Leading forensics expert Dr. Geoffrey Baird is no stranger to the courtroom. Over the years, he has been called upon regularly to share insights and analysis in some of the country's biggest, most high-profile cases. A litigator's abilities to effectively wield forensic evidence and present expert testimony can make or break a case, which is why Dr. Baird is also a frequent guest in UW Law classrooms. He discusses how law students can hone their skills and use forensics to their advantage in court.

DISCOVERY presented by UW Law

Interpretation and Fact

Jails and prisons are dangerous incubators of the COVID-19 virus, and incarcerated individuals constitute one of the country's most at-risk populations. This unprecedented reality has amplified discussions around incarceration in the United States, accelerating advocacy efforts as calls for reform get louder. La Rond Baker has spent her career in the legal profession spearheading civil rights and criminal justice initiatives in Washington. She joins to discuss the pandemic's disproportionate effects on prison populations, and she outlines potential impacts that could stretch beyond the virus' reach.  

Incarcerated during COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has hit gig economy workforces particularly hard, amplifying the vulnerabilities workers face when they lack the same financial and medical protections as other jobs. Now, these challenges are being taken up in court as contractors, freelancers, app-based workers and more struggle to get by in the midst of the crisis. On this episode, Orly Lobel — a labor law expert and University of San Diego School of Law professor of law — takes a deep dive into the gig economy in the time of COVID-19 and explores potential lasting solutions to the most pressing issues.

The Duty of Loyalty

Along her path from the classroom to the courthouse, Justice Raquel Montoya-Lewis experienced the unique challenges and pressures people of color face in a field where individuals like herself remain vastly underrepresented. Today, the UW Law alumna brings those experiences to her new leadership role on the Washington Supreme Court after becoming the first Native American to serve on the state’s highest bench. On this episode of DISCOVERY presented by UW Law, Justice Montoya-Lewis shares her remarkable journey to her seat on Washington’s highest bench, and she discusses the issues — and opportunities — legal institutions face in becoming more diverse, equitable and inclusive.

A Seat at the Table

What can laws governing the natural world tell us about those that govern societies? According to Ted Sichelman: quite a bit. Employing a wealth of mathematical research, thought experiments and some truly mind-bending equations, the University of San Diego professor of law breaks down the ground-breaking quantitative measures he has developed to analyze legal systems. He goes on to outline the structural parallels between scientific and social laws, and how his findings apply to the real world. Get your calculators out for this one — you're going to need 'em.

Determining the Indeterminate

U.S. Supreme Court oral arguments provide a unique window into decision-making at the highest level. In fact, the ways justices argue may tell us more about potential outcomes than even the arguments themselves. Tonja Jacobi, Stanford Clinton Sr. and Zylpha Kilbride Clinton Research Professor of Law at Northwestern Pritzker School of Law, has conducted years of empirical research in this space. On this episode, she illustrates how patterns of interruptions, speaking time — and more than a little "mansplaining" — among justices and attorneys inform predictions for the court's most consequential decisions.

Pardon the Inter...

When was the last time you read every page of Senate bill, processed each word of a mortgage agreement, or even parsed through an app's terms and conditions? If you're inclined to scroll straight to "accept," you're not alone. And as law professor and author Wendy Wagner writes in a new book, this idea of information overload is purposefully baked into the foundation of America's most important institutions. On this episode of DISCOVERY, Wagner discusses examples from politics, science, finance and more to illustrate how comprehensibility of information — or lack thereof — negatively impacts consumers.

Terms of Service

As Washington's 22nd governor, Gov. Christine Gregoire spent two terms grappling with questions around middle-income housing, transportation, workforce development and more, all over a time of unprecedented change in the Emerald State. Now as a private citizen, Gov. Gregoire continues to attack the same issues head on, leading a first-of-its-kind coalition comprising the leaders from the region's most influential corporations. On a very special episode of DISCOVERY, Gov. Gregoire takes a deep dive into the biggest challenges facing Seattle — and how the Pacific Northwest's top companies are coming together to address them.

Show Them the Way

We live in an age when algorithmic decision-making impacts more of our lives than ever before, from college admissions and job offers to financial opportunities and more. But does relying on automation for these kinds of crucial decisions actually amplify, rather than eliminate, the implicit bias it is supposed to curb? Law and technology expert Ifeoma Ajunwa argues algorithmic decision-making can in fact hide bias under the veneer of objectivity — and gaps in current legal architecture foment the ability to do so. She joins DISCOVERY to explore present challenges and how viewing the issue through a legal lens provides opportunities for potential solutions.

Sincerely, Algorithms

Service opportunities for public-interest-minded students may not seem abundant in the oft-adversarial legal field. But as organizer and UCLA Lecturer in Law Claudia Peña explains, private practice and other "rebellious lawyering" opportunities provide tremendous space to advance social justice both within and beyond the courtroom. Peña shares her own law school experiences and discusses how students can leverage opportunities outside the classroom to impact communities as lawyers, activists and leaders.

The Power of Protest

The legal profession's demanding nature can take a toll on mental health for lawyers and students alike. Law school in particular presents its own unique stressors and challenges, and exams and classes often easily supersede self-care — sometimes with serious consequences. Self-care is easier said than done, Joe Bankman admits, but it goes hand in hand with success in the classroom and beyond. He joins to share practical strategies he has developed to help students manage mental health during law school.

A Trap in the Here and Now

In 2016, the Russian government orchestrated vast disinformation campaigns that leveraged U.S. race relations to influence the presidential election. In the years since, how much has changed? More importantly, are we any better equipped to fight back heading into 2020? On this episode, Mutale Nkonde — who in addition to her work at Harvard is a public interest technologist and founder of nonprofit AI for the People — discusses the role race plays in election interference efforts. And with current disinformation campaigns already well underway, Mutale takes time to outline specific strategies for what we can do as voters to protect American democracy.

City on the Hill

Criminal convictions, including those for lower-level crimes, create collateral consequences that can last a lifetime, such as limitations on employment opportunities and the ability to find housing. For offenders in Washington, the process of vacating those convictions later in life has ranged from limited to near impossible. Until now. On this episode, Maria Jouravleva of the KCBA discusses a landmark law that provides a broader path to righting wrongs of the past in the hope of minimizing recidivism.

Episode XVI: A New Hope

Bias is an implicit element of the human condition whether we know it or not. But when it comes to discussing our own deep-seated notions about race, gender, sexual orientation or socioeconomic status, how do we put ego on the line and start to break down those barriers? K.J. Williams discusses why this topic is particularly important to unpack in the context of the legal field, and she offers insights for interrupting microaggressions in service of a more equitable and inclusive legal community.

We Don't Have to Stay in the Dark

While the Hong Kong protests and Chinese censorship dominate the headlines, the U.S.-China trade war continues to send shockwaves through the global economy and is hitting Washingtonians particularly hard. On a special episode of DISCOVERY, Gov. Gary Locke joins to share his insights as 10th U.S. Ambassador to China in the Obama Administration. He discusses his experience working with the Chinese government, opportunities for deescalation, and what a prolonged conflict could mean for Washington state.

Made in China

DISCOVERY is a podcast presented by the University of Washington School of Law in Seattle, WA, featuring distinguished guests discussing today's biggest social, political and legal issues. Episodes focus on a diverse mix of legal and legal-adjacent topics through intimate conversations with experts, speakers and leaders from around the globe. For more, visit law.uw.edu/podcast.

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DISCOVERY presented by UW Law

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