The Legal Geeks

Is it cool for Ahsoka Tano to hide bombs around the Pykes’ Spice processing plant? Could she be prosecuted for murder if anyone died? Or was it all self-defense? Join Josh Gilliland , Thomas Harper , and Stephen Tollafield as they discuss these issues and more in The Clone Wars episode Together Again. Be sure to check out Ryloth Relics for their amazing challenge coins and patches.  Send us Fan Ma...

The Heisei Gamera Trilogy is the Gold Standard of Kaiju movies. Attorneys Josh Gilliland and Nari Ely geek out of the giant-jet-turtle-powered legal issues in Gamera Guardian of the Universe. Could the police just deputize and Ornithologist for an investigation? Would a flock of Gyaos be outside police jurisdiction? Would the government's use of the Fukuoka Dome amount to a government taking?...

What is a company's liability if an employee is professionally jealous of a coworker, whose act of corporate sabotage results in a giant mole derailing trains? Well, if those legal issues keep you up at night, attorneys Joshua Gilliland and Nari Ely have answers for you. Tune in as they discuss and analyze the classic Ultra Q episode, The Terror of Sweet Honey.   Send us Fan Mail Support the...

Did Trace and Rafa have a cause of action against the Jedi Order or Republic for the accidental death of their parents in Ziro the Hutt’s prison escape? Is the Pyke Syndicate a government or just organized crime? Join Josh Gilliland , Thomas Harper , and Stephen Tollafield for their analysis of the Clone Wars episode Dangerous Debt .  Send us Fan Mail Support the show No part of this recording sho...

The classic Ultraman episode Shoot the Invader has our hero destroy an Alien Baltan spacecraft with 2.03 Baltans onboard. The Baltan homeworld was destroyed by a "mad scientist" with nuclear weapons. Were the Baltans refugees? Did Ultraman commit genocide by destroying their ship? Joshua Gilliland and Nari Ely explores these issues and more in Ultraman!  Send us Fan Mail Support the show...

Do you need a pilot's license to fly a starship? What happens if you cross into a military no fly zone? And who would enter a contract with galactic gangsters? Join Joshua Gilliland, Thomas Harper, and Stephen Tollafield as they review some really legally dangerous personal decisions on The Clone Wars episode "Deal No Deal."    Send us Fan Mail Support the show No part of this recor...

Admissions of Murder! Mutilation of android corpses! Justified homicide! Join attorneys Joshua Gilliland, Christine Peek, and Steve Chu are they boldly explore the season finale of Star Trek Picard!  Send us Fan Mail Support the show No part of this recording should be considered legal advice. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and TikTok @TheLegalGeeks

What is a parent's liability if their child commits trespassing to draw a kaiju on a pipe that comes to life and shuts down the economy of Japan? Join attorneys Joshua Gilliland and Nari Ely as they explore the world of parental liability and quarantine laws reviewing the classic Ultraman episode "Terrifying Cosmic Rays."  Send us Fan Mail Support the show No part of this recording...

Was Ahsoka denied post-Jedi benefits after her trial? Did she engage in reckless driving of her speeders or was her near accident caused by a defective product? And just what is the duty to warn about demolition droids? Join attorneys Joshua Gilliland, Thomas Harper, and Stephen Tollafield as they geek out over The Clone Wars.  Send us Fan Mail Support the show No part of this recording should be...

Is there a valid insanity defense for Dr. Agnes Jurati because her mind could not process  The Admonition? Can we add treason and collaboration as charges against Commodore Oh for leading a Romulan fleet to Coppelius Station? Join attorneys Christine Peek, Steve Chu, and Joshua Gilliland as they explore these issues and more.  Send us Fan Mail Support the show No part of this recording should be c...

How are Prisoners of War supposed to be treated? Is there a duty to rescue POW's? Attorneys Josh Gilliland and Thomas Harper review The Clone Wars episodes A Distant Echo, On the Wings of Keeradaks, and Unfinished Business, to discuss POW rights and Anakin Skywalker's enhanced interrogation of Admiral Tench.  Send us Fan Mail Support the show No part of this recording should be considere...

How can Commodore Oh be prosecuted for the attack on Mars? Was shooting xBs a hate crime? And can anyone defend Dr. Agnes Jurati for her crimes? Join attorneys Steve Chu, Josh Gilliland, and Christine Peek as they take on the many issues in Star Trek Picard "Broken Pieces."  Send us Fan Mail Support the show No part of this recording should be considered legal advice. Follow us on Facebo...

Steve Chu and Josh Gilliland met in person after San Diego Comic Fest to discuss non-consensual mind melds, murder, and the status of xBs on Star Trek Picard.  Send us Fan Mail Support the show No part of this recording should be considered legal advice. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and TikTok @TheLegalGeeks

The Armorer told the Mandalorian, “A Foundling is in your care. By creed, until it is of age or reunited with its own kind, you are as its father. This is the way.” Would a court appoint the Mandalorian as The Child’s guardian? Law students Claudia Salinas (California Western School of Law), Denise Barnes (Thomas Jefferson Law School), Leasly Salazar (Southwestern Law School), and Brian Mallard (U...

There is Murder, Mayhem, and Tranya in Star Trek Picard Stardust City Rag. Join Josh Gilliland and Steve Chu as they review the many crimes facing Admiral Picard.  Send us Fan Mail Support the show No part of this recording should be considered legal advice. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and TikTok @TheLegalGeeks

Josh Gilliland and Thomas Harper are ecstatic about #CloneWarsSaved! In the first episode, "Bad Batch," Commander Cody and Captain Rex contend with issues of hazarding a vessel, insubordination, and possible collaboration. Plus Josh geeks out on the using predictive analytics in document review.  Send us Fan Mail Support the show No part of this recording should be considered legal advic...

Are Romulans with Bird of Prey that is at least 100 years old Space Pirates? Is it proportional defense of others to decapitate an attacker? Join Josh Gilliland and Steve Chu as they explore these issues and more from Star Trek Picard, “Absolute Candor.”  Send us Fan Mail Support the show No part of this recording should be considered legal advice. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTub...

Are Ex-B’s a protected class from discrimination? Is it really a good idea to NOT consult a lawyer before a secret space mission to save an android from Romulan death squads? Attorneys Steve Chu and Josh Gilliland discuss these issues and more from “The End is the Beginning” from Star Trek Picard.  Send us Fan Mail Support the show No part of this recording should be considered legal advice. Follo...

Swearing Admirals and the high risk career choice of working on a Borg Cube take center stage Star Trek Picard, episode 2, Maps and Legends. Steve Chu and Josh Gilliland discuss trespassing in a dead android's apartment, resume fraud for artificial life, falsifying medical reports, and how working on a Borg Cube is one big assumption of risk, in the second episode of Picard.   Send us Fan Mai...

Steve Chu and Josh Gilliland are lifelong Star Trek fans. Join them for an in depth discussion of the legal issues in Star Trek Picard , that addresses whether the Federation had a duty to rescue Romulans who would have been killed in the supernova, if the Synthetic attack was an act of terrorism, and the ethical issues of banning Synthetic life by treaty. There are many deep cuts to other Star Tr...

Is the Monitor strictly liable for the creating the Anti-Monitor? Was Oliver’s “devil’s bargain” with the Monitor a binding contract? Josh Gilliland and Gabby Martin discuss these issues and more from CW’s Crisis on Infinite Earths. The lawyers also nerd out discussing the differences with the original twelve issue maxi series and TV series, plus analysis of the Arrowverse. Check out the book Unlo...

The First Order filled their Stormtrooper ranks by kidnapping children. What happens when an entire company deserts after being ordered to commit a war crime? Judge Matthew Sciarrino and attorneys Thomas Harper and Joshua Gilliland discuss the case of Jannah, formerly known as TZ-1719, and Company 77’s desertion after the Battle of Ansett Island, where the Stormtroopers refused to fire on civilian...

Is it cool for Harbinger to kidnap heroes to fight the Anti-Monitor? How can 3 Billion humans and extraterrestrial beings from Earth 38 seek asylum on Earth 1? Do contracts with the Devil have the implied duty of good faith and fair dealings? Join attorneys Josh Gilliland and Gabby Martin as they explore these issues and more from CW’s Crisis on Infinite Earths! Check out the book Unlocked Stories...

How could Ben Solo be defended if he were prosecuted for the many crimes of Kylo Ren? Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Carol Najera, Sylvia La Rosa, and Joshua Gilliland, explore the issues of whether the Dark Side destroyed Ben Solo’s ability to distinguish between right and wrong or made him act under a delusional compulsion. Would a jury convict Ben Solo for the murder of Lor San Tekka a...

What is the legal classification of Moff Gideon’s Imperials? Is there any legal justification for killing an Imperial Officer who interrupted Moff Gideon? Can the Mandalorian refuse medical treatment that requires removing his helmet on religious grounds? Join Joshua Gilliland, Gabby Martin, and Thomas Harper, as they discuss these issues and more from The Mandalorian. Send us Fan Mail Support the...