Expert witnesses can make or break a case: judges and juries look to their authority to explain all manner of technical subjects. But it turns out that hidden biases may be at work in who gets selected to testify as an expert. In this episode, Becky digs into why this disparity exists and how it might be solved with her guests Isabel Kunsman and Kathryn Britten. Isabel and Kathryn are partners at consulting firm AlixPartners and co-founders of Equal Representation for Expert Witnesses (ERE), an organisation working to bring gender equality to this important function of the law. To find out more about the ERE pledge, go to: https://www.expertwitnesspledge.com/

In this episode, Lauren chats with Katharine Larsen, Deputy General Counsel, Litigation, for Thomson Reuters. Katharine was raised in a small town in the midwestern US, but always knew she wanted to explore the world. At a young age, Katharine began living and working abroad, and continued to do so at various points in her legal career. Now back in the US and working in New York City, Katharine has a unique global perspective that sets her apart from many American lawyers. Through her journey around the globe, Katharine also found her passion in media law. Katharine and Lauren chat about this passion and other topics, including how Katharine's global experience helped her work to free Reuters journalists Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo from prison in Myanmar, some big-picture differences between the US legal system and those of other countries, and the greatest challenge facing the media right now. They also chat about the importance of approaching situations without making assumptions, and why it often pays to ask open-ended questions. (Interview recorded 16th December 2022) We'd love to hear from you, so drop us a line at thehearing@tr.com to say hello, or to share your ideas for guests and future topics! Find out more at tr.com/TheHearing

In this episode, Yasmin sits down with Peter Daly, an employment law partner at Doyle Clayton, to discuss his career and the high-profile philosophical belief cases he's been focused on recently. They discuss the significance for employers of the judgment Forstater, as well as the wider societal impact of such cases. For more episodes that touch upon related themes, we invite you to listen to those featuring the guests below: EP. 04 – Robin White (https://pod.fo/e/149f99)EP. 79 – Freddy McConnell (https://pod.fo/e/d596e)EP. 110 – Ellie Krug (https://pod.fo/e/154d45) Find out more at tr.com/TheHearing

MY LEGAL JOB & ME – In the hotseat for this episode is Charles Bagot KC from Gatehouse Chambers in London. Charles has many strings to his bow – he's a barrister, part-time judge, and joint head of chambers. He's also well known in the profession for his legendary courtesy. Listen to Charles as he talks about overcoming imposter syndrome, bouncing back from set-backs, and why it pays to be nice to everyone. No matter what stage you're at in your career, we're sure you'll appreciate his sage advice. Find out more at tr.com/TheHearing

MY LEGAL JOB & ME – This episode will be of particular interest to any aspiring solicitors. Jack Courtney is in the first seat of his training contract – at Biscoes Solicitors in Portsmouth, UK. Jack, who is in the firm's corporate team, describes his experiences and offers advice for other students who are at the beginning of their careers. If there is a specific legal job type that you would like to know more about, please email your suggestion to thehearing@tr.com. Find out more at tr.com/TheHearing

THEN: "Killer Krug" was an attack dog courtroom lawyer who presented as an aggressive male, complete with an intimidating voice that cracked witnesses on the stand. But inside, "Killer Krug" secretly grappled with suppressed gender identity issues dating back to childhood. NOW: Ellie Krug is a transgender woman who uses who uses her voice – in more ways than one – to teach compassion and empathy. Join our new host, Jennifer Thibodaux, as she chats with Ellie about the idealism that led her to law school, her crushing schedule as a junior associate and then law firm owner balancing a family. Ellie describes what happens when she realized she could no longer out-work or "out-therapy" her "gut tugs" about being a woman, and made the brave decision to lead an authentic life. Ellie and Jennifer also talk about Ellie's mission with her company, Human Inspiration Works, and her signature training, Gray Area Thinking, including the surprising results that occur at the end of every training. Meet Ellie Krug: writer, lawyer, and human. We know that her story will leave you inspired and transformed. Find out more at tr.com/TheHearing

With the increased focus on ethics in the legal profession, we were interested to learn more about the work of Can't Buy My Silence (https://www.cantbuymysilence.com). This campaign group was set up in September 2021 by Zelda Perkins and Professor Julie Macfarlane. Their mission is to end the misuse of non-disclosure agreements to silence the victims of crime and wrongdoing. Zelda was the first woman to break their NDA with Harvey Weinstein. In this episode, Zelda talks to Becky Annison about her campaign work and how its helping to bring the systematic abuse of NDAs to the attention of the international media and governments. They also discuss the practice of using NDAs from a lawyer's perspective, and how this interacts with underlying principles of the profession. We imagine lots of you have experience of NDAs and we'd love to hear your thoughts on this subject. You can email us at thehearing@tr.com. Find out more at tr.com/TheHearing

Law school. Supreme Court of New Jersey. Prison. Oval Office of the White House. These are just a few places where this episode's guest, John Koufos, has spent time. If you haven't heard John's story, then prepare yourself for a rollercoaster ride. A former criminal defense attorney who was no stranger to a high-pressure career, John's 15-year battle with alcoholism eventually caught up to him, with tragic consequences. Join our new host, Lauren Sobel, as she chats with John about his former legal career, what it was like to leave the courthouse – where he once practiced – in handcuffs, his journey to becoming a recognized expert on re-entry into society after prison, and his remorse. Lauren and John also cover issues like substance abuse in the legal profession, how the criminal justice system impacts all of society, and the less obvious consequences of being a convicted felon. John's story gives true meaning to the phrase second chances and, as Lauren says, making lemonade out of lemons. His candor and determination had us glued to this conversation, and we think you'll be too. After listening to the episode, find out more about John’s work here (https://cottagefour.com). And if you want to reach out to us, please email thehearing@tr.com – we’d love to hear from you! Find out more at tr.com/TheHearing

As you’ll know, if you want that dream job, you’ve got to nail the interview. And that’s just what Lauren Sobel and Jennifer Thibodaux had to do before taking up their posts as our new US hosts of The Hearing. Join Yasmin as she gets to know our new pod-mates – finding out Lauren and Jennifer’s career journeys, their roles as Senior Legal Editors at Practical Law, and what makes them tick. It gets deep. As Lauren and Jennifer both got the job(!) we can’t wait to join them for future episodes, as they introduce us to their own guests and topics. If you have any suggestions for who or what we should feature, please do get in touch. Find out more at tr.com/TheHearing

THE CROSS-EXAMINATION – In this episode, Becky explores the unique role the monarch plays in British government, and considers what changes may come now that King Charles III has ascended to the throne following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II. Becky talks to Sir Jonathan Jones KC, a consultant in constitutional law at Linklaters, and Robert Hazell, a professor of government and the constitution at University College London. They discuss the formal and informal powers the UK monarch has to influence legislation, and how Queen Elizabeth approached the role during her historic reign. What powers does the monarch really have? And which limits on the monarchy are based on convention rather than the constitution? Guests: – Sir Jonathan Jones KC, Senior Consultant in Public and Constitutional Law, Linklaters – Professor Robert Hazell, Founder of the Constitution Unit, UCL Find out more at tr.com/TheHearing