Law360's Pro Say - News & Analysis on Law and the Legal Industry

The Southern District of New York was rocked last year by a scandal involving the mishandling of crucial evidence by federal prosecutors who then repeatedly misled the court about the incident. The saga was laid bare in recently unsealed court documents, and Law360 senior reporter Jack Queen joins us this week to talk about the scandal and what it means for the nation’s premiere U.S. attorney’s of...

Jury selection began this week in the murder trial of Derek Chauvin, a Minneapolis police officer whose videotaped killing of George Floyd sparked nationwide protests over police brutality and a broader reckoning with racism. Law360 reporter Cara Bayles, who is covering the trial, joins us this week to give us an inside peek at the key players, jury selection and the legal questions at play in the...

Americans can see light at the end of the tunnel from the COVID-19 pandemic, but litigation stemming from the virus is just ramping up. On this week’s Pro Say, we talk you through the latest coronavirus court battles, from a class action filed by Walmart employees over virus screening to a dispute over courtroom access to a constitutional battle over eviction moratoriums. Also this week, a former...

As hard seltzers like White Claw continue to boom in popularity, two beer giants are now duking it out in federal court over the legality of a Corona-branded seltzer. This week we’re breaking down the case, hitting on intellectual property, mergers & acquisitions, antitrust, and our love of seltzer. Also this week: We’re joined by Law360 Supreme Court reporter Jimmy Hoover to explain a flurry of a...

In August, Citibank accidentally paid $900 million to creditors of cosmetics giant Revlon, which a federal judge called "one of the biggest blunders in banking history.” Rubbing salt in the wound, the judge also ruled this week that the bank cannot reclaim the bulk of the erroneous payment. This week, the gang breaks down Citi’s embarrassing misstep and its unsuccessful bid to undo it in federal c...

Time briefly stood still this week as the Internet became transfixed by the plight of Texas attorney Rod Ponton, whose face was trapped behind an expressive and panicked cat filter during a court hearing on Zoom. Mere hours later, the light-hearted mishap turned into a parable of contemporary online celebrity as allegations of serious prosecutorial misconduct surfaced against Ponton. This week’s s...

News broke this week that a former New York Mets manager had been accused of repeated sexual misconduct, marking the second time in as many weeks that the team pled ignorance about hiring an alleged harasser. On this week’s show, we’re chatting with Law360 employment beat reporter Amanda Ottaway about how companies can avoid hiring past abusers. Also this week: the latest legal and regulatory fall...

The whole country is in a tizzy over GameStop — a floundering video game retailer whose stock went through the roof this week because an internet mob wanted to stick it to hedge funds. On this week’s show, we’re breaking it all down: The absurd backstory, the lawsuits that have already been filed, and the possibility of new financial regulations to come. In other news, Law360 reporter Jack Karp jo...

Within hours of taking the oath of office on Wednesday, President Joe Biden signed a string of executive actions, ranging from the COVID-19 pandemic to climate change. On this week’s episode of Pro Say, we’re breaking them all down, before taking a deep dive into how the new administration will impact three key practice areas: environmental law, immigration law, and antitrust law. Finally, we conc...

A week after a mob stormed the U.S. Capitol, we’re talking about the consequences that are rapidly unfolding. Dozens of rioters have been charged with federal crimes, BigLaw powerhouses are urging the removal of the President, and tech giants are in court over efforts to fight the misinformation that fueled the attack. Also this week: We sit down with Law360 employment law whiz Anne Cullen to chat...

Joe Biden’s decision to select Merrick Garland as the next attorney general was quickly overshadowed by an unprecedented attack on the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters looking to upend the election. In accepting the nomination, Garland himself pointed to the insurrection as evidence of the need for strong rule of law, and vowed to reposition the Justice Department as an apolitical entity in the wa...

Let’s be honest: the year 2020 felt like it lasted a decade. A global pandemic turned life upside down in the spring, a battle against racial injustice broke out over the summer, and a contentious election closed out the fall. In our final episode of the year, the Pro Say podcast is going to walk you through how each of these stories affected the legal world, from courtroom closures and shirtless...

At the onset of the pandemic, the Federal Communications Commission pushed hundreds of internet providers to pledge against disconnecting or penalizing customers who struggled to pay their bills. But a Law360 investigation revealed that the pledge wasn’t as effective as the FCC has claimed. We’re joined this week by senior telecommunications reporter Kelcee Griffis, who combed through thousands of...

Pharma companies have developed COVID-19 vaccines at record-breaking speed, utilizing never-before-used genetic technologies. Will these companies secure patents on those new technologies? And how will that impact the distribution of a pandemic-stopping shot? Joining us to answer those questions is Dani Kass, Law360’s senior patent reporter. Also this week: A Supreme Court case over corporate liab...

The Thanksgiving holiday might look a little different this year, but one thing that remains the same is our annual break for a special episode looking back at our favorite offbeat stories of the year. We revisit an attorney whose Second Circuit argument went sideways; a Kentucky state judge accused of having a threesome in the courthouse; a real-life request for trial by combat in family court; a...

Amid skyrocketing numbers of COVID-19 infections, a jury trial in Texas ended in a mistrial this week after at least 15 participants tested positive for the illness. On this week’s show, we’re breaking down the ill-fated trial in Texas, plus the slew of other courts that are shutting down during the third wave of the pandemic. Also this week: the law firm Sanford Heisler is best known for filing d...

President Trump has filed a slew of lawsuits aimed at challenging his election loss to President-elect Joe Biden, but the cases are supported by little evidence and don’t contest enough votes to change the outcome. This week, we’re going through those questionable lawsuits one by one, as well as the public relations backlash brewing for law firms like Jones Day that represent the president. Also t...

All eyes have been on the presidential vote count, but a lot more was put to voters in the 2020 election. This week, we break down some key ballot measures including a win for gig economy companies in California, the spread of cannabis legalization, and more. We’ll also discuss a ruling in New York that puts an end to Amazon workers’ calls for more COVID protections from the retail giant; a legal...

The confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett to the U.S. Supreme Court just days before an election has sparked calls from Democrats for serious changes to the high court. What might those reforms look like? Is it fair to call them “court packing?” On this week’s show, Law360’s Supreme Court reporter Jimmy Hoover joins us to break it all down, from the contentious backstory to a range of possible proposa...

The U.S. Department of Justice filed a sweeping antitrust lawsuit against Google this week, accusing the tech giant of maintaining an illegal monopoly over internet search and online advertising. The case came amid a broader reckoning with the power of Big Tech, and it evoked historical comparisons to the famous Microsoft case of the late 1990s. Joining us to breakdown all these issues and more is...

A New York judge named Mark Grisanti is under fire after body camera footage obtained by Law360 showed him shoving a police officer and invoking his powerful connections following a shirtless brawl with neighbors. With Grisanti never charged with a crime, the video has sparked a broader conversation about whether Grisanti’s race and job led to lenient treatment. On this week’s show we’re breaking...

Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett heads to Capitol Hill next week for confirmation hearings that figure to touch on hot-button points like abortion, healthcare and gun rights. Adding even more intrigue are the COVID-19 cluster that has ensnared two key Republican senators and the fast-tracking of Barrett’s nomination ahead of the November election. Joining us to break down the confirmation s...

A growing number of courts are sending those accused of drug offenses and nonviolent crimes to addiction treatment rather than jail, but some residents are now claiming that the only treatment being offered at those facilities is forced, unpaid labor at for-profit businesses. Joining us to discuss this little-known side of the justice system is Jack Karp, who wrote a deep-dive about the practice a...

President Trump has nominated Amy Coney Barrett to fill the seat on the U.S. Supreme Court left vacant by the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, setting the stage for a contentious battle over the future of the high court. To get you up to speed, this week on the Pro Say podcast we’re catching you up on everything you need to know about Amy Coney Barrett.

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is among the few on the Supreme Court to have etched her name into legal history long before donning a robe. In a special episode this week, Pro Say sister podcast The Term took a look back at her legacy as a pioneering women's rights advocate with two guests who worked by her side. We’re going to share that episode with you today. A programming note: President Trump ha...