Episodes

  • EP. 58 – Ethical leadership in the law and racial justice

    EP. 58 – Ethical leadership in the law and racial justice
    Aug 10 2020
    THE CROSS-EXAMINATION – In this episode Becky hosts a discussion on the role of lawyers as ethical leaders and their relationship with racial justice. She's joined by Abimbola Johnson, a criminal barrister, and Carlos Brown, a senior VP and GC, to examine racial issues from UK and US perspectives.

    Lawyers have a unique position, enjoying a status as trusted professionals who give advice and provide solutions to an array of issues, yet they're not generally thought of as ethical leaders. And while lawyers frequently deal with various systems of justice, the connection between this work and justice can often be obscured by the detail of day-to-day tasks.

    Carlos, Abimbola and Becky speak about the current relationship between the legal profession and racial justice, the fundamental nature of justice in society, how it differs from due process, and why the law is always running a few steps behind justice and ethics.

    Contributors:
    - Carlos M. Brown, Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer, Dominion Energy
    - Abimbola Johnson, Barrister, 25 Bedford Row

    Find out more at tr.com/TheHearing
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    49 mins
  • EP. 160 – Bibi Badejo (The Advocacy Coach)

    EP. 160 – Bibi Badejo (The Advocacy Coach)
    Sep 30 2024
    In this episode, Yasmin Sheikh interviews Bibi Badejo – a family law barrister at Four Brick Court chambers, in London, and an advocacy coach.

    Bibi recounts her journey into law and how she pursued advocacy despite an initial fear of public speaking and a hefty dose of imposter syndrome. These challenges early in her career motivated Bibi to improve her skills through extensive training in the UK, the US and Australia. And she is now an accomplished advocacy coach in her own right, as well the founder and host of The Advocacy Podcast.

    This episode is rich with insights and practical tips for anyone interested improving their public speaking. Yasmin and Bibi also discuss the value of mentors and coaches, the emotional challenges of family law, and the evolving legal landscape – especially in addressing domestic abuse.

    You can listen to The Advocacy Podcast here: https://podfollow.com/1547600021
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    46 mins
  • EP. 41 – Alistair Darling

    EP. 41 – Alistair Darling
    Dec 2 2019
    In this episode, we talk to Labour MP, Alistair Darling, about how his Aberdeen law degree helped to shape his political career (spoiler alert: lawyers should be lawyers, not politicians). Although Alistair does admit that law is a solid discipline that enables you to ask critical questions, which are useful skills for politicians.

    Alistair gives us his thoughts on the deeply divisive nature of referendums, including his take on Brexit and the inherent problems with a hard border.

    He talks about the success of his memoir, ‘Back from the Brink’, which spent 1,000 days at number 1. He also divulges why he wouldn’t write another book for fear of picking fights.

    Now away from frontline politics, we pose the question: would you be quick to return if there were to be another Scottish referendum? His answer may surprise you.

    Find out more at tr.com/TheHearing
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    30 mins
  • EP. 181 – Judith Resnik (Impermissible Punishments)

    EP. 181 – Judith Resnik (Impermissible Punishments)
    Sep 22 2025
    Professor Judith Resnik and host Teneé Frazier discuss Judith's book 'Impermissible Punishments: How Prison Became a Problem for Democracy' – which explores the complex relationship between punishment, democracy, and social justice.

    Judith, a Professor of Law at Yale Law School, delves into the historical evolution of prisons in the UK, US, and Europe, as well as the role of constitutional law in shaping prisoners' treatment. Their conversation highlights the financial and social costs associated with incarceration, with Judith calling for reform of our penal systems to prevent lasting harm to individuals and communities.
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    1 hr and 2 mins
  • EP. 117 – Mark Henderson (Doughty Street Chambers)

    EP. 117 – Mark Henderson (Doughty Street Chambers)
    Mar 13 2023
    We know we have some long-time listeners to The Hearing (thank you!) and we get super excited when we meet them. But for those of you who haven't listened since way back in 2018, an episode we often find ourselves recommending is ep. 6 (https://pod.fo/e/149f97). It's a jaw-dropping interview and it's how we first met Yasmin.

    Fast-forward five years – with Yasmin now one of our regular hosts – in this episode she covers similar ground with her guest, Mark Henderson – a barrister at Doughty Street Chambers in London. Mark and Yasmin talk about being thrown into the deep end of disability overnight, with the ongoing challenges around accessibility, visibility and opportunity that this brings.

    Mark's story is both moving and inspirational. As you'll hear, there was so much to discuss that we can't wait to have him back.

    Find out more at tr.com/TheHearing
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    56 mins
  • EP. 167 – Kent Halkett (Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services)

    EP. 167 – Kent Halkett (Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services)
    Jan 27 2025
    In a recent survey, 79% of legal professionals said they felt the profession had negatively affected their mental health. And over 15% had even considered suicide. These are two of the worrying statistics we learned from this episode's guest, Kent Halkett. Kent is an attorney with the Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services who has written articles about mental health in the legal community for a host of publications.

    Kent chats with host Teneé Frazier about his journey to becoming an advocate for improving mental health within the legal profession. Kent shares the story of his own mental health challenges, which culminated with him attempting suicide. He explains how publishing his story catapulted him, and this often-taboo subject, into the spotlight.

    During their conversation, Kent describes some of the warning signs of mental health issues, stresses the importance of a work-life balance, and outlines the support available for those in need. Kent also shares insights on how the problem could be addressed, such as by increasing awareness through better education – both in law schools and as part of continuous professional development.

    You can find out more about the ALM and Law.com Compass mental health survey of the legal profession here: https://www.law.com/americanlawyer/2024/05/17/mental-health-by-the-numbers-the-2024-survey-infographic/?slreturn=20250123165408

    You can read one of Kent's articles, Mental Health in the Legal Profession: A Crisis, a Case Study and a Call to Action, here: https://www.tba.org/?pg=Articles&blAction=showEntry&blogEntry=59057
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    47 mins
  • EP. 107 – Introducing… Lauren Sobel & Jennifer Thibodaux

    EP. 107 – Introducing… Lauren Sobel & Jennifer Thibodaux
    Oct 24 2022
    As you’ll know, if you want that dream job, you’ve got to nail the interview. And that’s just what Lauren Sobel and Jennifer Thibodaux had to do before taking up their posts as our new US hosts of The Hearing.

    Join Yasmin as she gets to know our new pod-mates – finding out Lauren and Jennifer’s career journeys, their roles as Senior Legal Editors at Practical Law, and what makes them tick. It gets deep.

    As Lauren and Jennifer both got the job(!) we can’t wait to join them for future episodes, as they introduce us to their own guests and topics. If you have any suggestions for who or what we should feature, please do get in touch.

    Find out more at tr.com/TheHearing
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    33 mins
  • EP. 77 – The impact of AI and algorithms on the fairness of our justice systems

    EP. 77 – The impact of AI and algorithms on the fairness of our justice systems
    May 17 2021
    THE CROSS-EXAMINATION – We, along with the rest of the legal industry, have talked at length about the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on our profession. But this time we concern ourselves not with the efficiencies of machine learning and automation, but instead with potential injustice and the need for vigilance in the face of seismic developments.

    AI is already being used extensively in areas like recruitment, policing and the courts – as it's often assumed that machines, unlike humans, are objective and neutral. But, as this episode discusses, computer algorithms can easily perpetuate and amplify human biases.

    Becky Annison and our three guests – who are each working to understand and fight against algorithmic injustice – discuss the causes as well as the cumulative and damaging effects of coded bias. The computer scientist and digital activist Joy Buolamwini describes this phenomenon as the "exclusion overhead" – the cost of systems that exclude and discriminate against those with experiential differences who are outside the code writing room.

    CONTRIBUTORS:
    - Sandra Wachter, Associate Professor & Senior Research Fellow, Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford
    - Kristian Lum, Research Assistant Professor, Dept. of Computer & Information Science, University of Pennsylvania
    - Ivana Bartoletti, Technical Director - Privacy, Deloitte; Visiting Policy Fellow, University of Oxford

    Find out more at tr.com/TheHearing
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    36 mins