Andrew Guthrie Ferguson says that near the end of every school year, he has law students come into his office, "usually in tears." They tell the professor that if they'd only known at the start of the year what they'd figured out by the end of the year, they'd be so much father ahead. During his time as a non-traditional law student, Jonathan Yusef Newton found himself coaching and consoling many of his peers, trying to share with them what he'd learned about the law school system. Both Ferguson and Newton independently thought that there should be a guide to law school to explain these unwritten rules–and after a discussion in Ferguson's office, they realized they could collaborate on just such a project, combining the wisdom of the law professor and the recent law grad. The Law of Law School: The Essential Guide for First-Year Law Students was the result.

In this episode, they discuss the book with the ABA Journal's Lee Rawles, and share their thoughts on how distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic will impact the experience of law school. Ferguson, an expert on the use of data and electronic surveillance by law enforcement, and Newton, a former police officer, also share their thoughts and concerns about the use of surveillance technology to enforce public health.

Special thanks to our sponsor, Headnote.