Discover books and stories that explore the law in new and surprising ways through eye-opening conversations with their authors. Whether it’s fiction or non-fiction that you seek, Modern Law Library features today’s top legal authors and delves into legal theories, historical events, true crime, and law-inspired storytelling. Join Lee Rawles twice a month as she opens up a new legal publication on Modern Law Library, a Lisagor Award-winning podcast.
Latest episodes
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1 h 01
What do we know about the first woman judge in the United States?
When Tracy Thomas first joined the faculty of the University of Akron School of Law, the dean assumed she must know all about their local heroine, Judge Florence Allen. "She was li…
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1 h 07
Could a shadow court restore the balance of power to American democracy?
Julie Suk is worried about American democracy. "Over time, the control of our constitutional future has really been in the domain of the judiciary and the executive branch, with th…
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42 min
Where are America's hate speech laws?
"In most other countries, there are laws, criminal laws that prohibit the expression of racial hatred or incitement to racial hatred," says Samantha Barbas, author of Hate Speech:…
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41 min
Are you getting paid what you're really worth?
Vanessa Ugatti is the True Worth Expert, a UK-based international keynote speaker, transformational trainer and coach, and author of How to Get Paid Your True Worth Ethically, With…
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54 min
We need to rein in Silicon Valley unicorns, says law prof
In Silicon Valley, a "unicorn" is a private startup with a net worth of $1 billion. As the term suggests, these were once incredibly rare creatures. Most startups would go public w…
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55 min
Summer Reading and Still Perplexed About AI?
For this year's summer reading recommendations, host Lee Rawles shares three recommended reads, three books on her to-be-read pile, and three TV shows she's enjoyed. The recommende…
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57 min
Alexander Hamilton, Aaron Burr, and the body in the well
In January 1800, Elma Sands's dead body was found in a New York City well. The case has captivated people ever since, not least because in the resulting trial, defendant Levi Weeks…
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56 min
'Lessons for a Warming Planet' offers hope and cautions
Environmental law in the United States can be a double-edged sword. "I think that when people think about environmental law, very frequently what they mean is environmental protect…
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49 min
'Unlikely insider' critiques how law school thinking can reinforce injustices
When Shaun Ossei-Owusu looked around at his classmates at UC Berkeley School of Law, there were many upper middle class children of lawyers who were coming straight from their unde…
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1 h 07
How we deploy the military domestically, and why
The Third Amendment to the Constitution forbids the quartering of troops in Americans' houses. It's a reminder of how uneasy the people of the country have been about the domestic…
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44 min
Sherry Thomas's sleuthing librarians and gender-bent Sherlock
Coming across the right book at the right time can make all the difference, says Sherry Thomas, author of the popular Lady Sherlock series. In her case, picking up a historical rom…
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39 min
Book Club: The Brethren introduces Tricky Dick's chief justice
It's time for the first official meeting of the Modern Law Library Book Club, and Lee has invited on her friend (and go-to Nixon expert) Victor Li to talk about his experience read…
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49 min
Your household devices are tracking you—but who else is watching?
Your smartwatch tracks your heart rate and counts your calories. Your Ring camera lets you know when a package has been delivered. The GPS in your car smoothly directs you to a res…
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10 min
Introducing the Modern Law Library Book Club
For more than a decade, the Modern Law Library has been chatting with authors about their books. But there haven't been many opportunities to talk directly with our listeners, and…
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56 min
Meet the 'inscrutable' SCOTUS justice who made the Nuremberg trials possible
Robert H. Jackson was not an easy man to know, but "I found being in Robert Jackson's company on the whole a great pleasure," says G. Edward White, author of the new biography Robe…
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45 min
The Help: What labor rights do domestic workers have
A foundational principle of Anglo-American law is that "a man's house is his castle." It establishes rights ranging from privacy to justifiable homicide. But what about when your c…
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36 min
Cold case investigation into 'Walking Tall' sheriff uncovers murder
In the movie 1973 film Walking Tall, Sheriff Buford Pusser is a heroic law enforcement officer in small-town Tennessee whose fight against the Dixie Mafia leads to an ambush and sh…
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1 h 03
What place do prisons have in democracies?
The idea that prisoners should be treated humanely was discussed by Enlightenment Era aristocrats, "but the idea that they are people who are peers is new," says Yale Law professor…
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33 min
Pop culture picks of 2025
Looking for something to occupy yourself over the holidays, or to kick off your 2026? Lee Rawles is joined by her fellow Legal Talk Network hosts Stephanie Everett of the Lawyerist…
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16 min
John Lennon's lawyer explains how the musician's deportation case changed immigration law | Rebroadcast
December 8th marks the 45th anniversary of John Lennon's death in 1980. In this special rebroadcast of Modern Law Library, we're looking back at how his immigration helped expose c…