When a person becomes a lawyer, they take an oath. The oath is often administered in a formal bar admission ceremony. Each year in Massachusetts, many such ceremonies take place at historic Faneuil Hall. The new lawyers and their families hear speeches from judges and bar leaders, and the oath they are required to recite dates back to colonial times. Through it, they pledge to “do no falsehood, nor consent to the doing of any in court”; not to participate in the pursuit of “any false, groundless or unlawful” claims; and to conduct themselves “in the office of an attorney with the courts according to the best of [their] knowledge and discretion,” faithful to the courts as well as to their clients. Most states’ attorney oaths also include a commitment to support that state’s constitution and the Constitution of the United States of America. 

These promises new attorneys make are lifelong commitments. They are promises to abide by the rule of law, and are vitally important to the strength of our democracy. And they are only the first, but also the most fundamental, of the professional duties lawyers assume in exchange for the privilege of practicing law. 

One person who takes the lawyer’s oath most seriously is Scott Harshbarger. Scott has practiced law in Massachusetts for more than 50 years. He has also held high office, including serving as the District Attorney for the largest county in the Commonwealth in the 1980s, and as the two-term Attorney General of Massachusetts in the 1990s.  

In 2019, Scott co-founded a nonprofit organization called Lawyers Defending American Democracy, and he continues to chair LDAD’s board. Among other activities, LDAD seeks to hold lawyers accountable when they violate their professional oaths in ways that threaten to undermine democracy and the rule of law. 

I recently spoke with Scott about his early influences, his decision to become a lawyer, and his career-long commitment to professionalism as reflected in the oath that lawyers take. Those topics are covered in the first portion of our conversation. At approximately the 56 minute mark, we turn to a discussion of the mission and work of LDAD. Throughout our entire conversation, I never tired of hearing Scott’s perspective of the role of the lawyer in defending our democracy and the work his organization is doing to protect the rule of law.  

The following episode is our complete conversation. I encourage you to listen to it in its entirety, even if you need to do it in more than one sitting, as Scott’s inspiring description of his early influences at the beginning of the episode helps to place his values and ideals into an illuminating historical context and demonstrates the roots of his commitment to the work of LDAD that he describes later. And please consider sharing it with your friends, family, and other contacts.

This link will take you to LDAD's website, which sheds a great deal of light on what LDAD is and the extraordinary work it has been doing: https://ldad.org/

If you have enjoyed the Higher Callings podcast, you might also enjoy Don's Substack Newsletter, Reflections of a Boston Lawyer, which you can find here: https://donaldfrederico.substack.com/

It’s been almost four years since the last Presidential election and the battle for the future of our democracy is still raging. Much of it is in the spotlight, through national news media, popular podcasts, books, and social media. Large organizations, like the American Bar Association, have devoted a great deal of time and effort in recent years promoting democracy and the rule of law. Much work also is happening through individuals and groups you may never have heard of who are diligently defending democracy and the rule of law in discreet yet meaningful ways. The important work of those organizations, some of which we’ve featured on this podcast, provides an inspiring source of hope for those concerned about our nation’s future. 

One such group, based in my home state, is Lawyers Defending American Democracy. Co-founded and chaired by former Massachusetts Attorney General Scott Harshbarger and led by Executive Director Lauren Stiller Rikleen, Lawyers Defending American Democracy, or LDAD, states as its mission “to galvanize lawyers to defend the rule of law in the face of an unprecedented threat to American democracy.” Because defending democracy is the responsibility of all Americans and not just one party, LDAD’s website confirms that its work is not political or partisan. 

In June 2023, I had the privilege of interviewing Lauren Rikleen about a number of topics, including the work of LDAD. The following is an excerpt from our conversation. As with other episodes in our Democracy and Rule of Law series, the complete episode of my interview with Lauren can be found on the Higher Callings podcast website and on leading podcast platforms.

If you have enjoyed the Higher Callings podcast, you might also enjoy Don's Substack Newsletter, Reflections of a Boston Lawyer, which you can find here: https://donaldfrederico.substack.com/

Lauren Stiller Rikleen is a force of nature. An accomplished lawyer and author, past President of the Boston Bar Association, and holder of several leadership positions in the American Bar Association, she now has her own leadership institute and serves as Executive Director of an organization of lawyers devoted to defending American democracy. Lauren also recently served as editor of an inspiring book, presenting the stories of 25 women judges, all of whom, like her, have received the ABA's prestigious Margaret Brent Women Lawyers of Achievement Award. 

In this episode of Higher Callings, I talk with Lauren about some of her recent work, including the work of Lawyers Defending American Democracy and the publication of her new book.

You can find the Rikleen Institute website here.

You can find the website for Lawyers Defending American Democracy here.

You can learn more about, and order a copy of, Lauren's latest book, Her Honor: Stories of Challenge and Triumph from Women Judges, here.

If you have enjoyed the Higher Callings podcast, you might also enjoy Don's Substack Newsletter, Reflections of a Boston Lawyer, which you can find here: https://donaldfrederico.substack.com/

I recently had the privilege of interviewing retired Massachusetts Supreme Court Justice Margot Botsford and Boston attorney Denise Murphy about the important work they and others have been doing to promote lawyer well-being in Massachusetts. During that interview, we talked briefly about an organization called the Committee for Public Counsel Services, or CPCS. According to its website, CPCS provides “legal representation in Massachusetts for those unable to afford an attorney in all matters in which the law requires appointment of counsel.” Those areas include criminal defense, children and family law, youth advocacy, and mental health litigation.  

Our conversation inspired me to reach out to Anthony Benedetti, the Chief Counsel of CPCS, and ask him to provide an update on the work of CPCS, including its efforts to recruit and retain attorneys to perform the indispensable work with which it is charged.  Anthony had appeared on the podcast in November 2021, and I encourage anyone who is interested in an overview of CPCS to listen to that earlier episode. At my request, Anthony has now returned to the podcast to address some of the questions that came up in the lawyer well-being episode, and to discuss some of the ongoing initiatives of CPCS to support its lawyers and non-lawyer staff, and the many attorneys who handle CPCS cases as independent contractors.   

The work of CPCS is vital to the Massachusetts legal system and the ability of indigent persons to secure meaningful access to justice. Whether you are a student or a lawyer who thinks they may be interested in taking on some of this important work, or simply a concerned citizen who would like to learn more about it, this episode of Higher Callings is for you.

You can learn more about CPCS at its website: https://www.publiccounsel.net/

If you have enjoyed the Higher Callings podcast, you might also enjoy Don's Substack Newsletter, Reflections of a Boston Lawyer, which you can find here: https://donaldfrederico.substack.com/

In February, I interviewed Boston IP attorney Chinh Pham, a former colleague of mine and current President of the Boston Bar Association. At the beginning of the interview, Chinh told me the remarkable story of his family’s rescue from Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City) in 1975 in the final days of the Vietnam War, and his recent renewed contact with the American naval personnel from the U.S.S. Duluth who rescued them. The February episode began in Chinh's adult years and explored his career as a lawyer and his work with the Boston Bar Association. I now present this bonus episode, in which Chinh recounts the story of how a 10-year-old boy and his family were rescued from a war-torn country in the South China Sea and their happy reunion 44 years later with some of the Americans who rescued them.

If you have enjoyed the Higher Callings podcast, you might also enjoy Don's Substack Newsletter, Reflections of a Boston Lawyer, which you can find here: https://donaldfrederico.substack.com/

The American legal system is only as healthy as the lawyers and judges who populate it. Yet, the system as it’s structured places enormous stress on many of them, which not only affects their personal happiness and career satisfaction, but also can diminish the level of service they provide to their clients and the public who depend on them. 

In 2017, a National Task Force on Lawyer Well-Being issued a groundbreaking report. The report found that the legal profession was falling short when it comes to lawyer well-being; that too many lawyers experience chronic stress and high rates of depression and substance abuse; and that those conditions could not support a profession dedicated to client service and dependent on public trust. That National Task Force recommended that the Chief Justices of the fifty states each undertake a review of lawyer well-being in their jurisdictions. In response, the late Chief Justice Ralph Gants of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court convened a Steering Committee in 2018 to begin that review and make recommendations to the Court. He appointed Margot Botsford, a recently retired Associate Justice of the Court, to chair the Steering Committee, and included Boston attorney Denise Murphy, who at the time was Vice President of the Massachusetts Bar Association, as one of its members. 

The 2019 report of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Steering Committee on Lawyer Well-Being confirmed that an unacceptably high number of Massachusetts lawyers in a variety of practice settings experience debilitating levels of stress and anxiety from their work, and identified several root causes. Higher Callings is pleased to present this recent interview of Margot Botsford and Denise Murphy, who initially chaired, and today continue to serve on, the Standing Committee which emerged from the Steering Committee's work and which continues to monitor and address the well-being of Massachusetts lawyers.

You can find the website for the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Standing Committee on Lawyer Well-Being here: https://lawyerwellbeingma.org/

You can find the website for Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers/Massachusetts here: https://www.lclma.org/

You can find Margot Botsford's Wikipedia page here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margot_Botsford

You can find Denise Murphy's law firm biography here: https://www.rubinrudman.com/attorneys/denise-i-murphy/

If you have enjoyed the Higher Callings podcast, you might also enjoy Don's Substack Newsletter, Reflections of a Boston Lawyer, which you can find here: https://donaldfrederico.substack.com/

Democracies are fragile things. Many of us who pay attention have watched democracies rise and fall. So far, American democracy has survived attempts to weaken it, but no one can guarantee its continued survival.

Two of the pillars of democracy are a free press and an independent judiciary. Those pillars often are the first targets of world leaders who want to weaken their countries’ democracies and establish autocratic rule. It takes people with vision and courage to push back against anti-democratic forces and shore up the freedoms that "we the people" too often take for granted.  

Bob Cordy is one such person. A former public defender, turned federal prosecutor, turned a Republican governor’s chief legal counsel, turned an associate justice of his state’s highest court, Bob has become a go-to lawyer for foreign countries seeking to root-out corruption in their court systems and keep their courts independent from the other branches of government. In the early 2000s, he was part of extensive but ultimately failed efforts at establishing judicial independence in Russia and Turkey, then helped lead a successful anti-corruption effort in the courts of Uzbekistan, and for the past few years has worked with an international team making great inroads at eliminating corruption in the courts of Ukraine.  

In the first half of this episode of Higher Callings, I ask Bob about how he advanced from his humble beginnings as a public defender ultimately to become a respected member of his state’s highest court. In the second half of the episode, we talk about Bob’s work overseas, the weakening of democracies around the world, the importance of preserving a strong, independent judiciary in our own United States, and the crucial role of lawyers in accomplishing that indispensable goal.

You can find Bob's law firm biography here.

You can find a story about Bob's 2018 lecture at Boston College Law School here.

You can find Bob's published article about the interdependent relationship between the free press and an independent judiciary here.

If you have enjoyed the Higher Callings podcast, you might also enjoy Don's Substack Newsletter, Reflections of a Boston Lawyer, which you can find here: https://donaldfrederico.substack.com/

Pro bono publico, a Latin phrase meaning “for the public good,” is most often associated with free legal services lawyers provide to people who need help but cannot afford to pay for it.  No lawyer I know better reflects that commitment than Boston lawyer Susan M. Finegan, a Partner and Chair of the Pro Bono Committee of the Mintz law firm.  

In this episode of Higher Callings, I asked Sue about the pro bono work she and other Mintz lawyers perform. We also discussed a number of other topics about pro bono legal services, including why lawyers and other legal professionals choose to engage in pro bono work, how law firms incentivize their lawyers to take on pro bono cases, how working on pro bono cases provides important training for new lawyers, what Massachusetts has done to provide pro bono opportunities for retired lawyers, and how in-house corporate lawyers and government lawyers work with law firms to staff pro bono cases.  

I began the interview by asking Sue about an extraordinary scene I witnessed during a formal Boston Bar Foundation charity event on a cold Saturday night in January during the earliest days of the Trump presidency, when she and other lawyers were called into action to address a sudden legal crisis.

You can find Sue Finegan's law firm bio here:  https://www.mintz.com/our-people/susan-m-finegan

If you have enjoyed the Higher Callings podcast, you might also enjoy Don's Substack Newsletter, Reflections of a Boston Lawyer, which you can find here: https://donaldfrederico.substack.com/

When Chinh Pham was 10 years old, he and his family, like thousands of others, fled the chaotic capital of what was then South Vietnam on the final day of the Vietnam War. They were rescued by the 7th Fleet of the U.S. Navy, and eventually landed in the United States, where they began a new life. Today, Chinh is a successful intellectual property lawyer in a large international law firm, and is at the midpoint of his one-year term as President of the Boston Bar Association, the first Asian American ever to serve in that position. 

In this episode of Higher Callings, I spoke with Chinh about his decision to become a lawyer, his leadership positions in a number of nonprofits, his commitment to mentoring young professionals, and his work with the Boston Bar Association.  

We began our conversation with Chinh recounting his family’s rescue from the South China Sea, and that portion of Chinh’s interview will be published in a later episode of the podcast. This episode focuses on Chinh’s adult years, beginning with his decision to attend law school at the University of California San Francisco School of Law after graduating from Berkeley, years after his family’s arrival in the United States.

You can find Chinh's law firm bio here:  https://www.gtlaw.com/en/professionals/p/pham-chinh-h

You can find the Boston Bar Association's news release profiling Chinh as he began his term as BBA President here: https://bostonbar.org/news/chinh-h-pham-begins-term-as-new-bba-president/

If you have enjoyed the Higher Callings podcast, you might also enjoy Don's Substack Newsletter, Reflections of a Boston Lawyer, which you can find here: https://donaldfrederico.substack.com/

Lawyers wear many hats. Some go into private practice, some into government service, and others represent the poor. Among those who choose courtroom work, some lawyers become prosecutors, some become criminal defense attorneys, and some become civil litigators. And of course, let’s not forget lawyers who become law school professors and those who become judges.  

Of all the lawyers I’ve known throughout my long career, few have excelled in as many areas as Karen Green. Coming out of Harvard Law School in the early 1980s, Karen was a rising star in one of Boston’s largest and most prestigious law firms, eventually becoming chair of its renowned litigation department and then co-chair of the litigation department of the powerful successor firm that resulted from a law firm merger.  

Despite her success at private practice, and influenced by her parents’ devotion to public service, Karen felt the pull to do more. So, over the course of her distinguished career, she also has worked as the First Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts, became a state court trial judge, served on dozens of non-profit boards and committees, taught law students at her alma mater, and even worked briefly as Chief of Staff for the Massachusetts Governor. Now retired, Karen continues to give back, dedicating significant time to the American Bar Association’s Center for Human Rights, and serving as a member of the Rule of Law Leadership Council of the World Justice Project.  

I can think of no lawyer who better represents the ideal of what a lawyer can and should be – a contributor to the private bar and business community, and a dedicated public servant. Speaking with Karen for this podcast was an absolute delight for me, and I hope you find her story as inspiring as I do.

You can find information about the American Bar Association's Center for Human Rights here, and information about the World Justice Project here.

If you have enjoyed the Higher Callings podcast, you might also enjoy Don's Substack Newsletter, Reflections of a Boston Lawyer, which you can find here: https://donaldfrederico.substack.com/

This episode is an abridged version of the previous episode, picking up the story from the time Professor Babcock entered academia, and quickly focusing on the fascinating and important work she and her students have done and continue to do in the African country of Malawi.

You can learn more about Professor Babcock and the work of the Cornell Center on the Death Penalty Worldwide here and here.

You can read about the recent success of the Cornell Law School International Human Rights Clinic in Malawi here.

You can learn more about the Cornell Law School Death Penalty Program here, and find the short video mentioned in the podcast here.

You can find the NY Times photograph that inspired Professor Babcock to begin her work in Malawi here. (May require a NY Times subscription).

If you have enjoyed the Higher Callings podcast, you might also enjoy Don's Substack Newsletter, Reflections of a Boston Lawyer, which you can find here: https://donaldfrederico.substack.com/

Malawi is a landlocked country in southeastern Africa. It is one of the poorest countries in the world. Like many countries, Malawi still applies the death penalty for capital crimes, although the death penalty is no longer mandatory in capital cases and may be abolished entirely in Malawi soon. 

Several years ago, a law professor named Sandra Babcock took an interest in the Malawi penal system after seeing a New York Times article about horrific prison conditions there. Having spent much of her early career representing persons awaiting execution in American prisons, Professor Babcock, then at Northwestern Law School, arranged to bring six of her students to Malawi to see how they might help Malawian prisoners subjected to those conditions, many of whom had no lawyer and were still awaiting trial after years of incarceration. 

That first trip resulted in the release of 12 incarcerated persons, and marked the beginning of a multi-year project Professor Babcock led, first at Northwestern and later at Cornell Law School. Today the Cornell Center on the Death Penalty Worldwide that Professor Babcock leads continues to assist Malawian prisoners, and has extended its work to Tanzania, with a focus on representing women on death row in that country. 

I recently had the pleasure of talking with Professor Babcock about the public defense and death penalty work she performed before becoming a law professor, and the extraordinary work she and her students have done and continue to do on behalf of Malawians on death row.

You can learn more about Professor Babcock and the work of the Cornell Center on the Death Penalty Worldwide here and here.

You can read about the recent success of the Cornell Law School International Human Rights Clinic in Malawi here.

You can learn more about the Cornell Law School Death Penalty Program here, and find the short video mentioned in the podcast here.

You can find the NY Times photograph that inspired Professor Babcock to begin her work in Malawi here. (May require a NY Times subscription).

If you have enjoyed the Higher Callings podcast, you might also enjoy Don's Substack Newsletter, Reflections of a Boston Lawyer, which you can find here: https://donaldfrederico.substack.com/

What you are about to hear is one of my favorite clips from one of my favorite interviews. It provides a glimpse into events that rapidly unfolded during the evening of Saturday, January 28, 2017, when an Executive Order signed by the new President resulted in the detention of hundreds of travelers who were peacefully and legally entering the United States from several Muslim-majority countries. 

My guest on the podcast, Boston lawyer Susan Finegan, was one of the attorneys who quickly sprang into action as word came through of the Muslim travel ban and the resulting detentions that were taking place at Logan International Airport. The extraordinary events of that Saturday night and the early hours of Sunday morning signified the beginning of four years of cruelty and chaos ushered in by an Administration that too often demonstrated little regard for the Rule of Law. I offer it as a small reminder of what is at stake at this important moment of our nation’s history. 

As usual, you can find the full episode of my interview of Sue Finegan on the Higher Callings website and other podcast platforms.

If you have enjoyed the Higher Callings podcast, you might also enjoy Don's Substack Newsletter, Reflections of a Boston Lawyer, which you can find here: https://donaldfrederico.substack.com/

Welcome to the new year! As we prepare for Season 4 of Higher Callings, we are pleased to offer this sampler of highlights from the five episodes of Season 3. We will be back soon with the new season, featuring more great guests from the world of law and other backgrounds who have dedicated their time and talents to the common good. Please enjoy this bonus episode and stay tuned for more to come in 2023!

If you have enjoyed the Higher Callings podcast, you might also enjoy Don's Substack Newsletter, Reflections of a Boston Lawyer, which you can find here: https://donaldfrederico.substack.com/

As Higher Callings begins planning its next season, we’ve decided to post an excerpt from our very first episode. Don's guest was David Hoffman, founder of the mediation firm, the Boston Law Collaborative. After clerking for Justice Stephen Breyer when Justice Breyer was still a judge on the First Circuit Court of Appeals, David joined the venerable Boston law firm, Hill & Barlow. This month marks the 20th anniversary of that firm’s decision to dissolve, a decision that sent shock waves through the Boston legal community and epitomized the seismic shift in private law practice from being thought of primarily as a profession to fundamentally a business.  

When Don interviewed David in 2021, they spent a few minutes talking about the legacy of Hill & Barlow and some of the great lawyers who began their careers there. The following is a brief excerpt from that part of their conversation. You can find David’s written tribute to his former firm on his blog at the Boston Law Collaborative website, linked here.

If you have enjoyed the Higher Callings podcast, you might also enjoy Don's Substack Newsletter, Reflections of a Boston Lawyer, which you can find here: https://donaldfrederico.substack.com/

Solomon Oliver is a United States District Judge based in Cleveland, Ohio. Born and raised in the segregated South, he moved north to attend college and, after years of working as an Assistant U.S. Attorney and teaching at both the college and law school levels, was appointed by President Bill Clinton to the federal bench in 1994.  

In this episode of Higher Callings, I talk with Judge Oliver about his childhood in Alabama during the early years of the civil rights era, his experience in the late 1960s as a minority student at the College of Wooster in Wooster, Ohio, his decision while there to become a lawyer and later to become a judge, the values he looks for and hopes to instill in the law clerks who work for him, and his lifelong commitment to the principle of equal rights and opportunity for all enshrined in America’s founding documents. 

I’m proud to present Judge Oliver’s inspiring story on this episode of Higher Callings.

Judge Oliver's October 27, 2020 Distinguished Jurist in Residence Lecture at Fordham Law School on race and policing can be found here. His Wikipedia entry can be found here.

If you have enjoyed the Higher Callings podcast, you might also enjoy Don's Substack Newsletter, Reflections of a Boston Lawyer, which you can find here: https://donaldfrederico.substack.com/

What does it take to find our callings? Some people know their callings at an early age, some discover their callings as they progress through school and career, and others may find their true callings much later in life. Whether in search of a job that fulfills us or an opportunity to advance in the job we have, many of us need help to find our callings. That help often takes the form of a career coach who can listen, observe, and help shine a light on our own unique path.

 My long-time friend, Joe Miller, is a leadership and career coach who does exactly that. In this episode of Higher Callings, I talk with Joe about the role of career coach – what they do, how they do it, and how they can help people who feel stuck in their current jobs yet are afraid to make a change. We also talk about Joe’s podcast, Titans of Transition, in which he interviews accomplished business leaders who have taken those risks and can serve as role models for those who are grappling with their career choices.

 To our listeners who find themselves at a crossroads in their own careers, or others who would like to learn about becoming a coach or are simply curious about what coaches do, this episode of Higher Callings is for you.

You can find Joe on the Leadership Inklings website by clicking here.

If you have enjoyed the Higher Callings podcast, you might also enjoy Don's Substack Newsletter, Reflections of a Boston Lawyer, which you can find here: https://donaldfrederico.substack.com/

The clinical education offered in law schools can play an important role in preparing future lawyers to pursue their callings, while also empowering students and faculty in real time to provide critical legal services to clients who would otherwise have no access to them. In this episode, I speak with Jens Ohlin, the Dean of Cornell Law School, and Beth Lyon, the law school's Associate Dean for Experiential Education and Director of its Clinical Program, about the impressive array of clinical opportunities Cornell offers its law students, and how that clinical education contributes to the law school's vision of producing, in the words of its founder, "lawyers in the best sense."

You can learn more about Cornell Law School's Clinical Program here.
You can find Dean Jens Ohlin's biography here.
You can find Associate Dean Beth Lyon's biography here. 

If you have enjoyed the Higher Callings podcast, you might also enjoy Don's Substack Newsletter, Reflections of a Boston Lawyer, which you can find here: https://donaldfrederico.substack.com/

Too often, the adherents of one religion understand very little about the traditions of another. In our efforts to promote peaceful coexistence, we often refrain from discussing our religious beliefs and traditions with members of different faiths. Our silence in explaining our religious upbringings and practices to people of different backgrounds perpetuates a lack of understanding and imposes barriers that separate members of one faith from members of another. 

In 2013, Bob and Diane Frankle, an interfaith couple who live in the San Francisco Bay Area, decided to do something about that. They started a program called Building Bridges that brought Christians and Jews together to share their faith experiences and traditions. They recently have expanded the program, now called Interfaith Bridges, to include Muslims as well. In this episode, I interview Bob and Diane about their experience as an interfaith couple and about the program of interfaith dialogue they have launched through their new nonprofit, Building Bridges Together. 

You can learn more about Building Bridges Together and its Interfaith Bridges programs at its website, https://www.buildingbridgestogether.net/

If you have enjoyed the Higher Callings podcast, you might also enjoy Don's Substack Newsletter, Reflections of a Boston Lawyer, which you can find here: https://donaldfrederico.substack.com/

What compels someone who has had a successful career in the private sector to suddenly leave it for a completely different foray into public service, and more specifically into serving their country?

How does the child of immigrants raised in a small working-class city rise to become the representative of the President of the United States in an important European country?

And while we hear about ambassadors all the time, what do we really know about what it's like to be a United States ambassador in a constantly changing and uncertain world? 

Robert Sherman - Boston lawyer, early volunteer for Barack Obama's first presidential campaign, and later appointee of President Obama to the post of U.S. Ambassador to Portugal - answers these questions and more in the latest episode of Higher Callings.

You can find Ambassador Sherman's law firm bio here: https://www.gtlaw.com/en/professionals/s/sherman-robert-a and his Wikipedia page here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_A._Sherman

If you have enjoyed the Higher Callings podcast, you might also enjoy Don's Substack Newsletter, Reflections of a Boston Lawyer, which you can find here: https://donaldfrederico.substack.com/

My most recent guest for Higher Callings is Stephen Seckler. After graduating from law school, Steve took a job with Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education, where he organized hundreds of educational programs for lawyers over several years. He then formed his own business, helping lawyers learn how to market their services, serving as a legal recruiter, and serving as a career coach for lawyers. Steve also has an excellent podcast called Counsel to Counsel, where lawyers can find career advice from Steve and the impressive guests he interviews. 

When I spoke with Steve about appearing on this podcast, we agreed that his higher calling is helping lawyers find their callings. Some of his most recent work has focused on coaching senior lawyers about how they can prepare for what lies ahead when the time comes for them to leave their law practices and pursue the next chapter in their professional lives. We talked about that and other topics on this episode of Higher Callings.

You can learn more about Steve Seckler and find his podcast, Counsel to Counsel, at https://www.seckler.com/.

If you have enjoyed the Higher Callings podcast, you might also enjoy Don's Substack Newsletter, Reflections of a Boston Lawyer, which you can find here: https://donaldfrederico.substack.com/

In 1963, in a case called Gideon v. Wainwright, the United States Supreme Court held for the first time that a person accused of a crime in a state court has a right to counsel secured by the United States Constitution. Before that decision, a defendant’s federal constitutional right to an attorney in a criminal proceeding applied only in federal cases, by virtue of the Sixth Amendment. In Gideon, the Court applied the Fourteenth Amendment’s due process clause to extend the same right to state criminal cases. Ever since Gideon, when defendants in state criminal prosecutions cannot afford to hire counsel, the state is obligated to provide counsel for them.  

In Massachusetts, the agency responsible to make sure that happens is the Committee for Public Counsel Services, or CPCS. The Chief Counsel for CPCS is Anthony Benedetti, an attorney who himself served as a public defender before becoming General Counsel and, in 2010, Chief Counsel of this important agency.  

I recently had the privilege of interviewing Anthony for Higher Callings. In the interview, he provided a close look into some of the most significant challenges facing the agency, its key successes, and the work it has been doing in some of the most important battles of recent times, including the fight against systemic racism, the movement to defund the police, the efforts to release thousands of prisoners to avoid the spread of COVID-19 in jails, and the current crisis facing homeless citizens in the tent city in Boston known as “Mass and Cass.” 

I was inspired by Anthony’s passion for caring for and protecting the rights of the poor who are caught up in an overburdened and often impersonal legal system, and am pleased to offer this episode of Higher Callings to shed light into the critically important work of an agency that few citizens, and even few lawyers, understand.

You can find more information about CPCS at the agency's website, https://www.publiccounsel.net/

The Higher Callings website can be found here: https://www.podpage.com/higher-callings/

If you have enjoyed the Higher Callings podcast, you might also enjoy Don's Substack Newsletter, Reflections of a Boston Lawyer, which you can find here: https://donaldfrederico.substack.com/

I got to know Michael Bogdanow when we co-chaired the Litigation Section of the Boston Bar Association in the early 2000’s. An alum of Harvard Law School and chair of the appellate practice at a small but powerful personal injury law firm, Michael also is an accomplished artist. His vivid paintings of themes from the Hebrew Bible and his more secular works of colorful skies and flying planets reveal an artist who has always viewed art as a calling, and one that has many parallels with his other calling of appellate law. We explore these topics and more in this art-themed episode of Higher Callings.

You can find examples of Michael's artwork on his website, linked here.
You can find Michael's LinkedIn bio here.

If you have enjoyed the Higher Callings podcast, you might also enjoy Don's Substack Newsletter, Reflections of a Boston Lawyer, which you can find here: https://donaldfrederico.substack.com/

Welcome to the fourth installment of our series on democracy and the rule of law. 

In our last installment, retired Massachusetts Supreme Court Justice Robert Cordy described his work advising judges in Russia and Turkey how they could align their judicial systems with the judicial systems of Western countries, an alignment that could have improved those nations’ relationships with the West.  He also described how, after years of effort, that work was abruptly shut down by those nations’ autocratic rulers, who saw it as a threat to their power.  

Justice Cordy and I also discussed two key pillars of democracy -- judicial independence and a free press.  When autocrats take control of a country, they begin by taking control of the courts and the media. Judges and reporters who oppose a dictator are jailed or worse. Constitutions are rewritten to place the courts under the autocrat’s control. The dictatorial ruler takes over the press, and any news outlet that publishes content critical of the ruler is shut down.  

In this fourth installment of our series on Democracy and the Rule of Law, Justice Cordy and I continue our discussion about the autocrat’s playbook. Mr. Cordy also provides a hopeful glimpse of change in one Central Asian country, explains what worries him about developments in the United States, and describes the important role of the lawyer in defending our constitutional democracy.  

Once again, the full interview is available at the Higher Callings website and other podcast platforms.

If you have enjoyed the Higher Callings podcast, you might also enjoy Don's Substack Newsletter, Reflections of a Boston Lawyer, which you can find here: https://donaldfrederico.substack.com/

Denise Reilly is a judge on the Minnesota Court of Appeals. As a religion major in college, her passion for justice instilled in her a calling to become a lawyer. While raising a young family, she attended law school. She then served as a law clerk to a federal district judge, joined a large private law firm, and later became a federal prosecutor. 

Denise then heard another calling, this time to become a judge. She applied and was appointed to the state district court bench, and worked for seven years as a judge in Juvenile Court, work that she still considers to be among the most important of her career. In 2009, Denise was selected to serve as one member of the three-judge panel to preside over the trial that resulted in Al Franken’s election to the United States Senate. 

Denise’s work on the bench is just one way in which she has dedicated herself to the public interest. She also has made important contributions to the fight against illegal sex trafficking, serves on the board of the Division of Indian Work, and taught trial practice to law students.  Denise has received several awards and recognitions for her outstanding work on the bench and her service to her community.  

An exemplary career and lifetime of service that all began when a college undergraduate heard a Higher Calling.
 
 You can view Judge Reilly's official bio here: https://www.mncourts.gov/About-The-Courts/Overview/JudicialDirectory/Bio.aspx?jid=1737

You can read about the 2009 trial over the Al Franken - Norm Coleman U.S. Senate contest here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_United_States_Senate_election_in_Minnesota

You can learn more about the Division of Indian Work here: https://www.diw-mn.org/

You can find the Higher Callings website, including other episodes and a transcript of this episode, here: https://www.podpage.com/higher-callings/

If you have enjoyed the Higher Callings podcast, you might also enjoy Don's Substack Newsletter, Reflections of a Boston Lawyer, which you can find here: https://donaldfrederico.substack.com/

Last week I had the privilege of publishing portions of my interview of Rev. Pashington Obeng in which he described his work with descendants of Africans living in India, known as the Siddis. In this bonus episode, we shift our focus from India to Africa, as Pash describes an exciting project being built in his home country of Ghana, known as the Pan African Heritage World Museum. 
A link to the Museum's website can be found here: https://pahw.org/

If you have enjoyed the Higher Callings podcast, you might also enjoy Don's Substack Newsletter, Reflections of a Boston Lawyer, which you can find here: https://donaldfrederico.substack.com/

Reverend Pashington Obeng, Ph.D. is a Protestant minister and scholar, who was born and raised in Ghana, West Africa, and has been living and working in Massachusetts for more than 30 years. In 1998, he learned of a community of people of African descent, known as the Siddis, who have lived in India for more than 800 years. Some of their ancestors were brought to India as enslaved people, and some have continued to be burdened with working off the inherited debts of their ancestors through an Indian system known as "debt bondage."
In this episode of Higher Callings, Pash tells the story of the Siddi people, and describes some of the work that he and members of his church have done in support of the school for Siddi children run by Catholic nuns and Jesuit priests in Karnataka, India.
You can learn more about the Siddis at this website: https://africanindianalliance.org/
You can learn more about Pash here: https://hillschurch.org/church-staff/pash-obeng/
You can find Pash's book about the African presence in India here: https://www.amazon.com/Shaping-Membership-Defining-Nation-Cultural/dp/073911428X/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

If you have enjoyed the Higher Callings podcast, you might also enjoy Don's Substack Newsletter, Reflections of a Boston Lawyer, which you can find here: https://donaldfrederico.substack.com/

Dr. Tom Benninger is a retired physician who lives in Louisville, Kentucky. On more than a dozen occasions, Tom, along with other volunteers, traveled to third world countries where they worked to address the medical needs of people who had little access to healthcare. Motivated by a deep and abiding faith, Tom has participated in medical missions in the Dominican Republic, Afghanistan, and Nicaragua. After briefly discussing Tom’s background, I asked him to describe those experiences and how his faith inspired him to serve. I’m sure you’ll find his story as inspiring as I do. 

If you have enjoyed the Higher Callings podcast, you might also enjoy Don's Substack Newsletter, Reflections of a Boston Lawyer, which you can find here: https://donaldfrederico.substack.com/

As we begin work on Season Two, we wanted to share this episode of highlights from the four interviews featured in Season One. First, mediator David Hoffman describes an insightful model for understanding and resolving conflicts. Next, retired homicide prosecutor Phil Mueller explains how prosecutors serve the emotional needs of victims of violent crimes. Our third guest, Jennifer Haverkamp, describes some of her important work in 2016, leading a State Department team in the successful and impactful negotiation of international climate agreements. And finally, corporate lawyer Emily Cooke provides a colorful explanation of why lawyers in private practice volunteer their time to pro bono matters. 

If you have enjoyed the Higher Callings podcast, you might also enjoy Don's Substack Newsletter, Reflections of a Boston Lawyer, which you can find here: https://donaldfrederico.substack.com/

From time immemorial, lawyers and law firms have provided free legal services to clients who could not afford to pay. What motivates them to do so? What are the rewards of pro bono service? What makes pro bono legal services different from other forms of volunteer work? What types of pro bono work can be done by lawyers who are not litigators? These are just a few of the questions we asked Emily Cooke, the leader of the pro bono program at the Pierce Atwood law firm. Emily's answers help to explain the attraction of pro bono work for many firms and their lawyers, and provide clear, practical advice for those interested in furthering their own commitments to making the law accessible to people and organizations of limited means.

If you have enjoyed the Higher Callings podcast, you might also enjoy Don's Substack Newsletter, Reflections of a Boston Lawyer, which you can find here: https://donaldfrederico.substack.com/

Higher Callings is pleased to offer this unedited version of our interview of Jennifer Haverkamp, the Graham Family Director of the Graham Sustainability Institute at the University of Michigan. Jennifer has had a long and distinguished career in international diplomacy aimed at mitigating worldwide environmental harms, including the reduction of climate change. This unedited version of our conversation includes material concerning some of her most recent projects, and also takes us back to her student years and early environmental work through her time at Yale Law School and her clerkship in the United States Court of Appeals. A shorter, produced version of the interview that begins with and focuses on Jennifer's post-clerkship career as a United States environmental lawyer and diplomat was published on May 25th.

If you have enjoyed the Higher Callings podcast, you might also enjoy Don's Substack Newsletter, Reflections of a Boston Lawyer, which you can find here: https://donaldfrederico.substack.com/

Climate change is an existential crisis. It can't be solved by one country or a few countries, but only through worldwide cooperation and commitment. Outside of the glare of the political spotlight, American diplomats work tirelessly to negotiate international agreements to reduce carbon emissions and avoid the worst-case scenarios. One such diplomat is Jennifer Haverkamp. Working for the State Department in 2016, she led two U.S. negotiating teams that successfully arrived at international agreements designed to reduce global warming and the risks of climate change.  I recently spoke with Jennifer about her experience representing the United States in environmental trade talks and climate change negotiations, about the United States’ international standing on environmental issues, and about why she is optimistic about the future of the planet. 

If you have enjoyed the Higher Callings podcast, you might also enjoy Don's Substack Newsletter, Reflections of a Boston Lawyer, which you can find here: https://donaldfrederico.substack.com/

The trial of Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd featured a team of prosecutors who exemplified professionalism. Phil Mueller, knows something about the professionalism of prosecutors. As a state prosecutor for 26 years, not only did he try dozens of felony cases, but he played an important role in training prosecutors across the state, and literally wrote the book on the ethical principles that apply to criminal prosecutions. In this second part of his interview, we talk about his experiences in the DA’s office, the prosecutor’s role as public servant, and the proposals of the George Floyd Fairness in Policing Act that is working its way through Congress. 

If you have enjoyed the Higher Callings podcast, you might also enjoy Don's Substack Newsletter, Reflections of a Boston Lawyer, which you can find here: https://donaldfrederico.substack.com/

Phil Mueller, a highly successful graduate of an ivy league law school, followed a long and meandering path until he finally found his calling. A decade after his law school graduation,  he left a promising career as a civil litigator in a prominent Boston law firm to join his college friend who had just been elected District Attorney for Schenectady County, New York. Phil worked in the D.A.'s office until he retired 26 years later. During that time, he tried dozens of felony cases, including 25 murder trials, and received state-wide recognition for the fair and ethical approach he brought to his work and taught to other prosecutors. In this episode, Phil describes his early years searching for the career that fit his personality and interests, and finally finding it by following his instincts.  In our next episode, we'll  hear about Phil's experiences as a prosecutor and his views about the role of the prosecutor as a public servant.

If you have enjoyed the Higher Callings podcast, you might also enjoy Don's Substack Newsletter, Reflections of a Boston Lawyer, which you can find here: https://donaldfrederico.substack.com/

Welcome to our third special replay episode of Higher Callings.  

In our first two episodes in this series on Democracy and the Rule of Law, we heard from Elizabeth Andersen and Karen Green of the World Justice Project about the Rule of Law and its downward trend in a majority of countries, including the United States. 

In this third episode, we’ll hear from Robert Cordy, a former federal prosecutor and civil litigation attorney and a retired Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. In an interview recorded in March 2023, I spoke with Bob about his extraordinary work with judges from Russia, Turkey, and other countries who were eager to learn about the American system of justice and its two key pillars, an independent judiciary and a free press. As Bob learned from these experiences, constitutional democracies are fragile, and efforts to establish and maintain a democracy can be shut down overnight by a ruler who views the courts and the press as threats to his power. It’s a lesson that those of us in the United States might take to heart as we head for the polls to vote in this year’s elections.  

As with the first two episodes of this series, the full episode of my interview with retired Justice Cordy is available wherever you get this podcast.

If you have enjoyed the Higher Callings podcast, you might also enjoy Don's Substack Newsletter, Reflections of a Boston Lawyer, which you can find here: https://donaldfrederico.substack.com/

David Hoffman is the founder of the Boston Law Collaborative and teaches mediation and dispute resolution at Harvard Law School. Influenced by the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s and the anti-war movement of the 1960s and 1970s, David entered Harvard Law School with the goal of advancing social change. After a clerkship with then-Judge and later-Justice Stephen Breyer, David joined a public-spirited private law firm where he represented prisoners on death row and developed an interest in mediation. He left the law firm in 2002 to form the Boston Law Collaborative, where he serves as a mediator and collaborative lawyer.  In this interview, David describes his career path, his vision of the lawyer as peacemaker, and his quest to use his talents to make the world a better place.

If you have enjoyed the Higher Callings podcast, you might also enjoy Don's Substack Newsletter, Reflections of a Boston Lawyer, which you can find here: https://donaldfrederico.substack.com/

Because we're now entering election season, we've decided to republish excerpts from some of the past episodes of Higher Callings that listeners may find relevant to their voting decisions. Several of our interviews have focused on Democracy and the Rule of Law, both at home and abroad, with guests who are particularly experienced with and qualified to discuss those topics. So, over the next few weeks, we plan to roll out relevant clips from those episodes. 

What follows is the second clip from one of our most recent episodes, recorded in April of this year. It features Betsy Anderson, the Executive Director of a nonprofit and nonpartisan organization called the World Justice Project, and Karen Green, a retired Massachusetts judge and lawyer and current member of the Project's Leadership Council.

In this clip, Betsy, Karen, and I discuss the Rule of Law Index, a tool developed by the World Justice Project to measure the rule of law in 142 countries, and used by governments and nongovernmental organizations to identify where countries are doing well and where they might focus their efforts to strengthen the rule of law within their borders. We also discuss some disturbing trends in the rule of law worldwide and in the United States, and what we all can do to support the rule of law in our own communities.

To learn more about the amazing work of the World Justice Project, you can find the full interview of Betsy and Karen in an earlier episode of this podcast, and can check out WJP's website at https://worldjusticeproject.org/ 

If you have enjoyed the Higher Callings podcast, you might also enjoy Don's Substack Newsletter, Reflections of a Boston Lawyer, which you can find here: https://donaldfrederico.substack.com/

Because we're now entering election season, we've decided to republish excerpts from some of the past episodes that listeners may find relevant to their voting decisions. Several of our interviews have focused on Democracy and the Rule of Law, both at home and abroad, with guests who are particularly experienced with and qualified to discuss those topics. So, over the next few weeks, we plan to roll out relevant clips from those episodes. 

What follows is the first clip from one of our most recent episodes, recorded in April of this year. It features Betsy Anderson, the Executive Director of a nonprofit and nonpartisan organization called the World Justice Project, and Karen Green, a retired Massachusetts judge and lawyer and current member of the Project's Leadership Council.

In this clip, Betsy, Karen, and I discuss what the Rule of Law is and why it is an important pillar of a free society. In a subsequent episode, we'll hear more about the work of the World Justice Project, including its findings with respect to trends in the Rule of Law worldwide and in the United States. And of course, if you'd like to hear the full episode describing in more detail the important and fascinating work that WJP does, you can find it on the Higher Callings' website or on your favorite podcast platform.

If you have enjoyed the Higher Callings podcast, you might also enjoy Don's Substack Newsletter, Reflections of a Boston Lawyer, which you can find here: https://donaldfrederico.substack.com/

Running the Marathon: A Conversation with Tom Grilk

Tom Grilk is a lawyer who began his career in private practice at a major Boston law firm, then worked as in-house counsel at several area tech companies, and, from 2011 until 2022, served as President and CEO of the Boston Athletic Association, the non-profit organization that runs the Boston Marathon. Tom was in that position on April 15, 2013, the day that two bombs exploded at the marathon, immediately killing three people and injuring many more.  

In this episode of Higher Callings, Tom and I discuss his career path, the work and mission of the BAA, the history of the Boston Marathon, and the events of that tragic day. His story of how, in 2013, lives were saved by the emergency preparedness of the BAA and all of the agencies, hospitals, healthcare teams, and law enforcement officials responsible for public safety at the event, as well as by the heroics of strangers and passersby who ran towards danger to help the wounded, is both fascinating and inspiring. It’s a lesson in the importance of emergency preparedness, and in the virtues of kindness and self-sacrifice and the nobility of the human spirit.

Tom's essay published in Boston Magazine on the 10th anniversary of the 2013 Marathon bombing can be found here.

If you have enjoyed the Higher Callings podcast, you might also enjoy Don's Substack Newsletter, Reflections of a Boston Lawyer, which you can find here: https://donaldfrederico.substack.com/

The phrase “The Rule of Law” is one we often hear and many of us invoke, but do we have a shared understanding of what it means? And even if we can arrive at a common definition, why does the Rule of Law matter? If it does matter, how well is it faring today in the tumultuous times in which we find ourselves? And where it needs to be defended, who are its champions? 

In this episode of Higher Callings, I talk with two champions of the Rule of Law, both of whom do that work through a nonprofit and non-partisan organization called the World Justice Project. Elizabeth (Betsy) Andersen is the Executive Director of WJP, and for several years has been leading WJP’s important and impressive work. Karen Green is a former guest on this podcast, a retired lawyer and judge, and now a mediator. She is a member of WJP’s Rule of Law Leadership Council, focused on bringing WJP’s work to the judiciary and the bar. Together, Betsy and Karen explain the work WJP does and why that work has become highly valued by organizations and governments throughout the world.

You can learn more about the World Justice Project at its website: https://worldjusticeproject.org/

If you have enjoyed the Higher Callings podcast, you might also enjoy Don's Substack Newsletter, Reflections of a Boston Lawyer, which you can find here: https://donaldfrederico.substack.com/

Renee Landers is a Professor of Law at Suffolk University Law School in Boston. She teaches Constitutional Law, Administrative Law, Health Law, and Privacy Law, among other academic pursuits. She also has served in a number of other impressive positions, including a term as President of the Boston Bar Association and another as Chair of the American Bar Association’s Section of Administrative Law and Regulatory Practice. Among her many volunteer activities, Professor Landers has played and continues to play a significant role in the area of judicial ethics in her home state of Massachusetts. And, perhaps most important, she happens to be a great role model for aspiring lawyers. 

I’ve known Professor Landers for a number of years and could think of no one I’d rather talk with about some of the most significant decisions issued by the United States Supreme Court in the final weeks before its summer recess, and about the current controversy over whether the Justices should be bound by Congressionally-imposed rules of judicial conduct, as are all other federal judges. I learned a lot from the conversation and I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as I did. 

If you have enjoyed the Higher Callings podcast, you might also enjoy Don's Substack Newsletter, Reflections of a Boston Lawyer, which you can find here: https://donaldfrederico.substack.com/