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
Jul 24, 2023 • 53min
EP. 128 – Makalika Naholowa'a (Native Hawaiian Legal Corp.)
TWLL TAKEOVER – Intellectual property lawyer, indigenous person, law firm leader, mother, and advocate. This week’s guest on the TWLL Takeover, Makalika Naholowa'a, speaks with host Janelle Wrigley about navigating the highest levels of the legal profession while representing all these identities and roles. Charting her career journey from IP lawyer in a global tech firm to her current roles as executive director of the Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation and President of the National Native American Bar Association, Makalika shows how diverse experience is critical to being a true leader in law. She also shares her ideas on how we can help ease the burden that people from underrepresented communities face within the legal industry.
Don’t miss the end of this episode, where Makalika describes a moving vision of what a truly inclusive legal profession could be, drawing on the lessons of the Native Hawaiian community.
Jul 17, 2023 • 53min
EP. 127 – Darieth Chisolm (50 Shades of Silence)
Warning: this episode deals with adult themes. Imagine discovering after a break-up that your significant other took nude photos of you without your knowledge. Your ex, who lives abroad, repeatedly threatens to publish the photos on the internet. And, when they finally make good on that promise, they also share the website with your family, friends, and business contacts. You are a victim of revenge pornography. This is what happened to Emmy Award winning journalist and former television news anchor, Darieth Chisolm. In this episode, Darieth talks to Jennifer about how she overcame feelings of devastation and shame to navigate the legal system in two countries so she could get the photos taken down and bring her ex to justice. Darieth shares her journey and the decision behind breaking her own story, which led to her founding the global social justice movement 50 Shades of Silence (https://50shadesofsilence.com). Its mission: to shine a light on revenge porn, give a voice to victims, and offer help to anyone affected by cyber harassment. Hear how Darieth has turned her "mess into her message" and how her healing journey has become her life's work.
For more analysis of the issues raised in this episode, listen to episode 83: Image-based sexual abuse and the law (https://pod.fo/e/ebe28).
Jul 10, 2023 • 42min
EP. 126 – Florence Brocklesby (Bellevue Law)
TWLL TAKEOVER – Many lawyers love the challenge of the job but reach a point where the long hours of law firm life become untenable – often, after starting families. But what’s the solution? In our second episode of the TWLL Takeover, host Janelle Wrigley chats with Florence Brocklesby, who solved that problem with creativity and courage in starting her law firm Bellevue Law. Florence has shown that top-tier legal work can flourish within a flexible working environment that truly supports working parents. How did she do it? Can Big Law follow that model? Listen and find out!
You can learn more about TWLL (Transforming Women's Leadership in the Law) here: https://legalsolutions.thomsonreuters.co.uk/blog/transforming-womens-leadership-law/
Jun 26, 2023 • 48min
EP. 125 – Susan Crumiller (The Feminist Litigation Firm)
TWLL TAKEOVER – Welcome to the TWLL Takeover of The Hearing! We’ve joined forces with Transforming Women's Leadership in the Law (TWLL) to bring you this special mini-series focusing on issues of women’s leadership, the stories of inspiring leaders, and the things we can all do to make the legal profession a better place for women – and for everyone. Our first guest, Susan Crumiller, is the ultimate leader to kick off this series: a passionate advocate for change as the founder of feminist litigation firm Crumiller. Susan talks us through her personal journey – from spiky-haired teenage wrestler, to starting her own law firm when she faced mistreatment at work after having her second child. Along the way, she shines a light on what it looks like to use your own privilege to advocate for others. Best of all, Susan spoke to us on the heels of a huge win in a race and sex discrimination trial with an all-woman trial team (you can read more about that here: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/26/nyregion/equinox-settlement-discrimination.html) – but also reminds us that there’s still plenty of work to be done. We’d love to hear from you! Drop us a line at thehearing@tr.com to tell us your thoughts on the TWLL Takeover, to share your ideas for guests and topics, or just to say hi.
You can find out more about TWLL here: https://legalsolutions.thomsonreuters.co.uk/blog/transforming-womens-leadership-law/
Jun 19, 2023 • 52min
EP. 124 – Daniel Hoadley (Mishcon de Reya)
ChatGPT is probabilistic and not deterministic, which has important implications for how lawyers might use it. Did you understand that sentence? If not, you will after listening to this episode. How does the tech that’s launched a thousand think-pieces actually work? Should we be excited about the opportunities that large language models offer or scared of a robot revolution? Whatever your questions or concerns, this episode's guest, Daniel Hoadley – Mishcon de Reya’s Head of Data Science & Analytics – has the answers. And apparently, yes – we should be a little worried about a potential robot revolution! Daniel speaks with host Becky Annison and explains things ChatGPT, large language models and AI. They discuss the upsides and the risks, including how these technologies might impact the work that lawyers do.
Find out more at tr.com/TheHearing
Jun 5, 2023 • 38min
EP. 123 – Camille Vasquez (Brown Rudnick)
When lawyers represent celebrities, they don't typically become celebs themselves. But that’s what happened to Camille Vasquez, who represented Johnny Depp in his defamation trial against Amber Heard. In this episode, Lauren sits down with Camille, who rose to fame in no small part because of the way she commanded the courtroom in Depp v. Heard, all while the world watched. As you'd expect, the Depp trial, and the many serious issues it raised, are discussed – including gender roles, cancel culture, the court of public opinion, and the importance of teamwork. Camille and Lauren also chat about Camille's life after the Depp trial – including making partner at Brown Rudnick, representing other high-profile clients, and working as a legal correspondent for NBC. Camille’s passion for her work, including being in the courtroom, really shines in this episode – leaving no doubt that she’s a star in her own right. 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 future guests and topics.
Find out more at tr.com/TheHearing
May 22, 2023 • 48min
EP. 122 – Victoria Lewis (byrne·dean)
If we were to suggest “blending your personal and professional life, to bring your whole self to work”, how would that make you feel? Perhaps that sentiment aligns perfectly with how you approach your career too. Or maybe it makes you feel like stuffing carrots in your ears to avoid yet more corporate speak. Whatever your reaction, listen up! Yasmin's next guest – Victoria Lewis, CEO of byrne·dean – is about to put you through your paces. Victoria explains to Yasmin exactly why this attitude means so much to her, and her clients, and why it makes byrne·dean such a popular place to work. Trigger warning: Victoria and Yasmin discuss child loss.
Find out more at tr.com/TheHearing
May 8, 2023 • 53min
EP. 121 – Helen Wan (The Partner Track)
If the best childhood gift you ever received was a typewriter to write mystery stories, perhaps it's no surprise when you end up writing a novel that inspires a hit TV show. In this episode, host Jennifer Thibodaux sits down with Helen Wan – lawyer, author, and DEI consultant.Jennifer and Helen chat about Helen's debut novel, The Partner Track, which follows a young, Chinese-American woman navigating life as a senior associate at a large law firm in New York City. Helen explains how her experiences in Big Law inspired her book and outlines the casual racism she encountered from certain publishers. Fast-forward, and the story has been a hit in print and on the small screen – even resonating with fans that Helen wasn't expecting.Jennifer and Helen explore the story's themes – being women of color in the profession, assimilation versus authenticity, defining success, and staying curious. Plus, we get to hear how writing this book has changed Helen's life and what she's doing now. Helen also shares the advice that motivated her to transform her "subway scribblings" about her workday into a novel. And, after listening to this episode, you'll be inspired to follow your passion too. Hint: get started!
Find out more at tr.com/TheHearing
Apr 24, 2023 • 33min
EP. 120 – Redundancies, layoffs, and cutbacks – oh my!
THE CROSS-EXAMINATION – With corporate layoffs making headlines around the world, Becky Annison explores the pitfalls of handling redundancies across borders, and where companies go wrong. Speaking with experts from the US and UK, Becky delves into the widely varying rights that employees have in different places, and the consequences that businesses should consider before reducing headcount. They discuss the surprising experience of seeing a mass layoff live-tweeted around the world and how that might affect how employees perceive their rights. Does Elon Musk listen to The Hearing? Might he learn some lessons for the future? We hope so! Certainly everyone else will gain insights about how employers can handle the layoff process, when it can’t be avoided, with thoughtfulness and fairness. Guests: – Kate Bally, Director, Practical Law US Labor & Employment – Chris Hovenden, Senior Editor, Practical Law Global Employment – Stephanie Lopes, Chief Legal Officer, Volt
Find out more at tr.com/TheHearing
Apr 10, 2023 • 11min
EP. 119 – Tracey Dovaston (Head of DEI & Partner)
MY LEGAL JOB & ME – In the hotseat for this episode is Tracey Dovaston, a Partner and the Head of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at Pallas Partners. Tracey has an impressive background, switching between private practice and in-house roles. These have included Head of Litigation Investigations & Regulatory Enforcement at Barclays, Chief Compliance Officer, and Executive Litigation Counsel. Listen to Tracey as she talks about her passions, the motivation behind her career decisions, and as she shares her tips for success.
Find out more at tr.com/TheHearing
