Activist Lawyer

A short reminder of the Activist Lawyer Book club with registration details is discussed in today’s episode.  The next Book Club Meeting features 'Pride and Prejudices Queer Lives and the Law by Keio Yoshida. Tune in to find out more!  

In this special episode of The Activist Lawyer Podcast, host Sarah Henry sits down with international human rights lawyer and barrister, Keio Yoshida, to explore their journey into law and the release of their new book ‘Pride and Prejudices: Queer Lives and the Law.’ Celebrating the progression in LGBTQ+ rights while highlighting the pressing issues still faced by queer communities around the worl...

In this episode,  criminal defence attorney, business coach, and visionary educator Courtney Teasley, Esq. joins host Sarah Henry to discuss her revolutionary approach to justice. As the founder of emeffen™ and creator of the MFN Framework for Proactive Advocacy, Courtney is changing the way we fight systemic injustice. She shares how her work empowers disproportionately affected, marginalized min...

In this episode, Sarah speaks with Roman Shortall, a solicitor and investigative journalist, about his unique career at the crossroads of law and media. Roman shares examples of where his legal background and journalistic approach have combined to secure impactful outcomes. This timely discussion also addresses the recent detention of activists and humanitarians by Israeli forces in international...

In this episode, human rights expert and senior policy advisor Brian Dooley joins Sarah to share his experience of working in conflict zones and supporting human rights defenders as they work under extremely challenging circumstances.  This episode explores the intersection of activism and policy while offering insights into working in the human rights sector more generally. As Senior Advisor, Bri...

We kick start a new season of Activist Lawyer with dual-qualified solicitor Miglena Ilieva.  Miglena is founder of ILEX Law Group – a law firm specialising in UK and Irish immigration law.  Miglena shares what motivated her to build upon her career as an immigration lawyer practicing in multiple jurisdictions before setting up her own practice providing services across the UK and Ireland.  Miglena...

Sarah speaks with solicitor Aine Rice, who works on the Legacy Litigation and Historical Institutional Abuse Team at KRW Law, about Stormont’s proposed inquiry and redress scheme for survivors of Mother and Baby Homes. With growing concerns over the scheme being ‘unfit for purpose,’ Aine shares insights from her work supporting survivors and challenging systemic failings.   Aine Rice graduated fro...

A short reminder of the Activist Lawyer Book Club with registration details is discussed in today’s episode.  The next Book Club Meeting features ‘Just Mercy’ by Bryan Stevenson. Tune in to find out more!   Next Activist Lawyer Book Club 4th September 6.30pm (GMT) Register:  info@activistlawyer.com

Activist Lawyer welcomes Kenneth Roth, former long-serving Executive Director of Human Rights Watch, for a compelling conversation about his career at the forefront of the global human rights movement. Drawing on his new book, Righting Wrongs: Three Decades on the Front Lines Battling Abusive Governments, Kenneth shares insights into confronting authoritarian regimes, defending the ‘rule of law’ i...

In this inspiring episode, host Sarah Henry speaks with Lucy Barnes,  a Pupil Barrister at East Anglian Chambers.  Lucy is also Co-Founder and CEO of Lawyers Who Care, the UK's first organisation to facilitate mentoring, community and legal opportunities for care-experienced aspiring lawyers.  Lucy shares the story behind the movement she started advocating for meaningful change within the legal p...

In this special episode of the Activist Lawyer Podcast, we explore a topic that’s incredibly important, yet still not properly understood – the state of mental health in the legal profession.  Host Sarah Henry speaks with Activist Lawyer co-founder Jonathan McKeown who, as a solicitor and owner of multiple businesses, shares his journey and personal insights into his own mental health struggles th...

In this compelling episode, host Sarah Henry speaks with the acclaimed and inspirational Dr S Chelvan – a multi-award-winning Activist Lawyer, Head of Immigration and Public Law at 33 Bedford Row Chambers, and Adjunct Professor at Southampton Law School. Dr Chelvan shares his personal and professional journey into law, offering insights into refugee and human rights cases centred on sexual or gend...

A short reminder of the Activist Lawyer Book club with registration details is discussed in today’s episode.  The next Book Club Meeting features 'Righting Wrongs’ by Kenneth  Roth. Tune in to find out more!

In this special episode of Activist Lawyer, we continue the conversation on gender apartheid with a focus on youth activism and international advocacy. We're joined by Emily Humphreys from the Irish Campaign to End Gender Apartheid (ICEGA), alongside two passionate student activists, Rachel Forrest and Phoebe Sexton, from Midleton, County Cork. Rachel and Phoebe share how they’re mobilising young...

In this episode, Sarah sits down with Tayab Ali, Director of the International Centre of Justice for Palestinians (ICJP), to discuss the organisation's critical work in response to the ongoing crisis in Gaza and the Occupied Territories. The conversation explores ICJP’s efforts and introduces Global 195, a new initiative aiming to coordinate legal interventions across multiple jurisdictions to hol...

Host Sarah Henry is joined by Partner Solicitor Nusrat Uddin, Head of the Public Law and Human Rights department at Wilsons Solicitors. In this episode, Nusrat shares insights into her work, with a focus on modern slavery, forced labour, and human trafficking. She discusses several groundbreaking cases she has worked on, as well as her involvement in Business and Human Rights cases, particularly t...

A short reminder of the Activist Lawyer Book Club with registration details are discussed in today’s episode.  The next Book Club Meeting features ‘The Power in the People, Not the People in Power,’ by Michael Mansfield KC! Tune in to find out more.

In this episode, Sarah interviews Dr. Gearóid Ó Cuinn, Director of the Global Legal Action Network (GLAN), to explore the organisation's innovative cross-border legal actions. They discuss key initiatives, including climate justice cases and GLAN’s recent legal challenge against the UK government over its ongoing weapons exports to Israel. Tune in for an engaging and thought-provoking conversation...

In this special episode, our host and co-founder, Sarah Henry, takes the hot seat, interviewed by solicitor and fellow co-founder, Jonathan McKeown. We’ll reflect on the podcast’s journey so far, what we've accomplished, and our goals for the future of the Activist Lawyer community. Are there any favourite episodes you’d like to highlight? Let us know! Thank you to all of our listeners, podcast an...

We kick off the New Year and the new season of the Activist Lawyer podcast with an interview featuring family law expert Anne Marie Featherstone. Anne Marie, a solicitor at Rafferty and Co Solicitors in Newry, shares insights into her legal career and her journey to specialising in all areas of family law. In this important conversation, Anne Marie and Sarah delve into the legal system's response...

In today’s episode, we are joined by renowned solicitor Michael Madden from Madden Finucane Solicitors in Belfast. Michael takes us through his journey into law, beginning as a junior legal assistant on landmark legacy cases such as Bloody Sunday, and evolving the firm into one of the most respected names in human rights and criminal justice. Sarah and Michael also discuss the recent UK government...

In this episode, Sarah is joined by Katie de Kauwe, a senior lawyer with Friends of the Earth, to discuss the vital role of legal actions in holding the UK government accountable for its climate obligations. They explore significant cases, some of which have disrupted the fossil fuel industry, including the Horse Hill (Finch) case which reached the UK Supreme Court, High Court challenges over the...

As part of our mini-series on Becoming an Activist Lawyer, host Sarah Henry discusses highlights from our guest contributors when asked to comment on the relationship between Activism and the Law.   

Megan Sethuraman is currently studying a Master’s in International Peace Studies at Trinity College Dublin. She joins Sarah on the podcast to discuss her recent visit to Palestine as a human rights monitor.  Megan shares her observations and discusses how anyone can get involved in advocacy and support for communities across the region who are suffering because of the escalating conflict. Megan al...

In Episode 94, host Sarah interviews immigration expert, Dr. Sue Conlan about the state of immigration in Ireland and the UK. The conversation offers an exploration of various pressing issues, including the legal landscape, the impact of political decisions, and the rising tide of xenophobia in both regions. The conversation touches on pivotal moments such as Brexit, which has reshaped the immigra...