

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 current 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. 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

Jun 17, 2024 • 40min
EP. 153 – Stuart Grossman & Alex Arteaga-Gomez (Grossman Roth Yaffa Cohen)
 In the US, June is no longer just June – it is also National Gun Violence Awareness Month. To that end, this episode delves into one of the most pressing issues facing the US today: school shootings.            
          Lauren sits down with Stuart Grossman and Alex Arteaga-Gomez, two attorneys at the forefront of US legal efforts to help curb gun violence in schools, to discuss their work on the deadliest mass shooting at a high school in US history – the Parkland shooting. Lauren also chats with Stuart and Alex about the unique aspects of their work, including the sensitivity and understanding of human psychology required, and why litigating cases stemming from tragedy isn't for every lawyer. 

Jun 3, 2024 • 32min
EP. 152 – Neil Hudgell (Hudgell Solicitors)
 Over decades, hundreds of Post Office employees in the UK were wrongly prosecuted for crimes such as fraud and theft due to accounting errors resulting from faulty software. Many lives were devastated by the false accusations. This week, Yasmin speaks to Neil Hudgell, the Executive Chairman of Hudgell Solicitors, a firm representing many of the claimants in the post office scandal, about the case and his experiences representing individuals who have been through tragic events.            
          Find out more about The Hearing and other Thomson Reuters podcasts at tr.com/thehearing 

May 20, 2024 • 54min
EP. 151 – Jake Heller (CoCounsel, Thomson Reuters)
 Jake Heller, CEO of a legal tech company, shares his journey from coding to founding a successful AI product for lawyers. He discusses the evolution of CoCounsel, the impact of AI on the legal field, and balancing entrepreneurship with family life. 

May 6, 2024 • 48min
EP. 150 – Lord Tim Clement-Jones CBE
 Governments around the world are grappling with how to regulate AI on issues ranging from copyright protections to ethical standards, competition rules and beyond.   In this episode, host Becky Annison explores AI governance issues with Lord Tim Clement-Jones CBE, member of the UK House of Lords and former chair of its Artificial Intelligence Select Committee. The pair discuss the challenges of balancing enthusiasm for a new technology with the need to manage its risks. They also chat about areas where AI developers need to be more transparent regarding the construction of their models, and global efforts to set commonly accepted governance standards for AI.          
          Find out more about The Hearing and other Thomson Reuters podcasts at tr.com/thehearing 

Apr 22, 2024 • 51min
EP. 149 – Joe Green (Gunderson Dettmer)
 Joe Green, Chief Innovation Officer at Gunderson Dettmer, discusses the evolving legal world, skills lawyers need for new technologies, and his career pivot from corporate lawyer to legal tech influencer. Topics include AI integration, career transitions in law, and the intersection of law, tech, and innovation. 

Apr 8, 2024 • 42min
EP. 148 – Reena Parmar (Disabled Solicitors Network)
 For lawyers who are disabled or neurodivergent, finding role models and support in the legal profession is a huge challenge. After becoming disabled eight years ago – and grappling with how to navigate her health and her work as a lawyer – Reena Parmar set out to address that problem.            
          Now Chair of the Disabled Solicitors Network (DSN) at the Law Society of England and Wales, Reena chats with host Yasmin Sheikh about the initiatives underway at the DSN to promote disability inclusion and to support legal professionals looking for guidance or mentorship. 

Mar 18, 2024 • 36min
EP. 147 – Alan Barinholtz (Jury Duty)
 In this episode, Lauren sits down with Alan Barinholtz, lawyer and star of the hit TV series Jury Duty.  Though Alan spent most of his life as a litigator and arbitrator, he dreamed of being an actor. After 40+ years as a lawyer (and, as he puts it, being patient and rehearsing for close to 50 years),  Alan's dream came true when he landed the role of Judge Alan Rosen on Jury Duty. The Amazon show went on to earn an Emmy nomination and won the 2024 Film Independent Spirit Award for Best Ensemble Cast in a New Scripted Series, in no small part thanks to Alan's talented acting.  Lauren and Alan chat about Alan's journey from lawyer to actor, including how he leaned on his legal experience to play a judge on TV. Alan also reveals the advice he got from his sons, Hollywood stars Ike and Jon Barinholtz, and shares an inspiring message for anyone else considering a career change.            
          Find out more about Jury Duty here: https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/realism-or-ridicule-what-jury-duty-show-says-about-system-2023-05-10/ 

Mar 4, 2024 • 40min
EP. 146 – Environmental activism in law firms: how to be a more climate conscious lawyer
 THE CROSS-EXAMINATION – Lawyers who are concerned about climate change increasingly want to see environmental values reflected in their practice. It can be difficult to advocate for change, especially for early career lawyers and those who feel that climate law is outside their expertise. But it turns out you don’t have to be an environmental litigator or a managing partner to make a difference.  In this episode, Becky speaks with two activists leading organisations that help provide lawyers and law students with tools to make a difference on climate change within the legal profession. Haley Czarnek, from Law Students for Climate Accountability (LSCA), and Ming Zee Tee, from Legal Voices for the Future (LVF), both believe that any lawyer has the skills and leverage to have a positive impact on the climate.  Haley and Ming Zee discuss their views on the growing need to incorporate climate change issues into law school curriculums, the ethical duties of law firms in representing fossil fuel companies, the most exciting developments taking place in climate law, and the practical things those concerned about the environment can do to make a difference, no matter what your practice or stage of career.            
          Guests:– Haley Czarnek, National Director, LSCA https://www.ls4ca.org  – Ming Zee Tee, Chair, LVF https://www.lawsociety.org.uk/topics/climate-change/legal-voices-for-the-future 

Feb 19, 2024 • 48min
EP. 145 – Michele Meyer-Shipp (Dress for Success Worldwide)
 In this episode, Jennifer sits down with Michele Meyer-Shipp, the Chief Executive Officer of Dress for Success Worldwide. Dress for Success (https://dressforsuccess.org) is a global not-for-profit organization operating in 22 countries.Michele tells us about the organization's mission – helping women achieve economic independence and, as she explains, dress women "from the inside out" by providing professional attire and development opportunities. Michele also shares what it's like being the CEO responsible for affiliates across the globe.          
          Jennifer and Michele discuss her path to Dress for Success – from private practice to the public sector, to in-house counsel to Chief Diversity Officer, and to become the highest-ranking woman in Major League Baseball. Along the way, Michele shares practical and meaningful career advice for lawyers – be a lifelong learner and find work that brings you joy(!) – that makes it easy to see why she's been successful every step of the way. 

Feb 5, 2024 • 56min
EP. 144 – Freedom of speech in the workplace
 THE CROSS-EXAMINATION – In today's culture, people are used to expressing their views on social media and entering into often polarised debates on potentially emotive issues. Amid the ethos of "bringing your whole self" to work, we have seen this outspokenness permeate into the workplace. There can be a range of differing views which can result in conflicts between employees and challenges for employers to manage.  Employees have the right to hold and express certain protected beliefs, but how should an employer balance these conflicting protected rights and ensure they don't result in discrimination or harassment? Can an employer limit freedom of speech in the workplace, and also in the provision of services? What counts as a proportionate response, and are zero-tolerance policies achievable? These are some of the questions tackled in this episode.            
          Hosts:– Elanne Pimstone, Director, Practical Law Employment– Sophie McGuinness, Senior Specialist Legal Editor, Practical Law EmploymentGuests:– Sarah Gilzean, Partner, Morton Fraser MacRoberts– Darren Newman, independent consultant, writer and trainer on employment law– Elizabeth McGlone, Partner, didlaw 


