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
Dec 10, 2018 • 40min
EP. 19 – Priscilla Coleman
Cannibals. Terrorists. Serial killers. Movie stars. Megastars. Musicians. Meet the person who's been in court with them all. This episode's guest is courtroom artist Priscilla Coleman. She's the public's eyes in court, and she does it all from memory. Say 'howdy' to the Texan who spends more time at the Old Bailey than hardened criminals. Court can be weird and wonderful, and Priscilla's sketches capture it all. Listen in as she chats to our Kevin, while simultaneously drawing the scene.
Find out more at tr.com/TheHearing
Dec 3, 2018 • 35min
EP. 18 – Catherine Mayer & Dr Ann Olivarius
Two giants of the feminist movement, one chatterbox host, and just 30 minutes to cover a lot of ground. Dear listeners, we're sorry. This week, time is not our friend. Institutionalised discrimination, media giants, failing global icons, Trump, and the gender pay gap are just a few of the small (yeah right) topics that Kevin, Catherine Mayer and Ann Olivarius cram in. It's almost too much for one episode to cope with. Do you want more from these two guests? #metoo
Find out more at tr.com/TheHearing
Nov 26, 2018 • 31min
EP. 17 – Millicent Grant
In the movie "When Harry met Sally", there's that famous scene in the coffee shop. "When Kevin met Millie" is definitely a less racy affair. But it's not one that holds back on the positive vibes. Set backstage at the Women in Law conference (where she was a keynote speaker) Millicent Grant sits across the coffee shop table from our Kevin to talk about the power of saying "yes", and how her positivity and tenacity has got her to the top. Not by the conventional route. Or the route that comes with money, privilege and good grades. Millie's route was inspired by a photo of her uncle in his barrister's cloak and wig. First it took her to secretarial college, then on to becoming a Legal Executive, and eventually to becoming the first female and first black president of CILEx. Now it's your turn to bang the table and whoop with delight.
Find out more at tr.com/TheHearing
Nov 19, 2018 • 34min
EP. 16 – S Chelvan
Not all heroes wear capes. Some of them wear gowns. Few guests on The Hearing could legitimately claim to be a lifesaver. But in episode 16, Kevin meets a man who is precisely that. S Chelvan stands as a reminder of why those who work in the law got into it in the first place. Uphold justice. Protect the innocent. Change lives. Personal, thought-provoking, honest and blunt, Chelvan takes Kevin through everything from his Sri Lankan roots and his homosexuality through to his activism and trouble-making, and how that makes you one of the UK's leading human rights and discrimination barristers. But what does the S stand for? Superhero perhaps.
Find out more at tr.com/TheHearing
Nov 12, 2018 • 37min
EP. 15 – Barry Matthews
'Kids from council estates don't go to university and don't become lawyers.' When Barry Matthews sat down with his careers adviser at 17 and said he wanted to study law, that's exactly the response he got. Now ITV's top lawyer, Barry is determined to kill off this stereotype. Barry's modest beginnings have been the driving force behind the Social Mobility Business Partnership. SMBP has provided work insight, skills training and coaching to hundreds of under-privileged students throughout nine cities, promoting social mobility in the legal and accountancy professions. As well as discussing corporate social responsibility, Barry chats to Kevin about nights out with the Cheeky Girls, the power of a free beer and the ethics of modern day television.
Find out more at tr.com/TheHearing
Nov 5, 2018 • 38min
EP. 14 – David Kerr
The last 10 years have been phenomenal for Bird & Bird – with a keen and fruitful programme of global expansion. And this is in no small part to the firm's hard-working CEO, David Kerr. Kevin sits down with David to discuss his 22 years at the helm. Bird & Bird may have a history dating back to 1846, but it has innovation at its core. How does David feel about getting into bed with China? And just how important is Silicon Valley? This episode sees us on the top floor of Bird & Bird's new Fetter Lane offices, pondering life in charge.
Find out more at tr.com/TheHearing
Oct 29, 2018 • 30min
EP. 13 – Miriam González Durántez
Michelle. Melania. Herr Merkel. If (big if) there was a "Political First Partners" WhatsApp group, they'd be there. And until October 2018, so would Miriam. But her husband has gone to Facebook to be their new Head of Global Affairs and Communications and she has (metaphorically) left the group. This week, Kevin says a great big "hola" to Miriam González Durántez. Not Mrs Clegg. By day she's an international trade rights lawyer. By night she's chief championeer of young girls' rights through her brainchild inspiringgirls.org. Brexit, Henderson's Relish, cooking blogs, and a future where Nick could join the aforementioned mythical WhatsApp group – this episode has got it all. As a Yorkshireman would say, "de nada".
Find out more at tr.com/TheHearing
Oct 22, 2018 • 36min
EP. 12 – Charlotte Proudman
Before the #MeToo movement, publicly speaking out against sexual harassment was a much riskier exercise. Calling out behaviour could find you isolated and even alienated in certain industries, both professionally and personally. Despite these risks, that's exactly what our latest guest did – challenging a senior solicitor over a now infamous message he sent via LinkedIn. In episode 12 of The Hearing, barrister and self-proclaimed feminist Charlotte Proudman sits down with Kevin to speak about how she dealt with her face being splashed across the front pages, being trolled by keyboard warriors and even being labelled a 'feminazi'. Charlotte and Kevin also cover the feminist movement, gender parity, women's only events, her 'inspiration' Catharine MacKinnon, and the difficult subject of disclosure around rape cases.
Find out more at tr.com/TheHearing
Oct 15, 2018 • 39min
EP. 11 – Jonathan Goldberg QC
He's a controversial, no holds barred, opinionated, orator who defends the guilty and loves a good cup of Yorkshire tea. No, we're not talking about Kevin. In The Hearing's series 2 opener, Jonathan Goldberg QC invites us into a world of colourful characters and rogues. Not one to be backward about coming forward, Jonathan lets rip on the state of the "groaning and creaking criminal justice system", the incompetence of solicitors, and the lavish and unnecessary spending on champagne and lunches at the Bar. With more stories than a skyscraper, Jonathan rattles through everything from Hillsborough, Royal Marine A and defending "the charming" Charlie Kray. It's time to meet the man who takes on the task of defending the guilty. "I'm just a mouthpiece. I'm not the judge and jury, I'm the advocate." He's certainly no wallflower. Get your ears around this today. As you might expect, this episode contains language that some may find inappropriate.
Find out more at tr.com/TheHearing
Aug 6, 2018 • 34min
EP. 10 – Karen Jackson
Karen Jackson is an inspirational lover of problem-solving, passionate for French and a self-styled protector of the underdog. In this episode Kevin meets the founder of didlaw, one of the UK's leading disability discrimination practices. A former City trader, Karen talks candidly about the roundabout route she took into law and how a heart transplant helped guide her to a new path – setting up her own practice that's focused on challenging mental health, disability and illness discrimination.
Find out more at tr.com/TheHearing
