When he’s not practising law, playing basketball or cartooning, Husein Panju, Law’12, is the voice behind Lawyered, a podcast offering a fresh take on the Canadian legal scene.

“I’ve been obsessed with podcasts for about five years,” says Panju who’s been listening to them on his commute, while doing errands or relaxing. It was this passion that encouraged him to create a podcast of his own. While searching for a podcast about Canadian legal issues, he found the options lacking. As a result, Lawyered was born.

Lawyered is an independent, bi-weekly series in its second season. The first podcast of its kind, the show takes a critical look at current Canadian legal issues, aiming to elucidate the practical, “on the ground” side of the law. Its educational format functions as informal continuing professional development for lawyers and as an access-to-justice initiative for non-lawyers.

Each episode features a conversation with a different legal professional that provides insight on their specific area of practice. Past episodes have discussed diverse topics including technology, entertainment law, animal law and charity law. The podcast typically receives more than 300 downloads per week, attracting a primarily Canadian audience. The show has also gained a small international following.

“I expected it would be tricky to find guests, but many lawyers have been receptive to the idea and the show has quickly spread through social media and word of mouth,” he says. “To date, I have interviewed an LSUC bencher, the current Ontario environmental commissioner, and several recipients of prestigious legal awards. While most of the guests have been lawyers who I have contacted directly, several of them are people who reached out to me.”

Lawyered has featured several Queen’s Law alumni, such as Addison Cameron-Huff, Law’12, a prominent technology lawyer in Toronto, as well as Scott Maidment, Law’88, a partner at McMillan LLP and Christopher Horkins, Law’11, an associate at Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP.

“While it can be challenging to balance a full-time job as well as a podcast, I remain motivated by the fact that Lawyered is an access-to-justice initiative that is providing important knowledge to a wide range of people,” says Panju. In addition, he notes that hosting a podcast has engaged and honed his legal skills. “As a litigator, I have applied my 'direct examination' skills to guide the guests through complicated topics in a way that is understandable to laypeople.”

Check out Lawyered online or find it on iTunes. Its next episode, airing on June 1, will examine current issues in health law, including proposed federal legislation regarding medically-assisted dying. The season two finale will air at the end of June.