Above the Law - Thinking Like a Lawyer

Above the Law started as one of the most popular legal blogs on the internet, and Thinking Like a Lawyer is its podcast extension. Hosted by Joe Patrice and Kathryn Rubino, with Chris Williams and occasional appearances from Elie Mystal, the show runs weekly with episodes clocking in at a tight 27 to 41 minutes. It has built up 452 episodes and a 3.9-star rating from about 485 reviewers. The premise is clever: take everyday topics and examine them through a legal lens. The hosts apply legal frameworks to things regular people actually care about, which makes the show accessible even if you have zero interest in reading case law. But they also spend plenty of time on inside-baseball legal industry topics, from Big Law hiring trends and associate salary wars to legal ethics controversies and bar exam debates. The panel chemistry is the real draw. Patrice and Rubino trade banter naturally and are not afraid to disagree on air. The humor is dry and knowing, the kind that comes from people who genuinely love the legal profession but have no illusions about its absurdities. Mystal's guest appearances tend to be the most provocative episodes, as he brings strong opinions and a willingness to challenge conventional legal thinking. The show straddles the line between legal industry insider content and general interest legal commentary in a way that few other shows manage. If you want to understand not just how the law works but what it is like to actually work in the law, this podcast nails it.