On December 9th, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the banning of two chemicals found in products used primarily in the automobile, dry-cleaning, and manufacturing industries, but also found in some household products like cleaning wipes, paint removers, glues, and wig adhesives. The two solvents, Trichloroethylene, also known as TCE, and Perchloroethylene, also known as PCE or Perc, have been linked to cancer and other severe health issues.

With the banning of TCE & PCE, the future of the EPA will be under Trump rule come January 20th, 2025. So what will be the impact of the TCE & PCE ban? And will there be a major overhaul of the EPA and an undoing of Biden’s regulations under Trump? In this episode, Craig is joined by Professor Wendy Wagner from The University of Texas at Austin School of Law. Craig & Wendy discuss the recent banning of TCE & PCE by the EPA, and the future of the EPA under a second Trump presidency.

Back in 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned 50 years of precedent, overruling Roe v. Wade. Leading up to the presidential election, abortion was a hot button issue and appeared on ballots across the states. 

Since the election, former President Trump has publicly denied that he would support a national abortion ban, and has said that he believes abortion should be left to the states. So what happens now? In this episode, Craig is joined by Kimberly Mutcherson, Professor of Law and former Co-Dean at Rutgers Law School and currently the Phyllis W. Beck Chair in Law at Temple University Beasley School of Law. Craig & Kim reflect on what has transpired after the Roe v. Wade decision, and discuss abortion rights and the challenges ahead.

Mentioned in This Episode:

SB 8, Its Impact, and the Future of Roe v. Wade

With former President Trump slated to take office on January 20th, 2025, he has not wasted any time in his quest to deport millions of undocumented immigrants. Trump recently appointed Former Acting U.S. ICE Director Tom Homan, as "border czar,” and confirmed his plan to declare a national emergency once in office, using the military for mass deportations.

In this episode, Craig is joined by Professor Ediberto Román, Director of Immigration and Citizenship Initiatives at the Florida International University College of Law. Craig & Ediberto discuss mass deportations under a second Trump presidency, the legal issues, and the potential impact on immigrants, industries, and our nation.

Baseball. America’s favorite pastime. A wonderful game, with its share of controversy. On October 30th, 2024, the World Series wrapped with the LA Dodgers beating the NY Yankees 4-1 in the series. In the third game of the series, at Yankee Stadium, there was a controversial play involving LA Dodgers right fielder Mookie Betts and two New York Yankees fans, who tried to rip the ball out of the glove of Betts during a play- a prime example of fan interference. According to the Yankees, the fans were ejected from the game due to their “egregious and unacceptable physical contact."

In this episode, Craig is joined by Dr. Paul Finkelman, a Distinguished Visiting Professor at the University of Cincinnati College of Law to spotlight baseball, the law, and regulation. Craig & Paul take a look at everything from fan interference to who owns a ball. We will also discuss baseball and how it all relates to the Constitution, and the American legal system.

Mentioned in this episode: 

Baseball and the American Legal Mind by by Spencer W. Waller, Neil B. Cohen, and Paul Finkelman

In Dispute on Legal Talk Network-The Chicago Black Sox Trial: How 8 Players Went From the Dugout to the Courtroom

For almost fifty years, coal dominated the Navajo economy. In April of 2017, the Public Service Company of New Mexico announced they planned to close the San Juan Generating Station, a coal-fired power plant in New Mexico, and replace it with other energy sources, including wind and solar. In 2022, the San Juan Generating Station in New Mexico closed, and on August 24, 2024, the station was demolished with a cleanup expected in 2025.

The demolition of the station received mixed reviews from the Navajo Nation. While some supported the demolition, others were tied to the history of the industry and how it provided for their families.

In this episode, Craig is joined by Dr. Andrew Curley, Assistant Professor at the School of Geography, Development & Environment at the University of Arizona. Craig and Andrew discuss coal, its history and use, the impact it has had on the Navajo Nation, the labor force, and the environment, and what the future holds.

Mentioned in This Episode:

Carbon Sovereignty: Coal, Development, and Energy Transition in the Navajo Nation

The role of the Vice President of the United States is an important one, but what actual power does it hold? Recently, vice president candidate JD Vance spoke publicly about the power of the vice presidency, the role of presiding over the electoral count as President of the Senate, and what he would have done if he was in former Vice President Mike Pence’s shoes on January 6th 2021.

In this episode, Craig is joined by Matthew Seligman, a fellow at the Stanford Constitutional Law Center, as they discuss the power of the vice presidency, the presiding role over the electoral count, and clarify the role of the vice presidency.

Mentioned in This Episode:

How to Steal a Presidential Election (co-authored with Harvard Law Professor Lawrence Lessig), Yale University Press (2024)

"How JD Vance Disqualified Himself” by Matthew Seligman (The New York Times)

The Ramifications of NSA Monitoring on Attorney-Client Privilege and the Bill of Rights featuring John Eastman & Erwin Chemerinsky (2014)

While Craig is on vacation, we’re re-airing one of our favorite episodes from the Lawyer 2 Lawyer library so you can re-listen or be introduced for the first time if you’re a new subscriber. As many of you know, NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are currently stranded in space due to a problem with the Boeing Starliner and will now be rescued in February of 2025! This brings up many questions pertaining to the legal arena of space law. 

In this archived episode, originally recorded in September of 2019, titled, Space Law, Craig spoke with Attorneys Michelle Hanlon and Mark Sundahl as they discussed pertinent space case law, and other related legal issues in the space law arena.

Craig will be back soon with all new episodes of Lawyer 2 Lawyer. As we await his return, you can also get caught up on In Dispute, Craig’s new podcast, about 10 famous trials that changed history. Enjoy! 

Over the years, the power of music has been an integral piece in energizing a crowd, whether through a specific song used at a political rally or in a campaign video on social media. However, there are legalities when it comes to the use of songs, especially when the musician doesn't want to be tied to a specific political candidate or a candidate uses a song without the musician’s permission.

Back on August 29, 2024, deputy director of communications for the Trump campaign, Margo McAtee Martin, posted a short clip on X of Donald Trump boarding a plane, set to the opening riff of the widely popular song, “Seven Nation Army” by the band The White Stripes. In response to the post, guitarist and lead singer of the rock duo, Jack White, wrote on his Instagram page, “Oh….Don’t even think about using my music you fascists…“Lawsuit coming from my lawyers about this (to add to your five thousand others..)” On September 9th, Jack & his bandmate, Meg White, filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against Trump & company for the “flagrant misappropriation” of their song. 

In this episode, Craig is joined by Joseph Fishman, Professor of Law at Vanderbilt University School of Law and Professor at the Blair School of Music, as they discuss The White Stripes' recent lawsuit against Donald Trump for the unauthorized use of their song "Seven Nation Army". Craig & Joe will talk about copyright infringement, and the legalities behind the use of songs in campaigns.

Mentioned in This Episode:

Donald Trump Infringed ‘Electric Avenue’ By Using Song In Campaign Video, Judge Rules

On April 23, 2024, the Federal Trade Commission issued a final rule to “ promote competition by banning noncompete agreements nationwide, protecting the fundamental freedom of workers to change jobs, increasing innovation, and fostering new business formation.” Noncompetes are agreements that prohibit workers from leaving their employers to join a competitor or start a rival business for a specific period of time.

However, the ban has been met with opposition. On August 14th, a federal judge in Florida ruled against the FTC’s proposed ban on most noncompete agreements. Back in July, a judge in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas temporarily blocked the FTC’s new rule. On August 20, 2024, U.S. District Judge Ada Brown found that the FTC lacked the statutory authority to issue the rule, set to go into effect on September 4th, 2024, blocking the rule nationwide.

In this episode, Craig is joined by Sandeep Vaheesan, the legal director at the Open Markets Institute, as they discuss the Federal Trade Commission's ban of noncompete agreements. Craig & Sandeep look at the recent court rulings to block the FTC's ban, the impact of the ban, and what this new ruling by Judge Brown means.

Mentioned in This Episode:

Democracy in Power: A History of Electrification in the United States

Last month, President Biden announced that he would be dropping out of the 2024 presidential race, and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for the presidential nomination. The momentum shifted, creating an entirely new battlefield in the race for the presidency against former President Trump and his Vice President candidate, JD Vance. 

Inflation. The economy. Women’s reproductive rights. Immigration. Education. These are just some of the policy & legal issues that we have covered over the years here on Lawyer 2Lawyer and will surely be on the minds of voters as they cast their ballot for president on November 5th, 2024.

In this episode, Craig is joined by Dr. Casey Burgat, an assistant professor and the director of the Legislative Affairs program at George Washington University's Graduate School of Political Management, as they discuss the upcoming presidential election, the candidates, policy issues important to voters, and what we can expect on Election Day and beyond.

Mentioned in this episode: 

We Hold These “Truths” Book

Mastering the Room Podcast

On July 25, 2024, California Governor Gavin Newsom issued an executive order directing state officials to start removing homeless encampments across the state. This follows last month’s SCOTUS ruling in City of Grants Pass v. Johnson, where the high court ruled that they will allow cities to enforce bans on sleeping outside in public spaces. According to a 2023 homelessness assessment report to Congress from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, California has the largest homeless population in the nation with more than 180,000 people out on the streets. 

In this episode, Craig is joined by returning guest Gary Blasi, Professor of Law Emeritus at the UCLA School of Law, as they discuss Governor Newsom's executive order for removal of homeless encampments in California. Craig & Gary discuss the order, the recent SCOTUS decision in City of Grants Pass v. Johnson, and the potential impact this could have on the homeless community.

Mentioned in this episode:

Governor Newsom’s Executive Order on Encampments  

City of Grants Pass v. Johnson Scotus Ruling 

The Legal Issues Surrounding Homelessness with Gary Blasi & Breanne Schuster on Lawyer2Lawyer