Christel Best Presents:
Law and Culture
Are you interested in the intricacies of the law and how they impact your community and our society? Join Christel Best on Law and Culture as she delves into important legal issues concerning the environment, social justice, discrimination, and more.
AVAILABLE WHEREVER YOU GET YOUR PODCASTS.
Episode 12: East Cleveland Poised to Benefit Thanks to Support from Cuyahoga County Land Bank
In today's episode, I have the pleasure of interviewing Dennis Roberts, the director of Real Estate Development for the Cuyahoga Land Reutilization Corporation (Cuyahoga Land Bank). Roberts, who is also an attorney and realtor, is leading the Land Bank's efforts to transform the Circle East District, less than a mile from the world-renowned University Circle - a center of innovation in health care, education, and arts and culture.
NOVEMBER 12, 2024 | 26 MIN 1 SEC | S1:E12
Episode 11: The Great Ohio School Voucher Debate
In 1997, Ohio launched its first school voucher program in Cleveland, which supporters claimed would allow students to escape the perils of attending schools in the underfunded Cleveland public school district. Since that time, the voucher system has been called unconstitutional as it cripples district schools by further limiting their finances. In today’s episode, two Ohio educators provide a frontline look at vouchers today and life in the schools before vouchers.
OCTOBER 23, 2024 | 16 MIN 9 SEC | S1: E11
Episode 10: The Summer of Contamination
On June 28, 2024, the US Supreme Court ruled that courts may rely on their own interpretation of ambiguous environmental laws pertaining to clean water and air. Courts no longer have to defer to agencies such as the EPA to provide science- and evidence-based guidelines when interpreting these laws. In this episode, I look at the recent decision and consider what it means for us as a society.
OCTOBER 19, 2024 | 31 MIN 18 SEC | S1: E10
Episode 9: Workplace Wellness Programs
Lessons from the Yale University Discrimination Settlement
The Affordable Care Act of 2010 provided employers and employees opportunities to reduce health insurance costs if employees participated in voluntary workplace wellness programs. However, voluntary participation came with a heavy and sometimes punitive reality.
In this episode, I look at ways to think about your workplace wellness program in light of the Yale University discrimination settlement.
JULY 23, 2024 | 26 MIN 56 SEC | S1: E9
Episode 7: Workplace Religious Accommodation in South Africa and the US
South African attorney and legal scholar Dr. Cecile De Villiers and I explore the changing landscape of religious accommodations for employees in the workplace. As an employer, should it matter whether the religion "requires" certain behavior? What is "undue burden on the business”? Join us for what promises to be an informative and entertaining discussion.
JUNE 18, 2024 | 24 MIN 20 SEC | S1: E7
Episode 6: Five Quirky and Interesting Legal Questions from HR Professionals
Today's podcast will feature five new and different human resources legal questions and how I might answer them. If you have a quirky, funny, or otherwise interesting HR/legal question you want to ask, please submit it to christel@christelbesttraining.com.
MAY 28, 2024 | 25 MIN 12 SEC | S1: E6
Episode 5: That Question is a Real Gem
Quirky and Interesting Civil Rights Questions I Always Get Asked
Whether I am at the grocery store, the gym, or even a backyard barbecue, the conversation typically begins, "So you're an attorney? Well, I have a question for you, if you don't mind me my asking." At other times, I will be working with a client, and they will start asking probing questions about their personal situation. Today, I want to share five questions that I thought you might find interesting, along with answers.
MAY 21, 2024 | 40 MIN 21 SEC | S1: E5
Episode 4: Will DEI Survive SCOTUS's Rejection of Affirmative Action?
Now that the United States Supreme Court has rejected affirmative action programs in higher education, how will the chilling effect of this decision impact your DEI programs? In this episode, we look at the Supreme Court decision and the ensuing fallout. We also provide some best practices for framing your DEI programs.
APRIL 29, 2024 | 19 MIN 32 SEC | S1: E4
Episode 3: From Trash to Treasure - Part 3
As we wrap up our discussion of the East Cleveland, Ohio, "Million-Dollar Dump," we end on a positive note. We look at ways other communities in the Midwest have repurposed and reimagined blighted areas. We consider ways your community can work with would-be developers and contractors to produce the best result for all involved. We also look at one Detroit, Michigan, community that recently turned blight into beehives! Speaking of blight, we will look at its history and how one Washington, DC, community used the claim of blight in the mid-1950s to unfairly expel thousands of minority families from their homes based on an alleged “public purpose.” Your story of blight revitalization can be a success story. Join me to learn more.
MARCH 19, 2024 | 38 MIN 10 SEC | S1: E3
Episode 2: From Trash to Treasure - Part 2
Welcome to Part Two of my series "From Trash to Treasure," which describes how one man swindled two Ohio cities out of millions of dollars as they tried to revitalize their Cleveland and East Cleveland communities. For this episode, I invited former Richmond Heights, Ohio, Mayor Miesha Headen to join me. Before being elected mayor, Headen served on the Richmond Heights City Council for nearly a decade. Today, Headen is an award-winning author and advocate for impoverished people.
MARCH 5, 2024 | 33 MIN 6 SEC | S1: E2
Episode 1: From Trash to Treasure - Part 1
How One Man Swindled Two Ohio Cities Through His Unlawful Dumping Scheme
Do you work in municipal government? Perhaps you work in community or economic development with the goal of resolving blight and spurring growth and development. If so, this podcast will be eye-opening for you. I am going to take you on a journey as I review how one George Michael Riley, a man claiming to be a recycler of building materials, was able to steal almost $4,000,000 from the City of Cleveland, Ohio.
MARCH 5, 2024 | 38 MIN 42 SEC. | S1: E1
Welcome to Law and Culture
Hi everyone! My name is Christel Best, and I am a licensed attorney in Ohio. I am excited to introduce my new podcast, Law and Culture: A Social Expedition. In this podcast, we will be talking about the law not just from a boring textbook point of view, but also looking at interesting cases about the environment, social justice, and issues related to harassment and discrimination. We are going to cover a lot of different subjects and occasionally conduct interviews with special guests. You do not want to miss a single episode.
FEBRUARY 12, 2024 | 1 MIN 23 SEC | S1: TRAILER
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