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In this episode, we welcome back David French, columnist for The New York Times , former constitutional attorney, and author of Divided We Fall . We discuss the current state of American democracy, the challenges of political division, and how we can engage in civil discourse despite deep ideological differences. David also shares a personal update on his family and reflects on the profound trials and growth that come with adversity. 📌 What We Discuss: ✔️ How David and his family navigated the challenges of a serious health crisis. ✔️ The rise of political polarization and the factors driving it. ✔️ Why distinguishing between “unwise, unethical, and unlawful” is crucial in analyzing political actions. ✔️ How consuming different perspectives (even opposing ones) helps in understanding political dynamics. ✔️ The role of Christian values in politics and how they are being redefined. ⏳ Episode Highlights 📍 [00:01:00] – David French’s background and his journey from litigation to journalism. 📍 [00:02:30] – Personal update: David shares his wife Nancy’s battle with cancer and their journey as a family. 📍 [00:06:00] – How to navigate personal trials while maintaining faith and resilience. 📍 [00:10:00] – The danger of political paranoia and the pitfalls of extreme polarization. 📍 [00:18:00] – The "friend-enemy" paradigm in American politics and its influence in Christian fundamentalism. 📍 [00:24:00] – Revisiting Divided We Fall : How America’s divisions have devolved since 2020. 📍 [00:40:00] – The categories and differences of unwise, unethical, and unlawful political actions. 📍 [00:55:00] – The balance between justice, kindness, and humility in political engagement. 📍 [01:00:00] – The After Party initiative: A Christian approach to politics focused on values rather than policy. 💬 Featured Quotes 🔹 "You don't know who you truly are until your values are tested." – David French 🔹 "If we focus on the relational, we can have better conversations even across deep differences." – Corey Nathan 🔹 "Justice, kindness, and humility—if you're missing one, you're doing it wrong." – David French 🔹 "The United States has a history of shifting without repenting. We just move on." – David French 📚 Resources Mentioned David French’s Writing: New York Times David’s Book: Divided We Fall The After Party Initiative – More Info Advisory Opinions Podcast (with Sarah Isgur & David French) – Listen Here 📣 Call to Action If you found this conversation insightful, please: ✅ Subscribe to Talkin' Politics & Religion Without Killin' Each Other on your favorite podcast platform. ✅ Leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen: ratethispodcast.com/goodfaithpolitics ✅ Support the show on Patreon: patreon.com/politicsandreligion ✅ Watch the full conversation and subscribe on YouTube: youtube.com/@politicsandreligion 🔗 Connect With Us on Social Media @coreysnathan: Bluesky LinkedIn Instagram Threads Facebook Substack David French: 🔗 Twitter | BlueSky | New York Times Our Sponsors Meza Wealth Management: www.mezawealth.com Prolux Autogroup: www.proluxautogroup.com or www.granadahillsairporttransportation.com Let’s keep talking politics and religion—with gentleness and respect. 🎙️💡…
Content provided by Benjamin Gold. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Benjamin Gold or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://player.fm/legal.
First founded on Instagram in July 2017, (@lawyer_stories,) the Lawyer Stories Podcast discusses lawyers and law students journeys to the practice of law.
Content provided by Benjamin Gold. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Benjamin Gold or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://player.fm/legal.
First founded on Instagram in July 2017, (@lawyer_stories,) the Lawyer Stories Podcast discusses lawyers and law students journeys to the practice of law.
The Lawyer Stories Podcast Episode 220 features Michael Kopsick, Owner and Attorney at The Law Offices of Michael W. Kopsick, focusing on personal injury in the Chicagoland area of Illinois. We discuss Michael’s journey to the practice of law from his days Clemson University to attending John Marshall Law School where Michael could pivot from school to providing legal counsel to his hometown community. Michael has also represented family members and loved ones in wrongful death cases and has a proven track record of success and has achieved excellent results for his clients. Michael connects well displaying empathy to his clients and aims to maintain working relationships with his adversaries but will increase his fierce advocacy and competitiveness as needed.…
The Lawyer Stories Podcast Episode 219 features Brad and Zach Baber, a father-son team with over thirty years combined legal experience in criminal defense located in Whitley County, IN. Zach is an active member of the community as a high school football coach, and Brad is a former Navy JAG. Zach is dedicated to helping attorneys build sustainable, client-focused law practices through his program “Build My Law Practice,” (BMLP) guiding attorneys launching and/or growing the practice they actually want. Zach’s goal is to help his fellow lawyers establish thriving law firms with clarity and confidence. Zach and Brad strive to serve, lead, and make an impact.…
The Lawyer Stories Podcast Episode 218 features Yasmin Morshedian, court reporter and founder of YM Legal Services! Yasmin takes us behind the scenes of her entrepreneurial journey—from becoming a court reporter to launching her very own court reporting agency in South Florida. She shares invaluable advice on how lawyers can choose the right court reporting agency for their practice, and opens up about the highs and lows of building a business from the ground up. Yasmin’s story is a powerful blend of hard work, perseverance, and passion. Her journey is full of practical insights and inspiration that will resonate with both legal professionals and aspiring entrepreneurs alike. We are grateful to have Yasmin as part of the Lawyer Stories Connect community!…
The Lawyer Stories Podcast Episode 217 features Travis Meltzer, Founding Attorney at Valley Injury Law in Phoenix, Arizona. Travis shares his story with us and after defending the insurance companies for five years, decided to utilize his skills to help people injured by others’ negligence to ensure the best result in light of their injuries. Travis has a relaxed manner and is naturally compassionate, truthful, and possesses a unique ability to understand ability to communicate with clients from all facets of life. Travis prides himself on taking cases from intake to trial and tell us to “Be yourself,” and approach cases with interaction not just as a process.…
The Lawyer Stories Podcast Episode 216 features Ross A. Brennan, Trial Lawyer at Cronauer Law, focusing on personal injury and civil rights law in Texas. Ross shares his story, first serving on active duty in the Air Force Judge Advocate General (JAG) Corps for five assignments, attaining the rank of Major. After Honorably separating from active duty, Ross worked full-time an investigator and his investigations pertained mostly to civil rights, employment discrimination, and matters of federal civil litigation. After some time, Ross missed the courtroom and brought his unique experience to Cronauer Law’s Texas office. (Cronauer Law also has an office in Sycamore, Illinois and it was our pleasure to host C. Nicholas Cronauer on Episode 117 of the Lawyer Stories Podcast.) Ross tells us to be innovative and efficient, and that if you can state something simply, you don’t understand it well enough.…
The Lawyer Stories Podcast Episode 215 features C. Glen Ged, Founding Partner at Ged Lawyers focusing on personal injury and personal injury protection (PIP) claims throughout Florida and Massachusetts. Glen has established a reputation as one of North America’s most compassionate and dedicated lawyers and one of the country’s most aggressive litigators, earning thousands of referrals from clients and lawyers nationwide. He has successfully represented many clients in severe personal injury and wrongful death cases. Glen was featured in Forbes in an article “How Ged Lawyers is Taking on Corporate America,” and Ged Lawyers takes great pride in being an innovative law firm changing the game with their advanced technology. Lawyer Stories had the pleasure to record our first-ever live podcast with Glen prior to our epic Miami Connect event.…
The Lawyer Stories Podcast Episode 214 features Cynthia Runge, founder and owner of Peridot Family Law LLC in Boston, Massachusetts (also admitted in New York.) We discuss Cynthia’s interest in pursuing a law degree, completing her undergrad in Boston and law school in California. About ten years after receiving her JD, Cynthia’s interest in the arts led her to receiving a certificate in Museum Studies. Now, Cynthia has a focus on family law, collaborative law, divorce mediation and care and protection matters. Cynthia’s background also includes experience in landlord/tenant and real estate law in addition to intellectual property matters for artists and non-profits. For more information, you can check out Cynthia’s website at www.peridotfamilylaw.com.…
The Lawyer Stories Podcast Episode 213 features Jordan M. Jones, Trial Attorney licensed in California and Michigan, Board Certified by the National Board of Trial Advocacy ("NBTA"), and Owner at Los Angeles Truck Accident Lawyers. We discuss Jordan’s Lawyer Story and the recent launch of his law firm, Los Angeles Truck Accident Lawyers. ( www.trucklawyers.com ). Jordan has litigated over one hundred trucking cases since he began more than a decade ago and is currently one of two lawyers in California who is a Board Certified in truck accident law by the NBTA. Jordan has also been a big supporter, guide, and friend to Lawyer Stories, appearing on the second episode of the Lawyer Stories Podcast with Benny Gold!…
The Lawyer Stories Podcast Episode 212 features Heather Reese and Michael Pungitore, trial lawyers in Philadelphia focused on personal injury law. We discuss both Heather and Michael’s reasons for becoming lawyers and Heather shares with us the only competition you have is who you were the day before. Heather takes pride in being part of the Hispanic National Bar Association, and enjoys the personal aspect of community. Michael, a competitive person by nature, likes the exercise of figuring out the other party’s arguments in order to maximize his representation in court. As far as social media goes, Heather tells us to be authentic, don’t be fake, and be kind!…
The Lawyer Stories Podcast Episode 211 features Monica Ishak, Trial Attorney and Owner at the Ishak Law Firm, P.A. in West Palm Beach, Florida, focused on Criminal Defense. We discuss that Monica’s parents are from Egypt and that she is a first generation American and South Florida Native. Monica began her career trying cases as a certified legal intern in law school at the Public Defender's Office in Miami. Upon graduating law school, she started as an Assistant Public Defender in Palm Beach County where she tried numerous misdemeanor cases. Monica believes in strong and compassionate advocacy for her clients and tells us to stand your ground. Indeed, Monica tells us that her passion lies in criminal justice reform and ultimately providing quality representation to those she knows she can help. We are grateful to have Monica as a Founding Member of Lawyer Stories Connect!…
The Lawyer Stories Podcast Episode 210 features Cary London, Managing Partner at Shulman and Hill in Greater New York City focusing on Civil Rights, Police Brutality, Excessive Force, Wrongful Convictions, and Personal Injury. Cary is the Chair of the Civil Rights Division of the Brooklyn Bar Association, and a Board Member of the Brooklyn Defender Services. Cary is also a Founding Member of Lawyer Stories Connect! Cary’s journey as a civil rights lawyer began during his tenure as a Public Defender in Brooklyn. Cary witnessed, firsthand, the systemic injustices prevalent in the criminal justice system. This experience ignited a fire within him to advocate for change and pursue justice for those who have been marginalized or wronged. One case at a time, Cary is becoming a voice for those in need, consistently striving to create a more equitable society for all.…
The Lawyer Stories Podcast Episode 209 features Jo Stephens, CEO at Law Firm Sites, a digital marketing and web design agency specializing in helping law firms of all sizes thrive online. Jo shares with us that she has been in several different roles at Law Firm Sites, including Office Manager, Project Manager, and Director of Development. In 2017, Jo became the COO, and she finally took over as CEO and purchased the company in the fall of 2020. Jo managed to go back to school to work on her degree, raise her son, and donate time to her local community. Jo has helped build Law Firm Sites, Inc. from a few staff members working in a basement, to now over 35 employees. Law Firm Sites has even offered to build and manage a new website for Lawyer Stories and we are grateful for this opportunity!…
The Lawyer Stories Podcast Episode 208 features Katurah Topps, a NYC civil rights lawyer and motivational speaker, most recently known for her appearance on CBS’ Hit Reality TV Show “SURVIVOR,” season 45. While on Survivor, Katurah revealed that she spent her childhood raised in a religious cult, where she was ripped out of school at 10-years-old, forced into years of manual labor, and eventually became a child bride. In this powerful interview we discuss how Katurah overcame seemingly insurmountable hardships, escaped the cult, and became a Georgetown Law graduate—and what she is doing now to help others! We also discuss Katurah’s motivational speaking and coaching sessions, where she travels across the country helping trauma survivors and people who feel stuck in their everyday lives, to reach their highest potential.…
The Lawyer Stories Podcast Episode 207 features Judge Frank Caprio, retired judge who served as the chief judge of the municipal court in Providence and chairman of the Rhode Island Board of Governors for Higher Education. Judge Caprio’s judicial work is widely known on the television program Caught in Providence , and he has recently released a book titled “Compassion in the Court. Life-Changing Stories from America’s Nicest Judge.” Judge Caprio shares his story with us beginning with his father working as a fruit peddler and telling him he would be a lawyer one day. Judge Caprio feels privileged to be part of a loving family and it carried over to him serving compassionate justice in his courtroom, making sure the litigants before him departed the courtroom with dignity. It was a pleasure to host Judge Caprio on the Lawyer Stories Podcast.…
The Lawyer Stories Podcast Episode 170 features Travis Hoechlin, CEO of RizeUP Media in Alisa Viejo, CA. We discuss with Travis how RizeUp is diligently assisting law firms to generate new clients from the internet, increase revenue and help grow their businesses. RizeUp has representatives throughout the country, and will roll up their sleeves to discover your needs, help scale your law firm, by utilizing a dedicated account manager and sales strategist along with other specialized departments to assist your firm. RizeUp Media offers bespoke marketing solutions crafted specifically for law firms without long-term contracts.…
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