RTP's Fourth Branch Podcast

Antitrust efforts have become prevalent in the courts and legislative bodies, both in the United States and abroad. A recent example is the U.S. Department of Justice's case against Google for alleged anticompetitive behavior in its search business. Though cybersecurity and national security concerns are traditionally not included in antitrust efforts, the implications of such priorities should be carefully considered. Join a panel of leading security and antitrust experts for a discussion on recent antitrust actions, how security is directly and indirectly implicated, and considerations for the future.

J. Kennerly Davis presents an overview of electric industry regulation. Davis discusses how regulation has changed in a fundamental way over the last 140 years, and what that change has meant for electric customers large and small.

The Regulatory Transparency Project and the Federalism & Separation of Powers practice group hosted a virtual debate over the recent Supreme Court decision in SEC v. Jarkesy. The panel featured Matthew Wiener, from Penn Carey Law, and Josh Robbins, of the Pacific Legal Foundation. Michael Buschbacher, from Boyden & Gray PLLC, moderated the debate.

Tanner Jones and Jonathan Wolfson from the Cicero Institute discuss their co-authored paper titled "Restoring Legislative Authority: A Balanced Approach to Agency Deference." They explore the implications of the Chevron deference decision and the Loper Bright case. The conversation addresses the impact of these decisions on administrative law, regulation, and specifically on the states.

A panel of experts will engage in a legal discussion about the implications of using AI in rulemaking, as AI technologies inadvertently influence the process of creating and implementing regulations. The panel will also consider how rulemaking and AI influence the legal and political realms. Featuring: Speakers: Catherine Sharkey, Segal Family Professor of Regulatory Law and Policy, New York University School of Law John Nay, Founder & CEO, Norm Ai J. Kennerly Davis, Former Senior Attorney, Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP (Moderator) Daniel Flores, Senior Counsel, Committee on Oversight and Accountability, U.S. House of Representatives

This virtual event explored the potential trajectories of AI policy under the upcoming shift in presidential administrations. Our expert panel, featuring Ash Kazaryan, Adam Kovacevich, and Neil Chilson, examined the critical issues surrounding AI and offered insights on what policymakers need to know as they navigate rapidly evolving AI technologies. This discussion, moderated by Adam Thierer, provides a balanced range of perspectives on how future administrations can effectively approach AI governance.

A panel of distinguished legal scholars and practitioners will provide an overview of the current landscape of litigation surrounding climate disclosure regulations. Experts will discuss the legal challenges facing both the SEC’s climate disclosure rule and California’s SB 253 and 261. Panelists will address the legal questions raised during litigation over climate disclosure regimes, as well as the regimes’ implications for corporate governance, consumers, and investors.Featuring:Victor B. Flatt, Coleman P. Burke Chair in Environmental Law, School of Law, Case Western Reserve UniversityStephen W. Hall, Legal Director and Securities Specialist, Better MarketsTrent McCotter, Partner, Boyden Gray PLLC[Moderator] Marc Marie, Policy Fellow, Regulatory Policy, Americans for Prosperity

In this episode, Ketan Bhirud and Luke Wake take a closer look at the role of the use of outside legal counsel by state attorneys general. Outside counsel can provide valuable expertise and resources, but what are the implications of relying on external firms for state legal matters? What are the advantages and potential pitfalls of these partnerships? How might they shape state legal practice and ultimately impact the public?

In this episode, experts GianCarlo Canaparo and Mike Gonzalez provide a legal and historical interpretation of the term "equity." This discussion, moderated by Linda Chavez, highlights how the definition of equity extends beyond civil rights protection and how the evolving definition of the term "equity" affects the legal realm. Featuring: GianCarlo Canaparo, Senior Legal Fellow, Edwin Meese III Center for Legal and Judicial Studies, The Heritage Foundation Mike Gonzalez, Angeles T. Arredondo E Pluribus Unum Senior Fellow, Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for National Security and Foreign Policy, The Heritage Foundation (Moderator) Linda Chavez, Chairman, Center for Equal Opportunity

Regulatory experts, Rosario Palmieri and Karen Harned, discuss industry self-regulation, soft law, and voluntary standards. Thousands of products, services, and systems use voluntary, consensus standards to govern product performance and safety, worker safety, financial services, and food safety. This is a layer of self-regulation that usually lies beneath the administrative state or in parts of the economy where private markets have developed mechanisms to ensure that businesses and consumers' expectations are met in exchanges. Emerging technologies and industries are often first governed by these types of private standards by voluntary agreement. Federal agencies, when deciding to regulate, are required to first rely on industry-created voluntary consensus standards whenever possible. The discussion includes understanding the costs and benefits of relying on private, often copyrighted, standards as a source of law that is incorporated by reference into the U.S. Code and Code of Federal Regulations. Featuring: Karen Harned, President, Harned Strategies LLC Rosario Palmieri, Partner, Lewis Brisbois