

Clarity
Thomson Reuters Institute Insights podcast
Welcome to Clarity, a podcast powered by the Thomson Reuters Institute. In each episode, we dive deep into a single question from decision-makers and thought leaders from legal, corporate, tax, accounting & audit, and government communities. Grounding the conversation in the Institute's research and practice leads' domain expertise, in each episode, we sit down with a special guest or panel of experts from our community of partners, clients, and key leaders in each industry we serve.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Nov 12, 2025 • 30min
How can corporate tax professionals shift from compliance to strategic work in an AI-driven future?
Corporate tax departments face mounting pressure to do more with less — and the path forward demands both mindset and skillset transformation. In our latest Clarity podcast, Pilar Mata, Executive Director of Tax Executives Institute, reveals why 54% of tax professionals' time is consumed by reactive work when they'd rather focus 70% on strategic initiatives. Mata also discusses why automation literacy is now a core competency, how smaller firms are leapfrogging larger ones with nimble tech adoption, and why curiosity — not perfection — is the key to thriving as AI reshapes the profession.

Nov 6, 2025 • 41min
Courting Change: How AI can transform immigration courts
On this episode of Clarity on Tech, we step inside America's immigration courts to have a candid conversation about what's broken and what could move the system forward as TRI's Rabihah Butler speaks with former immigration judges Florence Chamberlin and Anam Petit about backlogs, hard calls, and how AI might actually help the courts operate more effectively.

Nov 4, 2025 • 35min
Can traditional fraud detection keep up with crypto criminals?
In this episode of Clarity, crypto experts Marc Evans and Seth Sattler join TRI's Rabihah Butler to explore the rapidly evolving landscape of cryptocurrency, where shifting privacy features and regulatory developments are creating new challenges for fraud detection and security. They dive into emerging fraud trends, vulnerabilities in automated trading systems and crypto ATMs, and whether traditional fraud prevention methods can keep pace with the sophisticated tactics of crypto criminals.

Oct 29, 2025 • 28min
How is America's legal education failing the courts and what must change?
In this episode, Chief Justice Gordon J. MacDonald of the New Hampshire Supreme Court shares the background and driving force behind the Committee on Legal Education and Admissions Reform's research, which highlights the urgent need to address the readiness of new lawyers entering the legal profession. The podcast also dives into key insights from the research, including the importance of experiential learning, mentorship, and hands-on experience.

Oct 22, 2025 • 35min
Courting Change: Courtrooms of the future
In this compelling podcast, Judge Maritza Braswell and Judge Maryam Ahmad offer a rare judicial perspective on how AI is transforming trial courts. From AI-powered legal avatars assisting pro se litigants to practical tools already reshaping courtroom efficiency, the judges candidly explore the delicate balance between leveraging AI innovation to improve access to justice and preserving core judicial values.

Oct 21, 2025 • 38min
How can tax firms align pricing & growth with value amid escalating client expectations?
The tax, audit & accounting industry faces a defining moment — and doing nothing is the riskiest strategy of all. In this eye-opening podcast, M&A expert Bob Lewis, President of the Visionary Group, reveals why more than 60% of top tax firms have already taken outside capital, fundamentally reshaping the competitive landscape. Lewis also discusses why hourly billing leaves a lot of money on the table, how to unlock hidden capacity, and why AI will slash labor costs by 20% while doubling revenue per tax professional.

Oct 15, 2025 • 32min
Will forced labor in supply chains decrease because of Gen Z purchasing habits in the future?
In the latest Clarity podcast, Heather Panton, Senior Advisor for Social Impact & Human Rights at Thomson Reuters, speaks with Dr. Jay Golden, Director of the Dynamic Sustainability Lab at Syracuse University and Pontarelli Professor of Environmental Sustainability & Finance, about recent research jointly executed by Syracuse and Thomson Reuters around Generation Z's changing purchasing habits and their willingness to pay a premium for apparel and beverage products manufactured ethically.

Oct 9, 2025 • 31min
Emerging Technology and Generative AI Forum: Agentic AI in professional services
Haven't heard of agentic AI? You probably will soon, as it's already beginning to be integrated into professional services software across the board. Coming off of the Thomson Reuters Institute's Emerging Technology and Generative AI Forum, conference speaker Joe Kendall, the AI Director of Product Management at law firm DLA Piper, breaks down how agentic AI automates workflows, how agentic AI differs from generative AI, and why the term agentic AI is already getting muddied, despite its implications being very real.

Oct 7, 2025 • 29min
How will CARF affect crypto businesses?
In this episode of Clarity, we explore the Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework (CARF) with expert Paul Chaveriat from CRB Monitor, examining how this pivotal regulatory shift will fundamentally reshape the cryptocurrency landscape through comprehensive reporting requirements designed to combat tax evasion and align digital assets with traditional financial regulations. The discussion delves into CARF's extensive reach across exchanges, DeFi protocols, and even self-custody wallets, analyzing the substantial compliance costs, privacy concerns, and competitive implications that will transform how the crypto industry operates in an increasingly regulated environment.

Sep 30, 2025 • 25min
What is the real-world impact of Suspicious Activity Reports today?
In the latest episode of the Thomson Reuters Institute's (TRI) Clarity podcast, we speak to Ruth Kruse, a financial services compliance veteran and BSA officer for Southwest Heritage Bank, for a sharp, no‑nonsense dive into why the quality of Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) matters more than the raw volume of filings. From the surge in filings to the ripple effects of digital banking and crypto, Kruse unpacks outcome‑based SARs, smarter triggers, and the kind of investigator judgment that actually drives results.


