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 20, 2021 • 1h 8min
EP. 89 – Special *2021 Yearbook* Episode
We could try to make a witty or poignant comment about this year, but we respect you all too much for that. We all know what 2021 was – and it wasn't the antidote to 2020 we'd hoped for (oops, there's the comment). We know what is was, however – it was another smashing year for The Hearing. We introduced two wonderful new hosts – Yasmin Sheikh and Becky Annison – to join Joe Raczynski. Each bringing their own perspectives and specialist legal backgrounds. In this bumper episode, we're revisiting our favourite interviews. It's been another varied year and there was never a dull moment. But whether we were speaking to celebrity judges, lawtech innovators or examining current affairs through a legal lens, you’ll notice a common theme – fact and truth. Less common, but just as welcome, was the singing. As always, please do get in touch with any comments or questions. And please rate and subscribe if you like what we do. If any of these highlights whet your appetite for more, here’s where you’ll find the full conversations: – Ep.69, Lady Hale – Ep.71, COVID-19 vaccines: will they unite or divide us? – Ep.73, Federico Ast (Kleros) – Ep.74, Will Moy (Full Fact) – Ep.76, Laura Bates (Everyday Sexism Project) – Ep.77, The impact of AI and algorithms on the fairness of our justice systems – Ep.78, Stevie Ghiassi (Legaler) – Ep.79, Freddy McConnell – Ep.84, Andy Wishart (Agiloft)
Find out more at tr.com/TheHearing
Dec 6, 2021 • 29min
EP. 88 – Trevor Sterling (Moore Barlow)
This is an episode that may resonate with many of you. Yasmin speaks to Trevor Sterling about the chance turn of events that led him to pursuing a career in law. And, in spite of Trevor’s unconventional route into the profession, in July 2021 he made history by becoming the first black senior partner at a top 100 UK law firm. Trevor, a personal injury and clinical negligence practitioner, has been involved in lots of high profile and landmark cases – including acting on behalf of 60 Jimmy Savile abuse victims and families of those killed in the 2016 Croydon tram crash. Yasmin also chats to Trevor about his rise to the top and, more importantly, his determination to bring others from disadvantaged backgrounds with him. As you will hear, Trevor is a lawyer who cares passionately about improving diversity and social equality.
Find out more at tr.com/TheHearing
Nov 22, 2021 • 36min
EP. 87 – I. Stephanie Boyce (Law Society of England & Wales)
Yasmin's guest for this episode is something of an inspiration. I. Stephanie Boyce is the 177th president of the Law Society of England and Wales. But she’s the society’s first black office holder, and only the sixth woman to hold the presidency. And, as you will hear, she had to overcome lots of barriers to get there. Yasmin and Stephanie talk about her route to becoming president and her mission to make the Law Society more inclusive and diverse. Growing up, she faced a unique set of challenges, but kept fighting and kept a revolutionary mindset that informs her work today. Stephanie also discusses the campaigning she is doing on behalf of female legal professionals in Afghanistan and the efforts of the global legal community to help ensure the safety of our Afghan colleagues.
Find out more at tr.com/TheHearing
Nov 8, 2021 • 41min
EP. 86 – Houman Shadab (New York Law School & ICME)
Bitcoin: bringing FOMO since 2013. What would your scream sound like if you had dismissed Bitcoin as a joke in your law class in 2013 at $100 dollars – when it sits at $60,000 today? Joe's guest this week is Houman Shadab, the Director of the Innovation Center for Law and Technology at New York Law School. He's here to tell us how lawyers can navigate, benefit from and translate today’s new wave of rapid technological advances. Houman talks us through the greenroom snacks at the US Capitol before he testified – what we really wanted to know. And, in a throwback to Mark Zuckerberg's uncomfortable testimony before congress ("Sir, we run ads"), he tells Joe about his experience of sitting in front of the US government explaining the implications of various securities laws on hedge funds. We're a curious bunch at The Hearing, so we asked Houman to tell us what lawyers and legal students can do to better enable themselves for success. The answer seems to lie in no-code. Houman explains what the heck this is and why it matters to the legal ecosystem. So, get your notepad and digital wallet ready and press play!
Find out more at tr.com/TheHearing
Oct 11, 2021 • 36min
EP. 85 – Nazir Afzal OBE
In this episode, Yasmin sits down with a former Chief Crown Prosecutor and formidable force for justice, Nazir Afzal OBE. Nazir, a practising Muslim, talks about the racism he endured as a child growing up in Birmingham and how this fuelled his determination to stand up for the most marginalised and victimised members of society. Nazir also chats about his illustrious career at the Crown Prosecution Service and the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners, and how these roles and his commitment to fighting for others have fundamentally affected his life. This interview includes references to cases of sexual abuse and violence. So if these are sensitive issues for you, please listen with caution.
Find out more at tr.com/TheHearing
Sep 27, 2021 • 49min
EP. 84 – Andy Wishart (Agiloft)
This week, Joe takes a break from legal futurology and tries his hand at being a pub singer. We’re here for it. And so (much to his horror) is Andy Wishart – Chief Product Officer at Agiloft and all round technology guru. Joe and Andy discuss the beginnings of Contract Express, Andy's 21 years in legal tech, and the changes and challenges he's seen along the way. They also chat about the power of document automation, how the legal industry has evolved alongside this technology and Andy's rather cool career journey. If you're one for tech leaders in band t-shirts, Scottish accents (good and bad) or just want to know more about lawtech’s underground karaoke scene, this episode is for you. You’ll also hear some rather excellent efficiency advice too.
Find out more at tr.com/TheHearing
Sep 15, 2021 • 46min
EP. 83 – Image-based sexual abuse and the law
THE CROSS-EXAMINATION – Back from our summer hiatus, in this episode Becky Annison examines the growing issue of non-consensual image sharing. Or, as it’s more commonly known, revenge porn. Becky talks to Elena Michael, a campaigner and co-founder of #NotYourPorn, and Honza Cervenka, a lawyer at the women’s rights firm McAllister Olivarius. They discuss the prevalence of image-based sexual abuse and the huge challenges that survivors face when seeking justice against perpetrators. In what ways are our legal systems failing to protect victims? And why are website operators so slow to protect people against this type of exploitation? Contributors:- Elena Michael, #NotYourPorn- Honza Cervenka, McAllister Olivarius
Find out more at tr.com/TheHearing
Aug 9, 2021 • 30min
EP. 82 – Julia Cooper (Breastfeed in Peace)
Breastfeeding is legal. Breastfeeding in public is legal. But did you know that taking intimate photos of a woman breastfeeding in public without her consent is also legal? In this episode Yasmin talks to new mother, designer and now women's and mother's rights campaigner, Julia Cooper. She's another woman warrior using political process to change the way the law treats women. Julia speaks about the shock of being photographed by a stranger whilst breastfeeding her child outside, their confrontation and the steps she's taken since to help protect other mums. Both Yasmin and Julia are new mums and care passionately about giving other mothers the confidence to breastfeed in public. The pair talk about Julia’s campaigning journey, the frustrations and early successes, and what it's like getting to grips with the legislative process.
You can find out more about Julia’s petition here: www.change.org/breastfeedinpeace
Jul 19, 2021 • 40min
EP. 81 – Stanley Litow (P-TECH)
The achievements of this episode’s guest have been celebrated by the Council on Foreign Relations, Harvard Business Review, The Economist, The New York Times, Forbes and Wired. Joe is talking to the founder of P-TECH, and author of Breaking Barriers, Stan Litow. They begin by discussing Stan’s early career – working for the mayor of New York City – which opened his eyes to issues in the education system. This stuck with Stan through roles in public service, the not-for-profit sector and into IBM – where he created “the private sector version of a Peace Corps”. P-TECH is a global programme that blends high school with higher education and on-the-job learning. It bridges the gap between employment and academic systems that lack the provision of workplace skills. These opportunities are available to all students, regardless of race or financial status, in a way that benefits the private sector as well as society. This episode is for lawyers who want to see change in the industry but aren't sure where to start.
Find out more at tr.com/TheHearing
Jul 5, 2021 • 36min
EP. 80 – Brain injuries in sport: where is the duty of care?
THE CROSS-EXAMINATION – In this episode Becky talks to Katie Fudakowski, a safeguarding specialist at Farrer & Co, and Sophie Beesley, a personal injury barrister from Old Square Chambers, to discuss the law around duty of care to sports people who suffer head injuries as a result of their profession. Rugby World Cup winner Steve Thompson is one of eight rugby players who recently revealed they’re suffering from early-onset dementia. Steve says he can no longer remember winning that 2003 World Cup. The eight players are suing for negligence. They claim the sport’s governing bodies failed in their duty of care to players, despite risks of concussions being "known and foreseeable". With some experts predicting the case will settle out of court, Becky, Katie and Sophie examine the legal rights our sporting heroes are entitled to.
Find out more at tr.com/TheHearing
