On June 24, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court decided the landmark case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, which held that the Constitution of the United States does not confer the right to abortion and overruled both Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey, thus returning the power to define abortion rights and restrictions to the states. In this edition, host Jonathan Amarilio and co-host Trisha Rich are joined by Michelle Wetzel, General Counsel of Planned Parenthood of Illinois, for a discussion about the Dobbs decision and its impact on women's ability to access abortion care throughout the United States.

Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization: A Conversation with Michelle Wetzel General Counsel of Planned Parenthood of Illinois

This episode was previously recorded in 2019 before the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization overturning Roe v. Wade, but the conversation is just as relevant today. In this edition, co-hosts Jon Amarilio and Chastidy Burns are joined by Katie Watson, a lawyer, professor, bioethicist, and the author of “Scarlet A: The Ethics, Law and Politics of Ordinary Abortion.” Katie makes the argument that we need to start having real conversations about ordinary abortion because it impacts millions of Americans, and can help us unpack many other social issues, including civil rights, religion, socioeconomic stratification and more.

The Scarlet A Edition (Rebroadcast)

In this edition, host Jonathan Amarilio and co-host Trisha Rich are joined by Colonel Yevgeny "Eugene" Vindman, who served as a deputy legal advisor on the National Security Council (NSC) and came to national prominence after he and his twin brother, Alexander Vindman, jointly reported former President Trump to the NSC for attempting to pressure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for negative information about his then political opponent, Joe Biden. Colonel Vindman is a JAG Officer and an expert in the law of armed conflict, military law, government ethics, and national security law. He joins the podcast to provide an overview of rules-based international law and the law of war in the context of Russia's War in Ukraine, as well as the United Nations' role in preventing wars of aggression.

War in Ukraine: Colonel Yevgeny "Eugene" Vindman Discusses the Law of War

In this edition, host Trisha Rich and co-host Jennifer Byrne are joined by immigration attorney, author, Forbes contributor, and former UN correspondent, Andy Semotiuk, to discuss the history of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the international laws that are implicated by Russia's actions and the humanitarian crisis that has resulted.
 
Special thanks to our sponsors: InfoTrack, Posh Virtual Receptionists, LLC, Embroker, and Smokeball.

War in Ukraine: Immigration Attorney Andy Semotiuk Discusses the Humanitarian Crisis

In this edition, host Jonathan Amarilio and co-host Margaret Mendenhall Casey are joined by Judge Robert Bacharach of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit to discuss his recent book “Legal Writing: A Judge’s Perspective on the Science and Rhetoric of the Written Word” and what advocates should consider when crafting persuasive arguments.
Special thanks to our sponsors: InfoTrack, Posh Virtual Receptionists, LLC, and Smokeball.

The Science of Legal Writing: An Interview with Judge Robert Bacharach of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit

Listen to the first-ever mailbag episode of CBA's @theBar! Host Jonathan Amarilio is joined by co-hosts Trisha Rich, Maggie Mendenhall Casey and Jennifer Byrne for a conversation that is even more unscripted than usual. Be a fly on the wall of an @theBar podcast production meeting as the group discusses letters from the audience and potential topics for future episodes. If you have comments, questions or ideas for future episodes, write in to podcast@chicagobar.org.
Special thanks to our sponsors: InfoTrack, Posh Virtual Receptionists, LLC, and Smokeball.

@theBar from the Mailbag

In this edition, host Jonathan Amarilio is joined by Dan Webb, the special prosecutor appointed to investigate the case against actor Jussie Smollett for making false reports of a hate crime to the Chicago Police Department and the handling of the case by Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx. Webb discusses his successful prosecution of Smollett and explains what ultimately lead to his conclusion that there were “substantial abuses of discretion and operational failures” by Foxx and her staff in how the case against Smollett was resolved.
Special thanks to our sponsors: InfoTrack, Posh Virtual Receptionists, LLC, and Smokeball.

The Jussie Smollett Case: An Interview with Special Prosecutor Dan Webb

In our debut episode of Season 4, Amanda Knox joins the show to talk candidly about her story and share her passion for shedding light on the issues of wrongful conviction and criminal justice reform. Knox spent nearly four years in an Italian prison and eight years on trial before being exonerated of murder charges. The case made international headlines for nearly a decade and thrust Knox into the spotlight. Her story and wrongful conviction were then chronicled in a 2016 Netflix documentary, and in Amanda's own New York Times best-selling memoir, “Waiting to Be Heard." In this edition, she talks with Jonathan Amarilio and Trisha Rich about how her public and private identity have been shaped by these events, her attempts to reclaim her own narrative and her passion for criminal justice reform.
Special thanks to our sponsors: InfoTrack, and Smokeball.

An Interview with Amanda Knox: Beyond Did She or Didn't She

In 2005, the United States government issued an unprecedented indictment against the Chicago mafia, naming the entire Chicago Outfit as a criminal enterprise. The indictment was the culmination of the FBI's "Operation Family Secrets" investigation, which began when the son of notorious mob boss Frank Calabrese Sr. decided to cooperate with the government and recorded countless hours of conversations with his father about the mob's criminal activities. "Operation Family Secrets" became the “Family Secrets Trial,” which ended with murder and racketeering convictions for most of the Outfit’s top leadership. In this edition, host Jonathan Amarilio and co-host Jennifer Byrne discuss the case with Markus Funk, one of the lead prosecutors in the trial that put a hit on the Chicago mob.
Special thanks to our sponsors: InfoTrack, and Smokeball.

The Chicago Mafia Edition: Former Federal Prosecutor Markus Funk discusses the trial that put a hit on the Chicago Outfit

Listen for a preview of what's in store for CBAs @theBar in the coming months and to learn how you can submit your ideas for upcoming mailbag episode.

Teaser: The Chicago Mafia Trial, Mailbag and Season 4 Kick-off

In this edition, Dallas County District Attorney Michelle Shughart provides a behind-the-scenes look at the criminal prosecution of former neurosurgeon Christopher Duntsch, whose sinister story is depicted in popular true-crime series 'Dr. Death.' Over the course of his short career, Duntsch maimed over 30 patients, with two more dying during and shortly after undergoing surgery with him. Host Jonathan Amarilio and co-host Trisha Rich talk with Shughart about how the unprecedented case landed on her desk and the uphill battle his victims faced in bringing him to justice.
Special thanks to our sponsors: InfoTrack, and Smokeball.

The 'Dr. Death' Edition: A Conversation with Dallas D.A. Michelle Shughart about the crimes and prosecution of Christopher Duntsch

In this edition, host Jonathan Amarilio and co-host Kernisha Padilla are joined by Dean Hari Osofsky of Northwestern Pritzker School of Law and Dean Jennifer Rosato Perea of DePaul University College of Law for a roundtable discussion about the current state of legal education. The group discusses many hot button topics, including the pandemic's impact on legal education, law school enrollment and employment trends, the cost of tuition and its relationship to the student debt crisis, the increasing focus on diversity in the legal profession and more.
Special thanks to our sponsors, CourtFiling.net, InfoTrack, and Smokeball.

The Law School Deans Roundtable Edition

In this edition, Jonathan Amarilio is joined by Corey Stern, lead counsel for the plaintiffs injured in the Flint, Michigan water crisis, including more than 2500 children who were lead poisoned by consuming water from the Flint River. Corey discusses the origins of the water crisis, the role citizen advocates played in seeking government accountability, and how he became involved in the case, eventually securing a $600 million settlement from the State of Michigan on behalf of his clients.
Special thanks to our sponsors, CourtFiling.net.

The Flint Water Crisis Edition: A Conversation with Lead Plaintiffs' Attorney Corey Stern

In this edition, Jonathan Amarilio and co-host Jennifer Byrne are joined by California probate attorney Justin Gold to discuss a topic that is sensational, delicate, concerning, and much in the news: the conservatorship of Britney Spears. Justin explains how the conservatorship system is supposed to work, its pros, its cons, and how it – at least according to press accounts – seems to have failed Britney Spears.
Special thanks to our sponsors, CourtFiling.net.

The #FreeBritney Edition

In this edition, guest host Trisha Rich and co-host Jennifer Byrne are joined by public relations and legal marketing expert Debra Pickett of Page 2 Communications for a discussion about how lawyers can shift their mindset from lawyer to entrepreneur and embrace the art of shameless self-promotion to build their book of business.

Special thanks to our sponsors, CourtFiling.net.

The Art of Shameless Self-Promotion Edition

Rob Bilott sits down with host Jonathan Amarilio to discuss his struggle on behalf of tens of thousands of poisoned Ohio and West Virginia residents and his ongoing efforts to stop the use of toxins that have contaminated nearly all of humanity.

Special thanks to our sponsors, CourtFiling.net.

The Dark Waters Edition: A Discussion with Environmental Attorney Rob Bilott

New Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives Emanuel "Chris" Welch became the first Black lawmaker to hold the position. He joins the show to talk about his story, goals and plans for for the State of Illinois.

The Speaking of Speakers Edition: A Discussion with Illinois' New House Speaker Emanuel "Chris" Welch

Part 3 of @theBar’s three-part series on The Trial of the Chicago 7. In this episode, host Jonathan Amarilio and co-host Jennifer Byrne continue the conversation about the landmark trial with John Froines, one of the last two living members of the Chicago 7.

The Trial of the Chicago 7 Edition: Part 3 – Defendant John Froines

Part 2 of @theBar’s three-part series on The Trial of the Chicago 7. In this episode, host Jonathan Amarilio continues his conversation about the landmark trial with Dick Schultz who represented the United States Government in the prosecution of the Chicago 7.

The Trial of the Chicago 7 Edition: Part 2 – Prosecutor Dick Schultz (Cont.)

Part 1 of @theBar’s three-part series on The Trial of the Chicago 7. In this episode, host Jonathan Amarilio discusses the landmark trial with Dick Schultz who represented the United States Government in the prosecution of the Chicago 7.

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