Planet Lex: The Northwestern Pritzker School of Law Podcast
43 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 3 years ago - ★★★★★ - 16 ratingsPlanet Lex is a series of conversations about the law, law and society, law and technology, and the future of legal education and practice. In other words, a bunch of interesting stuff about the law.
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Episodes
A New Digital Infrastructure
April 21, 2021 05:00 - 32 minutes - 75.8 MBThe COVID pandemic precipitated a massive shift in digital infrastructure. Annelise Riles, the Executive Director of the Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Studies at Northwestern University, outlines her vision for the United States' role in global engagement, the future of transnational education, and addresses the growing skepticism of the costs of removing the human element.
A Safe, Fair, and Dignified Workplace
March 17, 2021 05:00 - 32 minutes - 75 MBNearly 35 years after Meritor Savings Bank v. Vinson made sexual harassment unlawful, the EEOC reports that 85% of women have experienced sexual harassment at some point in their career. Tina Tchen, former chief of staff to Michelle Obama and president and CEO of Time’s Up Now and the Time’s Up Foundation, discusses how the law can actually impede progress in critical areas of workplace discrimination, and how businesses and government can more effectively move the needle.
COVID-19's Impact on the 2020 Election
October 27, 2020 05:00 - 36 minutes - 68.9 MBThe 2020 presidential election has already seen unprecedented changes to the process by which votes are cast, tallied, and reported, and, as a result, the U.S. has seen an increased amount of litigation surrounding the election. Michael Kang, the William G. and Virginia K. Karnes Research Professor at Northwestern Pritzker School of Law, is a nationally recognized election law expert. He discusses COVID-19’s looming impact on the upcoming presidential election, the range of election-related ...
New Light on the History of Commercial Fraud
August 19, 2020 05:00 - 37 minutes - 86.9 MBEmily Kadens, legal historian with a particular focus on medieval and early modern history of commercial law and practice, shares her research on the origins of commercial fraud in England and dispels the myth of a golden age of commerce. Fraud is not a modern problem. In this episode of Northwestern Law’s Planet Lex, host Jim Speta is joined by Emily Kadens, Professor of Law, to discuss her new article New Light on Twyne’s Case, one of the oldest English cases still being cited by Americ...
Anti-Discrimination Laws v. Religious Freedom
July 15, 2020 04:00 - 34 minutes - 48 MBThe United States has a long history of religious accommodation. But is it possible to exempt those who object to an anti-discrimination law without defeating the purpose of that law? Planet Lex host Jim Speta is joined in this episode by Andrew Koppelman, John Paul Stevens Professor of Law and author of Gay Rights Versus Religious Liberty: The Unnecessary Conflict, to discuss the intersection of religious freedom and anti-discrimination laws, the recent Supreme Court decision in Bostock v C...
Juvenile Justice Amid the Coronavirus Pandemic
June 17, 2020 04:00 - 31 minutes - 44.6 MBA criminal record can be an economic life sentence for those attempting to re-enter society. The cost of one year of incarceration of a child exceeds that of a four-year university. Juvenile justice is one of many areas of the law struggling to adapt to COVID-19. In this episode of Planet Lex, host Jim Speta discusses the pandemic’s impact on incarceration with Julie L. Biehl, Clinical Professor of Law, who has served as Director of the Children and Family Justice Center since 2009. She out...
Law in the Time of Coronavirus
May 20, 2020 15:48 - 44 minutes - 61.4 MBIn the midst of a global pandemic, federal and state governments are tasked with addressing a public health emergency while steadfastly protecting civil liberties. In this episode of Planet Lex, host Vice Dean Jim Speta is joined by Daniel B. Rodriguez, Harold Washington Professor and former dean of Northwestern Law, to discuss the myriad (and ever-evolving) legal issues surrounding COVID-19. Rodriguez also discusses the “pop-up” course he created in order to teach the topic in real-time, an...
Leading Edge of Legal: How In-House Attorneys Navigate Issues in High Profile Startups
March 17, 2020 17:49 - 43 minutes - 59.9 MBIn this special live recording of Planet Lex at Northwestern’s San Francisco campus, host Jim Speta talks with Myra Pasek, general counsel at Ouster, and Pete Cline, associate director of legal at Twitter, about their experiences working in-house at start-ups and high-profile tech companies, including Tesla, Impossible Foods, Ouster, and Twitter. The guests share their unique paths from big law to Silicon Valley and offer insights on the cutting-edge legal issues and challenges that arise in...
Solitary Confinement: Calling for Change in American Prisons
December 18, 2019 21:07 - 36 minutes - 50.7 MBIncarceration is the primary form of criminal punishment in the US today, and approximately 80,000 American prisoners are in some form of solitary confinement. What exactly does this look like in our prison system, and what are the effects of solitary confinement on individuals? Does this type of treatment violate prisoners’ constitutional rights? In this edition of Planet Lex, host Jim Speta talks with David Shapiro and Daniel Greenfield, members of the Roderick and Solange MacArthur Justic...
Innovation & Trends in Intellectual Property & Patent Law
November 13, 2019 22:59 - 32 minutes - 23.1 MBNorthwestern Law’s intellectual property and patent law scholars are truly leaders in their field. In this edition of Planet Lex, host Jim Speta welcomes Laura Pedraza-Fariña and David Schwartz to discuss the study of innovation and the law in an era of rapid technological change. The guests share their individual paths to intellectual property and patent law and offer insights on how patents affect innovation. They also discuss their current research projects and outline the unique advantag...
The Bluhm Legal Clinic: Celebrating 50 Years of Clinical Legal Education
September 18, 2019 20:05 - 33 minutes - 47 MBAs Northwestern Pritzker School of Law’s Bluhm Legal Clinic approaches its 50th anniversary, Planet Lex host Vice Dean Jim Speta talks with Thomas Geraghty, the Clinic’s director from 1976-2017, about the clinic’s beginnings and how it evolved into what it is today. Geraghty shares how engaging students directly in the practice of law provides vital training and makes legal education more meaningful. They also discuss Geraghty’s work bringing clinical education to law schools around the worl...
Fairness and Equality: The Current Landscape of Antidiscrimination Law
August 14, 2019 17:54 - 31 minutes - 44 MBIf fairness doesn’t always mean treating everyone the same, then what does it really mean? In this edition of Northwestern Law’s Planet Lex, host Vice Dean Jim Speta is joined by Kimberly Yuracko, Dean and Judd and Mary Morris Leighton Professor of Law, to discuss her extensive research on gender equity. Speta and Yuracko survey current social issues and discuss how laws surrounding these matters are changing. They also examine gender equity in the legal profession, and discuss the responsib...
Law and Sports: A Conversation with Jerry Reinsdorf
June 19, 2019 17:23 - 24 minutes - 33.5 MBWhen it comes to sports, the legal landscape is constantly evolving, and this episode’s guest knows that better than anyone. Jerry Reinsdorf, owner of the Chicago Bulls and the Chicago White Sox, has been a franchise owner for over 25 years and has seen his sports teams through a number of critical changes. The Northwestern Law alum joins host Jim Speta to talk about going from law student to franchise owner, the impact of the law and technology on the future of sports, cheering on Jackie Ro...
Seeking Asylum: Reality at the US / Mexico Border
May 09, 2019 17:08 - 27 minutes - 37.9 MBLate last year, all anyone could seem to talk about was the migrant caravan approaching the U.S./Mexico border. Yet, despite all the coverage and conversations, very few people understand the legal and social complexities facing those seeking asylum. In this episode of Planet Lex, host Jim Speta talks with Professor Uzoamaka Emeka Nzelibe about her work representing unaccompanied minors seeking asylum as well as her recent trip to the U.S./Mexico border with volunteer students and staff to p...
The Implications of Biometrics in Privacy Law
March 20, 2019 18:51 - 32 minutes - 44.9 MBHow much should people care about privacy? And what’s at stake when it comes to tracking biometrics? In this episode of Planet Lex, host Jim Speta talks to Matthew Kugler about his research into consumer sentiment around biometric tracking. They discuss the landscape of privacy law and its current trends, and Professor Kugler explains the methods and findings of his recent research. They also talk about the various ways biometric information is (and can be) acquired and used, and the implica...
Jury Process: How Juries Bring Legitimacy to Legal Proceedings
January 16, 2019 19:14 - 23 minutes - 32.3 MBMany people complain when a jury summons arrives, but when they actually serve on a case they become quite invested in the process. But how can a group of lay people handle making such difficult and consequential decisions? In this episode of Planet Lex, host Jim Speta talks to Professor Shari Diamond about her research on jury process, including her finding that our trust in the jury system is not misplaced. Even in challenging and complex cases, juries typically work very hard to ensure a ...
Making a Murderer: How Brendan Dassey’s Case is Making a Difference
December 19, 2018 21:53 - 33 minutes - 56.8 MBWhen cases like Brendan Dassey’s are examined, many see a pressing need to rethink the definition of coercion and the law of voluntariness, especially in cases involving minors. In this episode of Planet Lex, host Jim Speta talks to Northwestern Law professors, Center on Wrongful Convictions of Youth attorneys, and Netflix stars Steven Drizin and Laura Nirider about false confessions and the legal proceedings covered in the second season of “Making a Murderer.” They catch us up on what has h...
The Intersection of Media and Law
November 14, 2018 22:01 - 31 minutes - 49.6 MBPresident Trump and other politicians have painted the media as the “enemy of the people” -- purveyors of fake news who use their platform as a means to defame others. But really, what are the legal requirements of the media when reporting news? In this episode of Planet Lex, host Jim Speta talks to Northwestern Law alumnae Kate Shaw and Megan Murphy about their experience as lawyers in the media. They discuss the many legal issues facing journalists and pundits, and whether more law is need...
Election Law and Gerrymandering
October 17, 2018 19:06 - 31 minutes - 53.9 MBAs the November midterm elections loom, issues of election law continue to have a significant impact on the voting process. In this episode of Planet Lex, new host Jim Speta, Vice Dean at Northwestern Law, talks to Professor Michael Kang about everything election law, from partisan gerrymandering and the constitutional issues involved in redistricting, to the effects of voter ID laws. They discuss how the different parties have used redistricting to gain an advantage, the urban/rural divide,...
Should We Reform the Supreme Court?
September 19, 2018 16:35 - 51 minutes - 85.3 MBWith Brett Kavanaugh’s ongoing confirmation battle, the Supreme Court and the partisan polarization of the nomination process has been fresh in the minds of many. In this episode of Planet Lex, host Daniel B. Rodriguez talks to Tonja Jacobi and Sarah Schrup about major issues facing the Supreme Court and the implications they have on our democracy. They discuss possible reforms, like term limits and court packing, as well as topics like oral advocacy and the tendency for female justices to b...
Reforming the Chicago Police Department
August 15, 2018 18:16 - 30 minutes - 41.8 MBThe violence that grips the streets of Chicago has been the subject of news outlets and even the President’s tweets, but what is actually being done to address the issue? In this episode of Planet Lex, host Daniel B. Rodriguez talks to Alexa Van Brunt, an attorney on the MacArthur Justice Center, about police brutality and bias in Chicago and the draft consent decree to reform the Chicago Police Department. They discuss the Justice Department’s report on police misconduct during the Obama Ad...
Chicago’s Gun Violence Epidemic
June 20, 2018 18:43 - 33 minutes - 45.7 MBGun violence in neighborhoods on Chicago’s south and west sides is a decades-long problem experiencing recently renewed media attention. In this episode of Planet Lex, host Daniel B. Rodriguez talks to Zach Fardon, a former U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, about the complexity of the problem, the root causes, and what can be done to address it. Their discussion touches on the distrust of law enforcement, the struggling public school system, and the role of federal law enf...
Facing the Challenges of the Global Legal Industry
May 16, 2018 21:35 - 44 minutes - 60.7 MBThe legal ecosystem is undergoing a massive transformation around the world, prompting some legal professionals to wonder if the industry is in a crisis. Others, though, argue that the legal community can start to fix problems within the industry by first recognizing them. As a prelude to Beyond Our Borders, a two-day summit on global legal innovation, host Daniel Rodriguez talks to Mark Cohen, the CEO of LegalMosaic, and Eva Bruch, Founder of AlterWork, about what’s broken within the legal ...
Approaching Access to Justice with a Designer's Mindset
March 28, 2018 17:03 - 44 minutes - 70.3 MBDoes the access to justice problem need a design solution? At Stanford’s Legal Design Lab, Margaret Hagan and her colleagues use human-centered design and technology to create innovative solutions for legal services. In this episode of Planet Lex, host Daniel Rodriguez talks to Margaret about the use of design thinking to help close the access to justice gap. Together they discuss what design thinking’s methodology is and its application in legal structures, the importance of centering techn...
The #MeToo Movement Through a Legal Lens
February 21, 2018 20:12 - 37 minutes - 60.6 MBWhat started out as a viral moment has grown into a movement that has resulted in both praise and controversy. But what are the legal considerations of the #MeToo movement? In this episode of Planet Lex, host Daniel Rodriguez talks to Laura Beth Nielsen and Deb Tuerkheimer about how the #MeToo movement differs from similar assault accusations in the past, the role President Trump may have played in the movement’s growth, and the impact the movement has had on public discussion surrounding se...
What Hinders Innovation in the Legal Industry?
January 17, 2018 17:37 - 38 minutes - 66.9 MBCommittees have been formed, seminars have been taught, and conferences have been hosted — all in an effort to convince lawyers that new technology will save them time and money. Sometimes the message sticks; sometimes attorneys run in the opposite direction. But is it lawyers themselves or the industry's rules and culture that hinder innovation in legal tech? In this episode of Planet Lex, host Daniel Rodriguez talks to Bill Henderson about innovation in the legal industry, including the cu...
Taking a Closer Look at Free Speech
December 20, 2017 19:53 - 33 minutes - 56.5 MBWhether it’s Milo Yiannopoulos being unable to speak at Berkeley or James Damore being fired for his Google memo, freedom of speech has repeatedly emerged as a topic of controversy, especially in terms of hate speech. In this episode of Planet Lex, host Daniel Rodriguez talks to Marty Redish, a freedom of expression professor, about how the law defines free speech and the right of various institutions, like businesses and universities, to regulate speech. They also discuss what is and isn’t ...
A Look at the Presidency with Neil Eggleston and Newt Minow
November 16, 2017 00:39 - 41 minutes - 67.9 MBThe Trump administration is constantly in the news but what's going on behind the scenes? In this episode of Planet Lex, host Daniel Rodriguez talks to former White House Counsel Neil Eggleston and former FCC Chairman Newt Minow about their experiences working for past presidents and their concerns about the Trump administration. They discuss the way we elect our presidents, the failings of the media, and whether or not the government is currently experiencing a moment of constitutional cris...
Scott Turow on Where Law and Literature Collide
October 18, 2017 16:04 - 38 minutes - 66 MBBestselling author and lawyer Scott Turow has written 13 books, including the law school must-read One L, and Presumed Innocent, the novel credited with creating the legal fiction genre. In this episode of Planet Lex, host Daniel Rodriguez talks to Scott about legal fiction, his career as a writer and lawyer, and the nature of legal education. They also touch on Scott’s work to reform capital punishment and the legal complexities of being an author in the age of technology. Scott Turow is ...
Law and Business of Cannabis: Regulation, Taxation, and Banking
September 20, 2017 17:10 - 40 minutes - 65.9 MBStoner jokes aside, cannabis is a truly budding industry. In this episode of Planet Lex, Daniel Rodriguez talks to Charlie Bachtell, CEO of Cresco Labs, and Dina Rollman, Chief Counsel at Green Thumb Industries, about the complexities of the marijuana industry, including how Illinois has set a precedent for regulatory programs, the banking challenges facing cultivators, and the battle for more research within the United States. They also discuss the role of lawyers within the cannabis busine...
Cities, States and The Trump Administration: Clashes of Federal and Local Government
August 16, 2017 16:09 - 32 minutes - 44.6 MBThere are looming conflicts between the Trump administration and local governments on a number of issues, including (but not limited to) sanctuary cities and climate change laws. In this episode of Planet Lex, Daniel Rodriguez discusses these hot-button topics with Kirkland & Ellis Professor of Law David Dana and Associate Professor of Law Nadav Shoked. Together they discuss the current state of sanctuary cities, response to the Trump administration pulling out of the Paris accord, and the o...
“Entrepreneurs Are the New Rock Stars”: A Conversation with J.B. Pritzker and Howard Tullman
May 22, 2017 20:05 - 31 minutes - 54 MBSuccess after law school doesn’t always mean practicing law, and these two guests are renowned examples of how a legal education can offer an advantage in the business world, too. In this episode of Planet Lex, host Daniel Rodriguez talks to J.B Pritzker, co-founder of the Pritzker Group and Illinois Democratic candidate for governor, and Howard Tullman, CEO of 1871 Chicago, about what it takes to pursue innovation in business. They discuss the five must-haves for an entrepreneurial mindset,...
How the Government is Handling Online Privacy and Cybersecurity
April 24, 2017 17:04 - 31 minutes - 53.7 MBThe speed of technological developments and change is so rapid that the government can’t craft corresponding rules and regulations fast enough. In this episode of Planet Lex, host Daniel Rodriguez talks to Northwestern Law Professor Jim Speta about net neutrality, online privacy, cybersecurity, and how the government is handling these growing issues. Their discussion dives into the new net neutrality legislation and how the new chair of the FCC will affect this and future regulation. Jim S...
The Supreme Court, Neil Gorsuch, and the Nuclear Option
March 14, 2017 17:08 - 29 minutes - 46.4 MBThe Supreme Court has faced a whirlwind of change and controversy over the last year, first with the death of Justice Scalia and then with election of President Trump and the actions of his Administration. In this episode of Planet Lex, host Daniel Rodriguez talks to Carter Phillips about the current state of the Supreme Court in 2017. Their discussion includes President Trump’s nomination of Neil Gorsuch, the Democrat Party opposition during this process, and the consequences of the nuclear...
Trump Administration and the Law
February 15, 2017 16:45 - 46 minutes - 77 MBTrump’s presidency has brought about a lot of change, especially in regard to law. In this episode of Planet Lex, host Daniel Rodriguez interviews Northwestern Law faculty members Deborah Tuerkheimer, Andrew Koppelman, and Eugene Kontorovich about recent actions by President Trump and the legal considerations facing this new administration. In their discussion, they cover a wide array of topics, including President Trump’s nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch, his expansion of executive power, a...
The Future Impact of Technology on the Legal Profession
December 14, 2016 17:21 - 30 minutes - 51.6 MBThe rise of legally focused technology has caused many attorneys to reflect on their current level of tech savvy and consider the improvements that future advancements might hold. In this episode of Planet Lex, host Daniel Rodriguez speaks with Professor Richard Susskind about the impact new technologies will have on the legal profession and whether law schools are sufficiently training law students to be the pioneering attorneys of tomorrow. Professor Richard Susskind OBE is an author, sp...
Law Enforcement and Implicit Bias
November 16, 2016 15:50 - 24 minutes - 48.9 MBThe increased media coverage of police shootings has coincided with the growing prominence of conversations about race and law enforcement. In this episode of Planet Lex, host Daniel Rodriguez speaks with Northwestern Pritzker School of Law Assistant Professor of Law Destiny Peery about implicit bias, tensions between the police and the communities they serve, and how perceptions of race impact the legal system. Destiny Peery is an Assistant Professor of Law at Northwestern Pritzker School...
Technological Advancements and The Law
October 19, 2016 17:05 - 35 minutes - 59.2 MBIn this episode of Planet Lex, host Daniel Rodriguez speaks with Northwestern Pritzker School of Law George C. Dix Professor in Constitutional Law John McGinnis and Northwestern University’s McCormick School of Engineering Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Larry Birnbaum about emergent technology and its effects on the law. Dan opens the interview by reminding everyone that it has been 10 years since the publication of Raymond Kurzweil’s book, “The Singularity is Near:...
The Regulation of Public Corruption
September 21, 2016 16:29 - 26 minutes - 44.5 MBIn this episode of Planet Lex, host Daniel Rodriguez speaks with Northwestern Pritzker School of Law Harry R. Horrow Professor in International Law Juliet Sorensen about the pervasiveness and regulation of corruption. Juliet defines public corruption as the abuse of public office for private gain and discusses the challenges of working within the various parameters of both civil causes of action and criminal law to regulate said corruption. Certain forms of malfeasance, like bribery, have be...
Defending Brendan Dassey of “Making a Murderer”
August 17, 2016 20:45 - 28 minutes - 53.5 MBUpdate: Brendan Dassey, nephew to Steven Avery, the primary defendant from the Making a Murderer series on Netflix had his conviction for murder, rape, and mutilation of a corpse overturned by U.S. Magistrate Judge William E. Duffin of the US District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin last Friday. This episode was recorded shortly before the development. Many people have become familiar with the trial of Brendan Dassey through the 2015 Netflix television series “Making A Murd...
Sexual Misconduct on Campus
August 17, 2016 19:47 - 35 minutes - 55.8 MBThe issue of sexual assault on campuses and how to best combat these incidents is a highly debated topic among legal professionals. How should these crimes be handled and what can colleges do to protect their students? In this episode of Planet Lex, host Daniel Rodriguez speaks with Northwestern Pritzker School of Law Professor of Law Deborah Tuerkheimer about campus sexual misconduct. Deborah shares that historically universities have not handled issues of sexual assault well and that the...
Integrating the Law and STEM Focused Multidisciplinary Education
July 15, 2016 17:19 - 31 minutes - 48.3 MBThe increasing societal shift toward a more global marketplace encourages many graduates to seek a multidisciplinary education. How does learning skills from various fields help students in the workplace and what value can legal knowledge add? In this episode of Planet Lex, host Dan Rodriguez talks with Northwestern Pritzker School of Law J. Landis Martin Professor of Law & Business Emerson Tiller and Clinical Associate Professor of Law Director Leslie Oster about the new Master of Science...
The Evolution of Copyright in Music
July 15, 2016 16:53 - 29 minutes - 51.1 MBNew technology has greatly lowered the barrier of entry into the music industry for new artists looking to release recordings and distribute their music. How have these emergent technologies affected copyright law and, subsequently, the salaries of working musicians? In this episode of Planet Lex, host Dan Rodriguez talks with Northwestern Pritzker School of Law Professor of Law Searle Research Fellow Peter DiCola about music copyright law and how new technology has affected the industry. ...