By WilmerHale
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The podcast currently has 40 episodes available.
In this episode of In the Public Interest, podcast co-host Felicia Ellsworth sits down with WilmerHale Partner Lisa Pirozzolo to discuss a pro bono matter in which the City of Boston agreed to pay $2.6 million to settle a longstanding federal discrimination lawsuit. The lawsuit, which was initially filed nearly 20 years ago, alleged that a hair test used by the city to identify drug use on its police force was discriminatory, unreliable and scientifically flawed.
Ellsworth and Pirozzolo are joined by two of the plaintiffs in the case, Keri Hogan and William Bridgeforth (“Bridgy”), as well as Oren Sellstrom, Litigation Director at Lawyers for Civil Rights, who, alongside WilmerHale, represented the plaintiffs in this matter.
Keri and Bridgy share their experience with the hair test, the very real impact it had on their careers and lives, how they got involved with the lawsuit, and what the settlement means to them. Sellstrom and Pirozzolo discuss the background of the test and why it is flawed, and what this settlement means for others.
Senior International Counsel Ambassador Robert Kimmitt joins In the Public Interest host Felicia Ellsworth to talk about his storied career in public service. Through his service as the first General Counsel of the National Security Council, the first American Ambassador to a united Germany in over 50 years, General Counsel and Deputy Secretary of the Department of the Treasury, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, and more, Ambassador Kimmitt has played a leading role in some of the most high-profile international events in recent history, and he shares that perspective with listeners.
Ellsworth and Kimmitt also discuss his private practice at WilmerHale, including how he and the firm have become go-to resources for journalists and others who have been taken hostage in difficult countries around the world. He shares the role he played in bringing home The Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian, among others.
In this episode of In the Public Interest, host Felicia Ellsworth interviews Brendan McGuire, who recently rejoined WilmerHale after serving as chief counsel to New York City Mayor Eric Adams and City Hall. McGuire discusses his experience in the Adams Administration, including the challenges emerging from COVID, the New York City Legal Fellows Program and the asylum seeker crisis. He also reflects on his prior experience as chief of the Public Corruption Unit at the US Attorney’s Office for the SDNY and how it influenced his decision to join the Adams Administration. McGuire discusses his return to WilmerHale and how his experience in the mayor’s office will contribute to his private practice.
Season three of the firm’s podcast, In the Public Interest, covered real-time historic moments in American politics and jurisprudence and shared remarkable individual stories at the center of significant legal cases WilmerHale has handled. In each episode, co-hosts John Walsh and Felicia Ellsworth invited guests to share their unique perspectives on the most pressing legal and policy challenges capturing the public interest.
As season three comes to an end, join co-hosts Felicia Ellsworth and John Walsh as they chat about this season’s episodes and look back on notable moments from season three. They discuss the season three Supreme Court miniseries focused on the most consequential and interesting decisions recently issued by the United States Supreme Court. Ellsworth and Walsh also talk about what listeners can look forward to when In the Public Interest returns for a fourth season.
Season Three Episodes:
Since 1960, Congress has raised, revised or extended the statutory debt ceiling 79 times. The United States reached its debt ceiling in January 2023, prompting a congressional showdown and sparking fears of extreme market volatility and a global recession if the US were to default on its legal obligations. The 2023 debt ceiling crisis ended in June, when President Biden signed legislation that suspended the debt ceiling in exchange for budget cuts.
In an interview recorded shortly after Congress reached a deal to suspend the debt ceiling, co-host John Walsh speaks with Senior Counsel Eric Lesser about the circumstances and details of the debt ceiling standoff. Lesser was a White House Aide from 2009 to 2011 and witnessed the buildup to the 2011 debt ceiling crisis firsthand. He also served four terms in the Massachusetts State Senate and was a consultant for seven seasons of the hit HBO comedy Veep. As a Senior Counsel at WilmerHale, Lesser advises clients on a wide range of complex, government-facing matters.
Walsh and Lesser discuss the history of the debt ceiling and the run-up to the debt ceiling fight in 2011. They talk about the individual players at the center of the most recent debt ceiling standoff and what these episodes can teach us about the state of American politics today. Lesser also reflects on his role in Veep and his perspective on the political brinksmanship displayed in the debt ceiling negotiations.
In the Public Interest is excited to present the final episode in our miniseries examining landmark decisions recently issued by the United States Supreme Court. The final episode explores the Court’s decision in Moore v. Harper, a case involving control over electoral redistricting by state legislatures.
In the episode, co-host Felicia Ellsworth is joined by Partner Seth Waxman, a former United States Solicitor General who focuses his practice at WilmerHale on appellate and Supreme Court litigation. Ellsworth and Waxman discuss the legal theory known as “independent state legislature theory” at the core of the case and provide an overview of previous cases in which the Court considered similar legal questions. Waxman describes WilmerHale’s role filing an amicus brief representing the Democratic leadership of both the North Carolina House of Representatives and the North Carolina Senate. They also attempt to preview the implications of the Court’s decision on electoral maps beyond the state of North Carolina. The episode concludes with Ellsworth and Waxman highlighting notable points from the oral argument and dissenting opinions in Moore.
In the Public Interest is excited to continue our miniseries examining landmark decisions recently issued by the United States Supreme Court. The fourth episode examines the Court’s decision in Groff v. DeJoy, a case centered around a postal worker who sought a religious accommodation from his employer to not work on Sundays in observance of the Sabbath.
In the episode, co-host Felicia Ellsworth is joined by WilmerHale Partner Matthew Martens, who focuses his practice on high-stakes criminal and civil investigations, securities litigation and appellate matters. Ellsworth and Martens provide an overview of the legal issues raised by the facts of the case and highlight the parties’ different positions. Martens talks about his role on a team of WilmerHale lawyers who filed an amicus brief on behalf of the American Hindu Coalition. They also discuss the implications of the Court’s decision in Groff on employers’ requirement to accommodate individual employees’ religious exercise.
In the Public Interest is pleased to continue our miniseries examining landmark decisions recently issued by the United States Supreme Court. Our third episode focuses on the Court’s decision in 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis, a case concerning whether a Christian website designer has a First Amendment right to refuse to design wedding websites for same-sex couples.
In this episode, co-host John Walsh explores the 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis decision with Eric Olson, former Solicitor General of the state of Colorado, who argued the case in front of the Court. Olson and Walsh delve into the history of other Supreme Court cases where Colorado businesses have claimed a First Amendment right to refuse services to same-sex couples. Olson shares his unique, first-hand perspective on the scope of the core legal questions the Court addressed in its majority opinion. They also analyze notable points in the dissenting opinion issued by Justice Sonia Sotomayor and what the Court’s decision in this case may mean for the fight for LGBTQ+ rights in the United States.
In the Public Interest is pleased to continue our miniseries examining notable decisions recently issued by the United States Supreme Court. Our second episode welcomes WilmerHale Partner Daniel Volchok, who focuses his practice on appellate litigation and has an extensive Native American law practice.
In this episode, Volchok joins co-host Felicia Ellsworth to discuss the Court’s decision in Haaland v. Brackeen, a case concerning preferences for tribal families in the adoption of Native American children. They discuss the history of the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) and the core issues relating to the ICWA presented to the Court in this case. Volchok shares about the amicus brief WilmerHale filed on behalf of 87 members of Congress defending in full the constitutionality of the ICWA. Ellsworth and Volchok also talk about the current landscape of legal questions involving tribal rights that may work their way up to the Court in the future.
In the Public Interest is excited to present a miniseries examining notable decisions recently issued by the United States Supreme Court. The first episode in the miniseries welcomes WilmerHale Partner Thomas Saunders, who focuses his practice on appellate and government litigation with a particular emphasis on intellectual property.
In the episode, Saunders joins co-host Felicia Ellsworth to discuss the Court's decision in Jack Daniel's Properties, Inc. v. VIP Products LLC, a hotly debated case involving trademark law and freedom of expression centered around two items seldom appearing in the same sentence: dog toys and whiskey. Saunders and Ellsworth review the basic facts of the case and trace the case’s journey from the lower courts up to the nation’s highest court. Saunders elaborates on WilmerHale’s involvement in the case, which included an amicus brief filed on behalf of the liqueur company Campari America LLC. They also explore the core legal issues the Court ultimately addressed in its unanimous decision and provide insight on the decision’s potential impact on the limits of artistic expression, humorous parodies and freedom of speech in the future.
The podcast currently has 40 episodes available.
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