Studying Law Around the World

Claudio Klaus
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Education

A podcast with more than 70 hours of conversations with lawyers, professors, and students from over 20 countries. Each episode shows how people study law, build careers across borders, handle setbacks, and find purpose in their work. You will hear clear advice, practical tips, and global insights from different legal systems and top schools. A useful guide for anyone interested in law school experiences, law career advice, legal industry insights, and the views of legal scholars. Selected episodes accredited by the Law Society of Ontario and the Law Society of British Columbia. ISSN 2819 733X

  1. 1d ago

    Game Theory in Court, AI Arbitration Bias, and the T-Shaped Lawyer with Federico Ast

    This week on the podcast, I sat down with Federico Ast. Federico is an economist, philosopher, and the founder of Kleros. He built a decentralized justice system that uses blockchain technology and game theory to resolve cross-border digital disputes online. We talked about crowdsourcing jurors like in ancient Athens, the terrifying reality of AI biases in arbitration, and why the next generation of lawyers must become "T-shaped" professionals to survive in a rapidly automating market. What you will learn Game theory in the courtroom. Discover how Kleros uses cryptographic tokens and financial incentives inspired by game theorist Thomas Schelling to guarantee that anonymous jurors evaluate evidence honestly and vote fairly by rewarding coherence with the majority. The AI bias problem. Federico ran a test comparing how two different versions of the same AI model resolved 99 real fintech disputes. Learn why one version heavily favored consumers based on written narratives, while a simple software update caused the AI to demand documentary proof and suddenly favor corporations. The T-shaped lawyer. Because artificial intelligence will soon handle the baseline task of knowing the law, lawyers must build a horizontal specialization. Learn why focusing on niche industries like esports, the metaverse, or tokenized intellectual property is the best way to future proof your career. Why this mattersWhat mistake do junior lawyers make because no one explained this? They assume their primary professional value is memorizing legal rules. Federico points out that autonomous AI agents will soon handle the bulk of traditional legal analysis and processing. If your only skill is knowing the law, you will be outpaced by a software update. To survive in a market where justice can theoretically be delivered in under a day, you must transition from a generalist into an industry specialist. You must build a personal brand that generates human trust because clients will no longer hire you just for your legal knowledge. They will hire you for your judgment, your empathy, and your specific industry expertise. Three takeaways AI is a tool, not a judge. While artificial intelligence can deliver lightning fast initial assessments, fully automated binding arbitration is still a long way off. Human oversight remains essential to ensure legitimacy and catch algorithmic biases. Specialize immediately. Stop trying to be a generalist. Combine a strong vertical foundation in commercial law with a deep horizontal specialization in emerging digital markets. Build your brand in public. In a world increasingly run by algorithms and automated agents, human trust is your only remaining currency. Start producing content and sharing your insights publicly today to ensure clients know exactly who you are before they ever need to hire you. Guest: Federico Ast, founder of Kleros and expert in decentralized justice. Where to listen and how to support the showSearch Studying Law Around the World on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube. If you found value in this episode, please take a moment to follow the show and leave a rating. Selected episodes of Studying Law Around the World are eligible for Continuing Professional Development (CPD) credit with the Law Society of Ontario (LSO) and Continuing Legal Education (CLE/CPD) credit with the Law Society of British Columbia (LSBC). For approved episodes, accreditation details, and participation information, please visit: https://studyinglawaroundtheworld.com/

  2. Sep 29

    Building Your Craft, People-Centered Justice, and Cross-Border Human Rights with Milena Klimberg van Marrewijk

    This week on Studying Law Around the World, I sat down with Milena Klimberg van Marrewijk. Milena is the program advisor on human rights and access to justice at the Cyrus R. Vance Center for International Law. Originally from Buenos Aires, she began her international career representing states in investment arbitration in Paris before deliberately transitioning into human rights litigation in New York. We talked about her work coordinating the Women in Prison Network across 30 countries, what it actually takes to build effective partnerships with grassroots organizations, and why mastering the technical craft of law is the ultimate differentiator for advocates. What you will learn The craft of international law. Milena explains why she started in big law investment arbitration. Representing states taught her how to build a legal record, draft rigorous arguments, and interpret treaties. These technical skills were the exact foundation she needed for high stakes human rights work. People centered justice. Traditional justice reform usually starts by looking at institutions. Learn how to flip the model and start with the actual, daily legal needs of individuals at the grassroots level. The Women in Prison Network. Women make up less than 10 percent of the global prison population, meaning facilities and procedures are designed entirely by default for men. Discover how Milena advocates for gender sensitive approaches to address the specific, systemic barriers incarcerated women face globally. Why this mattersWhat is the unspoken rule here? Passion alone will not make you a great human rights lawyer. The field is full of highly committed people, but you will only stand out if you are an excellent, detail oriented technician under pressure. Junior lawyers often believe the path to international advocacy is a straight line, but Milena proves that the journey is non-linear. When you focus on building a rigorous legal craft, treating language fluency as a core career strategy, and securing reliable mentorship, you become incredibly hard to replace. Three takeaways Build your craft first. Passion is common, but technical excellence is rare. Your ability to draft impeccably, pay attention to detail, and operate effectively under pressure is what will actually move the needle for your clients. Languages are a career strategy. Being able to communicate across legal cultures and translate complex international law into accessible, everyday language opens doors that remain firmly closed to monolingual lawyers. Build genuine partnerships. Effective cross border advocacy never involves flying in, extracting information, and leaving. It requires building absolute trust with local organizations and matching your pro bono capacity to their actual, stated needs. Guest: Milena Klimberg van Marrewijk, program advisor on human rights and access to justice at the Cyrus R. Vance Center for International Law. Where to listen and how to support the showSearch Studying Law Around the World on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube. If you found value in this episode, please take a moment to follow the show and leave a rating. Selected episodes of Studying Law Around the World are eligible for Continuing Professional Development (CPD) credit with the Law Society of Ontario (LSO) and Continuing Legal Education (CLE/CPD) credit with the Law Society of British Columbia (LSBC). For approved episodes, accreditation details, and participation information, please visit: https://studyinglawaroundtheworld.com/

  3. Sep 25

    The Sunk Cost Fallacy, Leaving the Law, and the Power of Storytelling with Shaun Bernstein

    ISSN 2819-733X Legal careers are shaped less by credentials and more by communication, and no one teaches that early enough. I make that invisible part of the profession visible. This week on the podcast, I sat down with Shaun Bernstein. Shaun is a journalist turned lawyer who eventually left practice entirely to found a ghostwriting and storytelling agency. After experiencing a severe mental health crisis while practicing employment law, he realized the traditional legal path was incompatible with his well-being. He walked away to build a thriving solopreneur business that helps professionals translate complex jargon into relatable stories. We got into the unspoken realities of mental health in the legal profession, why lawyers are traditionally terrible at marketing, and how to build a personal brand without sounding like a corporate robot. The Three-Week Rule: How to tell the difference between a tough file and a toxic career. If you are consistently miserable for three consecutive weeks, it is time to seriously evaluate your professional path. The most dangerous tool for a lawyer: The keyboard. Lawyers are trained to write for opposing counsel, resulting in dense, opaque prose. Shaun explains why writing at a fourth-grade level is not dumbing it down. It is the baseline for effective public communication. The issue-spotting strategy: Your content should not teach clients how to practice law. It should use storytelling to help them recognize their own problems early enough to call you before the situation explodes. What mistake do junior lawyers make because no one explained this? They fall for the sunk cost fallacy. They believe that because they invested years of their life into a law degree, they must suffer through a practice that actively destroys their mental health. Shaun’s journey is proof that your legal education is not a prison sentence. Your degree and intellect can be leveraged entirely outside of traditional practice to build a highly profitable, creatively fulfilling career. Furthermore, whether you stay in law or pivot, mastering clear, human to human communication is the only way to build a sustainable pipeline of clients. Stop writing for other lawyers. If your marketing materials sound like a legal brief, you are alienating the public. Use analogies and personal stories to connect with the actual people paying your bills. Lean into your origin story. Professional does not mean faceless. Clients hire people they know, like, and trust. Sharing the personal why behind your practice, your superhero origin story, makes you instantly memorable. Remember there is a way out. The legal industry often pays lip service to mental health while maintaining punishing expectations. If the environment is breaking you, you have permission to walk away. Utilize your Law Society or EAP resources to get immediate support, and start exploring alternative paths. Guest: Shaun Bernstein, former employment lawyer and founder of The Write Stuff Agency. Where to listen and how to support the showSearch Studying Law Around the World on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube. If you found value in this episode, please take a moment to follow the show and leave a rating. Selected episodes of Studying Law Around the World are eligible for Continuing Professional Development (CPD) credit with the Law Society of Ontario (LSO) and Continuing Legal Education (CLE/CPD) credit with the Law Society of British Columbia (LSBC). For approved episodes, accreditation details, and participation information, please visit: https://studyinglawaroundtheworld.com/

  4. Sep 23

    The Sunk Cost Trap, the Mentor Deck, and the Science of Patent Law with Khadija Wilson

    This week on Studying Law Around the World, I sat down with Khadija Wilson. Khadija holds a PhD in pharmacology, is currently a JD candidate at Temple Law, and is the founder of Rooted Advising. She shared her journey moving from Trinidad and Tobago to the United States and how she built a highly specialized career at the intersection of science and patent law. We got into the realities of being a first generation professional and the specific strategies required to navigate environments that were not originally built for you. What you will learn The mentor deck. Finding one senior partner is not a complete mentorship strategy. Khadija explains why you need to curate a diverse set of mentors across junior, mid, and senior levels to truly understand the unspoken mechanics of your organization. First principles thinking. Having a scientific background gives you the ability to operate in ambiguity. Discover how Khadija uses root cause troubleshooting and first principles thinking to overcome complex patent office rejections. The potluck of minds. As artificial intelligence changes the profession, you must clearly define your unique value proposition. Khadija breaks down how to identify the specific strengths you bring to the table that no one else can replicate. Why this mattersWhat mistake do junior lawyers make because no one explained this? They fall into the sunk cost trap. They stay in stagnant, depleting roles simply because they invested time in getting there. They wait for their employers to dictate their professional ceiling. Khadija proves that you have to treat the workplace as a two way street. You have to establish your own boundaries, learn the art of managing up, and proactively ask for help when you are confused instead of suffering in silence. Three takeaways Stop surviving and start strategizing. Resilience is a great survival skill, but it is not a long term career strategy. If your environment actively diminishes your confidence, you need to find a new table or build one yourself. Listen to the culture. Do not just focus on the partners. Engage with coworkers at all levels and listen more than you speak. This is the only real way to gauge the actual health of a workplace culture. Vulnerability is not a weakness. Sharing your personal experiences and struggles helps the next generation feel supported. Unofficial mentorship and honest feedback are the best cures for imposter syndrome. Guest: Khadija Wilson, PhD in pharmacology, Temple Law JD candidate, and founder of Rooted Advising. Where to listen and how to support the showSearch Studying Law Around the World on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube. If you found value in this episode, please take a moment to follow the show and leave a rating. Selected episodes of Studying Law Around the World are eligible for Continuing Professional Development (CPD) credit with the Law Society of Ontario (LSO) and Continuing Legal Education (CLE/CPD) credit with the Law Society of British Columbia (LSBC). For approved episodes, accreditation details, and participation information, please visit: https://studyinglawaroundtheworld.com/

  5. Sep 16

    The Immigrant Advantage, AI Implementation, and Billing Models with Majo Castro

    This week on the podcast, I sat down with Majo Castro. Majo is the founding attorney of Castro & Legal in Austin, Texas. After leaving Venezuela in 2015 with a law degree that she could not use in the United States, she started completely over. She took a paralegal course, worked as a bartender, eventually earned an LLM, and opened her own boutique firm specializing in cybersecurity, AI governance, and technology law. We got into how she uses artificial intelligence to compete with big law, the biggest mistakes tech founders make when rushing to market, and why she believes the billable hour is dying. What you will learn The AI edge for boutique firms. Majo uses AI to automatically generate client proposals five minutes after a consultation ends. Learn how she reclaimed 13 hours a month by automating her administrative workflows. Where AI fails in law. She shares a hilarious (and painful) story about implementing an AI phone system that aggressively argued with a potential client. Discover why high-stakes negotiations and first impressions still require a human touch. The death of the billable hour. Tech-enabled lawyers work faster. Majo explains why clinging to the billable hour actually punishes efficient lawyers, and why flat-fee structures are the only logical future for modern practice. Why this mattersA lot of lawyers treat cybersecurity and AI as IT issues. Majo proves that they are now fundamental legal competencies. If you refuse to use modern tools, you are doing a disservice to your clients by charging them more money for a slower product. Foreign-trained and junior lawyers often doubt their ability to compete in this market. Majo’s story shows that because fields like AI governance are so new, the playing field is entirely level. Three takeaways AI is your leverage, not your replacement. Use AI to draft proposals, organize research, and create marketing content, but never let it make legal judgments or handle sensitive human relationships. Stop rushing to market. Tech founders constantly launch products without protecting their IP or clarifying their data rights. As a technology lawyer, your job is to slow them down just enough to keep them out of trouble. Use your background as an asset. Whether you were a bartender, a small business owner, or an immigrant learning a new system, those experiences make you a better advisor. Your clients want a lawyer who actually understands how hard it is to build something from scratch. Guest: Majo Castro, founding attorney of Castro & Legal, specializing in cybersecurity and AI governance. Where to listen and how to support the showSearch Studying Law Around the World on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube. If you found value in this episode, please take a moment to follow the show and leave a rating. Selected episodes of Studying Law Around the World are eligible for Continuing Professional Development (CPD) credit with the Law Society of Ontario (LSO) and Continuing Legal Education (CLE/CPD) credit with the Law Society of British Columbia (LSBC). For approved episodes, accreditation details, and participation information, please visit: https://studyinglawaroundtheworld.com/

  6. Sep 14

    Humanizing the Code, Building Client Trust, and Cross-Border Estates with Amanda Doucette

    ISSN 2819-733X There is a persistent myth in law school that you must be a math genius to practice tax law. It keeps a lot of great advocates away from a field that desperately needs them. Legal careers are shaped less by credentials and more by communication, and almost no one teaches that early enough. I try to make that invisible part of the profession visible. This week on the podcast, I sat down with Amanda Doucette. Amanda is a Canadian tax, trust, and estate lawyer and the host of The Tax Chick podcast. She started her career in civil litigation and family law, completely convinced she was terrible at math. When a senior partner pulled her onto a tax litigation file, she discovered that tax practice is not about crunching numbers on a spreadsheet. It is fundamentally about advocacy, education, and human relationships. We talked about how she eventually transitioned into cross-border estate planning and why making the law accessible is the best business development strategy you can have. What you will learn Humanizing the tax code. Clients do not want to hear you recite subsections of the Income Tax Act. Learn how to use visual aids, analogies, and plain language to turn reactive, panicked clients into proactive business partners. The cross-border trap. A Canadian Power of Attorney is effectively useless for a snowbird dealing with a medical emergency in Arizona. Discover why you have to treat every country, and sometimes every state or province, as a completely separate legal reality when planning an estate. The accidental audience. Amanda started her podcast during the 2020 lockdowns to help confused business owners. Learn how she inadvertently built a massive audience of non-tax professional advisors who now use her show to spot problems for their own clients. Why this mattersJunior lawyers often box themselves in based on what they think they are bad at. Amanda's story proves that practice areas are rarely what they seem from the outside. As artificial intelligence continues to automate baseline legal work, clients are actively searching for advisors they actually like and trust. You do not differentiate yourself just by knowing the rules. You stand out by translating those rules into plain English so your clients can sleep at night. Three takeaways Say yes to the scary assignments. Amanda only discovered her passion for tax because she did not turn down an intimidating trial file. The biggest leap in your career might come from a practice area you actively avoided in law school. Assume your documents do not travel. Never assume a domestic legal document works across a border. From mismatched tax treaties to completely different legal definitions of the word "spouse," international planning requires highly localized advice. Be a translator, not a dictionary. Stop trying to prove how smart you are by using dense legal jargon. Your actual job is to digest complex financial and legal risks into three clear options so your client can make an informed decision. Guest: Amanda Doucette, tax, trust, and estate lawyer, and host of The Tax Chick podcast. Where to listen and how to support the showSearch Studying Law Around the World on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube. If you found value in this episode, please take a moment to follow the show and leave a rating. Selected episodes of Studying Law Around the World are eligible for Continuing Professional Development (CPD) credit with the Law Society of Ontario (LSO) and Continuing Legal Education (CLE/CPD) credit with the Law Society of British Columbia (LSBC). For approved episodes, accreditation details, and participation information, please visit: https://studyinglawaroundtheworld.com/

  7. Sep 4

    The Global Classroom, Comparative Equality, and Leaving Your Jurisdiction with David Oppenheimer, Panos Kapotas, and Laura Carlson

    Legal careers are shaped less by credentials and more by communication, and no one teaches that early enough. I make that invisible part of the profession visible. What mistake do junior lawyers make because no one explained this? They assume the law looks exactly the same everywhere. When you only study your local legal system, you start to believe your jurisdiction's way of solving a problem is the only way. This week on Studying Law Around the World, I sat down with three law professors from three different countries. David B. Oppenheimer from Berkeley Law, Panos Kapotas from the University of Portsmouth, and Laura Carlson from Stockholm University. During the pandemic, they teamed up to build a global course in comparative equality law. It brings students and professors from six continents into a single virtual classroom. They generously shared what happens when you completely remove geographic borders from legal education. What you will learn The culture shock of comparative law. Laura explains how Swedish civil law students are trained to prioritize legal certainty. They were completely shocked by the raw passion North and South American students brought to arguments about justice and fairness. The danger of local assumptions. David highlights how a concept like abortion is framed as an issue of privacy in the US, but as a matter of bodily autonomy and equality in other legal systems. You cannot fully grasp an issue until you see how other cultures frame it. The baseline of equality. Panos shares a grounding moment from the course when a student from South America pointed out that in their village, the primary equality issue is simply getting access to clean water. It is a stark reminder of how privilege shapes our legal priorities. Why this mattersIt is incredibly easy to get trapped in the specific rules and procedures of your home jurisdiction. This conversation proves that the best way to become a sharper, more creative lawyer is to expose yourself to different ways of thinking. When you understand how other systems tackle the exact same human problems, you build a massive intellectual advantage in how you approach your own practice. Three takeaways Leave your jurisdiction. Whether you do a full LLM or just a short exchange term, you need to study law outside your home country. It fundamentally changes how you view the profession. Look for non hierarchical spaces. The best professional networks do not care about your seniority. Find communities that treat you as an equal simply because you share the same intellectual curiosity. Leverage local associations. You do not have to move across the world to build a global network. Join the international subcommittees of your local bar associations to start connecting with practitioners in other countries today. Guests: David B. Oppenheimer (Berkeley Law), Panos Kapotas (University of Portsmouth), and Laura Carlson (Stockholm University). Where to listen and how to support the showSearch Studying Law Around the World on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube. If you found value in this episode, please take a moment to follow the show and leave a rating. Selected episodes of Studying Law Around the World are eligible for Continuing Professional Development (CPD) credit with the Law Society of Ontario (LSO) and Continuing Legal Education (CLE/CPD) credit with the Law Society of British Columbia (LSBC).For approved episodes, accreditation details, and participation information, please visit: https://studyinglawaroundtheworld.com/

  8. Sep 1

    Shippable Futures, Escaping Microsoft Word, and Prototyping Your Career with Baru Obračajová

    This week on the podcast, I sat down with Baru Obračajová. She is a Czech lawyer, legal designer, and the mind behind "Attorney at Code." After years of handling cross-border M&A and ESG transactions, she realized the traditional, hyper-specialized legal path was not for her. She took a free Harvard coding class online, and it completely changed how she viewed the practice of law. Today, she teaches a "Modern Lawyers" course at Charles University and helps organizations rethink how legal services are actually delivered. We got into why the legal industry's obsession with Microsoft Word is limiting our imagination, and why lawyers need to start treating their work as an end-to-end product rather than a series of disconnected emails. What you will learn Legal product management. It is time to stop viewing legal work as just replying to an email with a Word document attached. Discover how to design an end-to-end client experience, from onboarding and pricing all the way to final delivery. Escaping the Microsoft Word trap. Word is the lowest common denominator in law. Baru challenges us to explore ideas outside of this standard environment. When you stop designing every legal process around a single document editor, you open up massive opportunities for actual innovation. Shippable futures vs. R&D. Most law firm innovation is vendor-driven and plays it safe with commercially viable "shippable futures." Learn why exploring speculative, outlandish ideas is essential if you want to understand where the industry is actually heading. Why this mattersYoung lawyers constantly message me worried about getting stuck in a single, narrow practice area forever. Baru's journey proves you do not have to be a hyper-specialized technician to be successful. By layering different skills—like project management, design, and coding—you can build a highly customized, generalist career that actually fits your interests. You have the agency to shape the future of the profession rather than just sitting around waiting to see if artificial intelligence will replace your job. Three takeaways Prototype your career. Do not make massive, high-stakes career pivots overnight. If you are interested in legal design, start by redesigning a single, simple document. Test the waters with low-risk experiments before completely changing your path. Become a self-started learner. You no longer need formal permission or another expensive degree to learn a new skill. Find free resources online, build your own reading lists, and pursue the subjects that genuinely intrigue you, even if they fall outside traditional legal boundaries. Embrace multidisciplinary work. Being a lawyer is just one layer. When you add other disciplines like design or coding, you gain the ability to automate repetitive tasks, communicate complex ideas more effectively, and build completely new systems. Guest: Baru Obračajová, Czech lawyer, legal and futures designer, educator, and founder of Attorney at Code. Where to listen and how to support the showSearch Studying Law Around the World on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube. If you found value in this episode, please take a moment to follow the show and leave a rating. Selected episodes of Studying Law Around the World are eligible for Continuing Professional Development (CPD) credit with the Law Society of Ontario (LSO) and Continuing Legal Education (CLE/CPD) credit with the Law Society of British Columbia (LSBC). For approved episodes, accreditation details, and participation information, please visit: https://studyinglawaroundtheworld.com/

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A podcast with more than 70 hours of conversations with lawyers, professors, and students from over 20 countries. Each episode shows how people study law, build careers across borders, handle setbacks, and find purpose in their work. You will hear clear advice, practical tips, and global insights from different legal systems and top schools. A useful guide for anyone interested in law school experiences, law career advice, legal industry insights, and the views of legal scholars. Selected episodes accredited by the Law Society of Ontario and the Law Society of British Columbia. ISSN 2819 733X

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