The Empire Review
Welcome to the Empire Review, the legal series that gives you a front row seat inside the courtrooms shaping New York.
The Empire Review
Welcome to the Empire Review
Surviving in today's urban jungle requires the same environmental mastery our ancestors needed 12,000 years ago - just with skyscrapers and sirens replacing forests and wildlife. The Empire Review pulls back the curtain on the hidden legal architecture shaping New York City, offering viewers unprecedented access to the courtrooms where the city's most consequential decisions unfold.
Host Jonathan Arias brings a decade of insider perspective as a former public defender, law professor, and judicial clerk to guide viewers through complex legal battles with real-world implications. Why can affluent Park Slope homeowners pay lower property taxes than those in less affluent Bronx neighborhoods? How did congestion pricing overcome fierce opposition? What legal principles require housing for newly arrived immigrants? And perhaps most surprisingly - how can New York City schools remain among America's most segregated despite desegregation laws passed decades ago?
The series demonstrates how these seemingly isolated issues form an interconnected web that defines life in America's largest city. By connecting these dots, The Empire Review provides New Yorkers with essential knowledge to navigate their complex urban environment. Join us for a front-row seat to the legal battles reshaping the Empire State, and discover how judges, lawyers, and juries are making decisions that affect millions of lives daily. Visit TheEmpireReview.com to join our community and access the tools you need to master your modern environment.
About 12,000 years ago, when we were hunters and gatherers, we survived by hunting animals and foraging for food. To survive, we needed a deep understanding of our environment. Knowing what plants and animals to avoid were critical skills. When we transitioned to an agriculturally-based society, what then became important was knowledge of farming practices and weather patterns. Knowing this environment was just as important. Now, as we trek along New York's concrete streets with massive skyscrapers above us, with horns and sirens blasting away our ears, we often forget that this modern environment, this concrete jungle known as the Empire State, is just as important to master. But how do you do that? Well, this is where our new digital series comes in. Welcome to the Empire Review, a series that gives you a front row seat inside the courtrooms that are shaping New York, our environment.
Speaker 1:My name is Jonathan Arias and I've spent almost my entire life in New York. That sounds kind of sad, but, putting that aside, I began practicing law here for just over a decade. I began my career as a public defender, where I saw how economic policy and poverty is inextricably linked to crime. I then taught in law school, where I honed my ability to explain complicated legal materials to aspiring lawyers, and then I worked for a judge, where I learned how judges think and make decisions. Now, throughout the series, I cover our most pressing issues. For example, why did a federal judge approve New York's congestion pricing plan despite some opposition? How did he balance all the competing arguments and parties to reach his decision? Balance all the competing arguments and parties to reach his decision.
Speaker 1:Why must recently arrived immigrants be given housing under what's known as the right to shelter law? Why is it perfectly legal that homeowners in the affluent neighborhood in Park Slope in Brooklyn pay relatively lower property taxes than homeowners in less affluent neighborhoods in the Bronx? And could it possibly be true that New York City's public schools are amongst the most segregated in the country, despite the fact that the doctrine of separate but equal was overturned decades ago? The answer to these questions are found in the legal battles, the courtrooms or the public arenas where our most important issues are debated, and the outcomes of these debates are consequential.
Speaker 1:All of these issues, although they appear in isolation, are all connected. Our aim is to connect them so we can help you navigate New York. My goal is to place you right next to the judges, lawyers and juries who are shaping our environment. So I'm happy to have you. I just need one favor from you Head over to TheEmpireReviewcom and sign up with your email. This will help us scale our platform so we can give you the tools that you need. Thank you.