One of former President Trump’s criminal cases, the hush money trial, is currently underway in a New York City courtroom. Jury selection for this case was a lengthy and controversial process which included Trump’s lawyers scrutinizing potential jurors’ social media, Judge Merchan giving Trump a warning for reacting to a potential juror in court, and the dismissal of one seated juror due to their concerns over the intense media coverage of the trial.

In this episode, Craig is joined by Betty L. Dunkum, Esq., Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Victory Trial Consulting, as they spotlight jury selection. Craig & Betty discuss the process, strategy, and what attorneys should look for in a juror.

In the early morning hours of March 26, 2024, Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed after a Singapore-based cargo ship named the Dali, lost power and hit the bridge's pillar. According to officials, eight people were on the bridge that morning when it fell: two were rescued, two bodies were recovered, and four are presumed dead. Crew members on the Dali were all safe.

In this episode, Craig is joined by LSU law professor and LSU President Emeritus, Tom Galligan, as they spotlight the Baltimore bridge collapse. Craig & Tom explore the incident through the lens of admiralty law, liability, litigation, impact, and how to prevent future disasters involving vessels.

In a ruling on Monday, March 25th, 2024,the New York appeals court gave Trump a major victory, cutting the bond needed in his civil fraud case from $464 million to $175 million, and also affording him an extra 10 days to find the money.

In this episode, Craig is joined by Will Thomas, Assistant Professor of Business Law at the Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan, as they discuss former president Trump's current legal and financial issues. Craig & Will take a look at this recent ruling on the $464 million judgment, specifics on the inability to secure a bond, and what next steps will be taken to retrieve payment from Trump.

March is Women’s History Month where we celebrate the contributions women have made to the United States throughout American history in a variety of fields. Charlotte E. Ray. Belva Lockwood. Sandra Day O’Connor. Ruth Bader Ginsberg. These are just some of the standout women who have shaped our legal history and fought for women and girls across the nation.

Unfortunately, in recent years women’s rights have come under attack. With SCOTUS’ overturning of Roe v. Wade, and many other policy issues like equal pay, Title IX, childcare, taxes, and equity in education, women continue to fight for their individual rights.

In this episode, Craig is joined by Amy Royce, Senior Counsel for Income Security for the National Women’s Law Center, as they will spotlight Women's History Month by discussing the current policy issues involving women, highlighting the intersection of gender justice and tax policy. We will also take a look back at women throughout history who have paved the way, and what women across the nation can do to rise up against legislation and fight for their rights.

On November 5th, 2024, people across the nation will head to the polls and cast their vote for president of the United States. It is looking more and more like another battle between President Joe Biden & former President Donald Trump with policy and rhetoric indicating an even more divided nation than in the prior election. With policy issues like immigration, abortion, IVF, guns, employment, and the economy taking center stage in this race, this election could once again be a controversial one. 

So, with a nation divided, can our democracy be saved? In this episode, Craig is joined by attorney David Pepper, as they discuss the upcoming presidential election, the state of democracy in the U.S., the current policy issues that could impact the election, and how we can save our democracy. 

Mentioned in this episode: 

Saving Democracy: A User’s Manual

Laboratories of Autocracy: A Wake-Up Call from Behind the Lines

For the past two episodes of Lawyer2Lawyer, we have covered SCOTUS cases that have included ballot access and immunity with former President Trump at the forefront of these cases. Trump has also been charged in four criminal cases.

In this episode, Craig is joined by professor Tamara R. Lave, from the University of Miami, as they spotlight these upcoming criminal cases of Trump, whether these cases will go to trial before the presidential election, and possible punishment.

Mentioned in this episode:

Tracking the Trump Criminal Cases (Politico)

In our last episode, we discussed administrative law, abortion, guns, presidential immunity & ballot access— just some of the upcoming cases that will come before the High Court in 2024. 

In this episode, we continue our conversation with Professor Steven D. Schwinn and spotlight some of the remaining standout SCOTUS cases on the docket. Additionally, we discuss a developing conflict at the Texas border with Mexico, where the State is openly defying a recent SCOTUS ruling.

Administrative law, abortion, guns, presidential immunity, & ballot access. These are just some of the upcoming cases that will come before the High Court in 2024. How will the justices rule? And how could their rulings change the course of our legal system for years to come?

In this episode, host Craig Williams joins returning guest Steven D. Schwinn from the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law, as they spotlight the standout SCOTUS cases of 2024 and the potential impact.

The first bar examination in the United States was administered in oral form in the Delaware Colony in 1783, and in 1885, Massachusetts became the first state to employ a written version of the bar exam. Over time, the bar examination process has become more standardized, but there's no one test. One example of a standardized test is the Uniform Bar Examination (UBE), created back in 2011, and first administered that year by Missouri and North Dakota.

So what is NEXT in standardized tests? According to the National Conference of Bar Examiners’ website, the NextGen Bar Exam, set to debut in July 0f 2026, will “test a broad range of foundational lawyering skills, utilizing a focused set of clearly identified fundamental legal concepts and principles needed in today’s practice of law.”

Will the transition from a standardized test like UBE to NextGen be an easy one? And what can law students & faculty expect? In this episode, host Craig Williams is joined by guest Dennis C. Prieto, an Associate Professor and Reference Librarian at ­Rutgers Law School, who served on the National Conference of Bar Examiners’ NextGen Content Scope Committee and is a member of the NextGen Tasks and Rubrics Advisory Committee. Craig & Dennis explore the specifics of the exam, how law students and faculty can transition to preparing for the new exam, and what students can expect from the exam in 2026.

Mentioned in this episode: 

NextGen Bar Exam

From My Perspective: Essays on the NextGen Bar Exam and Legal Education By Dennis C. Prieto, Susan Landrum, Timothy J. McFarlin, and Wanda M. Temm

Correction: In the podcast, Professor Prieto mentioned 'NCBE member Beth Kennedy,' but the correct name is Beth Donohue. We apologize for any confusion and appreciate your understanding.

Did former President Trump’s rhetoric lead to an insurrection on January 6th, 2021? A court in Colorado has said it did. So, what constitutes rhetoric? And how powerful are words?

In this episode, host Craig Williams is joined by guest Dr. Pete Simi, Professor of Sociology at Chapman University, to discuss the impact of rhetoric. Craig & Pete take a look at former President Trump's history of violent rhetoric, free speech and hate speech, and how extreme rhetoric can lead to political violence.

Mentioned in this Episode:

Out of Hiding (Routledge Studies in Extremism and Democracy) 1st Edition

Former President Trump 14th Amendment Hearing in Colorado

Last month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), released a report on U.S. life expectancy. Keren Landman, senior reporter from Vox, wrote an excellent piece on this report, detailing the takeaways including the impact of COVID 19, the rise of infant mortality, and how the States compared to other countries on life expectancy. 

In this episode, host Craig Williams is joined by guest Michael Ulrich, Assistant Professor of Health Law, Ethics, & Human Rights at Boston University’s School of Public Health and School of Law, to discuss the recent CDC Report on U.S. life expectancy. Craig & Michael explore the possible legal implications of this report, and the political, environmental, and social influence on U.S. life expectancy.

Mentioned in this Episode:

Provisional Life Expectancy Estimates for 2022

US Life Expectancy No Longer Catastrophic, Now Merely Bad By Keren Landman