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PODCAST

Lawyers in the Attic

Bamieh & De Smeth

Weekly conversations with lawyers and law students about all things legal in the 21st century, from big criminal cases and celebrity lawsuits to the challenges of figuring out what to wear in court. Recorded in a big beautiful attic space at the law offices of Bamieh & De Smeth in Ventura, California.

true crime

All Episodes

50:34

Ep 46 - Tik Tok v America w Danielle De Smeth

Lawyers in the Attic ·

2025/01/21

It was a wild weekend for Tik Tok users, with the app shutting down on Saturday night, only to reappear on Sunday morning with a cryptic thank you note to “President Trump” for magically restoring access to America’s number one brain-rotting video platform. This week Danielle joins us for a conversation all about the legal angles at play here, from the U.S. government’s argument that Tik Tok represents a national security threat to the larger free speech issues attached to social media in general

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35:39

Ep 45 - Do Grandparents Have Rights? w/ Jennifer Yates

Lawyers in the Attic ·

2025/01/16

This week I’m joined by family law attorney Jennifer Yates, who helps answer the question: What legal rights, if any, do grandparents have over child custody and visitation when parents divorce? She offers some surprising takes on how this works in reality, and explains how grandparents and other stakeholders can navigate the challenging legal landscape of a rearranged family unit. In this episode we briefly discuss the 2008 true crime documentary Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father,

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32:20

Ep 44 - Trial Diary - The People v Christopher...

Lawyers in the Attic ·

2025/01/09

On Part Three of our Trial Diary, attorney Danielle De Smeth provides some shocking updates in the trial of Christopher Rodriguez. Rodriguez was a teacher who worked at the UCLA Early Care and Education Center for more than 25 years. He stands accused of a number of charges of sexual abuse of children at the school, and Danielle is representing several of the victims’ families in potential civil litigation regarding UCLA’s negligence and liability for Rodriguez’s alleged crimes. In this trial diary,

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49:49

Ep 43 - Murderball w/ Jennifer Yates and Meghan Sherry

Lawyers in the Attic ·

2025/01/02

It’s a whole new year for Lawyers in the Attic, and we’re starting off 2025 by diving into our sick obsession with history’s nastiest serial killers. In this conversation, attorneys Jennifer Yates and Meghan Sherry come to the attic to discuss the recent Netflix documentary This is the Zodiac Speaking, as we explore how the Zodiac murders sparked our collective interest in weird killings and the strange, often disturbingly normal people who commit them. Lawyers in the Attic is brought to you by the

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38:39

Ep 42 - Trial Diary - The People v Christopher...

Lawyers in the Attic ·

2024/12/19

On Part Two of our Trial Diary, attorney Danielle De Smeth catches us up on developments in the trial of Christopher Rodriguez. Rodriguez was a teacher who worked at the UCLA Early Care and Education Center for more than 25 years. He stands accused of a number of charges of sexual abuse of children at the school, and Danielle is representing several of the victims’ families in potential civil litigation regarding UCLA’s negligence and liability for Rodriguez’s alleged crimes. In this trial diary,

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40:37

Ep 41 - Trial Diary - The People v Christopher...

Lawyers in the Attic ·

2024/12/12

Christopher Rodriguez was a teacher who worked at the UCLA Early Care and Education Center for nearly 25 years. He stands accused of a number of charges of sexual abuse of children at the school, and attorney Danielle De Smeth is representing several of the victims’ families in potential civil litigation regarding UCLA’s negligence and liability for Rodriguez’s alleged crimes. In this trial diary, Danielle explains the relationship between criminal and civil trials, and offers details on how abusers

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47:06

Ep 40 - The Curious Trial of Manuel Rodriguez w Ron...

Lawyers in the Attic ·

2024/12/05

Manuel Rodriguez was 19 years old when he was charged with a gang-related murder in Santa Paula, California in 2007. The resulting trial, in which founding partner Ron Bamieh served as his defense attorney, contained shocking twists and revelations that resulted in a surprising (and historic) outcome. In this conversation, Ron joins us to share the story of Manuel’s case, and offers his thoughts on the challenges of handling criminal defense when the prosecution is playing with a loaded deck

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42:19

Ep 39 - Broken Home for the Holidays w Jennifer Yates

Lawyers in the Attic ·

2024/11/27

It’s holiday time, so you know what that means: bitter divorces and custody disputes! This week we talk with family law attorney and senior partner Jennifer Yates about the special family pressure that holidays can bring, particularly for families dealing with kids and custody issues. Jennifer shares some brutal stories along with tips on how everyone can navigate this time of year with minimum drama and maximum cheer. Links to resources mentioned in this episode: Handling Holiday Hassles with a

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49:42

Ep 38 - The End of No Fault Divorce? w/ Jennifer Yates

Lawyers in the Attic ·

2024/11/14

In the wake of conservative electoral victories this month, there is renewed discussion about the end of “no fault divorce,” a key victory from the feminist political moment in the 1970s. Perhaps unsurprisingly, family law attorney and senior partner Jennifer Yates has lots to say about that, and joins us in the attic this week for a conversation all about the rapidly evolving legal landscape of marriage and divorce in the Trump era. Lawyers in the Attic is brought to you by the law offices of

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48:47

Ep 37 - OK, Coach w Ron Bamieh

Lawyers in the Attic ·

2024/11/07

Ron Bamieh is much more than Ventura’s favorite lawyer. As a parent and coach, he’s made a significant impact on the lives of the city’s young people for more than 30 years. I know because I was one of those young people, learning the law from Ron as a high school student in the County Mock Trial competition way back in the 1990s. In this conversation, Ron reflects on his years as a coach and mentor, and offers some stories about the unexpected connections between legal work and helping kids learn

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43:26

Ep 36 - Season of the Witch w/ Jennifer Yates

Lawyers in the Attic ·

2024/10/31

It’s officially Spooky Season on Lawyers in the Attic, so this week we’re talking about the history of witch trials with attorney Jennifer Yates, who shares stories from the recent book Witchcraft: A History in Thirteen Trials by Marion Gibson. Along the way, we reflect on how the specter of “witches” continues to haunt the American legal landscape, in surprising (and not so surprising) forms. Lawyers in the Attic is brought to you by the law offices of Bamieh & De Smeth:

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38:00

Ep 35 - Scar Tissue w Danielle De Smeth

Lawyers in the Attic ·

2024/10/24

Immediately upon passing the bar exam in 2009, attorney Danielle De Smeth began experiencing a persistent shortness of breath that left doctors puzzled, initiating a years-long medical mystery that ultimately changed her perspectives on health, career, and much more. In this conversation, she tells a personal story that’s as inspiring as it is harrowing, and offers a few lessons on perseverance in the face of adversity. Lawyers in the Attic is brought to you by the law offices of Bamieh & DeSmeth:

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37:37

Ep 34 - Lawyers in the Age of AI w/ Danielle De Smeth

Lawyers in the Attic ·

2024/10/17

This week senior partner Danielle De Smeth joins us to report on her experiences at the CLIO Cloud Conference in Austin, Texas earlier this month. The conference focused on the future of the legal profession in light of recent developments in AI, and Danielle shares some mind-blowing, sometimes terrifying, ideas about how tech is changing the work that lawyers do, and how smaller law firms can keep up. Check out The Battle for Your Brain: Defending the Right to Think Freely in the Age of

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36:26

Ep 33 - Who Had the Knife? w Ron Bamieh

Lawyers in the Attic ·

2024/10/10

Ron Bamieh has worked dozens of murder cases, both as a prosecutor and a criminal defense attorney. In this conversation, he tells the story of Gus Tapia, who was accused of a 2006 murder in Ventura, California and hired Ron to defend him. As the case unfolds, Ron discovers that the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the wrong man for the crime. And that’s just the tip of a very disturbing iceberg. Lawyers in the Attic is brought to you by the law offices of Bamieh & DeSmeth:

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33:08

Ep 32 - Child Custody Across Borders w Jennifer Yates

Lawyers in the Attic ·

2024/09/26

What happens when a spouse takes the children across national borders? Family law attorney Jennifer Yates joins us this week to examine a shocking local case, as a judge awards a father sole custody and rules to “deport” a mother’s children to Italy – but is that the whole story? As we unpack the legal elements at play when dealing with international divorce and child custody cases, Jennifer fills us in on how the law can shape personal lives across the globe. Read more about the case:

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41:28

Ep 31 - Lawyer or Therapist?

Lawyers in the Attic ·

2024/09/19

This week we talk with the family law super team at Bamieh & De Smeth: Jennifer Yates, Jason Frantz, and Thelma Corsa. These are seasoned family law attorneys with stories to tell and bittersweet life lessons to share. In this conversation, we talk about the hard facts of divorce and child custody, and reflect on the tricky balancing act of emotional and legal support for people in challenging personal situations. Lawyers in the Attic is brought to you by the law offices of Bamieh & DeSmeth:

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53:04

Ep 30 - Mock Trial Memories w Danielle De Smeth

Lawyers in the Attic ·

2024/09/12

This week attorney and senior partner Danielle De Smeth joins us in the attic to share memories and reflections of a formative experience from her high school days: participating in the Ventura County Mock Trial competition. From overcoming nerves and dressing appropriately to the unexpectedly fierce competition with rival schools, we explore how the Mock Trial experience introduced us to legal work at a young age, and continues to shape our perspectives on law and life. Lawyers in the Attic is

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58:15

Trial Diary - The People v Jacob Caliboso, Part Three...

Lawyers in the Attic ·

2024/09/10

In April 2024, Jacob Caliboso, a 25 year old man from Oxnard, California, stood trial in Ventura County Superior Court for his involvement in the deaths of Elva Andrade, 55, and her granddaughter Nevaeh Gomez, 7. Caliboso was charged with 2nd degree murder after driving under the influence of prescription drugs and striking the motor scooter driven by Andrade. In this series of episodes, we follow Ron Bamieh, Caliboso’s attorney, as he mounts a defense and attempts to convince a jury that this

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52:37

Ep 29 - Back to School

Lawyers in the Attic ·

2024/09/05

It’s back to school week, so we’ve got all the firm’s senior partners (Ron Bamieh, Danielle De Smeth, and Jennifer Yates) together in the attic for a conversation about schools, students, teachers, and the long arm of the law. We also kick off the NFL season with details about our “Partner Picks” livestreams, every Wednesday at 4pm Pacific. Lawyers in the Attic is brought to you by the law offices of Bamieh & DeSmeth: https://www.bamiehdesmeth.com/

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01:07:40

Ep 28 - Finding Katrina, Chapter Six w/ Ron Bamieh

Lawyers in the Attic ·

2024/08/29

In the concluding episode of our series on the murder of Katrina Montgomery, Ron Bamieh describes his experience serving as lead prosecutor in the trials of Justin Merriman and his mother, Beverlee Sue Merriman. The court proceedings contain some of the wildest moments of Ron’s legal career, and the case’s outcome leads us to reflect on the meaning of justice for Katrina and her family. Lawyers in the Attic is brought to you by the law offices of Bamieh & DeSmeth: https://www.bamiehdesmeth.com/

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