Higher Callings®

Higher Callings®

Interviews of lawyers and other persons dedicated to serving the common good. The host of Higher Callings is Donald Frederico. An experienced Boston lawyer who has taken on important pro bono cases and led a 12,000 member bar association and other nonprofits, Don has encountered a host of people who have found ways to serve their communities and the broader public and help people in need. We hope that, by shining a light on their good works, Higher Callings will inspire others to find their own paths towards making the world a better place.

Recent Episodes

Nov. 23, 2024

Today's Supreme Court and the Separation of Powers, with Suffolk University Law Professor Renee Landers

The act of governing is an exercise of power. Part of the genius of the United States Constitution is that it does not place all the power in a single ruler, but distributes it across three branches – the legislative, which …
Nov. 17, 2024

"Your Lovable Lawyer": Danny Karon's Higher Calling

When you hear the word “lawyer,” what adjectives come to mind? Obnoxious? Over-priced? Untrustworthy? Or maybe skillful? Smart? Respectable? How often when you think of lawyers do you think “loveable?” Danny Karon is a Cleve…
Nov. 9, 2024

Portrait of a Jurist: Retired Bankruptcy Judge and Active Public Interest Lawyer Frank J. Bailey

In some courts, when a judge retires, their law clerks or others get together and pay an artist to paint the judge's official portrait. When the portrait is ready, there is a ceremony at the courthouse attended by the judge …
Oct. 25, 2024

Defending Democracy and the Rule of Law: A Conversation with former Massachusetts Attorney General Scott Harshbarger

When a person becomes a lawyer, they take an oath. The oath is often administered in a formal bar admission ceremony. Each year in Massachusetts, many such ceremonies take place at historic Faneuil Hall. The new lawyers and …
July 11, 2024

Running the Marathon: A Conversation with Tom Grilk, Retired President and CEO of the Boston Athletic Association

Tom Grilk is a lawyer who began his career in private practice at a major Boston law firm, then worked as in-house counsel at several area tech companies, and, from 2011 until 2022, served as President and CEO of the Boston …
May 1, 2024

Turning Data Into Action: The World Justice Project and the Rule of Law

The phrase “The Rule of Law” is one we often hear and many of us invoke, but do we have a shared understanding of what it means? And even if we can arrive at a common definition, why does the Rule of Law matter? If it does m…