The Garrulous Gavel
The Garrulous Gavel podcast is for anyone who wants to listen in on thoughtful, in-depth, and entertaining discussions about law and the role that lawyers play in our society. Learn about the surprising ways law intersects with policy, economics, philosophy, science and technology, healthcare, education, the arts, and other aspects of our society. Your host is Jon Tycko, an attorney recognized by The National Law Review as one of the nation’s “Go-To Thought Leaders.” Twice a month, Jon sits down with other top attorneys to hash through some of the most intriguing legal issues of our times, while also exploring what it means to be a lawyer.
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Crytocurrency, Golem Impressions, And Flexitarianism, with Daren Firestone
06/07/2022
Crytocurrency, Golem Impressions, And Flexitarianism, with Daren Firestone
In this episode, Jon chats with ex-actor and now-lawyer Daren Firestone about cryptocurrency. They discuss emerging legal issues around crypto and blockchain technology, the recent Terra not-so-stable coin debacle, and how whistleblowers can help uncover fraud in the crypto business. Then, Daren does his Golem impression. After Jon recovers from that, he gets garrulous with Daren about “flexitarianism.” As Daren explains, this is a form of ethical eating that is almost—but not quite—vegetarianism. Daren explains his three rules for when he’ll eat meat, one of which involve things that can only happen in Paris. Intrigued? Then, you should listen all the way to the end of this fun episode. MORE FROM OUR GUEST Daren Firestone on LinkedIn: Daren Firestone’s website on cryptocurrency whistleblowing: CONNECT WITH THE SHOW Visit our website: The Garrulous Gavel on Twitter: The Garrulous Gavel on Facebook: Contact us: More about Jon Tycko:
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Lawyers For All Humans and the Legal Services Gap, with Susan Francis
05/24/2022
Lawyers For All Humans and the Legal Services Gap, with Susan Francis
Meet Susan Francis, the Executive Director of the Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service (MVLS), a non-profit organization that provides legal help for low-income residents of Maryland in various types of civil matters, including family law, housing issues, tax disputes, estate planning, and criminal record expungement. Susan and Jon talk about the gap between the civil legal services needed by most people, and the lawyers available to provide those services at a cost people can actually afford. The gap is wide, and attorneys providing pro bono services through organizations like MVLS can make a dent but not close it all the way. So, do we need more lawyers? Or do we need fewer legal rules? Listen in as Susan and Jon debate this issue. Then, Jon gets garrulous with Susan about her love of the National Park Service. She’s been to over 300 national parks, historical sites, and other locations run by the NPS. And she tells us about her visit to one national park where she crossed paths, quite literally, with a particularly frightening alligator. MORE FROM OUR GUEST Susan Francis on LinkedIn: Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service: The National Park Service park-finder: CONNECT WITH THE SHOW Visit our website: The Garrulous Gavel on Twitter: The Garrulous Gavel on Facebook: Contact us: More about Jon Tycko:
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The Triumphs And Challenges Of Women In The Law, with Bridget Bailey Lipscomb
05/10/2022
The Triumphs And Challenges Of Women In The Law, with Bridget Bailey Lipscomb
In this episode, our guest is Bridget Bailey Lipscomb, Assistant Director of the Environmental Torts Section at the U.S. Department of Justice, and President of the Women’s Bar Association of the District of Columbia. Listen in as Bridget describes her path, from growing up on the South Side of Chicago to working in the halls of power in Washington, D.C. We tackle the issue of women in the law, both marveling at how far things have come since the Women’s Bar Association was founded in 1917 (three years before women’s right to vote became a part of the Constitution), but also discussing the challenges women continue to face today in the legal world. Then, we get garrulous with Bridget about her college sorority, and how, just recently, she helped a young woman join that same sorority. It’s a fun story, and also emblematic of Bridget’s tireless efforts to mentor and be a role model for other women. MORE FROM OUR GUEST Bridge Bailey Lipscomb on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bridget-bailey-lipscomb-5b2b794a/ Bridget Bailey Lipscomb on Twitter: @BridgetLipscom9 The Environmental Tort Litigation Section, Department of Justice: https://www.justice.gov/civil/environmental-tort-litigation-section The Women’s Bar Association of the District of Columbia: https://wbadc.org/ CONNECT WITH THE SHOW Visit our website: http://thegarrulousgavel.com The Garrulous Gavel on Twitter: https://twitter.com/garrulousgavel The Garrulous Gavel on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/garrulousgavel Contact us: [email protected] More about Jon Tycko: https://www.fraudfighters.net/people/jonathan-tycko/
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Sports Law and Becoming a Sports Lawyer, with Christopher Deubert
03/29/2022
Sports Law and Becoming a Sports Lawyer, with Christopher Deubert
Listen in as Jon chats with Christopher Deubert about life as a sports lawyer. Chris worked for the Football Players Health Study at Harvard University, before becoming the General Counsel for the D.C. United professional soccer team. Now in private practice, Chris represents players, clubs, and other participants in the sports industry. Chris talks with Jon about what sports lawyers do, and how a lawyer can get into the field. Chris then unpacks some of the more interesting recent intersections of sports and law, including the Major League Baseball lockout and new collective bargaining agreement, the Brian Flores v. NFL race discrimination lawsuit, and the new Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) rules that apply to college athletes. Then, Chris gets garrulous about one of his other passions: reading the biographies of American Presidents. So far Chris is up to President No. 32. Do you know which one that was? If you listen to this episode, you’ll find out, and you’ll also be surprised to hear which two Presidents are Chris’s favorites. MORE FROM OUR GUEST Christopher Deubert’s law firm bio: https://www.deubertlaw.com/about Christopher Deubert’s blog on sports law topics: https://www.deubertlaw.com/blog Christopher Deubert on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-deubert-2a692721/ CONNECT WITH THE SHOW Visit our website: http://thegarrulousgavel.com The Garrulous Gavel on Twitter: https://twitter.com/garrulousgavel The Garrulous Gavel on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/garrulousgavel Contact us: [email protected] More about Jon Tycko: https://www.fraudfighters.net/people/jonathan-tycko/
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The Law And Political Economy Project, with Corinne Blalock
03/08/2022
The Law And Political Economy Project, with Corinne Blalock
This go-round, we chat with Corinne Blalock, who is the Executive Director of the Law and Political Economy Project. Law and political economy (LPE) is an intellectual movement within legal academia, and the LPE Project is an organization, housed at Yale Law School, that brings together the scholars working in the movement, and that promotes the ideas of the movement in various other ways. Corinne explains what LPE is, and gives us insight into what it’s like to be on the forefront of building infrastructure for a new intellectual movement. Then, we get garrulous with Corinne about chickens. She lived in a house in Brooklyn, NY where chickens were raised in the front yard. Surprised that it’s both legal and feasible to raise chickens in New York City? She’ll explain how it’s done, and also why male chickens, a/k/a roosters, are worse than jackhammers and considered outlaws! MORE FROM OUR GUEST Corinne Blalock’s bio: More about the Law and Political Economy Project: Corinne Blalock on Twitter: CONNECT WITH THE SHOW Visit our website: The Garrulous Gavel on Twitter: The Garrulous Gavel on Facebook: Contact us: More about Jon Tycko:
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Legal Protections for the Press, and the Making of Bonaparte, with Anne Champion
02/22/2022
Legal Protections for the Press, and the Making of Bonaparte, with Anne Champion
In this episode, Anne Champion walks us through legal protections for the press and publishers, including Anti-SLAPP statutes, and the “actual malice” standard adopted by the Supreme Court in the famous First Amendment case of New York Times v. Sullivan. Along the way, we hear about Anne’s representation of Mary Trump in two lawsuits, including one brought by former President Donald Trump, relating to Mary Trump’s book Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man. We also discuss the recent libel case brought by Sarah Palin against the New York Times. Then, we get garrulous with Anne about something more personal. Twenty-five years ago, a high school friend of hers, Laura Van Wyhe, was found almost lifeless by the side of a road, apparently the victim of foul play. Laura died at a hospital soon thereafter, and the case has remained unsolved all these years. More recently, Anne has made it a personal mission to uncover new leads and solve the case. The intertwined stories of Laura’s death, and Anne’s pursuit of the truth, has recently been the subject of a gripping podcast called Bonaparte. We’ll talk to Anne about the making of that podcast, and her continued hunt for clues to the untimely death of her friend. MORE FROM OUR GUEST Anne Champion’s bio: The Laura Van Wyhe case: Bonaparte: CONNECT WITH THE SHOW Visit our website: The Garrulous Gavel on Twitter: The Garrulous Gavel on Facebook: Contact us: More about Jon Tycko:
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Government Secrets and How to Unearth the Truth, with Mark Zaid
02/08/2022
Government Secrets and How to Unearth the Truth, with Mark Zaid
This time, we talk with attorney Mark Zaid, one of the country’s foremost national security and government secrecy attorneys. Mark has built a fascinating practice around uncovering government secrets, and representing clients in the national security realm. We chat with Mark about the Freedom of Information Act, the pre-publication review process, and other legal tools relating to government classified information. He tells us about the FOIA case in which he sought revelation of the oldest classified documents still being kept secret by the U.S. government (you’ll have to listen to find out what they were!), and also about his numerous high-profile clients, who have included Alexander Vindman, former Defense Secretary Mark Esper, actor John Cryder, and the national security whistleblower whose actions led to the first Trump impeachment proceeding. On a lighter note, we get garrulous with Mark about his passion for comic book collecting, and the controversy over “pressing” wrinkles out of old comic books. A very fun and educational conversation! MORE FROM OUR GUEST Mark Zaid’s website: Mark Zaid on Twitter: CONNECT WITH THE SHOW Visit our website: The Garrulous Gavel on Twitter: The Garrulous Gavel on Facebook: Contact us:
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Export Controls And Sanctions As A Tool In U.S.-China Relations, with Timothy O’Toole
01/25/2022
Export Controls And Sanctions As A Tool In U.S.-China Relations, with Timothy O’Toole
Our first episode of 2022 features Timothy O’Toole, and a discussion about U.S.-China relations, and the ways in which the U.S. uses trade—and in particular controls on exports—as a national security and foreign policy tool. Tim also is a great example of the wide variety of work that a lawyer can do over a career; he tells us about spending the first half of his career working as a public defender, focusing on the rights of criminal defendants, and then, 17 years after leaving law school, reinventing himself as a sought-after specialist in trade law. We’ll also get garrulous with Tim about his 1980s new wave band, The Birch Bark Canoes, and the glory days of college radio. And you can check out more of Tim on his own podcast, Embargoed!, which focuses on the law of exports. MORE FROM OUR GUEST Timothy O’Toole’s webpage: The Embargoed! Podcast: on YouTube: CONNECT WITH THE SHOW Visit our website: The Garrulous Gavel on Twitter: The Garrulous Gavel on Facebook: Contact us:
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Climate Change and the Law with Sean Donahue
12/20/2021
Climate Change and the Law with Sean Donahue
This time around, you’ll hear from one of the country’s top environmental law litigators, Sean Donahue, about various legal issues and challenges associated with climate change. Get the 60-minute version of the semester-long class on climate change law and policy that he teaches at Stanford Law School! Sean also talks about his time as a law clerk for both Ruth Bader Ginsburg and John Paul Stevens, and the role that law clerks play at the Supreme Court. And we get garrulous with Sean about his experience as a political spouse, creating crossword puzzles in support of his wife’s successful run for the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. MORE FROM OUR GUEST Sean Donahue’s law firm: The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Sixth Assessment Report: The Discovery of Global Warming, by Spencer Weart: CONNECT WITH THE SHOW Contact us: Visit our website: Follow the Garrulous Gavel on Twitter:
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Government Corruption and How To Fight It with Jessica Tillipman
12/07/2021
Government Corruption and How To Fight It with Jessica Tillipman
Listen in on a conversation with Jessica Tillipman, an Assistant Dean at the George Washington University Law School, where she specializes in government procurement, anti-corruption, and compliance. We explore the nature of government corruption, and why it matters. Dean Tillipman walks us through the key tools in U.S. law for fighting against corruption by government officials. We get garrulous about the Gov. Bob McDonnell case, the Fat Leonard Scandal, Trump International Hotel, and the Hunter Biden paintings! Then, Dean Tillipman shares some personal anecdotes—to which many of you will relate—about being both a law school dean and a parent of two small children working from home during the COVID pandemic. MORE FROM OUR GUEST Dean Tillipman’s law school webpage: GW Law Government Procurement Law Program: CONNECT WITH THE SHOW Contact us: Visit our website: Follow the Garrulous Gavel on Twitter:
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How “Rule of Law” Foreign Aid Helps Big Business But Burns Consumers and Employees, with Jason Rathod
10/26/2021
How “Rule of Law” Foreign Aid Helps Big Business But Burns Consumers and Employees, with Jason Rathod
In this episode, you’ll meet Jason Rathod. Jason is a practicing attorney, but he also likes to write lengthy law review articles. He’s written about how the United States uses foreign aid to impose our legal system on other countries, something we call “Rule of Law” aid. Jason argues that “Rule of Law” aid actually only exports half of our legal system: the part that is pro-business and pro-capitalism. What is missing are legal protections for consumers and employees, and in particular mechanisms, like class actions, that Jason calls aggregate litigation. In this interview, you’ll find out why he advocates for other countries to adopt aggregate litigation rules. You’ll also hear Jason’s very entertaining story about his unique destination wedding, which included him dancing on top of a horse-drawn carriage as part of a traditional Indian wedding processional through the streets of Cartagena, Columbia! MORE FROM OUR GUEST Migliaccio & Rathod LLP website. Jason Rathod on Twitter: @ Jason’s article titled Emerging Markets, Vanishing Accountability: How Populations in Poor Countries Can Use Aggregate Litigation to Vindicate Their Rights. CONNECT WITH THE SHOW Contact us: Visit our website: Follow the Garrulous Gavel on Twitter:
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Trauma-Aware Lawyering with Margaret Gandy and Rena Paul
10/12/2021
Trauma-Aware Lawyering with Margaret Gandy and Rena Paul
This time around, we meet two former New York City prosecutors, Margaret Gandy and Rena Paul. Their many years in both the state and federal criminal justice systems led them to rethink how lawyers approach clients and witnesses who have been victimized by violent crimes or other traumatic events, and to develop what they call “trauma-aware lawyering,” an approach they are now implementing in their recently-formed law firm. We also get garrulous with our guests about the stresses and traumas that lawyers often encounter, and how law offices can promote attorney well-being. And how do our guests care for their own well-being? Just what you’d expect from a couple of hard-boiled NYC prosecutors: meditative dancing and adult coloring books! MORE FROM OUR GUESTS Their law firm: Materials on trauma-informed prosecution, from the Institute for Innovation in Prosecution: CONNECT WITH THE SHOW Contact us: Visit our website: Follow the Garrulous Gavel on Twitter:
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Qualified Immunity and Rights Behind Bars with Samuel Weiss
09/28/2021
Qualified Immunity and Rights Behind Bars with Samuel Weiss
In this episode, we get garrulous with Samuel Weiss, the founder and Executive Director of Rights Behind Bars, an organization that uses strategic litigation to protect and advance prisoners’ rights. We tackle the hot-button issue of “qualified immunity”—a controversial legal doctrine that often protects prison guards and police officers from liability for constitutional violations—and talk with Sam about the path to victory in Taylor v. Riojas, one of the very few cases in which a prisoner prevailed on that issue in the Supreme Court. Then, we’ll chat with Sam about getting back to his roots in creative writing, and his plans to finish his great unfinished novel. MORE FROM OUR GUEST Rights Behind Bars website: Facebook: Twitter: CONNECT WITH THE SHOW Contact us: Visit our website: Follow the Garrulous Gavel on Twitter:
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Owning Our History with Robert Eager
09/14/2021
Owning Our History with Robert Eager
This time on the Garrulous Gavel, we sit down with Robert Eager, founder of . After retiring from a career as a successful corporate lawyer, Bob reconnected with his education in history, and set out to help the next generation of students grapple with the inequality that has marred much of U.S. history. We'll talk with Bob about the work of Own Your History, coming to grips with his own family's role in slavery and Jim Crow, and why he thinks it's so crucial for students to learn about the gaps between our democratic ideals and the reality of cruelty and discrimination. Then, we'll find out why Bob enjoys collaborating with grad students, and what kinds of support Own Your History needs to sustain its important work. MORE FROM OUR GUEST Own Your History's website: CONNECT WITH THE SHOW Contact us: Visit our website: Follow the Garrulous Gavel on Twitter:
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Accountability for the Capitol Riot with Matt Kaiser
08/12/2021
Accountability for the Capitol Riot with Matt Kaiser
In this episode, we speak with former philosophy grad student, and current high-profile Washington, D.C. attorney, . Matt represents Congressman Eric Swalwell in a lawsuit against Donald Trump, Donald Trump, Jr., Rudy Guliani, and Congressman Mo Brooks, in which Rep. Swalwell argues that those defendants should be held legally responsible for the violent January 6 riot at the Capitol that tried to stop the certification of Joe Biden’s election. I talk with Matt about the events of January 6, the goals of the lawsuit, and some of the interesting legal and philosophical issues that it raises. Then, Matt tells us about what it's like to do door-knocking for political campaigns, and why he loves those one-on-one interactions with complete strangers. MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Background on the Ku Klux Klan Act: CONNECT WITH THE SHOW Contact us: Visit our website: Follow the Garrulous Gavel on Twitter: Watch The Garrulous Gavel on YouTube:
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The Mysteries of the Grand Jury with Sara Kropf
07/29/2021
The Mysteries of the Grand Jury with Sara Kropf
Our first episode features , one of the nation’s top white-collar criminal defense attorneys. Sara not only represents defendants in high-profile criminal cases, but also authors the blog. We hear about grand juries in the news all the time. But what exactly is a grand jury, and what does it do? Sara will explain it to us, and then you can listen in as we chat about two of the biggest grand jury issues in recent years: the grand jury indictment of the Trump Companies and Trump CFO Allan Weiselberg, and the grand jury failure to indict in the Breonna Taylor case. We'll also get Sara's take on the Washington Nationals' chances at landing a playoff spot this year. MORE FROM OUR GUEST Read more of Sara's insights on grand juries, criminal defense practice, and more on her blog: Follow Sara on Twitter: CONNECT WITH THE SHOW Contact us: Visit our website: thegarrulousgavel.com Follow the Garrulous Gavel on Twitter: Watch The Garrulous Gavel on YouTube:
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The Garrulous Gavel Trailer
07/22/2021
The Garrulous Gavel Trailer
Welcome to The Garrulous Gavel, with your host, Jon Tycko.
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