17 Legal Podcasts That Will Pique the Interest of Aspiring Paralegals
By Ashley Brooks on 02/17/2020
Everyone has unique interests and hobbies they can’t get enough of. Yours just happens to be law. You love to geek out about legal proceedings and court cases, from the current courtroom news that’s making daily headlines to the proceedings of intriguing cold cases from the past.
Binging Law & Order reruns just isn’t cutting it anymore. If you’re looking for new content with all the latest breakdowns of legal events, legal podcasts are the answer.
We rounded up 17 of the most intriguing legal podcasts to keep you in the know about everything related to law. These legal podcasts will take you from courtroom testimony to law school, from the Supreme Court to the legal rulings that affect your daily life.
17 Intriguing legal podcasts that’ll keep you coming back for more
Get your earbuds ready! It’s time to check out these 17 legal podcasts that will have any aspiring law professional hooked.
1. Court Junkie
This podcast brings to light injustices of the judicial system as host Jillian Pandav digs into every aspect of the cases she covers. She takes listeners into the courtroom, gives the scoop on court documents and lets them listen in to her interviews with people close to a case. These episodes are like a cross between Dateline and Law & Order. If you’re looking for equal parts true crime and court proceedings, this is the podcast for you.
2. Direct Appeal
Hosts Meghan Sacks and Amy Shlosberg are experts in criminology. In this podcast, they’re tackling the case of Melanie McGuire, a woman who’s spent thirteen years serving a life sentence for the murder of her husband, based entirely on circumstantial evidence. Once you’re finished listening to the ins and outs of this fascinating murder case, you can check out the hosts’ newest podcast, Women & Crime.
3. Serial (season three)
You’ve probably heard of this narrative true crime podcast that took the nation by storm when it debuted in 2014. The first two seasons of Serial focused in-depth on a specific case, but its third season is dedicated to the entire criminal justice system. Join host Sarah Koenig as she tracks ordinary cases in Cleveland to determine if justice is really being served.
4. The Paralegal Voice
Lawyers tend to get top billing in law podcasts and TV shows, but The Paralegal Voice shines light on the important work of paralegals and legal assistants. This show covers all aspects of the profession, from career tips and trends to the unique ethics of working as a paralegal.
5. Lawyer 2 Lawyer
The award-winning Lawyer 2 Lawyer podcast has been keeping listeners informed since 2005. Tune in to hear host J. Craig Williams and plenty of guest experts discuss the latest news with a legal spin. No topic is left untouched by this long-running podcast, including the legal liability of selfies, the new frontier of space law and the college admissions scandal.
6. Legal Wars
This podcast takes listeners inside the battlefield of the courtroom. Host Hill Harper, a graduate of Harvard Law, leads the way into court cases, using courtroom transcripts and extensive interviews to unfold court proceedings in a way that will have you glued to your headphones. Each court case is given a deep dive over three or more episodes, so you won’t have to miss any important details.
7. The Citizen's Guide to the Supreme Court
Hosts Brett and Nazim are lawyers who hate being lawyers. They don’t hold back about the most frustrating parts of the law in these weekly episodes designed to teach the average person about current Supreme Court cases. This long-running podcast got its start in 2014, so there are plenty of past episodes to catch up on if you get hooked on this illuminating law podcast.
8. Short Circuit
This podcast, brought to you by the Institute for Justice, is your go-to source for a rundown of the nation’s most interesting cases and their rulings. Each info-loaded episode is just 30 minutes and covers a wide variety of cases, making it sure to satisfy your legal cravings even better than Judge Judy could.
9. Opening Arguments
Their tagline says it all: “The legal podcast that helps you make sense of the news.” Hosts Andrew Torrez (the legal expert) and Thomas Smith (the comic relief) set up the opening arguments for legal news and current events, then leave you to draw your own conclusions. Serial fans should start with episode 340, where they follow up on recent court proceedings of the Adnan Syed case from season one of Serial.
10. Court Appointed
This podcast featuring “two dudes’ perspective on legal frivolity” is sure to keep you entertained. Lawyer Mike Meadows joins his non-lawyer brother-in-law Tommy Smirl to talk about everyday legal issues that affect everyone. Listeners will learn things like how to avoid trespassing while playing Pokémon Go, what your options are if you’re caught in a speed trap and the surprising legal intricacies of holiday movies.
11. Oral Argument
Hosts Christian Turner and Joe Miller share their thoughts on legal theory and law school, with the occasional tangent to keep listeners amused along the way. Guest experts also join the hosts to share their thoughts on big topics like wealth inequality, the housing crisis and data being used against you in court.
12. Thinking Like a Lawyer
The legal website Above the Law brings law enthusiasts the show Thinking Like a Lawyer, a podcast in which two lawyers take nearly any topic under the sun and look at it through the lens of law. You’ll soon be a fan of this show as you listen in to hypothetical “would you rather” questions about legal scenarios, dive into the legal ramifications of current events and even get tips for beginning a career in law.
13. Stay Tuned with Preet
There are few law sources more authoritative than Preet Bharara, former U.S. attorney general. This ongoing podcast series on justice and fairness brings listeners the inside scoop on Bharara’s perspective on current events like securing the border and the opioid crisis.
14. Rational Security
You’ll feel right at home listening to this weekly podcast, where a round table of hosts chat about everything from law and foreign policy to current events and ideas. Each host brings their own unique perspective to the table, making this podcast a lighthearted way to stay on top of trending news and legal topics.
15. Reasonable Doubt
Criminal defense lawyer Mark Geragos and podcaster Adam Carolla sit down to discuss high-profile legal cases in this podcast. Learn how law affects society and how current events play into the legal cases being profiled, all filtered through Geragos’s years of law experience.
16. More Perfect
The decisions of the Supreme Court have an impact on every aspect of how laws are upheld in the U.S. More Perfect takes a deep dive into those rulings. Here, you’ll learn the ins and outs of the Supreme Court, the rationale behind their decisions and why members may hold dissenting opinions about the final ruling. Most importantly, you’ll see how individual rulings affect the daily lives of citizens far beyond the courtroom.
17. We the People
The National Constitution Center puts on this weekly podcast with its president and CEO Jeff Rosen. Listen in as this expert in constitutional law dives into constitutional debates centered around the current events and hot-button issues everyone is talking about. You won’t want to miss this detailed examination of every aspect of the constitutional issues that play a part in your everyday life.
Podcasts to prepare you for a paralegal career
These legal podcasts aren’t just entertaining. They’re providing you with a foundational knowledge of the legal system that will come in handy as you pursue a paralegal career.
With your interest in law, it’s no surprise that becoming a paralegal is on your radar. Find out if this is the right career path for you with this behind-the-scenes look at What I Wish I Knew BEFORE Becoming a Paralegal.
