Legal Catastrophes The Old-Fashioned Way

Legal Catastrophes The Old-Fashioned Way

Author: Legal Talk Network September 9, 2026 Duration: 23:04
No generative AI required! ----- With AI hallucinations dominating the legal ethics headlines for years now, it's nice to see lawyers landing in hot water without having to rely on technology. For example, Holland & Knight got itself removed from a case in Rhode Island after accidentally putting opposing counsel on their internal emails about "dumb" Rhode Island judges. Meanwhile, Skadden and Kirkland caught a $2 million sanction after repeatedly withholding evidence and the Lewis Rice bankruptcy lead is out following allegations of serving the wrong client. All that and somehow the Golden Girls manage to work their way into the conversation.

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.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Above the Law - Thinking Like a Lawyer
Podcast Episodes
Alienating Our Affections [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:13
Supreme Court hacking and the end of a Biglaw era. ------ The Biglaw world continues to watch single-tier partnerships slip away with Sullivan & Cromwell joining the income partner trend. Will the industry have any singl…
Minnesota Becoming A Constitutional Law Issue-Spotter [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:42
And Judge Ho's auditioning for MAGA favor takes a disgusting turn. ------ With polls showing more Americans now favor abolishing ICE than keeping it, a lot of people will be disappointed to learn that the law is set up t…
2026 Prediction Time! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:00
Welcome to another dumpster fire of a year. ----- We begin the year by peering into our crystal balls and issuing some predictions for 2026. Who will be fired? What's going to happen with law schools? Is a big change on…
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…