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@theBar

Welcome to The Chicago Bar Association’s @theBar, a podcast where young and young-ish lawyers have interesting and unscripted conversations with their guests about legal news, events, topics, stories and whatever else strikes our fancy.
Feb 12, 2020

The Killer Clown Edition: The Prosecution of John Wayne Gacy (Rebroadcast)

William “Bill” Kunkle, the lead prosecutor, gives our listeners a rare, behind-the-scenes look at the crimes and prosecution of the man dubbed the “The Killer Clown”.

Jan 29, 2020

The Revolution Edition: A Live-Audience Conversation with Josh Deth, Founder of Revolution Brewing

Josh Deth talks about his journey from brewing beer in his garage to founding one of the most successful independent breweries in the United States.

Dec 5, 2019

The Murder of Innocence Edition: A Look Back on the Laurie Dann School Shooting with Eric Zorn

Eric Zorn discusses the Laurie Dann School shooting, what’s changed, what hasn’t changed, and what we can learn from the case that could help us stop the violence and restore peace in...

Nov 6, 2019

The Angel of Death Row Edition

Andrea Lyon talks about the politics, sociology and personal stories behind the death penalty in America.

Oct 9, 2019

The Keep Calm and Lawyer On Edition: A Candid Discussion about Mental Health and Addiction in the Legal Profession

Dr. Diana Uchiyama and Jonathan Beitner discuss lawyer mental health and addiction, as well as ways the legal profession can have a greater sense of wellness so that all lawyers can be...

Sep 5, 2019

The Scarlet A Edition

Katie Watson talks about what ordinary abortion is and how it impacts millions of Americans, as well as why understanding the term can help us unpack many other social issues.

Aug 7, 2019

The Future of the Profession Crossfire Edition

Bob Glaves and Jessica Bednarz from The Chicago Bar Foundation talks about the future of the legal profession and attorney regulation.

Jul 3, 2019

The Chocolate Covered Edition

Valerie Beck talks about the world of craft, artisan chocolate and Valerie’s Chocolate Freedom Project, which is committed to ending child slave labor in the chocolate industry.

Jun 6, 2019

The Best Speech in Life is Free Edition: An Interview with Professor Geoffrey Stone

Geoffrey Stone talks about the current challenges surrounding the First Amendment and free speech.

May 8, 2019

The Chief Justices Edition

Dan Cotter, lawyer, historian, and author, discusses the history of the handful of jurists who have lead the Supreme Court.

Apr 10, 2019

The Mastering the Game Edition: Career Tips from Diversity Expert Sharon Jones

Sharon Jones gives listeners an update on the current state of gender diversity in the legal profession.

Mar 6, 2019

The Tech Evangelist Preaches Edition: A Conversation with Legal Tech Journalist Niki Black

Nicole “Niki” Black talks about the legal profession’s reluctance to embrace technology and why lawyers must become more tech proficient.

Feb 6, 2019

The Killer Clown Edition: The Prosecution of John Wayne Gacy

William “Bill” Kunkle, the lead prosecutor, gives our listeners a rare, behind-the-scenes look at the crimes and prosecution of the man dubbed the “The Killer Clown”.

Jan 2, 2019

Benching Judicial Independence: The Poland Edition

Mikołaj Pietrzak talks about the political and social conditions that led to this assault on Poland’s judiciary, the impact it’s had on the Polish people and legal system, and what can be...

Dec 5, 2018

The Civility in Uncivil Times Edition

Jayne Reardon and Clare McWilliams talk about current societal trends, best practices for appearing before the bench and how to shift the legal profession’s culture to one of greater respect and civility.

Oct 29, 2018

The Illinois Attorney General Election Edition, Part II: Erika Harold

Erika Harold talks about herself, her childhood, and why she is running in this election.

Oct 29, 2018

The Illinois Attorney General Election Edition, Part I: Kwame Raoul

Kwame Raoul talks why he's running in this election and how he views the Office of Attorney General in an increasingly partisan age.

Oct 3, 2018

The Amanda Knox Again Edition: An Interview with the Defense Team

Carlo Dalla Vedova and Alex Guittieres give a behind-the-scenes look at the Amanda Knox trial that gripped the world.

Sep 5, 2018

The Brexit Brouhaha Edition

Andrew Walker explains the practice of law across the pond, how the legal community is impacted by Brexit, and much more.

Aug 1, 2018

The Financing the Fight Edition

Guests Ajit Singh and Travis Lenkner discuss how litigation financing is changing the face of modern litigation.

Jul 2, 2018

The AI Edition: Resistance is Futile

Should lawyers be fearful that AI is coming for their jobs? We talk about the ever-evolving, hot-button topic of artificial intelligence and how its impacting the practice of law.

Jun 6, 2018

The Peaking Beneath the Blindfold Edition

Joel Cohen discusses what motivates judges to make the decisions they make and how injustices in our legal system can come to define our society.

May 8, 2018

The Chicago Gun Violence Edition

Guests Amy Thompson and Max Kapustin discuss the severity and root causes of Chicago’s gun violence problem, whether recent discourse in the national media and by President Trump accurately characterizes the problem,...

Apr 4, 2018

The Love and Divorce Edition

Miles Beermann and Kimberly Cook talk about the state of marriage and divorce in the U.S., and their experiences on the front lines representing clients in the contentious area of divorce and...

Mar 7, 2018

The Fear and Loathing in the Law Edition

Attorney Brian Cuban, discusses his latest book, The Addicted Lawyer, Tales of The Bar, Booze, Blow, & Redemption, which details his struggles with substance abuse and recovery.

Mar 7, 2018

The Illinois Budget Crisis Edition: How the @#$^! Did This Happen?

Illinois State Representative Greg Harris talks about the Illinois budget crisis that spiraled out of control and dominated headlines for Illinoisans throughout much of 2017.

Mar 7, 2018

The I’ll Be Dreaming About Donkeys Edition – an Interview with Judge Richard Posner (Ret.)

In this edition, hosts Jon Amarilio and Carl Newman interview Retired Judge Richard Posner of the Seventh Circuit United States Court of Appeals – one of the preeminent legal minds of 20th...

Mar 7, 2018

@theBar Trailer

Welcome to The Chicago Bar Association’s @theBar, a podcast where young and young-ish lawyers have interesting and unscripted conversations with their guests about legal news, events, topics, stories and whatever else strikes...

Your Hosts
Jonathan Amarilio

Jon Amarilio is a partner at Taft Stettinius & Hollister in Chicago, where he co-chairs Taft’s appellate group...

Jennifer Byrne

Jennifer Byrne is the Director of Continuing Legal Education for The Chicago Bar Association, for which she implements...

Trisha Rich

Trisha Rich is a partner at Holland & Knight LLP, where she is a legal ethicist and...

Mathew Kerbis

Mathew Kerbis is The Subscription Attorney. He’s on a mission to affordably serve clients at scale via...

Maggie Mendenhall Casey

Maggie Mendenhall Casey is the General Counsel for the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability, a...

Kellie Snyder

Kellie J. Snyder, an associate attorney at the Law Offices of Lane Brown, LLC, brings justice to...

Nikki Marcotte

Nikki Marcotte is a litigation associate in the Chicago office of Kirkland & Ellis LLP. Their practice...

Tracy Brammeier

Tracy Brammeier is a partner at Clifford Law Offices. With experience and ability in all areas of...

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