With the increased focus on ethics in the legal profession, we were interested to learn more about the work of Can't Buy My Silence (https://www.cantbuymysilence.com). This campaign group was set up in September 2021 by Zelda Perkins and Professor Julie Macfarlane. Their mission is to end the misuse of non-disclosure agreements to silence the victims of crime and wrongdoing.

Zelda was the first woman to break their NDA with Harvey Weinstein. In this episode, Zelda talks to Becky Annison about her campaign work and how its helping to bring the systematic abuse of NDAs to the attention of the international media and governments. They also discuss the practice of using NDAs from a lawyer's perspective, and how this interacts with underlying principles of the profession.

We imagine lots of you have experience of NDAs and we'd love to hear your thoughts on this subject. You can email us at [email protected].

Find out more at tr.com/TheHearing

Law school. Supreme Court of New Jersey. Prison. Oval Office of the White House. These are just a few places where this episode's guest, John Koufos, has spent time. If you haven't heard John's story, then prepare yourself for a rollercoaster ride. A former criminal defense attorney who was no stranger to a high-pressure career, John's 15-year battle with alcoholism eventually caught up to him, with tragic consequences.

Join our new host, Lauren Sobel, as she chats with John about his former legal career, what it was like to leave the courthouse – where he once practiced – in handcuffs, his journey to becoming a recognized expert on re-entry into society after prison, and his remorse. Lauren and John also cover issues like substance abuse in the legal profession, how the criminal justice system impacts all of society, and the less obvious consequences of being a convicted felon.

John's story gives true meaning to the phrase second chances and, as Lauren says, making lemonade out of lemons. His candor and determination had us glued to this conversation, and we think you'll be too.

After listening to the episode, find out more about John’s work here (https://cottagefour.com). And if you want to reach out to us, please email [email protected] – we’d love to hear from you!

Find out more at tr.com/TheHearing

As you’ll know, if you want that dream job, you’ve got to nail the interview. And that’s just what Lauren Sobel and Jennifer Thibodaux had to do before taking up their posts as our new US hosts of The Hearing.

Join Yasmin as she gets to know our new pod-mates – finding out Lauren and Jennifer’s career journeys, their roles as Senior Legal Editors at Practical Law, and what makes them tick. It gets deep.

As Lauren and Jennifer both got the job(!) we can’t wait to join them for future episodes, as they introduce us to their own guests and topics. If you have any suggestions for who or what we should feature, please do get in touch.

Find out more at tr.com/TheHearing

THE CROSS-EXAMINATION – In this episode, Becky explores the unique role the monarch plays in British government, and considers what changes may come now that King Charles III has ascended to the throne following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.

Becky talks to Sir Jonathan Jones KC, a consultant in constitutional law at Linklaters, and Robert Hazell, a professor of government and the constitution at University College London. They discuss the formal and informal powers the UK monarch has to influence legislation, and how Queen Elizabeth approached the role during her historic reign.

What powers does the monarch really have? And which limits on the monarchy are based on convention rather than the constitution?

Guests:

– Sir Jonathan Jones KC, Senior Consultant in Public and Constitutional Law, Linklaters

– Professor Robert Hazell, Founder of the Constitution Unit, UCL

Find out more at tr.com/TheHearing

In this episode, Yasmin chats to Ranjit Sond – President of the UK’s Society of Asian Lawyers (https://www.societyofasianlawyers.co.uk).

Ranjit is a former personal injury lawyer and now works for the Government Legal Department. In this conversation, he talks candidly about his career and the motivations behind the decisions he’s made to shape it.

In his role as President for the Society of Asian Lawyers, Ranjit’s focus includes helping to foster more diverse talent in the profession. He’s also working hard to address the problem of sexual abuse and harassment within the industry.

It's clear that Ranjit's compassion for others has driven his work and been of great personal value to the people he's been able to help. His (borrowed) advice to keep your mind at its peak by giving it plenty of rest will stick with us at The Hearing. But there's plenty to be learned from Ranjit, so enjoy!

Find out more at tr.com/TheHearing

MY LEGAL JOB & ME – Next up in our series looking at the myriad roles across the legal profession, we have Fran Murray, a cross-qualified criminal law partner at Russell-Cooke. Fran talks about her day-to-day working life, the career journey that got her to where she is now, and her philosophy on the special relationship between a client and their lawyer.

Thank you for all the encouraging feedback we’ve had since we launched this new sub-series. We’d love to hear your thoughts on who would make a good guest for My Legal Job & Me. So please let us know!

Find out more at tr.com/TheHearing

In this episode, Yasmin sits down with employment law partner (and old university friend) Michelle Last. Michelle’s passion to see those who experience fertility issues of all types treated more fairly at work has informed both her practice and her public advocacy.

The pair have a wide-ranging discussion that covers IVF, miscarriages and the menopause – amongst other things – and the negative impact such major life events can have on someone’s career. It’s a complex facet of diversity and inclusion in employment law, and we’re grateful to Michelle for such an insightful look at this from both a personal and legal perspective.

To listen to the related interview with Joeli Brealey (Founder of Pregnant Then Screwed) which Yasmin refers to, head to episode 72 (http://pod.fo/e/c0129)

Find out more at tr.com/TheHearing

MY LEGAL JOB & ME – Behind the scenes at The Hearing we speak to so many people across the legal industry, around the world. So we hear countless interesting and inspiring career stories. And it feels selfish to keep this knowledge to ourselves. So we’ve decided to share these insights into the various different roles that together make up the legal profession.

We hope this series will help you better understand what your industry peers do. And also give you inspiration for your own career, as you discover what people love about their work and the aspects they find challenging.

This is: My Legal Job & Me. First up, we have Zaneta Sedilekova discussing her portfolio career as a solicitor and biodiversity consultant. Enjoy!

Find out more at tr.com/TheHearing

This episode examines the high prevalence of stress and burnout amongst lawyers, and what can be done to reduce it. Yasmin talks to Legatics CEO Anthony Seale and Lucy Shurwood from Pinsent Masons – one of the founding members of the Mindful Business Charter.

The trio discuss what burnout is, some common causes and what we can learn from the pandemic. Now that wellbeing conversations have come to the fore, firms are having to take an honest look at their corporate culture. But as well as focusing internally, it’s clear there are some brave conversations to be had about being equally as mindful to those we work with externally.

Guests:

– Lucy Shurwood, Partner, Pinsent Masons

– Anthony Seale, CEO, Legatics

Mindful Business Charter – https://www.mindfulbusinesscharter.com

Find out more at tr.com/TheHearing

WE'RE 100 EPISODES OLD! To celebrate, we decided to turn the spotlight (mic) on our beloved host, Becky. She had mixed feelings about it, but you're going to love getting to know her better.


Yasmin and Becky talk about where her passion for the law came from, her interesting career journey, and the work she does now to combat climate change. She's a hero and we're glad to dig deeper into what makes her tick.


It's been an awesome four years producing this podcast. So Kaley Botting and Ben Clayton (the behind-the-scenes nerds responsible) would like to say a huge thanks to you (yes, YOU) for voting with your ears and listening. It means a lot.

Find out more at tr.com/TheHearing