Above the Law - Thinking Like a Lawyer

Recent Episodes

1. Collateral Damage Across The Legal Industry

   Jul 15, 2026

   Joe Patrice and Catherine Urbino discuss the week's legal industry news, including the Cadwallader merger's impact on timekeeping systems requiring associates to review six months of time entries, law schools' AI policies (Berkeley's blanket ban versus University of Chicago's nuanced approach), and controversies including Sullivan & Cromwell's handling of Trump representation, Supreme Court justices' polymarket betting, and Yale Law School's pushback against university leadership.

2. Supreme Court Narrowly Passes Reading Comprehension Section

   Jul 8, 2026

   Joe Patrice and Catherine Rubino, hosts of Above the Law's "Thinking Like a Lawyer" podcast, discuss major legal stories from the week, including the Supreme Court's controversial birthright citizenship ruling that narrows the 14th Amendment despite clear constitutional language, Chief Justice Roberts' contradictory independent agency decisions affecting the FTC and Federal Reserve, the false retirement rumor about Justice Samuel Alito sparked by NPR's Nina Totenberg's accidentally-published pre-written article, and recent associate compensation increases at Millbank and other major law firms following cost-of-living adjustments.

3. Alito's Outburst And Tough Times For Partners

   Jul 1, 2026

   Chris Williams appears on his final episode of Thinking Like a Lawyer to reflect on his five-year tenure as a legal commentator and writer at Above the Law. The hosts discuss his career trajectory from law school aspirations to covering major Supreme Court stories, including Justice Clarence Thomas's ethics controversies and recent decisions. The episode also covers two major legal industry stories: Justice Alito's unusual outburst during oral arguments following Justice Sotomayor's dissent reading, and structural changes in big law partnerships affecting partner compensation.

4. Todd Blanche Disgrace Train Rolls On

   Jun 24, 2026

   This episode of 'Thinking Like a Lawyer' features hosts Joe Patrice, Catherine Robino, and Chris Williams discussing major legal stories of the week. Key topics include Todd Blanche's nomination as Attorney General and concerns about his fitness for office, Judge Newman's ongoing struggle to retain her judicial position amid pressure from her DC Circuit colleagues, the algae bloom at DC's Reflecting Pool and associated legal enforcement actions, and an AI resume experiment revealing gender bias in how AI platforms describe identical work experiences differently for men versus women.

5. Federal Judges Gone Wild

   Jun 17, 2026

   Joe Patrice hosts a panel discussion with Captain Rubino and Chris Williams covering major legal stories from the week. Topics include Above the Law's 14th annual law school rankings emphasizing return on investment and employment outcomes; a Ninth Circuit judge in Idaho charged with assault after a parking lot confrontation; and ongoing judicial ethics issues surrounding Judge Ella Ross of the Eleventh Circuit, including her vague apology letters to clerks following misconduct in her chambers.

6. Sex In Chambers Met With Slap On Wrist

   Jun 3, 2026

   Joe Patrice, Catherine Robino, and Chris Williams discuss major legal ethics stories from the week, including a federal judge (later identified as Judge Eleanor Ross of the Northern District of Georgia) who was sanctioned with only a private reprimand for having sex in chambers with a high-ranking police official and lying about it to fellow judges. The hosts explore how AI rapidly de-anonymized the confidential ethics report by identifying pattern matches across judicial records. They also cover bar complaints filed against DOJ officials Todd Blanche and Pam Bondi for prosecutorial misconduct, and discuss the Department of Justice's efforts to shield government lawyers from state bar discipline.

7. Judge Orders Law Firm To Write Lesson On How Not To Be Naughty Lawyers

   May 27, 2026

   Joe Patrice and Chris Williams discuss major legal stories from the week, including a $3 million sanctions case against Quinn Emanuel for misconduct in expert witness handling and ethical violations, the Federal Circuit's controversial music video that omits Judge Pauline Newman amid an ongoing dispute over her fitness to serve, and a Brooklyn case where a pregnant woman gave birth in a courtroom while in custody on trespassing charges.

8. Don't Let The Client Write The Brief As A Treat

   May 20, 2026

   Joe Patrice hosts a panel discussion with colleagues Catherine Robino and Chris Williams covering major legal news stories. Topics include a decade-long insider trading scheme involving big law firms and their associates, ethical concerns around briefs submitted in the classified documents case against Donald Trump, and a positive story about Susman Godfrey allowing a first-year associate to argue before a federal judge.

9. Stealth Layoffs And Sam Alito On Tilt

   May 13, 2026

   Joe Patrice hosts a panel discussion with colleagues Catherine Rubino and Chris Williams covering major legal stories of the week, including stealth layoffs at Paul Weiss and McDermott Will & Emery following a merger, a significant insider trading scheme involving multiple attorneys and finance professionals, and the Supreme Court's functional striking down of the Voting Rights Act using allegedly falsified studies.

10. Are There Any Adults Left At The Department Of Justice?

    May 6, 2026

    Joe Patrice and Catherine Rubino, both from Above the Law, discuss major legal stories of the week, including the Supreme Court's gutting of the Voting Rights Act, the DOJ's incompetence in filing a draft consent decree motion in Springfield, a poorly written ballroom motion before Judge Leon, the botched prosecution of Jim Comey over seashell imagery, and a Skadden partner's move to become General Counsel at OnlyFans.