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TPIC debuts podcast highlighting issues in public interest law

May 23, 2016

Each episode of TPIC's Perspectives on Public Interest podcast looks at the work done to address injustice.
Each episode of TPIC's Perspectives on Public Interest podcast looks at the work done to address injustice.
The Toll Public Interest Center at Penn Law has launched Perspectives on Public Interest, a new podcast examining the causes and impacts of inequity, and avenues of positive change.

The Toll Public Interest Center at Penn Law has launched Perspectives on Public Interest, a new podcast examining the causes and impacts of inequity, along with ways of addressing it.

The program features interviews with advocates, academics, and activists who are at the forefront of critical local, national, and global issues. In addition, the start of each episode of the podcast features a “90-Second Public Interest Update,” highlighting the latest news and developments in public interest law and policy. Perspectives on Public Interest seeks to serve as a unique hub of solutions-oriented conversations about some of the most critical challenges within law and society.

“This podcast highlights the ongoing, important work done by both lawyers and non-lawyers who are dedicated to filling the gaps in our justice system,” said Arlene Rivera Finkelstein, Associate Dean and Executive Director of the Toll Public Interest Center. “The timeliness of the topics and our guests’ depth and diversity of experiences are powerful and inspiring.”

The debut episode features an interview with Benjamin Crump, president of the National Bar Association, who represented the families of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, and Tamir Rice, among others. In the podcast’s second episode, Baher Azmy, legal director for Center for Constitutional Rights, discusses the legal and social impacts of Islamophobia.

Episodes of Perspectives on Public Interest are available via iTunes and SoundCloud.

Perspectives on Public Interest is the latest podcast produced by Penn Law. Last year, the Law School debuted Case in Point, a podcast that pairs Penn Law scholars with newsmakers, practitioners, and journalists for engaging discussion on major issues of law, policy, business, and culture. Previous episodes have covered topics such as criminal justice reform, neuroscience and the law, banking deregulation, and marriage equality.

The Toll Public Interest Center is the heart of public service at Penn Law. TPIC oversees the Penn Law pro bono program, facilitating a wide array of pro bono and public service opportunities that focus on impactful service, personal enrichment, and professional skill development. In addition to administering the pro bono graduation requirement, TPIC is home to all of Penn Law’s public interest programming, including the Toll Public Interest Scholars program.

Listen to the first two episodes below: