The Baldy Center Podcast

Matthew Dimick discusses law, income inequality, and the economics of justice

The Baldy Center Podcast features Matthew Dimick discussing his recent book, Ending Income Inequality: A Critical Approach to the Law and Economics of Redistribution. Dimick explores how legal rules and institutions shape income distribution and the economy long before taxation occurs. He unpacks the concepts of redistribution, predistribution, and the “double distortion argument,” highlighting how law and society research can reveal the real impact of economic policy on inequality. This conversation touches on the interdisciplinary mission of The Baldy Center, and the role of law in creating a more equitable economic future. For the transcription, please visit Baldy Center Podcast Episode 53

Raj Sharman discusses crisis-ready healthcare, resilience, and trust in information systems

In Episode 52 of The Baldy Center Podcast, Raj Sharman (School of Management) discusses how healthcare systems and public institutions prepare for crises. Drawing on his research in disaster response, hospital information systems, and telehealth, Sharman explains why resilience depends on preparedness, trust, communication, and equity, not just technology, and what these lessons mean for healthcare systems in an era of AI and growing institutional risk. For transcription, please visit: Baldy Center Podcast Episode 52

Michael Gibson-Light discusses prison labor, prisoners’ unions, and the politics of work behind bars

In Episode 51 of The Baldy Center Podcast Michael Gibson-Light discusses his research on the 1970s prison labor movement in the United States. He details how incarcerated workers organized through underground newspapers like The Outlaw, the rise and fall of prisoners’ unions, and what this history reveals for today’s debates on prison labor and mass incarceration. For transcription, please visit: Baldy Center Podcast Episode 51

Helen Drew and Ken Belson discuss stadium financing, public subsidies, and the politics of pro sports

In Episode 50 of The Baldy Center Podcast, Helen “Nellie” Drew  joins Ken Belson to discuss the complex intersections of professional sports, public subsidies, and policy decisions. Drawing from the Buffalo Bills stadium deal and other national examples, they explore how public-private partnerships shape urban economies, political choices, and community identity. Their conversation examines both the economic and ethical dimensions of sports development and what it reveals about how cities invest in their teams and themselves. Nellie Drew, Professor of Practice in Sports Law, is the director of the UB Center for the Advancement of Sport. Ken Belson, long-time New York Times sports business reporter, is the author of the book Every Day Is Sunday: How Jerry Jones, Robert Kraft, and Roger Goodell Turned the NFL into a Cultural & Economic Juggernaut. For transcription, please visit: Baldy Center Podcast 50

Whitney K. Taylor discusses constitutions, social rights, and prosecutorial backlash

In Episode 49 of The Baldy Center Podcast we welcome Whitney K. Taylor, PhD, Mid-Career Fellow at The Baldy Center. Taylor discusses her award-winning book, The Social Constitution: Embedding Social Rights Through Legal Mobilization. Her work examines how Colombia’s 1991 Constitution and the tutela procedure transformed access to justice, embedding social rights into everyday life. Taylor offers perspective on constitutional reform, the labor of law, and the political backlash that follows experiments in justice. Taylor connects her research in Colombia to ongoing debates in the United States, including the rise of reform-minded prosecutors and the challenges they face. For transcription, please visit: Baldy Center Podcast Episode 49

Korydon Smith discusses inclusive design, refugee housing, and global health equity

In Episode 48 of The Baldy Center Podcast, Korydon Smith discusses inclusive design, refugee housing, and global health equity. Drawing from his international work in Uganda and Rwanda, Smith reflects on the universal dimensions of design, emphasizing interdisciplinary collaboration and sustainability. The discussion highlights how architecture can serve as a tool for social justice, and how design can empower vulnerable communities worldwide. For transcription, please visit: Baldy Center Podcast Episode 48

"The Origins of 'The Rule of Law'" — Jeremy Kessler converses with Matthew Dimick, Paul Linden-Retek, and Matthew Steilen (Part 2)

Episode 47 of The Baldy Center Podcast features Jeremy Kessler in conversation with Matthew Dimick, Paul Linden-Retek, and Matthew Steilen. They discuss Kessler’s paper, “The Origins of ‘The Rule of Law,’” delving into early 17th-century England and tracing the conceptual shift of “rule of law” from procedural common law usage to a broader theory of political governance. In Part One, they discuss how legal language, economic change, and historical interpretation intersect to shape legal ideologies still relevant today. In Part Two they dive deeper into legal theory, the tensions between classical liberalism and reform, the autonomy of law and the state, and materialist approaches to understanding legal history. This two-part episode presents a rigorous analysis of foundational questions about how the rule of law persists and evolves within capitalist systems. For transcription, please visit: Baldy Center Podcast Episode 47 Part 2

"The Origins of 'The Rule of Law'" — Jeremy Kessler converses with Matthew Dimick, Paul Linden-Retek, and Matthew Steilen (Part 1)

Episode 47 of The Baldy Center Podcast features Jeremy Kessler in conversation with Matthew Dimick, Paul Linden-Retek, and Matthew Steilen. They discuss Kessler’s paper, “The Origins of ‘The Rule of Law,’” delving into early 17th-century England and tracing the conceptual shift of “rule of law” from procedural common law usage to a broader theory of political governance. In Part One, they discuss how legal language, economic change, and historical interpretation intersect to shape legal ideologies still relevant today. In Part Two they dive deeper into legal theory, the tensions between classical liberalism and reform, the autonomy of law and the state, and materialist approaches to understanding legal history. This two-part episode presents a rigorous analysis of foundational questions about how the rule of law persists and evolves within capitalist systems. For transcription, please visit: Baldy Center Podcast Episode 47 Part 1

Monica Miles discusses environmental justice, STEM education, and the nonprofit community

In Episode 46 of The Baldy Center Podcast, Monica Miles (Engineering Education) speaks about environmental justice, STEM education, sustainability of nonprofits, and how social policies impact the health of marginalized communities. For transcription, please visit: Baldy Center Podcast Episode 46

Siwei Lyu, Mark Bartholomew and George Brown explore AI regulation, ethics, and legal challenges

In Episode 45 of The Baldy Center Podcast, Siwei Lyu (Computer Science and Engineering), Mark Bartholomew (Law), and George Brown (Law) discuss the rapid evolution of generative AI, its applications, and the challenges it poses for regulation, ethics, and legal frameworks. From deepfake technology and privacy concerns to AI's integration in law and decision-making processes, their thought-provoking conversation is at the intersection of technology, law, and social policy. For transcription, please visit: Baldy Center Podcast Episode 45