When a string of 2025 executive orders barred select law firms from federal buildings, revoked security clearances, and threatened to cancel their clients’ government contracts, Big Law took notice. Yale Law professor John Morley—author of Why Law Firms Collapse—joins Talks On Law host Joel Cohen to explain:

• how the orders leverage client pressure to destabilize even thriving partnerships;
• the “bank-run” dynamic of partner exits and collapsing profits-per-partner;
• bankruptcy claw-back rules and unfinished-business liability that haunt partners who stay;
• ethics constraints under Model Rules 5.4 and 5.6 that limit outside capital, speed lawyer mobility, and allow for this unique risk;
• why transactional giants settled while litigation shops fought—and the reputational trade-offs for both.

How to Earn CLE Credit

Listen to the full program, note the verification code announced during the recording, then log in to your TalksOnLaw account to record attendance and download your certificate.

This podcast is approved for 1.25 hours of MCLE credit in Legal Ethics. Check your jurisdiction for reciprocal credit. MCLE available to TalksOnLaw “Premium” or “Podcast” members. Visit www.talksonlaw.com to learn more.)

Growing evidence links heavy social‑media use to rising anxiety, bullying, and sextortion among kids, and state lawmakers are racing to respond. In this interview, Harvard Law School’s Leah Plunkett—reporter for the Uniform Law Commission’s child‑influencer act—and University of Virginia family‑law scholar Naomi Cahn examine how new statutes seek to verify age, require parental consent, and redesign feeds to curb addictive features.

Plunkett and Cahn compare Florida’s and Utah’s sweeping under‑14 account bans with New York’s pending “SAFE for Kids Act,” explore design mandates such as late‑night notification curfews, and explain why long‑standing COPPA rules leave teens largely unprotected. They unpack First Amendment and privacy challenges already moving through the courts, highlight emerging “digital Coogan” laws that safeguard child‑creator earnings, and note international moves—from Australia’s proposed under‑16 ban to the U.K.’s Age‑Appropriate Design Code.

(Credits: General 1.5 hrs | MCLE available to TalksOnLaw “Premium” or “Podcast” members. Visit www.talksonlaw.com to learn more.)

Digital platforms now enable the near-instantaneous distribution of information, including misinformation and disinformation, to vast audiences. Disinformation refers to false or manipulated information deliberately created to deceive, whereas misinformation is inaccurate or misleading information that is sometimes shared without harmful intent. Professor Barbara McQuade—a former U.S. attorney and current professor of National Security Law at the University of Michigan Law School—explores these challenges and the legal weapons to combat them, noting that disinformation currently poses one of the biggest threats to national security.

(Credits: General 1hr | MCLE available to TalksOnLaw “Premium” or “Podcast” members. Visit www.talksonlaw.com to learn more.)

An interview with Prof. Carrie Menkel-Meadow

In this episode, Professor Carrie Menkel-Meadow of UC Irvine Law School delves into the ethical frontiers of legal negotiation, challenging attorneys to reflect on which tactics align with both zealous advocacy and professional integrity. Menkel-Meadow navigates the evolution from a model of unbridled assertiveness toward a modern framework that prizes diligence, honesty, and respect for the Model Rules of Professional Conduct.

Throughout the conversation, she distinguishes between permissible strategic behavior—such as puffing, bluffing, and even certain aggressive maneuvers—and practices that cross the line into outright deception. By exploring the nuances of material misrepresentation versus acceptable exaggeration, Menkel-Meadow highlights the ethical dilemmas inherent in negotiation, including the fine balance between strategic omissions and the risk of fraud. She also emphasizes the long-term benefits of cultivating a reputation for fairness and transparency, arguing that such an approach not only upholds professional credibility but also better serves clients over time.

(Credits: 1.25hrs Civility | MCLE available to TalksOnLaw “Premium” or “Podcast” members. Visit www.talksonlaw.com to learn more.)

The legal profession faces alarmingly high rates of substance abuse and mental health challenges. In this conversation, Brian Cuban, attorney, author, and addiction recovery advocate, explores the systemic and cultural factors contributing to addiction among lawyers and provides actionable strategies for prevention and recovery.

Cuban shares his deeply personal journey of battling addiction and rebuilding his life, offering valuable insights into how stigma, stress, and the “work hard, play hard” culture exacerbate the problem. He discusses the role of Lawyers’ Assistance Programs (LAPs), the importance of creating supportive environments within law firms, and the ethical obligations attorneys must navigate when facing addiction.

Throughout the discussion, Cuban examines the legal structures that protect confidentiality and promote recovery, as well as innovative approaches to fostering well-being in the profession and provides tools to help lawyers recognize, address, and prevent substance abuse while maintaining competence and ethical integrity.

(Credits: 1.5hrs Competence (Prevention and Detection) | MCLE available to TalksOnLaw “Premium” or “Podcast” members. Visit www.talksonlaw.com to learn more.)

As artificial intelligence systems become increasingly expensive and resource dependant to develop, a question arises: Are we witnessing the emergence of AI as a natural monopoly? In this conversation, Berkeley Law Professor Tejas Narechania explores how the market forces driving AI consolidation create both efficiency and significant legal risks.

Professor Narechania explains the structural conditions under which a natural monopoly can form—where the high costs of developing foundational AI models and the competitive advantages of massive datasets create significant barriers to entry. He discusses how antitrust principles, network effects, and accountability risks must be considered when regulating AI market power.

Throughout the discussion, Professor Narechania draws on historical parallels in telecommunications law and explores potential legal tools, including interoperability requirements, national security concerns, and public infrastructure models to improve outcomes without stifling innovation.

(Credits: General 1hr | MCLE available to TalksOnLaw “Premium” or “Podcast” members. Visit www.talksonlaw.com to learn more.)

Autonomous lethal weapons, often sensationalized as “killer robots,” are no longer confined to science fiction—they are a rapidly advancing reality in modern warfare. In this conversation, Georgetown Law Professor Mitt Regan, an expert on the laws of war and international law, delves into the profound ethical and legal implications of AI-enabled weapon systems for both current conflicts and the future of warfare. Central to the conversation are the legal frameworks governing AI-enabled weapons under international humanitarian law. Professor Regan examines principles such as distinction, proportionality, and precaution, showing how these are tested by systems that use AI to identify and engage targets. Significant gaps in legal frameworks persist, including the absence of a unified international agreement specifically addressing autonomous weaponry.

Mitt Regan is a professor of law at Georgetown Law and an expert on both national security and international humanitarian law. 

(Credits: General 1hr | MCLE available to TalksOnLaw "Premium" or "Podcast" members. Visit www.talksonlaw.com to learn more.)

(Credits: General 1.5 | MCLE available to TalksOnLaw "Premium" or "Podcast" members. Visit www.talksonlaw.com to learn more.)

AI is changing how lawyers do their work and raising questions about how lawyers can harness artificial intelligence consistent with their professional responsibilities. Georgetown Law Professor Tanina Rostain answers questions about the transformative impact of AI on the legal profession and how the rules of professional conduct apply to the new ways that attorneys use AI to conduct research, draft documents, and interact with clients. 

(Credits: Technology 1.0 | MCLE available to TalksOnLaw "Premium" or "Podcast" members. Visit www.talksonlaw.com to learn more.)

Professor Joseph Blocher (Second Amendment scholar and co-director of the Duke Center for Firearms Law) explains two significant recent Supreme Court cases: United States v. Rahimi and Garland v. Cargill. This discussion provides an in-depth analysis of the legal reasoning behind these decisions and their broader implications for gun regulation and gun rights in the United States.

(Credits: General 1.0 | MCLE available to TalksOnLaw "Premium" or "Podcast" members. Visit www.talksonlaw.com to learn more.)