Baylor Law Criminal Law Society Podcast

Ever wondered what it’s like to stand up for victims of family violence in court? In this episode, we talk with Alli Assiter, Family Violence Director and Assistant County Attorney, and Wren Seabolt, Chief Victim Coordinator at the Williamson County Attorney’s Office. They share what it means to represent the State of Texas, support victims through the legal process, and why this work matters.

Larry Krasner has been at the forefront of the progressive-prosecutor movement since becoming Philadelphia’s district attorney in 2017.  Mr. Krasner shares insights from his 35 years of practice as a public defender, civil rights attorney, and now the elected district attorney for Philadelphia. Krasner sheds light on the meaning of progressive prosecutor as a “a public defender with power and a pr...

Austin Kinghorn (Baylor JD ’10), Deputy Attorney General for Legal Strategy, presents governmental litigation attorney practice as a means to gaining significant civil litigation experience. Through governmental litigation, young lawyers gain opportunities for real trial experience on significant cases  

Marissa Hatchett, Deputy Chief at the Dallas County District Attorney's Office, joins guest host Chris Spendlove and Professor Richard Alpert to discuss her journey from the medical profession to her position training new prosecutors.  Marissa shares insights from her time in the family violence unit including practice points for prosecutors.  She also discusses the internship and hiring proce...

Nathan Beedle from the Harris County District Attorney's Office joins hosts Garrett Farrel, Emma Catlett, and Anna Jennings to discuss his path to the Harris County District Attorney's Office. Mr. Beedle also discusses what it is like to work and intern in the office. This is a great episode for anyone interested in Houston.

Legendary Texas lawyer, Toby Shook, joins host Garrett Farrel to talk war stories from Toby's time as a prosecutor and talks transition from prosecution to defense.

Lindsey Sheguit, Sarah Seaborn, and Rachel Cragg from the Denton County District Attorney's Office join host Garrett Farrel to discuss what being a prosecutor is like in Denton County.

Wesley Wittig from the Fort Bend County District Attorney's Office joins host Garrett Farrel to speak about prosecuting in Fort Bend County. Wesley talks about an office culture of being "smart on crime" and how that has been successful for Fort Bend County.

Recent Baylor Law Grad and current Lousiville Metro Public Defender, Natalia Hamilton, joins host Garrett Farrel to talk about her time as a public defender in Kentucky. Natalia speaks on her time at Baylor Law and why she was interested in criminal defense. If you are a current law student interested in defense work, this episode will be very insightful for you!

Elected District Attorney of Kaufman County, Erleigh Wiley, joins host Garrett Farrel to discuss her unique path to the top of her career. Ms. Wiley discusses the early thoughts on Child Abuse cases and the shift in culture to being more willing to prosecute child abuse cases. Ms. Wiley also discusses her time as a County Court judge juggling a massive docket and being incredibly successful in try...

Elected District Attorney of Nacogdoches County, Andrew Jones, joins host Garrett Farrel to talk about his unique path to his election. Mr. Jones discusses his time in the infantry prior to law school and his later choice to go to law school. Mr. Jones also points out that criminal law was not always on the forefront of his mind, but he ended up there and has not regretted it since. Mr. Jones also...

The Godfather of the Baylor Law Criminal Law Society podcast, Chris Spendlove, joins host Garrett Farrel to talk about his life as a new prosecutor after graduating Baylor Law. Chris gives insight into what he found to be most helpful during his time at Baylor Law and what he recommends for folks going into prosecution. Chris also details his time as a new attorney and what its like to drink from...

Twin Defense Attorneys, Keith and Kevin Harris, join host Garrett Farrel to discuss what it is like to be twins in the same defense practice. Keith and Kevin talk about the one case they've tried together and also what it was like in the Tarrant County and Dallas County District Attorney Offices. Keith and Kevin also share insight into opening up a defense practice and how attorneys can make t...

Crimes Against Children Prosecutor and Internship Coordinator for the McLennan County District Attorney's Office, Tara Avants, joins host Garrett Farrel to discuss Ms. Avants time in Limestone County as an ADA, her time at Baylor Law and her impact on the Practice Court Program. Ms. Avants also shares her thoughts on prosecuting Crimes Against Children. Lastly, we discuss the internship progra...

Elected District Attorney of Montgomery County, Brett Ligon, joins hosts Garrett Farrel and Nick Gadowski to talk about everything from Farrah Fawcett to Adrian Peterson. Mr. Ligon discusses his time as a District Attorney, some stories, and memories from previous interns! This is a can't miss episode!

Judge Michelle Slaughter and Judge Kevin Yeary from the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals join hosts Emma Catlett and Garrett Farrel to discuss their time on the Court. The Judges discuss what brought them to the Court and their judicial philosophy.

Joshua Borderud, Director of Clinical and Pro Bono Programs at Baylor Law, joins hosts Garrett Farrel and Emma Catlett to discuss the clinical opportunities available to students at Baylor Law. Mr. Borderud also discusses his time as a "rural" prosecutor and how that experience varied from someone that works in a larger District Attorney's Office. 

Aubrey Robertson, President of the McLennan County Criminal Defense Bar, joins hosts Garrett Farrel and Nick Gadowski to discuss his time as a criminal defense attorney in Waco, Texas. Mr. Robertson also discusses a few issues currently facing the criminal justice system and discusses potential solutions to these issues. 

Jennifer Morse and Geoffrey Keller join hosts Emma Catlett and Garrett Farrel to discuss the Dallas County District Attorney's Office. Ms. Morse and Mr. Keller discuss the importance of building office culture and teamwork within the Misdemeanor division. The Dallas County District Attorney's Office places a focus on Restorative Justice and helping people involved in the Criminal Justice S...

Assistant District Attorney from the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office, Taylor Vanegas, joins hosts Garrett Farrel and Emma Catlett to discuss the office he works in. Mr. Vanegas discusses internships, the hiring process, life in Conroe, and much more! If you are interested in an internship or visiting the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office, email taylor.vanegas@mctx.org

Judge David Newell from the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals joins hosts Garrett Farrel and Emma Catlett to discuss his time on the Court. Judge Newell discusses his time as an appellate prosecutor, his journey to the court, and much more. Judge Newell also discusses the Oral Arguments that will be held at Baylor Law School on Thursday March 23. For more information about the cases that will be arg...

David Guinn Jr. joins hosts Emma Catlett and Garrett Farrel to discuss his time as an Assistant District Attorney as well as his transition to a criminal defense attorney in Lubbock, Texas. Mr. Guinn gives details of how students can get involved in the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyer Association and his involvement in that association. The link to the TCDLA website follows:  https://www.tcdla....

Board Certified Defense Attorney, Benson Varghese, joins hosts Garrett Farrel and Emma Catlett to discuss life as a criminal defense attorney in Fort Worth. Mr. Varghese gives valuable insight into starting your own practice as a defense attorney and how valuable it is for a young attorney to get experience in a District Attorney's Office. Mr. Varghese also discusses his use of social media platfo...

Jack Choate joins hosts Garrett Farrel and Emma Catlett to discuss the Special Prosecution Unit in Texas. The Special Prosecution Unit prosecutes in three distinct areas: juvenile crimes, crimes committed in prison, and civil commitments. This episode discusses the role of the Special Prosecution Unit in all three areas and gives insight to Mr. Choate's career path!

Professor Serr joins hosts Garrett Farrel, Emma Catlett, and Nick Gadowski to discuss the UP Zambia program and the challenges juveniles face in the Zambian Justice System. The following is a link to the UP Zambia website if you would like to learn more about UP Zambia: https://upzambia.org/