The Rule of Law: The Academy Speaks

Can Justice Be Just if Bias Goes Unchecked?
Implicit bias does not stay outside the courtroom. It can influence who is believed, who is charged, who is struck from a jury, and who receives the benefit of the doubt. In this episode, Professor Henson examines how bias moves through the justice system — and whether the system can truly be just if we refuse to confront it.
 
Uncover implicit bias: take the ⁠Project Implicit tests⁠

Implicit bias shapes how we see people before we realize we are making a judgment. In this episode, Professor Chuck Henson helps us understand what implicit bias is, how it differs from explicit bias, and why recognizing it is essential to fairness, credibility, and the work of justice.
Uncover your on bias: Take the Project Implicit tests 
 

When does arbitration work, and when does it weaken the Rule of Law? The final episode looks at the lawyer’s duty to advise clients, efforts to protect the jury system, and why trial lawyers must defend open courts, public records, and citizen participation.

Arbitration is often sold as faster and cheaper. But who really wins when serious disputes move behind closed doors? This episode explores forced arbitration, service contracts, companies like Uber, and the public cost of private justice.

What happens if jury trials disappear? Academy Fellows Quentin Brogdon, Kathy Patrick, and Craig Peters examine why juries are not just a court procedure. They are citizen power, public accountability, and a safeguard for equal justice.

In recognition of Juneteenth, Craig Peters sits down with Joe Tucker for a conversation about freedom, equality, and the unfinished work of justice. 
As the first Black President in the history of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers, Joe reflects on his service and shares why Juneteenth remains a powerful reminder that rights on paper mean little without enforcement, vigilance, and civic engagement. Together, they discuss the Academy's commitment to the Rule of Law and the responsibility lawyers have to question authority and safeguard justice for all.
Read the Academy's Official Statement on Juneteenth.

Season 4 of The Rule of Law: The Academy Speaks kicks off with the Academy’s President-Elect, Craig Peters, and retired Federal Judge Philip Pro, of Keep Our Republic’s Article III Coalition, discussing National Law Day. In this episode, they explore what Law Day means, why it matters, how each of us can honor it through action, and why defending the Rule of Law feels more urgent now than ever.
Keep Our Republic’s Article III Coalition is a bipartisan group of more than 50 retired federal judges appointed by presidents of both parties, dedicated to defending judicial independence, the rule of law, and the separation of powers. Through civic education and public engagement, the Article III Coalition helps the public understand the judiciary’s essential role in preserving our constitutional republic. Learn more at keepourrepublic.org. 

In part two of this special episode, Joe Tucker talks with Michael Coard about his leadership with the Avenging the Ancestors Coalition and the ongoing fight for truthful representation of American history in Philadelphia. That fight has reached the highest levels of government and reflects a larger national struggle over memory, truth, and who gets to define the American story. Michael shares why this work matters, why historical truth must be defended, and why justice demands that America be faced as it is, the good, the bad, and the ugly.
Learn more about ⁠The Avenging the Ancestors Coalition⁠.

In this special two-part episode, Joe Tucker sits down with fellow lawyer and Philadelphia-based activist Michael Coard to discuss his deep commitment to the Rule of Law, in the courtroom and in his community. Called “the angriest Black man in America,” Michael shares the stories behind some of his most challenging and personal cases, and explains why he believes it is his duty to confront injustice, speak hard truths, and keep fighting.

In this episode, Joe Tucker continues his conversation with Judges Kathleen O’Malley and Liam O’Grady of Keep Our Republic’s Article III Coalition. The discussion examines the safeguards of the Rule of Law, including the obligation of judges to set aside personal beliefs and to carefully examine the actions of the Department of Justice. In unprecedented times, the path forward is a return to precedent, with lawyers and judges working together to guide the way.
Keep Our Republic’s Article III Coalition is a bipartisan group of more than 50 retired federal judges appointed by presidents of both parties, dedicated to defending judicial independence, the rule of law, and the separation of powers. Through civic education and public engagement, the Article III Coalition helps the public understand the judiciary’s essential role in preserving our constitutional republic. Learn more at keepourrepublic.org.