Imagine you are a juror in a criminal trial. The evidence is overwhelming that the defendant is guilty. But you can’t shake the feeling that it would be unjust to convict. Maybe you don’t believe what the defendant did should be treated as a crime. Or maybe you simply believe the defendant deserves mercy. Can you vote to acquit, or must you vote according to the evidence?

It turns out that, in the US and the UK, jurors do have the power to acquit, even if they believe a defendant committed the charged crime. This is known as jury nullification.

In this episode, host Janelle Wrigley chats with Professor Glenn Reynolds from the University of Tennessee College of Law. They discuss the history of jury nullification in the US, the role of the jury, and the debate on whether jurors should be told they have the power to nullify if they believe a conviction would be unjust.

In the UK you’ll find spectacular beaches and rivers, a nation of wild swimmers and water lovers… and a big pollution problem! Untreated sewage, chemicals and plastic waste are creating a worsening toxic soup. Surfers Against Sewage (https://www.sas.org.uk) has been fighting back for over 30 years – through public campaigns, education programmes and, more recently, an app that lets you check the health status of your favourite swim, surf or sail spot.

In this episode, Becky Annison chats to Surfers Against Sewage CEO (and former lawyer) Giles Bristow about the environmental crisis affecting our beaches, rivers, lakes and ponds. The pair also discuss the need for accountability by polluters and water companies, the charity’s goals and how it all began.

Following the recent release of the 12th Edition of Black's Law Dictionary, The Hearing is privileged to welcome its Editor-in-Chief, Bryan Garner, to the show. And to be honest, we're a bit nervous to write this description of our conversation with this esteemed grammarian, lexicographer, and lawyer!

You don't hear about fourth graders naming "shan't" as a contraction or teenagers amassing a large vocabulary to impress potential dates. And we don't know about you, but we were too busy staying afloat the first week of law school to begin working on a legal dictionary – and still too busy during our clerkship to see it through to publication. But none of us is Bryan Garner.

Bryan chats with Jennifer about his long-time love of linguistics and the obstacles he overcame – from unsupportive professors, uninterested publishers, uncongenial colleagues, and scarce funds – to pursue his passion and strike out on his own. Bryan also pulls back the curtain on the process of editing and updating Black's – and invites you to be a part of it!

To learn more about Bryan Garner, visit https://lawprose.org/bryan-garner/.

At 15 years old, Shaun Wallace was told that he would most likely end up in prison. Instead, he became a barrister and a TV personality famous for his knowledge mastery – first as a champion of the BBC quiz show Mastermind, and since 2009 as one of the chasers (professional quizzers) on UK television show The Chase.

In this episode, Shaun chats with Yasmin Sheikh about how his love of law, learning, and football led to a career in law and on television, and the setbacks he has overcome along the way.

This episode explores the heart-wrenching subject of youth justice. Guest Aika Stephenson is the founder of Just For Kids Law, a UK charity that represents and advocates for children in contact with the criminal justice system. She’s also the author of In Their Defence: Fighting for Youth Justice One Child at a Time (https://www.mombooks.com/book/in-their-defence/).

Join host Janelle as she chats with Aika about the extraordinary cases she’s dealt with in her career and how her own background led her to become an advocate for children. Aika provides eye-opening insight on the failures that she has witnessed in the legal system, from the police station to the courtroom, and the impact this has on children and young people.

If you’re interested to hear more about youth justice advocacy, check out episode 22 with Aika's colleague Shauneen Lambe: [https://pod.fo/e/1a42f]

In this episode, we dive into the philosophical depths of the legal profession – exploring some of the assumptions underpinning Western legal thought and the implications of such assumptions. So nothing we can’t handle.

Join host Becky Annison as she talks to Ryan James and Zaneta Sedilekova, the founders of (re)purpose law – a personal development course for lawyers. The trio discuss how legal practices could be harmonised to help tackle the multifaceted crises facing the modern world, and they unravel the mechanistic and anthropocentric mindsets that have long influenced our legal systems. Prepare to learn about the concept of "two-eyed seeing" – which marries Western and Indigenous ways of knowing to forge a path forward that is both holistic and interconnected.

As we navigate the complexities of climate and biodiversity risks, The Hearing offers a platform for innovative concepts that aim for a more socially and ecologically just future. This episode might challenge your perspectives and perhaps help guide us all towards a more equitable and sustainable legal landscape.

In the US, June is no longer just June – it is also National Gun Violence Awareness Month. To that end, this episode delves into one of the most pressing issues facing the US today: school shootings.

Lauren sits down with Stuart Grossman and Alex Arteaga-Gomez, two attorneys at the forefront of US legal efforts to help curb gun violence in schools, to discuss their work on the deadliest mass shooting at a high school in US history – the Parkland shooting. Lauren also chats with Stuart and Alex about the unique aspects of their work, including the sensitivity and understanding of human psychology required, and why litigating cases stemming from tragedy isn't for every lawyer.

Over decades, hundreds of Post Office employees in the UK were wrongly prosecuted for crimes such as fraud and theft due to accounting errors resulting from faulty software. Many lives were devastated by the false accusations. This week, Yasmin speaks to Neil Hudgell, the Executive Chairman of Hudgell Solicitors, a firm representing many of the claimants in the post office scandal, about the case and his experiences representing individuals who have been through tragic events.

Find out more about The Hearing and other Thomson Reuters podcasts at tr.com/thehearing

Picture this: a young boy enters a computer programming project in his school science fair. It's so sophisticated that his teacher mistakenly assumes a parent must have helped – and awards him last place. The boy then grows up to become CEO of a legal technology company worth $650 million. That story belongs to Jake Heller, Head of CoCounsel – a revolutionary generative AI product for lawyers.

In this episode, Jenn and Lauren sit down with their colleague Jake to chat about his journey from coding to law school to founding Casetext, where Jake envisioned making legal research as easy as finding movie times online. And, through the powers of AI, determination, and teamwork, his vision eventually became a reality. Jake also gets candid about family life and what it's like to have his own "co-counsel" at home – four children under the age of 5 – with his high school sweetheart.

To learn more about CoCounsel, visit https://www.thomsonreuters.com/en/artificial-intelligence.

Governments around the world are grappling with how to regulate AI on issues ranging from copyright protections to ethical standards, competition rules and beyond.
 
In this episode, host Becky Annison explores AI governance issues with Lord Tim Clement-Jones CBE, member of the UK House of Lords and former chair of its Artificial Intelligence Select Committee. The pair discuss the challenges of balancing enthusiasm for a new technology with the need to manage its risks. They also chat about areas where AI developers need to be more transparent regarding the construction of their models, and global efforts to set commonly accepted governance standards for AI.

Find out more about The Hearing and other Thomson Reuters podcasts at tr.com/thehearing