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
Nov 4, 2019 • 35min
EP. 39 – Lucy Garrett QC (Keating Chambers)
How does a construction barrister based in London, end up in Sierra Leone, advising local government on faecal sludge? After 19 years as a Construction Barrister, Lucy Garret QC, was getting a little bit bored and wanted a change of scenery. So, she did what most of us can only dream of and took an 18-month sabbatical. Leaving London, and travelling over 4,000 miles south to Freetown, Sierra Leone, to take up a new opportunity with the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change. Currently working with the elected Mayor of Freetown, Lucy talks about how her skills and experience as a high-flying barrister have transferred to her new role, helping the local government to enhance their effectiveness, in order to deliver reforms or projects for the people of the country. But, with her sabbatical coming to an end, and plans to return to take up her old life in London, Lucy reflects on her time in Sierra Leone, talking to Kevin about the life lessons, new skills and experiences she’s picked up along her journey and how these will help her transition to the next chapter of her life.
Find out more at tr.com/TheHearing
Oct 21, 2019 • 54min
EP. 38 – Lloyd Rees & Kristina Adey-Davies (Freshfields)
In this episode Kevin meets with Freshfields knowledge lawyer, Lloyd Rees, to discuss his refreshing three-part blog series, addressing his own anxiety and depression. Lloyd talks frankly about his decision to publish such private struggles, going right back to his teens. He shares his own experience with chemical depression, his recovery at The Nightingale Hospital and the amazing turnaround from rapid decline to a sustainable and positive mental health state. As a huge plus point, we’re also joined by Kristina Adey-Davies, Senior Global Diversity and Inclusion Manager at Freshfields. She talks about the importance of employer support with mental health in the workplace and the resources employers can draw on. Interestingly, she also tells us why the prevalent self-oriented perfectionism trait in many lawyers can lead to mental health struggles.
Find out more at tr.com/TheHearing
Oct 7, 2019 • 1h 19min
EP. 37 – Legal Debate: Sanctions are fair and effective
Welcome to The Hearing's first Legal Debate. In this special episode, we feature a blockbuster bout between legal, political and media heavyweights. Listen in as the Rt Hon. the Lord Darling of Roulanish and the 'Queen of Sanctions' Maya Lester QC go head-to-head with journalist and author Alastair Campbell, and Monckton Chambers' own Ben Emmerson QC, debating on whether sanctions are fair and effective. Not to be outdone by these debating titans, we've put Kevin and special guest Thomson Reuters' Simon Smith in a small booth, given them a bottle of plonk, and let them unleash their best Graham Norton-esque commentary. Sit back and enjoy.
Find out more at tr.com/TheHearing
Sep 16, 2019 • 41min
EP. 36 - Alastair Campbell
This week’s guest has experienced a wealth of colourful nicknames including ‘The Riviera Gigolo’, ‘The Burnley Bruiser’ and ‘The Real Deputy Prime Minister’. Yes, it’s former Downing Street Press Secretary and Director of Communications, Alastair Campbell. He’s chatting to us about the trivial (a love of bagpipes and his ‘soft-porn first forays into writing’), to the momentous (Boris Johnson being a puppet and the media lies around Brexit). Alastair opens up to Kevin about his upbringing, including his time at Cambridge and his assessment of the ‘private schoolboys’. He talks about the role of the press in supporting a healthy democracy, but discusses the current battle being played out, which isn’t necessarily laden with truths. He also discusses the role of PR and the media in high-profile law cases, and how lawyers should be dealing with them.
Find out more at tr.com/TheHearing
Sep 2, 2019 • 44min
EP. 35 – Leanne Maskell
Imagine this: you're 13 and bullied for being 'ugly'. But in a dramatic turn of events, you put the middle finger up to your bullies and land a modelling job for Vogue that your peers could only dream of. Then you're suddenly plunged into a world of 16 hour days, starvation diets and made to strip naked at work on a regular basis. So, what do you do? If you're this week's guest, Leanne Maskell, you get a law degree and go on to write an award-winning exposé on exploitation in the modelling industry. Kevin chats to her about her burgeoning legal career and gets the lowdown on her book, The Model Manifesto – an A - Z in anti-exploitation to guide both models and their parents through the murky waters of the fashion industry. Leanne opens up about her quest to protect other young models from the exploitation she suffered, and help them avoid the pitfalls of financial, sexual, physical and emotional ill-treatment.
Find out more at tr.com/TheHearing
Aug 19, 2019 • 33min
EP. 34 – Mary Robinson
This week’s guest is Mary Robinson (never to be called Mrs. Robinson), a lawyer and diplomat who served as the 7th President of Ireland. Kevin and Mary talk about how her early life as the only girl of four siblings ignited her desire for gender equality and how in her own words ‘she learned how to use her elbows’. A former High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mary talks in a refreshingly frank way about the social justice implications of climate change, her admiration for Greta Thunberg and how Nelson Mandela taught her to listen to both the locals and young people for insights. She tells us all about her position as Chair of The Elders, an independent group of global leaders working together for peace, justice, and human rights, founded by Mandela. Not one for shying away from controversy, Mary also discusses her struggles closer to home while fighting for political change in Ireland and how she’s proud of the Ireland that exists today.
Find out more at tr.com/TheHearing
Aug 5, 2019 • 34min
EP. 33 – Morten Tidemann (LIGL)
Holed up in a small Nordic city, a disruptive genius develops a robot lawyer designed to methodically take over the Norwegian legal industry. But this isn't a synopsis for the next big Scandi thriller – it's the latest episode of The Hearing. This week's guest, Morten Tidemann, flew in from Stavanger in Norway. He's best known for the innovative methods he's using to disrupt the business of law. Morten sits down with Kevin to discuss the efficiency savings enabled by his robot lawyer 'Ida' – around document assembly for legal, as well as business transactions and processes. The pair also chat about Nordic noir TV, alternative fee arrangements, the stigma of low-cost legal services, and why lawyers tend to be so risk-averse when it comes to tech adoption.
Find out more at tr.com/TheHearing
Jul 22, 2019 • 44min
EP. 32 – Brie Stevens-Hoare QC
In this episode we meet a woman who describes herself as a thrill seeking, motorbiking, bungee jumping, feminist, activist and pansexual. From that intro, who would have thought we'd be speaking to a top QC? This week, Kevin catches up with good friend Brie Stevens-Hoare. And, after 5 minutes of listening, it will feel like you've known Brie for years too. Not one for conforming or seeking accolades, Brie gives a funny, honest and emotional take on her road to becoming a silk. She also opens up about her struggle with 'imposter syndrome' and feeling like an outsider within the profession. Make sure you listen out for Brie's tale about lending Lord Neuberger her watch!
Find out more at tr.com/TheHearing
Jul 8, 2019 • 47min
EP. 31 – Cherie Blair CBE, QC
The first question Kevin posed when he sat down with our latest high-profile guest was: is it BLAIR or BOOTH? Yes, our latest interviewee on The Hearing is former 10 Downing Street resident, barrister, lecturer and writer, as well as the founder and chair of Omnia Strategy, Cherie Blair (Booth). Kevin heads across to leafy Marylebone to sit down with Cherie, where she shares anecdotes from her life and career. Highlights include: overcoming the gender imbalance at the Bar, setting aside ambitions of becoming a High Court judge when her husband became PM, and how she dragged herself to court just 10 days after a caesarean! During their chat, Cherie's love for the law shines through. Whether it's her continued international legal and advisory work, mentoring the next generation of lawyers, or discussing Lord Derry Irvine's love for Pugin wallpaper, she maintains the same level of enthusiasm as when she started 40 years ago. And with so many future plans and so much to do, there's no sign of her slowing down.
Find out more at tr.com/TheHearing
Jun 10, 2019 • 39min
EP. 30 – Alex Aldridge (Legal Cheek)
Before our Kevin was the high-profile, polished podcaster he is today, he cut his teeth co-hosting a pioneering and often controversial weekly podcast with our latest guest. Often equated to the Popbitch of law, everyone knows Legal Cheek – as it's the most read legal website in the UK. But does everyone know the man behind it? In the final episode of season 3, Kevin catches up with Legal Cheek's founder Alex Aldridge to reminisce about those early days of blogging and podcasting, that led on to the website we know and love today. The pair also trade stories about the wild west beginnings of social media, discuss the impact of greater self-awareness on today's legal figures, and debate which law firms have the best biscuits. Fortunately/unfortunately (depending on your point of view) this meeting didn't include the now infamous pre-recording pub sessions of Alex and Kevin's early podcasting careers.
Find out more at tr.com/TheHearing
