Gloves Off: A Legal Podcast

Description: He had four years left on Michigan's Court of Appeals. Then he left. Judge Christopher Yates joins Ven to reveal what led him to leave one of the state's highest courts and why he believes his next chapter with Ven Johnson Law will have an even greater impact.

Ven sits down with Ozan Baris to reflect on his four standout seasons of college tennis at Michigan State and the transferable skills he's learned along the way as he prepares for the next chapter of his life, including his aspirations of playing professionally.  Follow Ozan's journey on Instagram @Ozan. Baris136.

Ven Johnson, joined by special guests Jason Carr and Christopher Desmond, dives into key updates on the Oxford High School shooting and Samuel Sterling cases, calling for deeper investigations, fair compensation and real accountability. The discussion explores Michigan judicial decisions, the limits of immunity, systemic failures in Grand Rapids policing and the broader consequences of abuse of po...

In this powerful episode, Ven is joined by special guests Jason Carr, Steve Fishman and Chris Desmond to discuss the latest in the Patrick Lyoya case, including body cam footage, excessive force and troubling patterns in police stops and training. He tackles issues like racial profiling, immunity laws, prosecutorial decisions and the broader implications of bias in the justice system. Plus, Ven sh...

Civil attorney Ven Johnson and criminal lawyer Steve Fishman sit down with tv anchor Jason Carr to break down the various similarities and stark differences between civil and criminal trials.

Attorney Ven Johnson chats with former tv anchor Jason Carr and clinical psychotherapist Tracey Stein about how cameras in the courtroom can impact public opinion, pulling examples from the OJ Simpson murder trial that was widely televised, and Heard v. Depp defamation case where clips went viral on social media.

Attorney Ven Johnson, a Kalamazoo College grad and former tennis player, invites men’s tennis head coach Mark Riley on the podcast to chat about how K-College became the hotspot for the junior nationals - a 10-day tennis tournament that starts the first Friday in August. Ven Johnson Law has been a sponsor of the tournament since the firm’s inception in 2011.

Ven Johnson, Chris Desmond, Paul Doherty, and former Michigan Court of Appeals Judge Amy Ronayne continue the conversation on governmental immunity, including the difficulties plaintiff lawyers face to prove gross negligence and the proximate cause in a case. They also discuss the lawsuit against Oxford Community Schools following the Nov. 30, 2021, shooting at Oxford High School, and how the dist...

Ven Johnson, Chris Desmond, Paul Doherty, and former Michigan Court of Appeals Judge Amy Ronayne Krause discuss governmental immunity and times where it may make sense. They also discuss the different ways the government throws cases out to avoid being sued, including requiring a notice provision, where a plaintiff only has a certain window to warn the government that they are filing a legal claim...

In episode 23, attorney Ven Johnson, Tom Waun, Paul Doherty and Chris Desmond continue the conversation about governmental immunity. A large focus on this episode includes key differences between a proximate cause and THE proximate cause, which is defined as one of the most immediate, efficient and direct causes of a plaintiff’s injury. The four discuss ongoing cases including the Midland flood, F...

In episode 22, attorney Ven Johnson, alongside partners Tom Waun and Paul Doherty, as well as chief appellate lawyer Chris Desmond talk about what governmental immunity is, how it’s evolved over the years, and the hurdles one needs to overcome to get around it. Additionally, they dive into exceptions and instances where you can sue governmental entities or individuals who work for the government....

In episode 21, attorney Ven Johnson, criminal law expert Steve Fishman and ‘Gloves Off’ producer Eri Johnson dive into some of the biggest trials over the past year, including many surrounding the Black Lives Matter movement. They discuss various lawsuits and verdicts against police officers Kimberly Potter and Derek Chauvin, as well as teenager Kyle Rittenhouse. Ven, Steve and Eri also touch on t...

In episode 20, Ven Johnson, Charlie Langton and criminal law expert Steve Fishman dissect the high-profile trial of Derek Chauvin, who was charged with the murder of George Floyd. The panelists discuss the issue of pre-trial publicity, media transparency during trials, and how highly publicized cases can potentially taint a jury’s perspective on the case. They also discuss how surveillance, body c...

In Episode 19, Ven Johnson and Charlie Langton discuss the latest updates in the mid-Michigan flood litigation against state entities, including a recent ruling in favor of flood victims to move the lawsuit forward. Ven and Charlie also dive into allegations that the University of Michigan and former football coach Bo Schembechler covered up years of sexual abuse by Dr. Robert Anderson following a...

Attorney Ven Johnson and legal analyst Charlie Langton interviewed former Flint reporter Drew Moore, who was in and out of the courtroom and speaking with Flint residents during the height of the Flint Water Crisis. Episode 18 of “Gloves Off” dives into how the state of Michigan putting profits over people led to the poisoning of thousands in Flint, and how city residents brought these issues to l...

In this episode, Ven speaks with Mari Copeny, also known as “Little Miss Flint” about the Flint Water Crisis. The 13-year-old activist talks about the social injustices sparked by elected city officials six years ago, who neglected to treat water coming from the Flint River. This ultimately caused lead to be leached from old pipes, poisoning thousands of Flint residents and causing a widespread ou...

An unfortunate reality is that trauma and the law go hand in hand. As personal injury is a major part of our practice, Ven invited Dr. James Zender, a psychologist, to join the Gloves Off podcast to discuss the impact of trauma as it relates to chronic pain, the loss of a loved one, the aftermath of sexual assault and/or domestic violence and more, and how these cases are often treated by juries....

For Ven Johnson Law, 2020 was a year of challenges and opportunities. The firm took on high-profile civil rights cases, represented victims of one of the most catastrophic floods in Michigan history, stood up for children and parents who were used as political propaganda by President Donald Trump and launched a podcast hosted by Ven and award-winning reporter and attorney Charlie Langton. While th...

In this episode, Ven speaks with Tom Constand, president and CEO of the Brain Injury Association of Michigan (BIAMI). Ven and Tom discuss traumatic brain injury education, the services and care available for survivors, the barriers a significant percentage of families face in accessing these services and the impact of Michigan's No-Fault Act. Tom also dives into the extensive array of services tha...

This episode is for all those who've been wanting an in-depth & comprehensive breakdown of the Trump Election Lawsuits! In this episode, Ven Johnson and constitutional law expert Judge Christopher Yates, of Kent County’s 17th Circuit Court, break down the Donald J. Trump election lawsuits. Ven and Judge Yates discuss the basics of constitutional election law with a focus on Michigan and how ou...

Ven and Charlie speak with Steve Fishman, legendary criminal defense attorney, to dive into the nitty gritty of what happened with Breonna Taylor's grand jury trial from a legal perspective. What are the ways in which prosecutors can charge? What is the benefit of having a secret grand jury? What are the specifics that surround getting a search warrant and why is this being criticized in this case...

In episode 11, Ven and Charlie dive into one of Ven's cases that has captured media attention across the country. Here is a summery published in People Magazine: Ven Johnson Law has filed suit against Donald Trump, his campaign and a conservative Kansas city social-media personality alleging emotional distress and humiliation following the president’s re-post of manipulated footage of their young...

Ep.10 Fighting for Equal Representation: Women of Color in the Law Its 2020 and women of color continue to be underrepresented throughout the legal profession due to racism, classism, & sexism that continues to saturate the legal community. Implicit bias, micro-aggressions, and more are all contributing factors that result in women of color feeling discouraged and pushed out of the legal profe...

Episodes 8 & 9 were recorded on Juneteenth- a day celebrating the emancipation of enslaved people within the US. Across the country and less than a block away from Ven Johnson Law's Detroit office, crowds gathered to celebrate the strength & resilience of the Black community and to demand an end to police brutality and the targeting of Black lives. We are doing our duty to contribute to th...

Episodes 8 & 9 were recorded on Juneteenth- a day celebrating the emancipation of enslaved people within the US. Across the country and less than a block away from Ven Johnson Law's Detroit office, crowds gathered to celebrate the strength & resilience of the Black community and to demand an end to police brutality and the targeting of Black lives. We are doing our duty to contribute to th...