Legal Lessons from Hit Podcast, S-Town – Introduction

It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of podcasts. At any given time, my Overcast queue is full of episodes covering a variety of topics, including tech, productivity, true crime, law and music. I also write about them from time to time – check out my posts Podcasts and the Law and The Law According to Planet Money.

Lately, I’ve heard a lot of buzz about a new podcast called S-Town, which is the latest series from the creators of public radio/podcast giant This American Life and the hugely popular podcast Serial.

So what is S-Town about? The show’s website introduces it this way: “John despises his Alabama town and decides to do something about it. He asks a reporter to investigate the son of a wealthy family who’s allegedly been bragging that he got away with murder. But then someone else ends up dead, sparking a nasty feud, a hunt for hidden treasure, and an unearthing of the mysteries of one man’s life.”

After listening to the first two episodes, I was hooked, particularly after a rather significant twist that occurs at the end of Chapter II. My commute is approximately 40 minutes, and you know that I’ve found a compelling show when I find myself sitting in the parking lot or my driveway to finish an episode. I finished the seven chapter series over the course of three days. I recommended the show to my colleague, Lindsay Schoeneberger, who finished it last weekend.

While this post won’t contain any spoilers (we’ll give you a few days to listen!), Lindsay and I will be writing a series of posts outlining some of the legal issues that arise throughout the podcast. Check back next week for the first installment in the series.

Matt Landis is an attorney at Russell, Krafft & Gruber, LLP, in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. He received his law degree from Widener University School of Law and advises clients on issues of Information Technology & Internet Law, Intellectual Property Law and Business Law.