iHeartRadio and Sound Argument Announce ''Class Action''

RADIO ONLINE | Tuesday, May 31, 2022

''Class Action''

iHeartRadio and Sound Argument announce the launch of a new documentary podcast entitled "Class Action." Hosted by Katie Phang, a trial lawyer, anchor, and host for MSNBC and Peacock, the 12-part podcast series will track a cast of law students who are battling it out in mock trial competitions across the country. The first two episodes will debut on June 7 and can be heard on iHeartRadio and all other major platforms.

"All of a sudden we take lawyers, they graduate law school, and we expect them to walk into a courtroom and talk about life and death and millions of dollars without any practice. Think about music, playing the violin in your basement. And then, all of a sudden, walking into Carnegie Hall one day and playing for the first time. It would never happen in music. It would never happen in sports. Why should it happen in law?," said Hofstra University's Jared Rosenblatt.

Host Katie Phang will guide listeners through these young lawyers' stories, disentangling the complexities of American law along the way. Listeners will meet Andy Vizcarra, a first-generation American whose parents emigrated from Mexico to Texas and have worked at their restaurant to put their daughter through law school; Tyler Volesky, a young Native American politician, now a law student in South Dakota; Ellie Sands and Anjani Shah -- part of a team of activists from Brooklyn Law -- who battle for justice not only in mock trial but in real-life legal clinics; DeAndre Bell, a self-styled "church boy" from Houston, who plans to run for President in 2040; and Lajeanne Shelton, the lion of the Dillard team who bristles at comments that she's too aggressive in court.

"Working on this podcast and meeting these trial students and coaches has re-affirmed my faith in the crucial roles that jury trials play in our lives," said Phang. "Over the course of a year, I've met a group of inspired coaches who recognize the value of investing in the next generation of trial attorneys. And I am thrilled to witness students who have overcome significant obstacles to learn and honor the craft of courtroom procedure. 'Class Action' is a breath of fresh air in these troubled times. It's a reminder of why I became a trial lawyer in the first place -- to defend our democratic judicial system."

Producers Lisa Gray and Kevin Huffman spent a year recording the bootcamps, scrimmages and competitions with law teams from Brooklyn Law, St. Mary's University in San Antonio, and the University of South Dakota.