Whose Law Is It Anyway?

American Bar Foundation

Whose Law Is It Anyway? explores social issues and legal challenges through conversations with the American Bar Foundation’s award-winning community of researchers and practitioners. Join Matthew Martinez Hannon, the ABF’s temp-turned-staff member-turned-podcaster, as he goes beyond the headlines and into our classrooms, courtrooms, and homes to learn how sociolegal research matters in everyday life. Note: The American Bar Foundation is an independent, non-partisan, and non-profit research institute. Any of the viewpoints expressed during the podcasts are those of the guests, not the ABF.

Episodes

  1. 2021-06-21

    Yes, No, and #MeToo

    The issue of consent to sex has been making headlines in recent years. Whether it’s the #MeToo movement, discourse about rape culture, or simply more open discussions of sexual assault and violence, our evolving understanding of consent has recently been at the forefront of public debate. But how does the law define and regulate consent? How do institutions such as colleges and universities handle training around consent? And how do these institutions handle rape and sexual assault allegations? In this episode, Matthew Martinez Hannon interviews ABF Research Professor Laura Beth Nielsen about her research studying consent to sex on college campuses. Then, Matthew speaks to UMass Law Professor and ABF Fellow Margaret Drew, who will discuss her focus on domestic violence as a practicing lawyer and in academia. Finally, Matthew interviews Kristina Fluty, Assistant Professor at the Theater School at DePaul University, who also works as an Intimacy Director. All of the guests will touch upon how attitudes toward consent have evolved in recent years, how institutions create rules and handle training around consent, and how laws and regulations respond when consent is violated. Read the full episode transcription: http://www.americanbarfoundation.org/uploads/cms/documents/episode_3_transcription.pdf Additional Resources: · Know Your IX website: https://www.knowyourix.org/ · End Rape on Campus: https://endrapeoncampus.squarespace.com/ · Planned Parenthood Consent and FRIES: https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/relationships/sexual-consent

    1h 4m
  2. 2021-05-25

    Rent (Reform) Is Due

    The United States is facing an affordable housing crisis. Although the past decade has seen a growth in the number of renters in the United States, this growth has been marked by persistent affordability challenges. Rents have dramatically outpaced wage increases, leading to more and more cost-burdened households. And, most recently, COVID-19 has exposed the limited legal protections available for renters. In this episode, host Matthew Martinez Hannon interviews ABF Research Professor Anna Reosti about her sociolegal research examining the consequences of modern background screening practices for rental housing access. Then, Matthew is joined by Jennifer Litwak, Executive Director of Housing on Merit, a nonprofit organization with the mission to create a bridge to permanent affordable housing for vulnerable populations. Both Anna and Jennifer speak about what access to affordable housing looks like across the country, the obstacles facing low-income renters, and how the pandemic is impacting the way people rent. Read the full episode transcription: http://www.americanbarfoundation.org/uploads/cms/documents/episode_2_transcription.pdf  Additional Resources: Read “The Costs of Seeking Shelter for Renters With Discrediting Background Records” by Anna Reosti: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/15356841211012483?journalCode=ctya  Visit Housing On Merit at housingonmerit.org Visit the Housing Innovation Collaborative: housinginnovation.co

    1h 23m

About

Whose Law Is It Anyway? explores social issues and legal challenges through conversations with the American Bar Foundation’s award-winning community of researchers and practitioners. Join Matthew Martinez Hannon, the ABF’s temp-turned-staff member-turned-podcaster, as he goes beyond the headlines and into our classrooms, courtrooms, and homes to learn how sociolegal research matters in everyday life. Note: The American Bar Foundation is an independent, non-partisan, and non-profit research institute. Any of the viewpoints expressed during the podcasts are those of the guests, not the ABF.