Today’s media landscape is in as much flux as it’s ever been. There are more ways for people of all stripes, including lawyers, to take in the content they want, when they want it, and where they want it.
So, it might come as a surprise to some lawyers that what’s old is new again when it comes to preferred media platforms. Remember the podcasts you listened to, or at least heard about, on your iPod while in law school?
Well, podcasts are back in style again, for a number of reasons, and that includes some of the best podcasts for lawyers available today. Unlike the podcasts you may remember, today’s law podcasts are available on platforms beyond the iPod, cover a wide range of topics, including the law, and are more accessible than ever.
Let’s take a closer look at some of these podcasts for lawyers in need of content on the go.
I Am The Law. No, this isn’t a podcast about Dirty Harry, John Wayne, or any other movie hero used to taking the law into their own hands. Instead, I Am The Law is a law podcast created to help lawyers and law-school students decide what field of law they want to participate in.
This legal podcasts contains 20-minute episodes of lawyers from various fields describing what their jobs are actually like. The focus isn’t so much on statistics and salaries, but on the real-world experiences of lawyers on the ground.
I Am The Law podcasts are available through the creators’ radio website, via iTunes, or a number of other sources easily viewed though a quick Google search.
Lawyer 2 Lawyer. This is a popular and award-winning podcast for lawyers that was started back in 2005, so this legal podcast’s staying power is a testament to its relevance and appeal. It is hosted by, you guessed it, two lawyers, J. Craig Williams and Robert Ambrogi, with diverse attorney and media backgrounds commenting on a wide array of legal topics as they arise in today’s complex legal landscape.
For example, the latest episode posted on the Legal Talk Network is about the ongoing scandal surrounding the Panama Papers. Other topics include North Carolina’s controversial transgender “bathroom law”, Apple’s fight with the FBI and the contaminated water crises in Flint, Michigan. Lawyer 2 Lawyer is available on the Legal Talk Network, iTunes, and other legal podcast platforms.
Immigration Hour. As we’ve seen in this current cycle of presidential politics, the topic of immigration is certainly a hot-button issue of the day. However, it’s unlikely to fade as a pressing matter any time soon, as the U.S. border with Mexico, Middle Eastern refugees and the threat of terrorism continue to be debated in various circles.
For lawyers, it’s important to separate the politics and public relations from the legal issues involving immigration. That’s where a legal podcast such as the Immigration Hour comes in handy. Hosted by Charles H. Kuck, or “Chuck” for short, this podcast for lawyers guides listeners through topics including politics, the Supreme Court, recent events, and complex issues such as the presidential use of executive orders to advance immigration policy.
The Immigration Hour is available on America’s Web Radio, Player FM, and a number of podcast platforms.
Serial. Serial is a fascinating podcast for lawyers that takes a different approach to legal matters and other issues of public interest. As the name suggests, this law podcast is in a serial format, which means the plot line continues from one episode to the next. However, the stories, hosted by investigative journalist Sarah Koenig, are real: non-fiction narratives of real-world stories that have made the headlines.
Of particular interest to lawyers, Season 1 constitutes a podcast for attorneys that focuses squarely on the case of the 1999 strangulation/murder of Hae Min Lee, a Baltimore, Maryland, teenager. Her boyfriend, Adnan Masud Syed, was convicted of first-degree murder, but questions remain about his guilt — which Koenig explores in this award-winning and very popular podcast series.
Indeed, Serial reflects one of the attractive features of legal podcasts: you can listen to them anytime, even if you missed the first season. Simply click on the audio file, and away you go — which you can do by going to the podcast website itself, iTunes, or take your pick.
The Digital Edge. Technology is another topic that is constantly impacting the legal profession — both in terms of tools lawyers use to do their jobs, as well as how the law impacts and is impacted by constantly changing technology. These are exactly the types of topics covered by The Digital Edge, a podcast for lawyers hosted by lawyers, Sharon D. Nelson and Jim Calloway, who also happen to specialize in the field of technology.
This legal podcast is sponsored by the Law Practice Management Section of the American Bar Association, and covers a diverse range of topics, including, cloud computing standards, a lawyer’s technological competence, and the future of technology and the law. The Digital Edge technology law podcast can be accessed on the Legal Talk Network, iTunes, and elsewhere.
The Gen Why Lawyer. This is another law podcast geared towards the younger lawyer, although this particular podcast for lawyers is more broadly targeted towards a specific demographic: lawyers born in the 1980’s or 1990’s, or self-described as Generation Y/Millennials. The podcast’s, host, Nicole Abboud, considers herself to be a part of this cultural group, and uses her platform to talk to fellow young attorneys about the intersection of their age group with the legal profession. This law podcast is available on Abboud’s website, iTunes, and various other legal podcast platforms.
The Docket. If an international perspective on the law is of interest, you might want to give The Docket podcast for lawyers a listen. Hosted by Canadian criminal lawyer Michael Spratt, this legal podcast examines the impact that government policy has on the law and society. Guests have included former Canadian Supreme Court Justice and UN High Commissioner of Human Rights, Louise Arbour. Topics include political scandals, animal rights, women and the law, and more. The Docket law podcast can be heard at Spratt’s website, iTunes, as well as various locations of your choosing.
Dennis Furlan 