Sanctuary in the Jungle
Amidst a plethora of legal podcasts discussing case breakdowns, legal news, and true crime, Sanctuary in the Jungle offers a look into the lives and motivations of the lawyers themselves.
Sanctuary in the Jungle is a criminal defense podcast discussing the vital role criminal defense attorneys play in the justice system. Drawing on insights from renowned attorneys Edward Bennett Williams and Michael Tigar, the podcast likens criminal courts to a "sanctuary" for rational decision making as opposed to the everyday "jungle-like" environment. Outside of the courts, decisions are often driven by emotion and intuition, which can lead to arbitrary and unjust outcomes. Criminal courts, in contrast, were designed to function as a carefully structured system where decisions are made based on evidence and legal standards. The sanctuary mindset must be used if we are to ensure that everyone, regardless of their personal background or situation, receives a fair trial. Through engaging conversations with defense attorneys and advocates, Sanctuary in the Jungle highlights the importance of upholding justice, dignity, and humanity in legal proceedings while illustrating how attorneys endure the emotionally weighty process.
Sanctuary in the Jungle
Latest Episodes
The Power of Human Emotion in the Courtroom | Andrea Lyon
Nineteen times, Andrea Lyon stood in front of twelve people and asked them to spare her client’s life. Nineteen times, those people chose not to convict the death penalty.Over her ongoing 50 year career, the trial attorney the Chicago Tr...
Has Hollywood Ruined the Presumption of Innocence? | Steve Hurley
In this episode, we discuss the growing gap between what happens in a real trial and what shows up on screen, why Hollywood keeps inventing drama when the truth is already dramatic enough, and how those choices have reshaped the way the public ...
Trial performance skills vs being performative | Karen Smolar
In this episode, host Aaron Nelson sits down with Karen Smolar, the Dean of the National Criminal Defense College and former Public Defender in the Bronx, to unpack the real difference between performance skills and being performative.Ka...
Everything they don’t teach you in law school | Vadim Glozman
Law school teaches you case analysis. Becoming a great trial lawyer comes from working hard cases with real stakes and learning on your feet.In this episode, host Aaron Nelson sits down with Vadim Glozman, a federal defense attorney base...
Changing the Way We Defend Veterans in Criminal Courts | Brock Hunter
What happens when one attorney realizes helping veterans one case at a time isn't enough?Brock Hunter is a criminal defense attorney, U.S. veteran, founder of the Veterans Defense Project, and author of The Attorney's Guide to Defend...