The Hearing – A Legal Podcast

Hosted by Thomson Reuters

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189

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Feb 2026

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About the show

The Hearing is a legal podcast from Thomson Reuters. Listen to insightful discussions with lawyers, legal experts, and other interesting people connected to the legal industry. We delve into anything and everything – trailblazers in the law, the latest insights on legal innovation and trends, and how the profession is evolving. With hosts based in the UK and the US, we cover issues around the globe. Our current hosts: Becky Annison – Trained at a London law firm before moving in-house. Spent 12 years as a senior solicitor in a large international company, before joining Practical Law's In-house practice area team. Now, as Head of Engagement for The Chancery Lane Project, Becky uses her knowledge of contracting and law to help tackle the climate crisis. Janelle Wrigley – An attorney based in California. As head of the Antitrust & Competition team at Practical Law, leads a team of lawyers producing practical guidance for competition lawyers worldwide. Previously, Janelle was a litigator at the US Federal Trade Commission and at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP in New York. Teneé Frazier – An attorney, editor, and speaker based in Alabama. As a member of the State and Local Government team at Practical Law, she uses her expertise in municipal law to produce substantive content for local government attorneys. Previously, Teneé was Assistant General Counsel at the Alabama League of Municipalities. Yasmin Sheikh – Executive coach, trainer, consultant, and speaker, with a background as a lawyer – practising for 12 years in a large international law firm. Founder of Diverse Matters – which helps promote equality, diversity, and inclusivity within organisations. Yasmin is also a former vice chair of the Disabled Solicitors Network at the Law Society of England and Wales. Find out more about The Hearing and other Thomson Reuters podcasts at tr.com/thehearing.

Listen to episodes

60 recent

January 8, 202438 min

EP. 142 – Mirna Santiago (Girls Rule the Law)

"Show up. Speak up. Woman up." This is the motto of Mirna Santiago, a lawyer, DEI expert, and nonprofit founder and CEO. Through the many roles Mirna has held during her career, which has also included law firm partner and chair of the New York State Bar Association's Committee on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Mirna epitomizes someone who walks her talk. In this episode, Jenn and Lauren chat with Mirna about her commitment to busting bias as a Black Hispanic woman who was born in another country and now exists in places where, as she puts it, you don’t typically find women in her skin. Mirna, a phenomenal storyteller and engaging presenter, also explains how her dad influenced her decision to go to law school and how she came up with her motto after watching her mom never say yes. They also chat about Mirna's pipeline nonprofit organization, Girls Rule the Law (girlsrulethelaw.org), which introduces underrepresented middle and high school girls to the legal field. If you enjoy listening to The Hearing, please follow the podcast and leave a 5-star review. This helps like-minded people find the podcast, and helps us ensure we can continue to bring you interesting guests and content.

November 3, 202550 min

EP. 183 – Reforming health laws for better outcomes (Mandeep Dhaliwal, United Nations Development Programme)

Mandeep Dhaliwal, Director of the HIV and Health Group at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) joins host Janelle Wrigley to discuss how legal frameworks and governance shape health outcomes worldwide. Drawing on more than 25 years at the intersection of health policy and human rights, Mandeep explains the UNDP's mission and her experiences showing that leadership and participation from affected communities must be at the center of effective public health policy. Mandeep and Janelle explore how punitive laws around HIV drive-up infections, deaths, and costs. They discuss how countries can engage in reform, such as Zimbabwe's repeal of HIV criminalization after a UNDP‑supported legal environment assessment, and they examine access‑to‑medicines barriers tied to patents and trade agreements. Mandeep suggests practical ways communities and legal professionals can advance change in this critical area.

January 26, 202641 min

EP. 188 – Book banning in the US: a legal perspective on a cultural divide (Roger Horner, Practical Law)

In this episode, host Teneé Frazier and Roger Horner, a municipal law expert at Practical Law, discuss the contentious topic of book banning. Roger outlines the background and current landscape for book bans in the US, including their rise in frequency and intensity. He sheds light on the constitutional challenges, divergent state laws, and the critical role of government speech in recent rulings. Roger also shares practical advice for government attorneys dealing with book selection policies, and he highlights the forthcoming developments and decisions to watch out for.

January 27, 202547 min

EP. 167 – Kent Halkett (Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services)

In a recent survey, 79% of legal professionals said they felt the profession had negatively affected their mental health. And over 15% had even considered suicide. These are two of the worrying statistics we learned from this episode's guest, Kent Halkett. Kent is an attorney with the Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services who has written articles about mental health in the legal community for a host of publications. Kent chats with host Teneé Frazier about his journey to becoming an advocate for improving mental health within the legal profession. Kent shares the story of his own mental health challenges, which culminated with him attempting suicide. He explains how publishing his story catapulted him, and this often-taboo subject, into the spotlight. During their conversation, Kent describes some of the warning signs of mental health issues, stresses the importance of a work-life balance, and outlines the support available for those in need. Kent also shares insights on how the problem could be addressed, such as by increasing awareness through better education – both in law schools and as part of continuous professional development. You can find out more about the ALM and Law.com Compass mental health survey of the legal profession here: https://www.law.com/americanlawyer/2024/05/17/mental-health-by-the-numbers-the-2024-survey-infographic/?slreturn=20250123165408 You can read one of Kent's articles, Mental Health in the Legal Profession: A Crisis, a Case Study and a Call to Action, here: https://www.tba.org/?pg=Articles&blAction=showEntry&blogEntry=59057

August 6, 201834 min

EP. 10 – Karen Jackson

Karen Jackson is an inspirational lover of problem-solving, passionate for French and a self-styled protector of the underdog. In this episode Kevin meets the founder of didlaw, one of the UK's leading disability discrimination practices. A former City trader, Karen talks candidly about the roundabout route she took into law and how a heart transplant helped guide her to a new path – setting up her own practice that's focused on challenging mental health, disability and illness discrimination. Find out more at tr.com/TheHearing

June 1, 202025 min

EP. 53 – Gail Gove (Reuters)

We’re taking you Stateside this week as our very own legal futurist Joe Raczynski is joined by Reuters General Counsel, Gail Gove. Gail takes us behind the scenes of the case that grabbed the world's attention in 2018: the incredible story of Reuters journalists, Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, who were imprisoned in Myanmar while investigating reports of mass murder. Gail talks to Joe about the all-encompassing nature of the work and what it's like to work with one of the most famous lawyers in the world, Amal Clooney. Starting out as a civil rights lawyer, Gail speaks of the importance of looking at legal issues through a wide-angled, global lens, the minefield of media laws around the world and the importance of having robust journalism. We’d like to hear your comments and suggestions. Follow us on Twitter @HearingPodcast If you’re interested in finding out more about how US law departments are navigating the new business landscape and adapting to the needs of 2020, download our complimentary report at tr.com/TheHearing.

June 15, 201833 min

EP. 03 – Lord Michael Howard

In this episode Kevin is joined by Lord Michael Howard of Lympne. Although best known for his time as a Government Minister and a former leader of the Conservative Party, Michael's life before Westminster involved a distinguished career at the Bar. As a vocal supporter of the 'Leave Means Leave' campaign, Michael's views on Brexit are crystal-clear, but we also hear he has some personal regret over one of his most controversial ministerial decisions. Find out more at tr.com/TheHearing

June 29, 201829 min

EP. 05 – Sir Rupert Jackson

In this episode Kevin is joined by Sir Rupert Jackson – barrister, former Lord Justice of Appeal and legal reformer. As well as his infamous reform of civil litigation costs, Rupert has authored some of the industry's leading texts during his 50-year career. Now, back at the Bar, he talks through the fresh challenges facing lawyers, and discusses his new role as a justice in the AIFC Court and International Arbitration Centre in Kazakhstan. Find out more at tr.com/TheHearing

June 7, 202152 min

EP. 78 – Stevie Ghiassi (Legaler)

Question: What do the Iranian national football team, NFTs, Hotel Rwanda and Andy Murray have in common? Answer: Stevie Ghiassi, Co-founder of Legaler and Legaler Aid. And Joe’s guest this week! In this episode, Stevie chats to Joe about his unlikely journey from running a chain of souvenir shops to becoming a legal tech entrepreneur. He also talks about the important work that Legaler Aid is doing, and ways in which legal tech and blockchain have helped them pivot after Covid took away traditional fundraising streams. Yet again we’re seeing innovative ways that cryptocurrency and blockchain are being used, and how they offer real opportunities for the legal industry. Find out more at tr.com/TheHearing

January 13, 202527 min

EP. 166 – Derek Walker (Future Generations Commissioner)

We are leaving future generations to face more challenges than ever. Yet it can be incredibly difficult for governments to act for the long term when so many of their incentives encourage short-term thinking. In this episode, host Becky Annison chats with Derek Walker, the Future Generations Commissioner for Wales, about how Wales is attempting to solve this problem. Derek explains why Wales passed the Well-being of Future Generations Act, how this pioneering legislation obliges the Welsh government to act for the long term, and whether other nations can follow this example.