Aspen Leading Edge

33: The Emotionally Intelligent Lawyer with Esperanza Franco

Esperanza (Espy) Franco, Spanish U.S. Immigration Attorney, talks about her upcoming book, Emotionally Intelligent Lawyers: How to Navigate the Psychological Implications of Becoming a Lawyer. She takes time to explain the different lawyer identities that can impact mental health and the tools she provides to help gain emotional intelligence. Espy also speaks about the importance of teaching these tools and skills in law school.   

32: Contemporary Challenges in Election Law with James Gardner and Guy-Uriel Charles

James Gardner, University at Buffalo, and Guy-Uriel Charles, Harvard Law School, discuss the third edition of their book, Election Law in the American Political System. They also provide insight into the challenges in U.S. democracy and how the law is mediating those challenges. There is also a conversation about how the current climate in American politics is impacting election law.

31: Empirical Methods with Robert Lawless

Robert Lawless, University of Illinois, discusses the change he has noticed both in bankruptcy and his students post-pandemic. He also shares some details on the Program on Law, Behavior and Social Science and the Consumer Bankruptcy Project. Robert is also the co-author of multiple textbooks including, Empirical Methods in Law, Secured Transactions: A System Approach, and Bankruptcy and Article 9: 2023 Statutory Supplement.

30: Teaching Legal Writing in 2023 with Jill Barton and Rachel Smith

Jill Barton, University of Miami, and Rachel Smith, St, John’s University discuss the third edition of their book, The Handbook for the New Legal Writer, and the addition of mindfulness icons throughout the book. They also both talk about what differences they have noticed in student behavior post-pandemic as well as how they see ChatGPT fitting into their legal writing classes.

29: History and Constitutional Law with Martin Levy and Craig Jackson

Martin Levy and Craig Jackson, both of Thurgood Marshall School of Law, share what sets their book, Constitutional Law: Cases and Materials, apart from the other Constitutional Law textbooks. Martin Levy also reflects on his 50 years of teaching and shares stories about the beginning of the Thurgood Marshall School of Law. There is also a great discussion about the importance of teaching history alongside Constitutional Law.

28: Online JD Programs with President Rodney Smolla

President Rodney Smolla, Vermont Law, dives deeper into his journey to his current position and explains what he enjoys about leadership. He shares some details of Vermont Law’s new online JD program and the benefits he has seen so far. Recorded prior to the Supreme Court decisions, Rodney Smolla gives his option and prediction on the affirmative action ruling.

27: Current Criminal Procedures with Ronald Wright

Ronald Wright, Wake Forest Law, touches upon multiple projects he is working on including his book Criminal Procedures: Cases, Statutes, and Executive Materials and The Jury Sunshine Project which focuses on researching juries and learning the statistics of how race, gender, and age play a role in selection. He also describes his current interview projects surrounding defense attorneys and electronic discovery as well as prosecutors and resentencing units.

26: The NextGen Bar Exam with Mary Basick and Tina Schindler

Mary Basick, University of California Irvine, and Tina Schindler, Western State College of Law, talk about their new book, The MBE Decoded, and what they found when analyzing previous bar exams. They also share their thoughts and predictions about the NextGen Bar Exam.

25: Generative A.I. with Joe Regalia

Joe Regalia, University of Nevada Las Vegas, shares why he started Write.law and the ways he has seen it implemented in classrooms. He also shares his opinion on ChatGPT, what it means for the future of legal education, and why we should feel empowered by it. 

24: Leadership of Self with Leah Teague

Leah Teague, Baylor University, discusses the professional responsibility movement, teaching leadership and the law, and her book, Fundamentals of Lawyer Leadership. She dives deeper into a particular segment of the book, the leadership of self, and how she guides students to explore their personal morals and how they interact with their professional expectations.