Education

PODCAST: A Discussion on the New York Court of Appeals with the Honorable Sol Wachtler

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This week on the Touro Law Review Podcast, we are joined by the Honorable Sol Wachtler, former Chief of the New York State Court of Appeals. This podcast is moderated by Professor Lauren Wachtler. Judge Wachtler has had an exceptional career. Serving for many years in government, and as a justice of the New York State Supreme Court, and  later elected to the New York Court of Appeals where he served first as an associate judge and then as its Chief over the course of 14 years.

The discussion begins with a conversation about the complicated and confusing nature of the New York court system after which Judge Wachtler dives into the jurisdiction of the New York Court of Appeals, its present mandate that it may only review issues of law on appeal.  Judge Wachtler discusses many present and past cases of interest which have become before the NY State Court of Appeals, including “The Subway Vigilante” case of Bernard Goetz. 

   

Brought to you by the Touro Law Review.   

Our guest today is the Honorable Sol Wachtler.

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PODCAST: Representing Unpopular Defendants with Anthony LaPinta

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This week on the Touro Law Review Podcast, we are joined by guest speaker Anthony LaPinta. This podcast is moderated by Professor Lynne Kramer. The topic of discussion surrounds the Valva case where Michael Valva and his fiancé, Angela Pollina were found guilty of the murder of Michael Valva’s eight-year-old son, Thomas Valva. Anthony LaPinta discusses in this podcast the important facts of this case. Mr. LaPinta explains how he voluntarily agreed, alongside two other top defense attorneys in the country, to represent Mr. Valva– an indigent defendant –as assigned counsel.

Mr. LaPinta and Professor Kramer discuss the seemingly difficult task of representing such an unpopular defendant where the facts of the case are as troubling and emotional as the facts are in this case. However, Mr. LaPinta’s strong beliefs in the criminal justice system and the foundational notion that everyone is entitled to an attorney allows him to zealously represent such unpopular defendants. Throughout this conversation, Anthony LaPinta and Professor Kramer discuss picking a jury, dealing with client honesty or dishonesty, and making good faith arguments in a defense.

Brought to you by the Touro Law Review.   

Our guest today is Anthony LaPinta.

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PODCAST: Art, Commerce & Trademark Law: A Discussion with the General Counsel of MSCHF about Jack Daniel’s Properties, Inc. v. VIP Products LLC  

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This week on the Touro Law Review podcast we are joined by John Belcaster, the General Counsel of MSCHF, a Brooklyn-based art collective. MSCHF (pronounced “mischief”) produces artworks that critique and comment on American culture. The podcast discussion with Belcaster focuses on Jack Daniels Properties, Inc. v. VIP Products LLC, a trademark case currently pending before the Supreme Court.  As he explains, MSCHF filed an amicus brief (available here: MSCHF SUPREME COURT AMICUS BRIEF.indd.) in the Supreme Court that, among other things, asked the Justices and their law clerks to draw pictures – and thereby create art. The purpose of the brief, according to Belcaster, is to illuminate the issues raised by Jack Daniels Properties and to persuade the Court to take a broad view of what constitutes protected artistic expression.   

Brought to you by the Touro Law Review.   

Our guest today is John Belcaster.

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PODCAST: What Is It Like To Argue A Case Before The United States Supreme Court?

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This week on the Touro Law Review podcast we are joined by Lisa Gochman to talk about her experience arguing the landmark criminal sentencing case, Charles C. Apprendi Jr. v. New Jersey, before the highest court in this country — the United States Supreme Court.  This week’s Touro Law Review Podcast episode is centered around Lisa’s compelling memoir, At the Altar of the Appellate Gods: Arguing before the US Supreme Court, which captures the terror, wonder, and joy of appearing before the nine justices in Washington, D.C.. Lisa defended the constitutionality of New Jersey’s Hate Crime Statute, which authorized the sentencing judge, rather than the jury, to consider the criminal defendant’s racial animosity toward his victims as a sentencing enhancer. This discussion follows Lisa’s fascinating experience as the case moved through the New Jersey State court system and up to the United States Supreme Court where Lisa faced a very hot bench.

Brought to you by the Touro Law Review.   

Our guest today is Lisa Gochman.

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PODCAST: Professor Michael Lewyn on Zoning and The Bar Exam

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Professor Michael Lewyn joins us on this week’s Touro Law Review podcast to discuss his forthcoming article, Zoning and The Bar Exam.  Over the course of the discussion with Associate Dean Rodger Citron, Professor Lewyn talks about proposed changes to the bar exam and comments on the Real Property topics tested on the exam.  As indicated by the title of his article, Professor Lewyn believes that zoning should be one of those topics.  Among other things, Professor Lewyn notes that zoning disputes often result in litigation – something that can’t be said of all the Real Property topics tested on the bar exam.    

Professor Lewyn’s article Zoning and The Bar Exam is available here: https://works.bepress.com/lewyn/243/. 

 

Brought to you by the Touro Law Review.   

Our guest today is Professor Michael Lewyn.

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PODCAST: The Arbitration Paradox

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This week on the Touro Law Review podcast we are joined by Professor Lisa Pomerantz and our first ever student moderator, Stephanie Stephenson. This discussion is centered around what Professor Pomerantz has termed, the “Arbitration Paradox.” The podcast commences with an overview of an article that Professor Pomerantz co-authored entitled Overcoming the Arbitration Paradox: Towards a More Collaborative Approach to Commercial Arbitration and a discussion on why this topic is so important. Professor Pomerantz explains some of the most significant amendments to the AAA Commercial Arbitration rules and how they may further empower future arbitrators to overcome the Arbitration “paradox.” The conversation concludes with some advice that Professor Pomerantz will give to attorneys on how they can overcome the Arbitration paradox.

 

Brought to you by the Touro Law Review.   

Our guest today is Professor Lisa Pomerantz.

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PODCAST: A Discussion on the New York Court of Appeals

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This week on the Touro Law Review podcast we are joined by Professor Patrick Connors to talk about the highest court in the State of New York – the New York Court of Appeals.  Now a professor at Albany Law School, Connors clerked on the Court of Appeals, argued one case before the Court, and now writes about the Court as a scholar.  As Connors discusses with Associate Dean Rodger Citron, state courts tend to be underappreciated in the law school curriculum.  For New York citizens and the lawyers who represent them, the Court of Appeals almost certainly will be important and impactful than the United States Supreme Court.  Connors also provides a brief history of some of the Court’s most famous judges and notes a number of recent developments with the Court, including the decline in the number of cases reviewed and decided on the merits in the past few years.        

 

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Our guest today is Professor Patrick Connors .

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