits down with Garrard Beeney to discuss his pro bono representation of Nicole "Nikki" Addimando and the issue of criminalized survivorship. Garrard shares Nikki's story, which includes enduring years of repeated physical and sexual abuse by her domestic partner, Christopher Grover, who was also the father of her two young children. Events led to her fatally shooting him. But, as Garrard explains, "the abuse that Nikki suffered at the hands of Grover was then repeated in the criminal justice system." Garrard reveals how and why he and his firm got involved with Nikki's appeal. You'll hear about the legal arguments and uphill battle to free Nikki, culminating in the appellate court's rejection of the trial court's "antiquated impressions of how domestic violence survivors should behave."
SHOW NOTES: US National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233 or www.thehotline.org UK National Domestic Abuse Helpline: 0808 2000 247 or www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk Sanctuary for Families: www.sanctuaryforfamilies.org We Stand With Nikki: www.westandwithnikki.com
Sep 30, 2024 • 46min
EP. 160 – Bibi Badejo (The Advocacy Coach)
In this episode, Yasmin Sheikh interviews Bibi Badejo – a family law barrister at Four Brick Court chambers, in London, and an advocacy coach. Bibi recounts her journey into law and how she pursued advocacy despite an initial fear of public speaking and a hefty dose of imposter syndrome. These challenges early in her career motivated Bibi to improve her skills through extensive training in the UK, the US and Australia. And she is now an accomplished advocacy coach in her own right, as well the founder and host of The Advocacy Podcast. This episode is rich with insights and practical tips for anyone interested improving their public speaking. Yasmin and Bibi also discuss the value of mentors and coaches, the emotional challenges of family law, and the evolving legal landscape – especially in addressing domestic abuse.
You can listen to The Advocacy Podcast here: https://podfollow.com/1547600021
Sep 16, 2024 • 42min
EP. 159 – Jury nullification in the US (Glenn Reynolds, University of Tennessee College of Law)
Imagine you are a juror in a criminal trial. The evidence is overwhelming that the defendant is guilty. But you can’t shake the feeling that it would be unjust to convict. Maybe you don’t believe what the defendant did should be treated as a crime. Or maybe you simply believe the defendant deserves mercy. Can you vote to acquit, or must you vote according to the evidence? It turns out that, in the US and the UK, jurors do have the power to acquit, even if they believe a defendant committed the charged crime. This is known as jury nullification.
In this episode, host Janelle Wrigley chats with Professor Glenn Reynolds from the University of Tennessee College of Law. They discuss the history of jury nullification in the US, the role of the jury, and the debate on whether jurors should be told they have the power to nullify if they believe a conviction would be unjust.
