J. Craig Williams

J. Craig Williams

Host of In Dispute: 10 Famous Trials That Changed History and Lawyer 2 Lawyer

J. Craig Williams is admitted to practice law in Iowa, California, Massachusetts, and Washington. Before attending law school, his education began in media studies with an interest in journalism, radio, and film. Williams has incorporated those interests into his blog, May It Please the Court, his Lawyer2Lawyer and In Dispute podcasts, and several books, How To Get Sued – An Instructional Guide, The Sled, and How Would You Decide? 10 Famous Trials That Changed History. In 2015, Craig was inducted as a Fellow into the Litigation Counsel of America, an invitation-only award given to the top 1/2 of one percent of North American lawyers, judges and law professors.

Recent Episodes
December 20, 2024

The Banning of TCE & PCE, and the Future of the EPA

On December 9th, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the banning of two chemicals found in products used primarily in the automobile, dry-cleaning, and manufacturing industries, but also found in some...

December 17, 2024

Dingo or Deception? Unpacking the Lindy Chamberlain Trial That Gripped Australia

In 1980, a family camping trip to Uluru turned into one of the most infamous trials in Australian history. When Lindy Chamberlain cried out, “A dingo’s got my baby,” few could have...

December 6, 2024

Abortion Rights & Challenges Ahead

Back in 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned 50 years of precedent, overruling Roe v. Wade.  Leading up to the presidential election, abortion was a hot button issue and appeared on ballots...

November 22, 2024

Mass Deportations Under a Second Trump Presidency

With former President Trump slated to take office on January 20th, 2025, he has not wasted any time in his quest to deport millions of undocumented immigrants. Trump recently appointed Former Acting...

November 19, 2024

Evolution vs. Creationism; How the 1925 Scopes Monkey Trial Gained Nationwide Attention

Dayton, Tennessee, catapulted into the national spotlight in 1925 after a young teacher challenged a state law banning the teaching of evolution, transforming the town into a chaotic carnival of ideas and...

November 8, 2024

The Legalities of Baseball: Fan Interference, Ball Ownership, & the Constitution

Baseball. America’s favorite pastime. A wonderful game, with its share of controversy.  On October 30th, 2024, the World Series wrapped with the LA Dodgers beating the NY Yankees 4-1 in the series....

October 25, 2024

What San Juan’s Coal Power Plant Closure Means for The Future of Energy & The Navajo Nation

For almost fifty years, coal dominated the Navajo economy. In April of 2017, the Public Service Company of New Mexico announced they planned to close the San Juan Generating Station, a coal-fired...

October 15, 2024

The Chicago Black Sox Trial: How 8 Players Went From the Dugout to the Courtroom

The infamous cheating scandal from the 1919 World Series, between the Chicago White Sox and the Cincinnati Reds, broke America’s belief in the purity and innocence of baseball. As the story slowly...

October 11, 2024

How Much Power Vice Presidents Really Have & Why JD Vance’s Comments Are Alarming Lawyers

The role of the Vice President of the United States is an important one, but what actual power does it hold? Recently, vice president candidate JD Vance spoke publicly about the power...

September 27, 2024

Revisiting Space Law

While Craig is on vacation, we’re re-airing one of our favorite episodes from the Lawyer 2 Lawyer library so you can re-listen or be introduced for the first time if you’re a...

September 17, 2024

The Wild West in Court: Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday’s Fight for Freedom After the O.K. Corral

Thirty shots fired in thirty seconds at the O.K. Corral left three men dead and three more wounded and turned into a month-long trial with some thirty witnesses in late fall 1881....

September 13, 2024

Using Music in Political Campaigns: Misuse, Copyright Infringement, & Litigation

Over the years, the power of music has been an integral piece in energizing a crowd, whether through a specific song used at a political rally or in a campaign video on...

August 30, 2024

THE FTC, Noncompete Ban, and the Recent Ruling

On April 23, 2024, the Federal Trade Commission issued a final rule to “ promote competition by banning noncompete agreements nationwide, protecting the fundamental freedom of workers to change jobs, increasing innovation,...

August 20, 2024

Why Abolitionist John Brown Became the First American To Be Executed for Treason

Countless historians have debated whether abolitionist John Brown was, as President Lincoln put it, a “misguided fanatic,” or, in the words of Malcolm X, “the only white man worthy of joining his...

August 16, 2024

The 2024 Presidential Election: Policy, Party, or Personality

Last month, President Biden announced that he would be dropping out of the 2024 presidential race, and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for the presidential  nomination. The momentum shifted, creating an entirely...

August 2, 2024

Governor Newsom’s Executive Order & the Impact on the Homeless

On July 25, 2024, California Governor Gavin Newsom issued an executive order directing state officials to start removing homeless encampments across the state. This follows last month’s SCOTUS ruling in City of...

July 19, 2024

The Ten Commandments, Classrooms, & the Constitution

The separation of church and state has always been a contentious topic in political circles. Now more than ever, we are seeing religion & our government collide in our classrooms and before...

July 16, 2024

Why John Adams Defended the British Soldiers During the Boston Massacre Trials

When an unruly crowd of angry colonists attacked a small platoon of British soldiers in 1770, five Bostonians were killed and several others wounded. John Adams, a then-34-year-old lawyer who would eventually...

July 12, 2024

Revisiting Wrongfully Convicted: William Dillon and His Life in Prison

While Craig is on vacation, we thought we’d bring back one of our favorite episodes from the Lawyer2Lawyer library so you can re-listen or be introduced for the first time if you’re...

June 28, 2024

DOJ v. Live Nation-Ticketmaster

According to a May 23rd U.S. Department of Justice press release, “the Justice Department, along with 30 state and district attorneys general, filed a civil antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation Entertainment Inc....

June 19, 2024

Introducing: In Dispute: 10 Famous Trials That Changed History

J. Craig Williams has a brand new show ‘In Dispute: 10 Famous Trials That Changed’ right here on Legal Talk Network! Join us as we take a journey through time to discover...

June 18, 2024

Salem Witch Trials: How The Hysteria Went Terribly Awry

In 1692, claims of satanic rituals, ghosts, and seemingly “afflicted” children stirred puritanical imaginations, deepened by petty rifts between powerful families and rival congregations in Salem Village (now known as Danvers, Massachusetts)....

June 14, 2024

First Look at In Dispute: 10 Famous Trials That Changed History

Enjoy this exclusive first look at the J. Craig Williams’ new podcast series ‘In Dispute: 10 Famous Trials That Changed History’ coming to Legal Talk Network June 18th. Go beyond the basic...

June 11, 2024

The Official Trailer for In Dispute: 10 Famous Trials That Changed History

Join us as we take a journey through time to discover the most interesting and impactful court cases in world history. Go beyond the basic historical accounts recapped in law school textbooks...

June 7, 2024

The Hush Money Conviction & Sentencing Trump

On May 31, 2024, a New York jury found former president Donald J. Trump guilty on all 34 counts in his highly watched hush money trial.  He will be sentenced on July...

May 24, 2024

Civil Forfeiture in Culley v. Marshall

Under the 14th Amendment, “No state shall…deprive any person of…property, without due process of law.” This principle was at the heart of the matter of the 2023 Supreme Court case of Culley...

May 10, 2024

The Reclassification of Marijuana

In April of 2024, the United States Drug Enforcement Agency recently announced that they are proceeding with reclassifying marijuana as a less dangerous drug. The Justice Department proposal would move marijuana from...

April 26, 2024

The Importance of Jury Selection in Trump’s Criminal Cases

One of former President Trump’s criminal cases, the hush money trial, is currently underway in a New York City courtroom. Jury selection for this case was a lengthy and controversial process which...

April 12, 2024

The Baltimore Bridge Collapse: Admiralty Law, Liability, & Litigation

In the early morning hours of  March 26, 2024, Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed after a Singapore-based cargo ship named the Dali, lost power and hit the bridge’s pillar. According to...

March 29, 2024

Trump & His Appeal Bond

In a ruling on Monday, March 25th, 2024,the New York appeals court gave Trump a major victory, cutting the bond needed in his civil fraud case from $464 million to $175 million,...

March 15, 2024

Women’s History Month, Policy Issues, and Fighting for Gender Justice

March is Women’s History Month where we celebrate the contributions women have made to the United States throughout American history in a variety of fields. Charlotte E. Ray. Belva Lockwood. Sandra Day...

March 1, 2024

The Presidential Election & Saving our Democracy

On November 5th, 2024, people across the nation will head to the polls and cast their vote for president of the United States. It is looking more and more like another battle...

February 16, 2024

Inside Trump’s Criminal Cases

For the past two episodes of Lawyer2Lawyer, we have covered SCOTUS cases that have included ballot access and immunity with former President Trump at the forefront of these cases. Trump has also...

February 2, 2024

SCOTUS 2024: Conflict at the Texas Border, Bump Stocks, the NRA & Free Speech

In our last episode, we discussed administrative law, abortion, guns, presidential immunity & ballot access— just some of the upcoming cases that will come before the High Court in 2024.  In this...

January 19, 2024

SCOTUS 2024: Administrative Law, Abortion, Guns, Presidential Immunity, & Ballot Access

Administrative law, abortion, guns, presidential immunity, & ballot access. These are just some of the upcoming cases that will come before the High Court in 2024. How will the justices rule? And...

January 5, 2024

Lawyer2Lawyer Spotlight: The NextGen Bar Exam

The first bar examination in the United States was administered in oral form in the Delaware Colony in 1783, and in 1885, Massachusetts became the first state to employ a written version...

December 22, 2023

Rhetoric, Hate Speech, Free Speech, Section 3 of the 14th, & an Insurrection

Did former President Trump’s rhetoric lead to an insurrection on January 6th, 2021? A court in Colorado has said it did. So, what constitutes rhetoric? And how powerful are words? In this...

December 8, 2023

The Political, Environmental, and Social Impact on U.S. Life Expectancy

Last month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), released a report on U.S. life expectancy. Keren Landman, senior reporter from Vox, wrote an excellent piece on this report, detailing the...

November 24, 2023

Environmental Law Series: The Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act & our Oceans

Professor Robin Craig spotlights the Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act (MPRSA), focusing on its origin & history, purpose, and impact.

November 10, 2023

Inside Art Law: Art Restitution, Stolen Art, & AI

According to the Georgetown Law Library, Art Law can be defined as “the body of law, involving numerous disciplines, that protects, regulates and facilitates the creation, use and marketing of art. Those...

October 27, 2023

Environmental Law Series: Sackett v. EPA, Water, & Wetlands

Professor Jody Freeman discusses SCOTUS' Sackett v. EPA ruling, and its impact on the EPA's powers, Clean Water Act protections, and the regulation of wetlands.

October 13, 2023

Sexual Exploitation Laws & Child Victims

In a recent incident in Columbus, Ohio, an 11 year old girl was manipulated into sending explicit photos to an adult. After law enforcement was called by the girl’s father, a police...

September 29, 2023

Environmental Law Series: Part Two: NEPA & CEQA: Courts, City Councils, Environmental Consequences, & Filing Lawsuits

Attorney Alisha M. Winterswyk continues the discussion on NEPA and CEQA, by moving into the specifics of how courts deal with decisions by city councils that deal with environmental consequences, and how...

September 1, 2023

Trump vs. the Constitution: Exploring Section 3 of the 14th Amendment

With primaries set to start in spring of 2024, an upcoming presidential election, and a number of federal & state indictments against former President Trump, including the January 6th indictment, section 3...

August 4, 2023

Environmental Law Series: The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)

Alisha M. Winterswyk, an attorney from Best Best & Krieger, LLP discusses NEPA and CEQA, impact, and purpose.

July 21, 2023

2023 End-of-Term SCOTUS Rulings & Long-Term Impact

As SCOTUS wrapped in leadup to its annual summer recess, three controversial rulings, all with a 6-3 vote,  created quite the stir: Biden v. Nebraska, Students for Fair Admissions, Inc.  v. President...

July 7, 2023

Environmental Law Series: The Clean Air Act

Trish McCubbin, retired Professor of Environmental Law at the Southern Illinois University School of Law, discusses the Clean Air Act, its impact, and how far we have come.

June 23, 2023

Police Decertification & SB 2

On September 30, 2021, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 2 (SB 2), also known as the Kenneth Ross, Jr. Police Decertification Act of 2021, establishing a statewide system to decertify...

June 9, 2023

Environmental Law Series: The Endangered Species Act (ESA)

Professor Rob Fischman from the Indiana University Maurer School of Law discusses the Endangered Species Act, its impact, and ESA reform.

May 26, 2023

Voting Rights & Gerrymandering

According to the League of Women Voters, “Voting is a fundamental principle, and all Americans deserve the equal opportunity to make their voices heard in our democracy.” Yet over the years, various...