This month, a series of excerpts from 18 recorded interviews between investigative journalist Bob Woodward and President Trump for Woodward’s book, Rage, were released. As many of you know, Bob Woodward, who was a young reporter with The Washington Post back in 1972, teamed up with another investigative reporter, Carl Bernstein to report on the Watergate scandal, ultimately leading to numerous government investigations and the eventual resignation of President Richard Nixon. In his book, Woodward interviewed President Trump on a variety of topics, including the threat of the coronavirus and Black Lives Matter. One of the more controversial revelations was from the recording on February 7th when Woodward asked about the threat of the coronavirus-President Trump responded, “It's also more deadly than your, you know, your even your strenuous flus. This is deadly stuff.” Meanwhile, on February 27th, during a White House press conference, the president was telling the American public something very different. So did the president knowingly keep this information from Americans? On Lawyer 2 Lawyer, host Craig Williams and guest co-host Bob Ambrogi are joined by historian Jim Robenalt, litigation partner at Thompson Hine LLP and John Dean, former White House counsel for President Richard Nixon, as they discuss the controversial excerpts from Bob Woodward's interviews with President Trump, the parallels to the Watergate scandal through these recently released "Trump Tapes,” and how these revelations could impact the president before the election. Special thanks to our sponsors, Blue J Legal and LEX Reception. Source: The Legacy of Watergate Authoritarian Nightmare: Trump and His Followers by John W. Dean and Bob Altemeyer (Melville House Books) January 1973: Watergate, Roe v. Wade, Vietnam, and the Month That Changed America Forever by James Robenalt Rage by Bob Woodward 

Lawyer 2 Lawyer - Law News and Legal Topics

Bob Woodward, the “Trump Tapes,” and the Parallels to Watergate

In response to an article published on August 27th by Washington Post’s reporter David Fahrenthold on how the U.S. Secret Service has spent more than $900,000 at Trump properties during Trump’s presidency, White House spokesperson Judd Deere said: “The Washington Post is blatantly interfering with the business relationships of the Trump Organization, and it must stop...” “Please be advised that we are building up a very large ‘dossier’ on the many false David Fahrenthold and others stories as they are a disgrace to journalism and the American people.” On Lawyer 2 Lawyer, host Craig Williams is joined by Stephen Gillers, a professor of law at NYU School, and attorney Charles Glasser, an expert in international media law, as they discuss this alleged dossier, it's implications for freedom of the press, and the current and historic relationships between the White House and journalists. Special thanks to our sponsors, Blue J Legal and LEX Reception. Mentioned in this Podcast: Journalism Under Fire: Protecting the Future of Investigative Reporting The International Libel and Privacy Handbook 

The President, the Press, and the Dossier

Since 2017, President Trump has issued 181 executive orders. Recently, the president has come under fire for issuing executive orders to provide economic relief to Americans during the pandemic, bypassing congress and its traditional "power of the purse". So what are these executive orders? Are they constitutional, and will the president see legal challenges? On today’s Lawyer 2 Lawyer, host Craig Williams is joined by professor Kimberly Wehle from the University of Baltimore School of Law and professor Michael W. McConnell, director of the Constitutional Law Center at Stanford Law School, to discuss the use of executive orders by the president and, specifically, the constitutionality of President Trump's recent pandemic motivated executive orders. Special thanks to our sponsors, Blue J Legal and LEX Reception. Mentioned in this Podcast: How to Read the Constitution--and Why  What You Need to Know about Voting—and Why The President Who Would Not Be King: Executive Power Under the Constitution Establishment of Religion: Neutrality, Accommodation, and Separation 

The Constitutionality of the President’s Recent Executive Orders

On July 30th, 2020, President Trump tweeted the following: "With Universal Mail-In Voting (not Absentee Voting, which is good), 2020 will be the most INACCURATE & FRAUDULENT Election in history. It will be a great embarrassment to the USA. Delay the Election until people can properly, securely and safely vote???" So, what does it mean when a sitting president calls for a delay of an election? What is the difference between universal mail in voting and absentee voting, and why does this controversy exist? And how will all of this impact the 2020 election? On today’s Lawyer 2 Lawyer, host Craig Williams is joined by professor James A. Gardner, a specialist in election law at the University at Buffalo School of Law, to spotlight voting in the upcoming election. Craig and Jim discuss the aforementioned tweet, the controversy surrounding mail-in voting, and predictions on what we will see on election day. Special thanks to our sponsors, Blue J Legal and LEX Reception.

A Look at Voting in the Upcoming Election

From LGBTQ rights, to abortion, to the Dreamers, to Trump’s taxes, major rulings coming out of the Supreme Court in 2020, have been anything but ordinary. Through these decisions, we have witnessed the unpredictability of some of the justices-in particular, newly appointed justices Kavanaugh and Gorsuch, and Chief Justice John Roberts, who notably sided with the four liberal justices in a number of rulings. On today’s Lawyer 2 Lawyer, host Craig Williams is joined by Jeffrey Rosen to discuss SCOTUS, some of its more notable recent decisions, the justices, and the impacts of these rulings. Jeffrey Rosen is president and CEO of the National Constitution Center and also host of the We the People podcast. Special thanks to Jackie McDermott, producer of We the People, for her assistance in recording Jeffrey’s audio for this episode. Special thanks to our sponsors, Blue J Legal and LEX Reception. Links: We the People podcast constitutioncenter.org/podcasts Interactive Constitution  constitutioncenter.org/constitution CLE constitutioncenter.org/CLE Conversations with RBG: Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on Life, Love, Liberty, and Law https://www.amazon.com/Conversations-RBG-Bader-Ginsburg-Liberty/dp/1250235162 

Standout SCOTUS Rulings, the Justices, and Impact

On August 26, 1920, nearly two years after President Woodrow Wilson gave a speech before Congress in support of guaranteeing women the right to vote, Secretary of State Bainbridge Colby certified that the 19th Amendment had become a part of the Constitution, and women could no longer be denied their vote. While the amendment had been introduced to congress nearly forty years earlier and faced many challenges, women like Lucretia Mott, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, and Ida B. Wells-Barnett never stopped fighting and pushed for equality in the voting booth. On today’s Lawyer 2 Lawyer, host Craig Williams is joined by historian Ellen Carol DuBois, author of the book, Suffrage: Women’s Long Battle for the Vote and law professor Paula A. Monopoli, author of the upcoming book, Constitutional Orphan: Gender Equality and the Nineteenth Amendment. Ellen and Paula discuss the upcoming 100th Anniversary of the official adoption of the 19th Amendment, take a look at the history of women fighting for voting rights, spotlight the women of the suffrage movement, and discuss the impact voting women will have on the upcoming election. Special thanks to our sponsors, Blue J Legal and LEX Reception.

Celebrating the Upcoming 100th Anniversary of the 19th Amendment

In June 2017, a Title IX lawsuit was filed against three school districts and the Utah High School Activities Association seeking to add girls football teams to the lineup of sports offered to students. On today’s Lawyer 2 Lawyer, guest host Jared Correia is joined by attorney Brent Gordon, and his daughter and plaintiff, Sam Gordon, to talk about girls high school football, and their efforts to provide girls more equality of opportunity at the high school sports level. Special thanks to our sponsors, Blue J Legal.

Inside Girls High School Football and a Title IX Lawsuit

Host Craig Williams is on vacation. In the meantime, producer Kate Nutting has a special announcement about next week's episode and shares some suggested relevant episodes you should check out during this extraordinary time.

A Quick Announcement

On May 14, 2020, clients of the litigation firm Boies Schiller Flexner filed a malpractice lawsuit against the law firm alleging that the attorneys in their dispute gave them bad advice and drove up costs through overly aggressive litigation tactics. As a result of these actions, the malpractice plaintiffs claim they were forced to settle as they could not afford to appeal. According to an article published by the ABA Journal on May 18, 2020, Boies Schiller responded to the suit stating “This lawsuit is nothing more than a cynical attempt by a former client to avoid its obligation to pay the firm’s legal fees….the allegations are baseless and will not deter the firm from continuing its efforts to collect its fees.” On today’s Lawyer 2 Lawyer, host Craig Williams is joined by Dick Semerdjian, founding partner of Schwartz Semerdjian, and attorney Jayne Reardon, the executive director of the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism, as they discuss the current state of civility in the courts, the use of overly aggressive litigation tactics, and how the legal profession is promoting civility through various methods. Special thanks to our sponsors, Blue J Legal. Link: ABA Journal Article: Malpractice Suit Against Boies Schiller Alleges Overly Aggressive Litigation Tactics by Debra Cassens Weiss 

The Current State of Civility in the Legal Profession

On February 23rd, 2020, Ahmaud Arbery, a 25-year old African American man, was gunned down while jogging through his Brunswick, Georgia neighborhood, just steps from his home. Two armed white men, Gregory McMichael, a former officer with the Glynn County Police Department, and his son, Travis McMichael, told police they followed Arbery in their pickup truck, believing he was responsible for a series of burglaries in the neighborhood. Gregory claimed Ahmaud attacked his son, who then fired his weapon in self-defense, killing Arbery. There were no arrests at the scene and no charges were filed by prosecutors. Two months later, a video of the killing surfaced. The video, taken by William Roddy Bryan, a neighbor of the McMichaels who was in his vehicle also pursuing Arbery, contradicted the McMichaels account of what happened and led to a public outcry calling for justice for Ahmaud. On Thursday, May 7th, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation charged the McMichaels’ with murder and aggravated assault. On today’s Lawyer 2 Lawyer, host Craig Williams is joined by attorney Christopher Bruce, the Political Director for the ACLU of Georgia, as they discuss the killing of Ahmaud Arbery, and take a look at the laws of Georgia, the handling of this case by prosecutors, the impact of the video, where this matter stands today, and what's to come in the future. Special thanks to our sponsors, Blue J Legal.

The Killing of Ahmaud Arbery

With certain states reopening across the nation, employers could soon face a host of legal issues when their employees return to work. For instance, per the decision of their governors, retail stores in South Carolina AND salons, barbershops and tattoo parlors in Georgia are included in the first round of businesses set to reopen. For these businesses, the safety of their customers and employees will necessitate new safety protocols and potentially expose employers to liability. On today’s Lawyer 2 Lawyer, host Craig Williams is joined by attorney Margaret R. Kurlinski, a shareholder and chair of Godfrey & Kahn's Labor & Employment Practice Group, as they discuss the states’ reopening of businesses, what legal issues could arise, and the safety standards employers will need to put in place for their employees and customers. Special thanks to our sponsors, Blue J Legal.

Potential Legal Issues Stemming from the Reopening of Businesses

On April 6th, 2020, on the eve of the Wisconsin primary, the US Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Republican National Committee and Wisconsin Republicans, thus refusing to extend the deadline for absentee ballots in Wisconsin in the middle of a pandemic. With thousands of voters no longer able to vote by mail, this decision led to long lines at understaffed voting locations across Wisconsin, and masked voters attempting to maintain safe distances from each other. As we approach a major nationwide election in November, what kind of obstacles can voters expect to face on Election Day? On today’s Lawyer 2 Lawyer, host Craig Williams is joined by Ned Foley, director of Election Law at Ohio University, Moritz College of Law, and Charles Stewart, III, the director of the Caltech/MIT Voting Technology Project, to discuss voting during a pandemic. They take a look at SCOTUS' Wisconsin primary decision, Vote-By-Mail, and the impact the pandemic will have on the upcoming election. Special thanks to our sponsors, Blue J Legal.

Voting During a Pandemic

As our nation battles the COVID-19 pandemic, our president’s response and leadership is being tested. Ventilators are in short supply, hospitals across the states are in desperate need of masks, supplies, tests, and beds, and governors across the country have been hitting the airwaves pleading for assistance from the federal government. So, what are the respective roles of the federal government and the state governments in a time of crisis? On today’s Lawyer 2 Lawyer, host Craig Williams is joined by Robert L. Tsai, constitutional law professor at the American University College of Law, and professor Glenn Cohen, faculty director at the Petrie-Flom Center for Health Law Policy, Biotechnology & Bioethics at Harvard Law School, as they explore the concepts of federalism and states’ rights, the tug of war between the governors and the president over COVID-19, leadership during a crisis, and the constitutional underpinnings. Special thanks to our sponsors, Blue J Legal. 

Federalism and the Coronavirus

On February 26, 2020 the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan ruled that the Department of Justice could withhold funding from “sanctuary cities”, the common term for cities and states that refuse to cooperate with the Trump administration's crackdown on undocumented immigrants. On today’s Lawyer 2 Lawyer, host Craig Williams is joined by Ilya Somin, professor of Law at George Mason University, and Philip L. Torrey, managing attorney of the Harvard Immigration and Refugee Clinical Program, to discuss President Trump's intent to withhold federal funding to sanctuary cities. They take a look at this recent ruling, the legal issues that could arise from the withholding of federal funding, and the impact this could have on state/local rights and immigration. Special thanks to our sponsors, Blue J Legal.

Federal Funding and Sanctuary Cities

On February 25, 2020, in a 5-4 ruling in the case of Hernandez v. Mesa, the Supreme Court ruled that the parents of Sergio Adrián Hernández Güereca, a 15-year-old Mexican national who was fatally shot by Border Patrol Agent Jesus Mesa, Jr., cannot sue the U.S. Customs Border Patrol agent for damages under the U.S. Constitution and that the 1971 Bivens v. Six Unknown Named Agents ruling, does not extend to the family’s cross-border shooting claims. On today’s Lawyer 2 Lawyer, host Craig Williams is joined by professor James Pfander, from Northwestern Pritzker School of Law to discuss the recent SCOTUS decision in Hernandez v. Mesa. Craig and James take a look at this case and the path to the Supreme Court, the 5-4 ruling, and the impact this decision will have on future cases regarding the border. Special thanks to our sponsors, Blue J Legal.

The SCOTUS Ruling in Hernandez v. Mesa

Lawyer 2 Lawyer is an award-winning podcast covering relevant, contemporary news from a legal perspective. Hosts Bob Ambrogi and J. Craig Williams invite industry professionals to examine current events and recent rulings in discussions that raise contemplative questions for those involved in the legal industry. Launched in 2005, Lawyer 2 Lawyer is one of the longest-running podcasts on the Internet. Williams is the founding partner of The Williams Law Corporation and he specializes in civil and business criminal cases that involve complex business lawsuits, contract actions, and environmental issues. Williams is a prolific writer and former journalist. Ambrogi represents clients at the intersection of law, media and technology. His firm, Law Offices of Robert J. Ambrogi is located in Massachusetts and focuses on media and new media law as well as mediation and arbitration. Ambrogi is the only person ever to hold the top editorial positions at both national U.S. legal newspapers, the National Law Journal and Lawyers Weekly USA.

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Lawyer 2 Lawyer - Law News and Legal Topics

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