The SLU LAW Summations podcast is a 15-30 minute dive into a diverse mix of legal topics. Each episode will explore a fresh legal matter with a member of the Saint Louis University School of Law faculty.
Host and Producer: Jessica Ciccone, Senior Director of Communications and Strategy
Assistant Producer: Edna Besic (3L)
Have an idea for a podcast topic? Email lawcommunications@slu.edu
Full Episode Listing on Soundcloud
Episode 51: From SAG to UWA and beyond: Labor Unions and Today’s Workforce
Nearly every day we see a new headline about a labor union in the news. From the recent
Writers Guild agreement to the ongoing United Auto Workers strike and the numerous
health care walk outs; labor unions are once again changing the game in the workplace.
Why the influx in strikes in the labor movement? What does this mean for the future
of labor in the United States? In this episode we are joined, once again by Professor
Michael Duff. He is a former labor lawyer for the National Labor Relations Board and
is a faculty member in the William C. Wefel Center for Employment Law.
Episode 50: Affirmative Action: Beyond Admissions to Workplace Implications
The Supreme Court decision banning race-conscious college admissions that was handed
down over the summer has rocked higher education and has forced colleges and universities
across the country to examine their processes. But the implications of this case go
far beyond campus. The decision has unleashed a new wave of political and legal attacks
against corporate America’s anti-discrimination policies. Are our hard-fought DEI
initiatives in the workforce the next target? What does this mean for educators and
employers? In this episode we are joined by Professor Marcia McCormick, the director
of the William C. Wefel Employment Law Center, and Belinda Dantley, the assistant
dean for diversity, equity, and inclusion at the law school.
Episode 49: The New Age of Voting Rights in the United States
Earlier this year, the United States Supreme Court handed down a landmark decision
in the voting rights case of Allen v Milligan. To the surprise of voting rights advocates
across the country, the Court decided that the Alabama’s redistricting plan violates
Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. Just today, the Supreme Court reaffirmed the decision,
handing a defeat to Alabama Republicans for the second time in three months. The case
concerns the redistricting of Alabama’s seven seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.
We have Professor Anders Walker here to talk through this case with us. Professor
Walker teaches Constitutional Law and American Legal History among other courses.
For this episode, assistant producer Edna Besic, a 3L at SLU LAW, will join as a co-host.
Episode 48: The Law and Psychology of Medicine After Dobbs
As a country, we are still grappling with the impact of the Dobbs v Jackson Women's
Health decision. There is no community of professionals more impacted than the medical
professionals that treat women on a regular basis. In this episode we are joined by
Professor Molly Wilson, an expert in law and psychology who holds a Ph.D. in psychology
in addition to her J.D. She also serves the law school as the associate dean for research
and engagement.
Episode 47: The Resurgence of the Labor Union
Labor unions seem to be having a moment. That is at least according to a recent Gallup
poll that shows US approval of labor unions at the highest point since 1965. The latest
approval figure comes amid a burst of 2022 union victories across the country, with
high-profile successes at major American corporations such as Amazon and Starbucks.
The National Labor Relations Board has even reported a 57% increase in union election
petitions filed during the first six months of fiscal year 2021. To dig into the labor
law issues that this brings about, we turn to Professor Michael Duff. Professor Duff
joined the SLU LAW faculty this fall and is the co-director of the William C. Wefel
Center for Employment Law. He is an expert in labor law having had a previous career
as a labor lawyer for the National Labor Relations Board in Philadelphia and Minneapolis.
Episode 46: A Model State Law for Public Health Emergency Powers: Health Law Live
The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed critical ambiguities in state law, especially in
regard to the ownership and responsibility of public health orders. Governors often
relied on a general statutory power to take 'necessary' actions in response to COVID's
threats. Yet, some courts found this statutory authority was so vague that it violated
the separation of powers, and they set aside vital public health orders. Meanwhile,
some state legislatures attempted to terminate emergency declarations by joint resolution,
which was unconstitutional according to one state supreme court. In this episode,
we are joined by Professor Rob Gatter, the director of the Center for Health Law Studies
and an expert in public health law. Professor Gatter is also currently serving as
the Reporter on a project of the Uniform Law Commission to draft a model state law
addressing these such ambiguities.
*This episode was recorded live on October 20, 2022 as the final installment of this year's Health Law Live series.
Episode 45: Heath Equity and Long Covid: Health Law Live
According to President Biden, the COVID-19 pandemic is over. However, there are still
millions of Americans that are feeling the lasting effects of their own battle with
the virus. As the medical and legal field struggle to catch up with this ongoing issue,
there are concerns that what is known as long COVID will result in additional racial
health disparities on top of those that occurred during the pandemic. In this episode,
we are joined by visiting professor Mary Crossley. Professor Crossley is visiting from Pitt Law where she is a John E. Murray Faculty
Scholar and Director of the Health Law program and joins us for this second installment
of the Health Law Live series.
Episode 44: Juvenile Life Without Parole and the Case of Adnan Syed
In September, after spending 23 years of his life behind bars, Adnan Syed walked free.
His case was popularized by the podcast Serial in 2014. At the age of 18, 17 at the
time of the crime, Syed was convicted of murdering his ex-girlfriend Hae Min Lee and
sentenced to life in prison. The case has brought to light many issues with the justice
system, including deficient counsel and Brady violations. For this episode, we will
focus on his sentence and the larger issue of juvenile sentencing.We are joined by
Professor Lauren Bartlett who is the director of the law school’s Human Rights at
Home Litigation Clinic. Also featured is one of Professor Bartlett's juvenile life
without parole clients, Ike Crawford. With the help of the Human Rights at Home Litigation
Clinic, Ike was released on parole in February 2021 after being incarcerated for more
than 29 years. Ike was sentenced to life without parole for a crime committed when
he was just 17 years old.
Episode 43: Property Rights, Fan Fiction, and Lady Whistledown
Netflix's hit show Bridgerton has taken the world by storm. The Regency era piece
set in London has had everyone talking since it premiered in late 2020. It should
not be surprising that the show has inspired lots of fan fiction. When the Unofficial
Bridgerton Musical by Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear was shown live in concert for
a profit, Netflix filed a lawsuit for "blatant infringement of property rights." In
this episode, we are joined by Professor Yvette Liebesman about the lawsuit and the
complications regarding fan works in general. Professor Liebesman is an expert in
copyright and trademark law and is SLU LAW's resident intellectual property scholar.
Episode 42: Data Privacy in a Post-Dobbs World: Health Law Live
When the United States Supreme Court handed down a decision overturning Roe v. Wade
earlier this year, they left us with a host of questions and scenarios to grapple
with in the meantime. With the future of our data privacy on the line, we turn to
Professor Michael Sinha, M.D., J.D., M.P.H. for the first installment of this year's Health Law Live Series.
Episode 41: Dissecting the Impact of the Supreme Court's Decisions
This year’s United States Supreme Court session was one of the most consequential
in recent history. Beyond the Dobbs decision reversing the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling,
the Court also ruled on Miranda rights, prayer in public schools and the right to
open carry. Many of the rulings have left even our top legal minds with more questions
than answers. In this episode we are joined by Professor Chad Flanders. Chad is going
to help us dissect a few of the most significant decisions of this session.
Episode 40: International Criminal Law and the War in Ukraine
We are now into the second month of the war in Ukraine. The war, the weapons and the
response from the world seem to change with the tide of the conflict. In this episode
we are joined by Professor Afonso Seixas-Nunes. Fr. Afonso is a Jesuit priest who
joined the law school faculty this fall. He is originally from Portugal and is an
expert in international criminal law and has spent much of the past few years researching
and writing on the legality of autonomous weapons.