Gerrymandering is the dividing of a state, county, etc. into election districts so as to give one political party a majority in many districts while concentrating the voting strength of the other party into as few districts as possible. This strategy has been deployed by both political parties throughout history. In gerrymandering, “cracking” and “packing” are tactics of drawing peculiarly shaped districts to capture the desired results. Currently redistricting litigation remains pending in eigh...
Jan 26, 2018•37 min•Season 1Ep. 481
On January 4th, 2018, Attorney General Jeff Sessions rescinded Obama-era policy instructing federal prosecutors not to prioritize prosecutions against violators of federal drug laws in states that had decriminalized marijuana at the state level. This announcement came days after new legalization measures took effect in California. While many states have legalized at the state level, the drug is still illegal everywhere in the United States under federal law. On Lawyer 2 Lawyer , host, Craig Will...
Jan 12, 2018•31 min•Season 1Ep. 480
Lawyer 2 Lawyer has covered the Mueller investigation, sexual misconduct allegations, the Take a Knee movement, DACA, censorship and hate speech, the Equifax breach, the devastation of Hurricane Irma and Maria, and many legal stories surrounding President Trump. This past year in the law has been anything but boring. On Lawyer 2 Lawyer , hosts Bob Ambrogi and Craig Williams join longtime producer, Kate Nutting, to take a look at the year in review. Bob and Craig answer audience questions from th...
Dec 27, 2017•36 min•Season 1Ep. 479
As we approach the holidays, giving is the true meaning of the season. Former U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno once said, “Being a lawyer is not merely a vocation. It is a public trust, and each of us has an obligation to give back to our communities.” And the legal community continues to make strides in assisting clients and mentoring individuals who are in need of assistance. On Lawyer 2 Lawyer , host Bob Ambrogi joins attorney Jessie Kornberg, president and CEO of Bet Tzedek, attorney Shamika...
Dec 19, 2017•39 min•Season 1Ep. 478
Matt Lauer, Senator Al Franken, Roy Moore, Harvey Weinstein, President Trump. From movie moguls and politicians to top media personalities, sexual misconduct and harassment allegations have flooded the news cycle. But the problem of sexual harassment not only lies in Hollywood, Capitol Hill, and newsrooms, allegations exist in the workplace, most notably in law firms. The legal website, Above the Law, hosts a series titled “The Pink Ghetto”, which spotlights real life stories from victims of sex...
Dec 04, 2017•28 min•Season 1Ep. 477
On October 30, 2017, federal charges were filed against President Trump’s former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, and former Trump campaign official Rick Gates. Charges were filed in connection to special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into possible collusion between the 2016 Presidential campaign and the Russian government. On October 5, 2017, President Trump’s foreign policy adviser, George Papadopoulos, plead guilty for giving false statements to the FBI. On Lawyer 2 Lawyer , guest h...
Nov 22, 2017•59 min•Season 1Ep. 476
Last football season, the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers quarterback, Colin Kaepernick, famously took a knee during the National Anthem as a silent protest against police violence against people of color. Many were outraged by Kaepernick’s stance and saw it as a sign of disrespect for the country, flag, military, and police, where others applauded the movement, including fellow NFL players who supported Kaepernick's gesture of racial equality by also taking a knee in solidarity during the National An...
Oct 27, 2017•28 min•Season 1Ep. 475
On the night of October 1, 2017, a shooter opened fire from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay casino onto a crowd attending the Route 91 Harvest music festival in Las Vegas, Nevada. This tragedy left 58 people dead and more than 500 wounded. With terrible tragedies like this one, victims and their families are left to pick up the pieces and face a host of very real legal issues, anywhere from probate and wills to benefits and insurance claims. On Lawyer 2 Lawyer , host Bob Ambrogi joins attorne...
Oct 20, 2017•33 min•Season 1Ep. 474
The credit-reporting agency Equifax experienced a massive data breach, exposing the personal and financial data of 143 million U.S. consumers, including names, birthdates, addresses, and even social security numbers and license numbers. On Lawyer 2 Lawyer , hosts Bob Ambrogi and Craig Williams join Attorney Drew Rossow, from the firm Gregory M. Gantt Co. LPA, and attorney Ben Meiselas, from Geragos & Geragos, APC, to discuss the Equifax data breach, what went wrong, litigation, the potential...
Sep 29, 2017•35 min•Season 1Ep. 473
After the recording of this podcast, President Trump mentioned that he would work with Democrats on DACA and immigration policy. As of today, a potential "DACA deal" with Democrats remains unclear. Due to the developing nature of this issue, the information in this podcast may be incorrect or outdated though still relevant. Please keep this in mind upon listening. On September 5th of 2017, President Trump's administration said they would rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. Back i...
Sep 15, 2017•33 min•Season 1Ep. 472
For the past year, the First Amendment, censorship, and hate speech have been at the forefront of the news cycle. From President Trump blocking users on Twitter, to violence at rallies or on college campuses, protections of our First Amendment have been tested. Also, with the rise in popularity of social media, it has become complicated when deciphering what is actually a First Amendment right and what is not. On Lawyer 2 Lawyer , hosts Bob Ambrogi and Craig Williams join First Amendment attorne...
Sep 01, 2017•36 min•Season 1Ep. 471
According to Article II, Section 2, of the United States Constitution, the president "shall have power to grant reprieves and pardons for offenses against the United States, except in cases of impeachment.” With the recent investigation into President Trump’s possible collusion with Russia by special counsel Robert Mueller, talk of presidential pardon power has surfaced. So the question remains: if President Trump were to be ever found guilty of a federal crime, could he pardon himself? On Lawye...
Aug 18, 2017•37 min•Season 1Ep. 470
After recording the most recent episode of Lawyer 2 Lawyer about President Trump’s proposed ban of transgender people in the military, Bob Ambrogi, Craig Williams, Kris Poppe, and Brynn Tannehill continued their discussion on the topic. We recorded their candid conversation and wanted to share it with our listeners. If you were a fan of last week’s episode, check out this bonus content from the show.
Aug 15, 2017•12 min•Season 1Ep. 469
In a series of tweets on July 26th, 2017, President Trump announced that “after consultation with my Generals and military experts, please be advised that the United States government will not accept or allow transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the U.S. Military.” Transgender service members have been allowed to openly serve since 2016 when former Defense Secretary Ash Carter ended the ban. According to a Rand Corporation study, it is estimated that there are between 1,320 and 6,...
Aug 04, 2017•33 min•Season 1Ep. 468
The Supreme Court ended its term on Monday, June 27, 2017. Decisions were handed down in a variety of cases including cases involving big corporations, church and state, voting rights, and most notably, the controversial travel ban, put forth by President Trump. On Lawyer 2 Lawyer , host Bob Ambrogi joins attorney and constitutional scholar, David J. Shestokas, author of the book, Creating the Declaration of Independence and Carolyn Shapiro, associate professor of law and co-director of the Inst...
Jul 21, 2017•37 min•Season 1Ep. 467
There is a great fight over the release of two chimpanzees, Tommy the chimpanzee, caged in a warehouse in Gloversville, New York, and Kiko, caged in a storefront at the Primary Sanctuary in Niagara Falls, New York. In a recent legal ruling by a New York appeals court, the court struck down the habeas appeal by the Nonhuman Rights Project. According to a Nonhuman Rights project press release, “the court held that the NhRP did not have the right to seek second writs of habeas corpus on behalf of T...
Jul 07, 2017•48 min•Season 1Ep. 466
Comedian, actor, and America’s TV dad Bill Cosby has been on trial for the sexual assault of Andrea Constand. Ms. Constand accused Cosby of sexually assaulting her and drugging her in 2004 at Cosby’s Philadelphia mansion. After a six day trial and the jury being “hopelessly deadlocked” after 52 hours of deliberating, the judge finally declared a mistrial on June 17th. On Lawyer 2 Lawyer , hosts Bob Ambrogi joins attorney Letitia Quinones from the firm Quinones & Associates and attorney and p...
Jun 23, 2017•39 min•Season 1Ep. 465
On June 1st 2017, President Trump announced that the United States will withdraw from the Paris climate agreement. This accord was negotiated in 2015 to limit and reduce global warming. Environmental organizations voiced their outrage over the decision citing a denial of climate change and a threat to our environment, whereas supporters of the withdrawal praised President Trump’s decision claiming it would create domestic energy production and jobs stateside. On Lawyer 2 Lawyer , host Bob Ambrog...
Jun 09, 2017•35 min•Season 1Ep. 464
On May 9th, 2017, President Trump fired James Comey, the seventh Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Although the accounts are in dispute, it was reported that days before his dismissal, Comey had requested more resources for an FBI probe into the alleged meddling of Russia in the presidential election. The Justice Department has since denied those allegations. Many were stunned by the dismissal of Comey and are questioning the reasons behind it. On Lawyer 2 Lawyer , host Craig Will...
May 26, 2017•30 min•Season 1Ep. 463
The regulatory body that oversees the legal profession in England and Wales, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), has enacted a major overhaul of legal training and solicitor licensure. This will take effect in 2020. On Lawyer 2 Lawyer , hosts Bob Ambrogi and Craig Williams join attorney Mark A. Cohen, CEO of Legal Mosaic and Julie Brannan, Director of Education and Training for the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), as they discuss how the U.K. is eliminating the requirement of attend...
May 12, 2017•35 min•Season 1Ep. 462
On April 18th 2017, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court dismissed more than 21,000 low-level drug cases connected to the drug lab scandal that involved Annie Dookhan, a former chemist of a Massachusetts crime lab who admitted to falsifying evidence. After an investigation into Annie Dookhan and her work at the Hinton State Laboratory Institute, Dookhan admitted to altering and faking test results over a period of 8 years. On Lawyer 2 Lawyer , hosts Bob Ambrogi and Craig Williams join Carl W...
Apr 28, 2017•29 min•Season 1Ep. 461
On April 3rd, 2017, President Trump signed into law a controversial measure repealing online privacy protections, which were established by the Federal Communications Commission under the Obama Administration and would go into effect at the end of 2017. This legislation allows internet providers or ISPs to sell customer data without consent. Supporters of this legislation believe that keeping browsing information private would stop innovation, where opponents voice their concerns over the privac...
Apr 14, 2017•31 min•Season 1Ep. 460
On March 16, 2017, President Trump unveiled his proposed federal budget. With this proposed budget came many federal budget cuts to federal agencies and programs like the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, “Meals on Wheels,” and the Office of Violence Against Women. Included in these cuts, was the Legal Services Corporation, an independent nonprofit established by Congress in 1974 to provide financial support for civil legal aid to low-income Americans. If President Trump’s current budget prop...
Mar 31, 2017•33 min•Season 1Ep. 459
In recent months, President Trump has been very vocal about his disdain for the press and labeling certain news outlets “fake news.” In retaliation for contentious press relations, the White House blocked a number of news organizations including CNN, the New York Times, Politico, and the Los Angeles Times from attending an off-camera press briefing with Press Secretary, Sean Spicer on February 24th. So the question remains, how far will President Trump go with curtailing press participation and ...
Mar 17, 2017•32 min•Season 1Ep. 458
The Taft-Hartley Act, written in 1947, is one of the key laws governing labor relations in the United States today. Laws governing the workforce and employers have changed little, while the working world has changed dramatically. So are U.S. labor laws due for a major overhaul? Also, in recent months, President Trump has nominated Alexander Acosta to fill the Secretary of Labor spot after his first pick, Andrew Puzder, withdrew his nomination. On Lawyer 2 Lawyer , hosts Bob Ambrogi and Craig Wil...
Mar 03, 2017•31 min•Season 1Ep. 457
On January 31, 2017, President Trump announced that he had selected federal appeals court Judge Neil Gorsuch as his nomination for the U.S. Supreme Court to replace the late Justice Antonin Scalia. Many praised Trump on his nomination, citing parallels to Justice Scalia, while others saw Judge Gorsuch’s documented conservatism as a possible threat to future Supreme Court rulings. On Lawyer 2 Lawyer , hosts Bob Ambrogi and Craig Williams join Carrie Severino, chief counsel and policy director of ...
Feb 17, 2017•32 min•Season 1Ep. 456
The term “sanctuary city” has been widely used in the great debate over immigration policy and protections. Opponents of sanctuary cities claim that policy protects undocumented immigrants from criminal prosecution, where supporters believe these policies are needed to protect the rights of both citizens and undocumented immigrants. On Lawyer 2 Lawyer , host Bob Ambrogi joins Matthew J. O’Brien, the director of research at the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), and Jonathan Blaze...
Feb 03, 2017•48 min•Season 1Ep. 455
Recently, prosecutors involved in a 2015 Arkansas murder case have included Amazon’s Echo as technology-based evidence.The Echo is a hands-free speaker you control with your voice, connecting to the Alexa Voice Service to play music, provide information, news, sports scores, weather, and more. In this investigation, law enforcement discovered that the Amazon Echo could host important recordings and clues that are relevant to the murder case. On Lawyer 2 Lawyer , hosts J. Craig Williams and Bob A...
Jan 20, 2017•36 min•Season 1Ep. 454
On December 7, 2016, President-elect Trump chose Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt as his nominee to head the Environment Protection Agency, better known as the EPA. Some have said that Pruitt is a climate change denier and an advocate against the EPA’s activist agenda, while Trump himself has said, “Scott Pruitt will be a powerful advocate for that mission while promoting jobs, safety, and opportunity.” In this episode of Lawyer 2 Lawyer , host Bob Ambrogi joins Jody Freeman, the Archibald...
Jan 06, 2017•41 min•Season 1Ep. 453
After a fight to the finish, Donald J. Trump has been elected President of the United States. With his presidency comes the role of appointing Justices to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court has had its share of controversy. So who will Trump choose? Will he seek to appoint a conservative justice to the bench? Or will he play it safe and choose a middle of the road judge? Or better yet, surprise us all and fill Justice Scalia’s seat with a liberal judge? On Lawyer 2 Lawyer , hosts J. Craig Will...
Dec 21, 2016•31 min•Season 1Ep. 452
