Lawyer 2 Lawyer

On the longest continually produced legal podcast, Lawyer2Lawyer hosts Bob Ambrogi and J.Craig Williams share their experiences with great guests and insightful legal topics - some serious and some not so serious. And hear a behind the scenes special interview.

Lawyers are very often the brunt of jokes, but there is a group of attorneys that has turned the tables and is making people laugh with them instead of at them. Lawyer2Lawyer co-hosts and attorneys, Bob Ambrogi and Craig Williams, share the stage with two of the Comedians At Law. Alex Barnett and Matt Ritter explain how they transitioned from lawyers to comics and how they now make people laugh at the lighter side of the law.

It’s about that time of year again where law students brush off the summer days and head back to school. In this very special "Back to School" edition of Lawyer2Lawyer, co-host and attorney, Craig Williams, chats with law students Daren Gottlieb from Western State College of Law in Fullerton, California and Han Fang from New England Law Boston, about why they chose law school, top concerns, personal goals, jobs, competition and next steps after graduation.

Before 2006, not a single US state required voters to show identification before marking a ballot. But now, 30 states have enacted some sort of voter identification law. Are these laws necessary to prevent voter fraud or are laws being passed to discourage low income groups, the elderly and minorities from voting? Lawyer2Lawyer co-host and attorney, Craig Williams, joins Professor Richard L. Hasen, from the University of California, Irvine and Wendy Weiser, Director of the Democracy Program at the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law, to talk voter ID laws in battleground states, voter purges and the potential impact on the upcoming election.

The Aurora, Colorado movie theater massacre left 12 people dead and 58 wounded. The latest mass shooting in America brings up many legal issues on a national scale, including gun control, the insanity defense, liability and the death penalty. Lawyer2Lawyer co-hosts and attorneys, Bob Ambrogi and Craig Williams, analyze the legal arguments of this case with Professor Adam Winkler from UCLA School of Law and Professor Daniel Filler from the Earle Mack School of Law at Drexel University.

Back in 1971, Richard Nixon declared a "war on drugs" claiming "America’s Public Enemy No. 1 in the United States is drug abuse". Forty years later, we are still waging a war against drugs. Lawyer2Lawyer co-hosts and attorneys, Bob Ambrogi and Craig Williams join Ethan Nadelmann, founder and executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance and Judge Jim Gray, author of Why Our Drug Laws Have Failed and What We Can Do About It, as they spotlight the controversial war on drugs including: the legalization of Marijuana, the rise in prescription drug use, sentencing reform and what needs to happen legally to eliminate this growing problem.

A recent investigation found the rate of miners diagnosed with Black Lung Disease is surging after nearly three decades of decline. Some blame lenient regulations, lax enforcement, even manipulation of air samples from mines. Lawyer2Lawyer co-hosts and attorneys, Bob Ambrogi and Craig Williams, get the reasons behind this shocking increase and a breakdown of Black Lung litigation from Chris Hamby, the author of the Center for Public Integrity report, and Attorney Stephen Sanders, the director of Appalachian Citizens’ Law Center.

From "tweets" to Facebook status updates, social media has taken over how we communicate with the outside world. It has also become a large part of our legal system. Social media is now considered key evidence in both criminal cases and civil lawsuits. Lawyer2Lawyer co-hosts and attorneys, Craig Williams and Bob Ambrogi examine the surge in social media-based evidence and claims in litigation, as well as the importance of educating attorneys on the ins and outs of social media with Attorney Antigone Peyton, Founder and CEO of Cloudigy® Law, PLLC and Attorney Ernest Svenson, solo attorney and blogger.

After one of the most historic United States Supreme Court sessions in years, emotions ran high and charges of radicalism ran amuck as the Justices handed down rulings on immigration enforcement, national healthcare, campaign finance law, stolen valor and more. But in the end, did SCOTUS simply uphold the law of the land? Lawyer2Lawyer co-hosts and attorneys, Bob Ambrogi and Craig Williams, get the legal facts behind the decisions from New York University School of Law Professor Roderick Hills, Jr. and Temple University Beasley School of Law Professor Jan Ting.

In his new book, Failing Law Schools, Washington University Law Professor Brian Tamanaha claims the American law school system is broken. He blames many institutional practices including skyrocketing tuition, bloated faculties, and unnecessary school rankings. But is this a fair critique? Lawyer2Lawyer co-hosts and attorneys, Craig Williams and Bob Ambrogi, examine these issues and more with Professor Tamanaha and Dean Susan Poser from the University of Nebraska College of Law.

The ABA Commission on Ethics 20/20 has released its latest recommendations so that the rules and ethics of the legal profession keep up with the incredible pace of technology. Lawyer2Lawyer co-hosts and attorneys, Bob Ambrogi and Craig Williams, get the details from the ABA Commission’s Chief Reporter, Professor Andrew Perlman, and debate these suggestions with Attorney Bradley Shear.

Texting while driving is a growing danger on American roads. Every day, people are severely injured and even killed by these distracted drivers. Lawyer2Lawyer co-hosts and attorneys, Bob Ambrogi and Craig Williams, get the legal lowdown on texting while driving laws and recent high-profile cases, including one where both parties involved in a texting conversation were sued from Attorney Matthew Weiss from Weiss & Associates, PC, Attorney Robert M. Schartz from the firm of Abrahams Kaslow & Cassman LLP and from Attorney Stephen "Skippy" Weinstein, a personal injury attorney at Stephen S. Weinstein, PC.

Facebook’s super-hyped IPO quickly turned into Wall Street folly. Lawsuits were filed almost immediately. Accusations of selective financial disclosure, investor deception and NASDAQ negligence are flying. So who is to blame? And who is liable? Lawyer2Lawyer co-hosts and attorneys, Bob Ambrogi and Craig Williams, get the legal story of Facebook’s botched IPO and pending litigation from John P. ("Sean") Coffey, Managing Director at BlackRobe Capital Partners, and Scott M. Berman, Partner at Friedman Kaplan Seiler & Adelman.

On February 14, 2012, President Obama signed the Federal Aviation Administration Modernization and Reform Act into law. This Act requires the FAA to allow others to fly drones, including law enforcement agencies, private companies and even individual hobbyists, over American neighborhoods. Lawyer2Lawyer co-hosts and attorneys, Craig Williams and Bob Ambrogi, talk to the experts, Ryan Calo, Director for Privacy and Robotics, for the Center for Internet and Society at Stanford Law School and Jennifer Lynch, a staff attorney with the Electronic Frontier Foundation, about drones, transparency, public safety and the potential impact on privacy law.

3,000 Americans die every year from food-borne illnesses. Recent warnings include listeria in lettuce, salmonella in tuna and E. coli in ground beef. So, is the food Americans eat safe? Are the FDA, USDA and federal laws doing enough to keep our food supply free from potentially deadly pathogens? Lawyer2Lawyer co-host and attorney, Craig Williams gets the facts from food safety experts, William Marler, Managing Partner of Marler Clark and Editor of Food Safety News, and Dr. Michael Doyle, the Director of the University of Georgia’s Center for Food Safety.

Advocates for the transgender community say this segment of the population faces an extremely difficult time in court because of bias and misunderstanding, especially in cases of parental rights and protection for transgender youth. Lawyer2Lawyer co-host and attorney, Bob Ambrogi breaks down the difficulties the transgender community faces every day with Attorney Jennifer L. Levi, the director of GLAD's Transgender Rights Project and Attorney Elizabeth E. Monnin-Browder from Ropes & Gray and a former GLAD attorney. Jennifer and Liz also discuss their new book, Transgender Family Law: A Guide to Effective Advocacy.

Lead counsel for accused murderer George Zimmerman calls social media an unavoidable component of high profile cases. So, should blogging, posting and tweeting become standard practices in defense strategies? Lawyer2Lawyer co-hosts and attorneys, Craig Williams and Bob Ambrogi, debate the pros and cons, as well as the legal and ethical issues of social media with Dr. Amy Singer, founder of Trial Consultants Inc., and Attorney Scott Greenfield, Of Counsel at Hull McGuire, PC.

The infamous elbow jab of Metta World Peace, NFL "Bounty Hunters," soccer riots, high school hockey brawls ...where is the legal line drawn when it comes to violence in sports? Or is it just the nature of the game? Lawyer2Lawyer co-hosts and attorneys, Bob Ambrogi and Craig Williams turn to Attorney Eldon L. Ham, an adjunct professor at Chicago-Kent College of Law and Professor Matthew Mitten, Director of the National Sports Law Institute at Marquette University Law School, for their take on whether there should be legal implications when an athlete goes too far.

Human trafficking is "modern-day slavery." And if you think it isn’t happening near you, think again. The United Nations estimates nearly 2.4 million people may be the victims of this crime. Lawyer2Lawyer co-hosts and attorneys, Bob Ambrogi and Craig Williams take a legal look at this troubling issue with Professor Bridgette Carr from the University of Michigan Law School, Attorney Ann Johnson from Houston, Texas and Mary C. Ellison, Director of Policy for Polaris Project.

Members of Congress and their staffers who travel at the expense of private organizations must follow a long list of legal restrictions and requirements. However, there is a little known exemption that allows the same federal employees to travel with virtually no accountability and very little transparency. Lawyer2Lawyer co-hosts and attorneys, Bob Ambrogi and Craig Williams, along with ProPublica.org reporter Justin Elliott and Washington University Law Professor Kathleen Clark examine the ethics, legalities and secrecy of these Congressional trips abroad.

From the Obama Administration’s decision on female contraception coverage, to the Congressional hearing on women’s health featuring an all-male panel of witnesses, to the Rush Limbaugh/Sandra Fluke firestorm, legislation targeting women's health is causing quite the political controversy across the country. Lawyer2Lawyer co-host and attorney, Craig Williams, joins Attorney Shari Rendall, Director of Legislation and Public Policy for Concerned Women for America and Attorney Gretchen Borchelt, Senior Counsel for Health and Reproductive Rights for the National Women’s Law Center, to discuss current legislation aimed at women's issues, reaction from women’s groups and the present state of women's rights.

The shooting death of 17 year old Trayvon Martin in Florida has sparked outrage across the country. On February 26, 2012, Trayvon died from a single gunshot to the chest. Police say neighborhood watch captain, George Zimmerman, fired that shot. Zimmerman is using Florida’s "Stand Your Ground" Law to justify the killing. Lawyer2Lawyer co-hosts and attorneys, Craig Williams and Bob Ambrogi, welcome Professor Michelle Jacobs, from the University of Florida's Levin College of Law and Professor Kenneth Novak, Ph.D., Chair of the Department of Criminal Justice at the University of Missouri - Kansas City, to explore the legal issues surrounding the "Stand Your Ground" law, neighborhood watches, and the possibility of racial profiling.

What are the odds that your office NCAA basketball pool for March Madness is illegal? Are you willing to bet that gambling outside of a casino on any sporting event breaks both state and federal laws? So then, why is it a crapshoot that you will be prosecuted under these laws? Lawyer2Lawyer co-hosts and attorneys, Craig Williams and Bob Ambrogi, take a look at America’s gambling legislation with Professor Marc Edelman of Barry University's Dwayne O. Andreas School of Law and Author and Attorney Clay Travis from Counsel On Call.

A Massachusetts court orders a man to pay child support for twin girls, born through In-vitro fertilization and with donor sperm and eggs, even though he was estranged from his wife at the time of conception. Is this fair? With the rise in IVF treatments, there are more and more cases across the country with complicated custody matters. Lawyer2Lawyer co-hosts and attorneys, Bob Ambrogi and Craig Williams join Attorney Maureen McBrien from the firm, Todd & Weld LLP and Certified Family Law Specialist and trial attorney Violet P. Woodhouse, to explore the legal issues surrounding in-vitro fertilization, custody rights and family law.

The rise of interactive story world communities and transmedia marketing campaigns has brought about scores of intellectual property, copyright law and creation rights issues. Lawyer2Lawyer co-hosts and attorneys, Bob Ambrogi and Craig Williams, bring together Esther Lim, the Founder of The Estuary and Scott Walker, the President of Brain Candy, for an in-depth analysis of the questions and concerns generated by collaborative entertainment and multi-platform interactive engagement.

As law firms slowly climb out of this recession, have their legal practice management skills changed? Lawyer2Lawyer co-host and attorney J. Craig Williams welcomes Rudy Bazelmans, Regional Director of Expense Reduction Analysts and Jim Calloway, Director of the Oklahoma Bar Association's Management Assistance Program, to explain the current state of the legal industry, new law practice management skills, what attorneys have done to cut costs and how to keep costs down in the future.

The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear "Fisher v. University of Texas." This case could bring about the end of college admissions policies based on race. Lawyer2Lawyer co-hosts and attorneys, J. Craig Williams and Bob Ambrogi, along with Huffington Post Supreme Court Correspondent Mike Sacks and UCLA School of Law Professor Richard Sander, examine the possible fate of affirmative action in college admissions.

Just this month, after a long three year legal battle, the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that California’s Proposition 8, which is the ballot measure that banned gay marriage, is unconstitutional. The question remains-will this case now head to the U.S. Supreme Court? Lawyer2Lawyer co-hosts and attorneys, Bob Ambrogi and J. Craig Williams, join Jennifer C. Pizer, Legal Director at the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law and Vikram David Amar, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Professor of Law at the University of California, Davis School of Law, to take a look at this ruling and what this means for the future of gay marriage in America.

For decades, a program called Eugenics gave state boards the right to deem someone "unfit to procreate." The outcome of this was 66,000 Americans were selectively sterilized between the late 1920’s and the 1980’s. Lawyer2Lawyer co-host and attorney J. Craig Williams welcomes Professor Alfred Brophy, from the University of North Carolina School of Law and Attorney James Bowden from Waller Lansden, to discuss this controversial practice, the US Supreme Court’s shocking decision on eugenics and why forced sterilization "is" technically constitutional.

Bob Ambrogi, co-host of Lawyer2Lawyer and longtime legal technologist, travels to LegalTechNY and explains why it is one of the pre-eminent legal technology shows. This year’s emphasis is on e-discovery, case management and cloud computing. Bob also tells us why he’s looking forward to seeing all the new and exciting tech products targeting the legal community. Be sure to watch the interview, hosted by Legal Talk Network producer, Kate Kenney.

The world’s tiger population has declined by 97%. The African elephant population has been cut in half. 33% of open-ocean sharks are now threatened with extinction. These and other alarming statistics have created worldwide legal action to save the Earth’s endangered species. Lawyer2Lawyer co-host and attorney J. Craig Williams explores laws and initiatives designed to save threatened species with attorney and WildAid board member, David Kracke of Nichols and Associates in Portland, Oregon.

The capsizing of the luxury cruise ship, Costa Concordia, off the coast of Italy has created a torrent of possible criminal charges against the captain and civil litigation against the cruise line company in courtrooms around the world. Lawyer2Lawyer co-hosts and attorneys, Bob Ambrogi and J. Craig Williams, along with Attorney Joseph McFaul, special counsel for Sedgwick LLP in Irvine, California, sort through the plethora of legal issues associated with this cruise ship tragedy.

Since 2010, there has been great debate over the controversial ruling, Citizens United. Most recently, the Montana Supreme Court challenged the decision while Senator McCain called it "one of the worst decisions I have ever seen." Lawyer2Lawyer co-hosts and attorneys, J. Craig Williams and Robert Ambrogi welcome, Attorney Joseph M. Birkenstock, former chief counsel of the Democratic National Committee and Bradley A. Smith, Chairman and Co-Founder of the Center for Competitive Politics and former Commissioner on the Federal Election Commission, for an in-depth discussion on the impact of the ruling during an election year and its influence on the upcoming Presidential election.

Decriminalizing medical marijuana, fighting to repeal healthcare reform and using social media as evidence are just a few of the topics trending in the legal industry in 2012. Lawyer2Lawyer co-host and attorney, J. Craig Williams discusses the hottest trends currently transforming the legal world with attorney and legal trend-watcher Danny Cevallos, the founding partner of Cevallos & Wong, L.L.P.

From the spectacle of the Casey Anthony trial, to the great debate over the health care law, to the controversial immigration law in Arizona, 2011 was a big year in the law. Lawyer2Lawyer co-hosts and attorneys, J. Craig Williams and Robert Ambrogi welcome returning guest, Stephen L. Kaplan from the firm Hicks, Mims, Kaplan & Burns, to review his 2011 predictions and look ahead to a brand new year, 2012!

War dogs serve bravely alongside the men and women of the U.S. Military. Their handlers consider them heroes, but the military still classifies military working dogs as equipment. Up until recently, these canine soldiers were left behind or even euthanized after the fighting stopped. Lawyer2Lawyer co-hosts and attorneys, J. Craig Williams and Robert Ambrogi welcome Ron Aiello, the president and co-founder of The United States War Dogs Association, and Carter Dillard, the director of litigation for the Animal Legal Defense Fund, and discuss what laws need to change so that war dogs get the respect that they deserve from the U.S. military.

Music makes the world go ‘round and on this holiday edition of Lawyer2Lawyer, co-hosts and attorneys, J. Craig Williams and Bob Ambrogi celebrate with a music themed show! First up, Bob and Craig welcome Attorney Jeffrey M. Aresty, founder and current President of Internetbar.org and Attorney Ruha Devanesan, the Executive Director & Vice President of IBO, to talk about the mission of the Internet Bar's PeaceTones Legal Empowerment project. Later in the program, we share a holiday treat from a great songwriter and longtime friend, Attorney Larry Savell! Happy Holidays!

Should the U.S. Supreme Court broadcast its sessions to the American public or should cameras be kept out of the SCOTUS chamber? Proponents of cameras say they are needed for transparency. Opponents call the idea potentially unconstitutional and harmful. Lawyer2Lawyer co-hosts and attorneys, J. Craig Williams and Bob Ambrogi welcome Nancy Marder, Professor of Law at Chicago-Kent College of Law and Eric P. Robinson, Deputy Director of the Donald W. Reynolds Center for Courts and Media at the University of Nevada in Reno, for an in depth discussion on both sides of this very important issue.

With two wars winding down, there are great efforts in the legal community to help returning troops, their families and all other veterans with the many legal issues they face back home. Lawyer2Lawyer co-hosts and attorneys, Bob Ambrogi and J. Craig Williams join Attorney Nan Heald, the Executive Director of Pine Tree Legal Assistance and Jim Strickland, a nationally recognized expert on disability benefits, to discuss their personal missions to assist our service members with disability benefits and the Service Members Civil Relief Act. They also talk about the role of the VA and how lawyers can help these brave men and women who serve our country.

The fight against drunk driving has been going on for more than a century. On this week’s Lawyer2Lawyer, host Bob Ambrogi welcomes Atlanta DUI Defense Attorney, George Stein and the author of One for the Road: Drunk Driving since 1900, Dr. Barron Lerner of Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, for an in-depth discussion on the history, laws, initiatives, and successes and failures surrounding drunk driving.

With court closings, dismissal of cases, and giant backlogs, the American court system is in crisis. In this edition of Lawyer2Lawyer co-hosts and attorneys, Bob Ambrogi and J. Craig Williams join Attorney Laura Abel from the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law and Attorney Stephen N. Zack, former President of the American Bar Association, to take a look at the impact of massive budget cuts on our courts, the cases, the staff and just how long this will all last.

With former defensive football coach Jerry Sandusky accused of raping children and university officials charged with covering up the crimes, the Penn State child sex abuse scandal raises countless legal questions. Could the university be held liable? Could other university officials, including legendary coach Joe Paterno face criminal charges? What laws need to be changed to prevent this from happening again? In this edition of Lawyer2Lawyer co-hosts and attorneys, Bob Ambrogi and J. Craig Williams along with Professor Marci Hamilton of the Cardozo School of Law and Attorney Philip Masorti, Senior Partner at Masorti-Sullivan P.C. discuss the complexities of this growing scandal.

Cyberbullying, sexting, downloading music illegally. What is a teen to do when they find themselves in legal trouble or maybe even a victim of a possible crime? On this edition of Lawyer2Lawyer, co-host and attorney, Bob Ambrogi chats with Judge Thomas A. Jacobs, founder of AsktheJudge.info, about this interactive legal forum for teens. Judge Jacobs explains how technology has changed the face of law in the teen community, what teens everywhere need to know about their personal rights and how they can educate themselves through laws and recent court decisions.

On our last podcast, Legal Blogging, Ethics and First Amendment Rights, we were joined by three bloggers who discussed the case surrounding Richmond, Virginia attorney, Horace Hunter and the Virginia State Bar Association, over a controversial blog post. On this edition of Lawyer2Lawyer, co-host and attorney, Bob Ambrogi chats with Attorney Horace F. Hunter from Hunter & Lipton, PC, about this widely-publicized controversy, his appeal and the impact of his now infamous blog post on the legal blogosphere.

Should lawyers blog about specifics in their cases? The Virginia State Bar Association has sanctioned Attorney Horace Hunter for blogging about a case and he’s appealing based on First Amendment rights. A Washington Post article first brought attention to this story which has wide impact in the legal blogosphere.. Lawyer2Lawyer co-host and attorney, Bob Ambrogi welcomes Kevin O’Keefe, CEO and Publisher of LexBlog, Eric E. Johnson from The University of North Dakota School of Law and Peter Vieth, Legal Editor for Virginia Lawyers Weekly, to talk about this controversial case, lawyers blogging and their First Amendment rights.

There is a public debate in Topeka, Kansas regarding prosecution of misdemeanors in some domestic violence prosecutions, stemming from serious budget cuts to the judicial system. Lawyer2Lawyer co-hosts and attorneys, Bob Ambrogi and J. Craig Williams join Attorney Joyce Grover, Executive Director at Kansas Coalition Against Sexual & Domestic Violence and Viktoria Kristiansson an Attorney Advisor for AEquitas, to take a look at this controversy’s impact on domestic abuse victims, the general public’s response, the District Attorney’s change of heart and spotlight National Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

Steve Jobs and Apple changed the way we communicate, listen to music, watch movies and conduct business through technology. Lawyer2Lawyer co-host and attorney, J. Craig Williams joins Ben Stevens, a practicing attorney and blogger for the popular blog, The MacLawyer and Finis Price, attorney and co-founder of Technoesq Presentations, as they take a look at the influence of Steve Jobs and Apple on the legal profession, the current state of tech within the legal community and if Jobs’ ideas have driven innovation in other ways that have impacted lawyers.

With people filling the streets in "Occupy Wall Street" protests, Bank of America planning to charge for debit card usage and foreclosure rates on mortgages still on the rise, the general public has had enough. Lawyer2Lawyer co-hosts and attorneys, Bob Ambrogi and J. Craig Williams join Professor Tamar Frankel from Boston University School of Law and Attorney Lanny Davis, principal in the Washington D.C. law firm of Lanny J. Davis & Associates, as they take a look at banking laws after the so-called ‘Dodd-Frank reform,’ pending litigation relating to banking and try to examine this wave of dissatisfaction with our financial systems.

There are many cases on the U.S. Supreme Court docket to watch, from the highly publicized Fourth Amendment GPS tracking case in United States v. Jones, to indecency in FCC v. Fox Television, to a prisoner strip search case, Florence v. Board of Freeholders. Lawyer2Lawyer co-hosts and attorneys, Bob Ambrogi and J. Craig Williams join Attorney Amy Howe, editor of SCOTUSblog.com and Wilson R. Huhn , a C. Blake McDowell, Jr., Professor and a Constitutional Law Research Fellow at The University of Akron School of Law, to spotlight the biggest cases of the upcoming term, the Justices and which cases will get the most attention.

Six years ago, a little legal podcast, Lawyer2Lawyer, entered the world of podcasting and grew in popularity, thanks to our loyal listeners, great guests and two star attorneys! Today, Lawyer2Lawyer is the longest running legal podcast with 304 podcasts published at Legal Talk Network. Since 2005, attorneys and co-hosts Bob Ambrogi and J. Craig Williams have discussed everything from technology in the legal profession, controversial Supreme Court decisions to debates over legal topics in just about every legal practice area you can imagine. On this very special edition of Lawyer2Lawyer, Bob and Craig reflect on the past 6 years and share some of their favorite highlights, guests and shows and some words of wisdom! And for some fun - hear some outtakes of Bob and Craig too!