Web 100: Best law podcasts
Amicus
Sonja R. West, a professor of First Amendment law at the University of Georgia School of Law, nominated this Supreme Court podcast. Wondering why? “Two words: Dahlia Lithwick,” West says of Amicus. “Much like her terrific writing for Slate, Dahlia’s podcast breaks down legal issues in a way that’s informative and entertaining. It’s really fun to hear her interact with all the terrific guests.”
The Citizen’s Guide to the Supreme Court
The interlocutors Brett and Nazim often veer off-topic, but their Siskel and Ebert style of byplay would have made briefing cases in law school much more fun.
Conduct Detrimental
Daniel Wallach and Daniel Werly give the news a sports-talk workout from their law blog The White Bronco. “I’ll be honest: I generally don’t like podcasts,” says sports law blogger Sheilla Dingus. “But this one is the exception, and I make sure that I catch every episode. The Dans … go deeper on issues than I’ve seen in any other types of media, written or otherwise … and explore possibilities that you probably won’t find elsewhere.”
Criminal
Crime stories from the banal to the bizarre are presented by public radio producer Phoebe Judge of Durham, North Carolina. “This podcast is riveting,” says lawyer Brad Rosen, a writer-analyst at Wolters Kluwer Legal & Regulatory. “Phoebe Judge is awesome.”
The Digital Edge
Sharon D. Nelson and Jim Calloway keep listeners up to date on tech innovation, with an ear for the solutions lawyers need. Episodes this year also examined the buyer’s market in legal services and the low bono concept for access to justice.
Evolve Law
Mary Juetten of Traklight and Jules Miller, co-founder of Hire an Esquire, conduct brief but cogent interviews with technology innovators in the Evolve Law member network. “This podcast provides great insights into emerging legal tech companies,” Rosen says. “Juetten and Miller deliver the goods.”
Read our current Web 100 picks: Blogs, podcasts, Twitter feeds, web tools
The Gen Why Lawyer
“Nicole Abboud hosts an engaging, practical and always-entertaining podcast that delivers quality content relevant to young lawyers,” says Franklin Graves of Naxos Music Group in Nashville, Tennessee. “The podcast serves as a source of weekly inspiration and thought-provoking discussion that truly helps develop my skills and growth as a Gen Y/millennial lawyer.”
The Happy Lawyer Project
Okeoma Moronu Schreiner, a Dallas in-house lawyer with BigLaw credentials, is a relatable guide for young lawyers. Interviews cover law practice, career development and work-life balance.
Hsu Untied
San Francisco legal recruiter Richard Hsu has shifted his interview series from its original focus on lawyers and their hobbies. Reflecting his background as a Caltech engineer and a BigLawpartner, Hsu now indulges his curiosity with a quirky selection of authors, entrepreneurs and celebrities—including Steve Wozniak, Apple’s co-founder, and Caroll Spinney, Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch’s puppet master.
Hustle & Flow
Heather Joy Hubbard, a former BigLaw partner and practice group leader, addresses the hustle of business and career development and the flow of cultivating inner peace. “As a midyear associate, Heather has a lot of raw and real advice from her experience and helping others,” says Annie Howard of Hancock, Daniel, Johnson & Nagle in Johnson City, Tennessee.
The Lawfare Podcast
These are boom times for Benjamin Wittes and Lawfare. The Department of Justice’s Russia probe has given Wittes and Susan Hennessey, The Lawfare Podcast co-hosts, a wider audience for their interviews with national security insiders. This summer, Wittes made news when he shared the details of conversations he’d had with former FBI Director James Comey with the New York Times. “Ben Wittes is heavy-duty and deep,” Rosen says. “Let the cannonballs fly.”
Law School Toolbox
“I started listening to this podcast the day after I took the LSAT,” says Jeff Voelcker, a student at the Barry University law school. “Over the summer before my 1L year, I listened to every published episode and then continued to listen to the new episodes every Monday. This podcast has been a critical tool in my success as a 1L, where I finished in the top 7 percent of my class after the first year. Now, I am leveraging this podcast to help with my early legal career and the rest of law school.”
Daniel W. Linna Jr., director of LegalRnD—the Center for Legal Services Innovation at the Michigan State University College of Law Exavier Pope, principal owner of the Pope Law Firm in Chicago Brad Rosen, lawyer based in Skokie, Illinois, and writer-analyst at Wolters Kluwer Legal & RegulatoryPodcast judges
