Above the Law - Thinking Like a Lawyer

Above the Law - Thinking Like a Lawyer

Author: Legal Talk Network Language: English Episodes: 100
Ever wonder how a lawyer's mind dissects the everyday world? That's the territory explored in Above the Law-Thinking Like a Lawyer, hosted by Joe Patrice, Kathryn Rubino, and Chris Williams from the legal news site. This isn't a dry analysis of case law, but a lively conversation where the hosts take common experiences-from pop culture phenomena and business trends to workplace dilemmas and current events-and run them through a distinctly legal filter. You'll hear them untangle the underlying principles, ethical knots, and surprising precedents hidden within topics everyone discusses. The result is often illuminating, sometimes dizzying, but always engaging as they debate whether that framework reveals clarity or complexity. Produced by the Legal Talk Network, the podcast sits at a unique crossroads of news, business, and career insights, offering a pragmatic yet entertaining look at how legal thinking shapes our understanding of everything. It’s for anyone curious about the mechanics of argument, the structure of rules, or just a smarter take on the week’s headlines. Tune in for a regular dose of perspective that is as thought-provoking as it is accessible, proving that a legal lens can be applied to far more than just a courtroom.
Episodes
A Look Back At The 2025 Dumpster Fire [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:46
Three trends dominated this year's coverage. ----- We've made it to the end of the year! And what do we have to show for it as a profession? Our most elite law firms signed deals rather than stand up for themselves in th…
Closing Out The Year With Mergers And Attacks On The Rule Of Law [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:01
Ho ho ho...gan Lovells merging. ----- A critical analysis of the best variety of Coca-Cola product gives way to a conversation about law this week. Cadwalader ends its tumultuous year -- involving a Trump administration…
This Is Why We Have Bar Exams [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:14
And the DOJ continues to be a hot mess. ----- Kim Kardashian is trying to enter the legal profession without a law school education. The bar exam is a deeply flawed and largely unnecessary test, but the best case for hav…
A Bad Week For Trump's Fake U.S. Attorneys [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:17
And a shorter summer associate program. ----- While most of us celebrated Thanksgiving, some of Trump's phony U.S. Attorneys were the real turkeys. First, a conservative leaning panel of the Eleventh Circuit affirmed the…
Bonus Season Begins In Earnest [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:57
Bonuses and botched prosecutions. ----- Bonus season is underway, and Biglaw firms are lining up to reward associates for a year's worth of effort. The market scale -- unless some firm breaks rank and crashes the party -…
Maybe The Legal Industry Has Just Lost All Sense Of Shame [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:38
But seriously, what would be a good legal dominatrix name? ------ Biglaw recruiting director out after racist rant goes public. A squabble between lawyers and their former firm presents important lessons on document mana…
If The DOJ Fails Another Time, They Win A Free Sandwich [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:28
And Kirkland tries a little tenderness. FedSoc does not. ----- The news that Kirkland had to teach its lawyers how to stop being mean to the private equity industry is incredibly funny. We're not saying Kirkland is getti…
A Riot By Any Other Name... [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:30
DOJ punishing lawyers, the future of the billable hour, and dark times for public interest work. ----- We talk about the DOJ lawyers suspended by the White House for calling January 6 a riot in a sentencing memo. and the…
Dispatches From The Collapse Of The Rule Of Law [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:27
And a Biglaw firm seeks help while an in-house attorney blows up her career. ----- Catching up with the slice of the conservative legal movement who have stared into the moral abyss of the Trump administration and recoil…