2: The Oeuvre: Joseph Lee's Oeuvre

In this episode, we are joined by Jonathan Bloom, a former partner at leading international law firms including White & Case, Ropes & Gray, and Jones Day. Drawing on decades of experience advising investment banks, institutional investors, and high-growth companies, Jonathan takes us inside the often-overlooked world of startup governance. From common governance mistakes to the questions every founder should ask before taking investment, this conversation offers valuable insights for entrepreneurs, aspiring founders, and anyone interested in the interaction between commercial law and innovation.

In this episode, we’re joined by Dr. Emre Kazim, co-founder and co-CEO of Holistic AI. Through contrasting the EU AI Act to the UK’s pro-innovation approach, this episode examines whether the law can keep pace with rapidly evolving technology. We also explore the reasons why companies still ought to act responsibly in the absence of up-to-date regulation and the importance of corporate governance. We discuss AI auditing, risk, accountability, and whether governance should be seen as a barrier to innovation.

In this episode, we are joined by Mike Kochkin, Founder and CEO of BeSavvy, and Oliver Lipscombe, a final-year LLB student at LSE and part of the BeSavvy team, to explore how artificial intelligence is beginning to reshape legal training.Drawing on Mike’s experience at Latham & Watkins and his work building BeSavvy, we examine how simulation-based AI tools aim to replicate the realities of elite legal practice. Oliver offers a student perspective, discussing how these tools are being adopted by aspiring lawyers and what this means for the future of legal education.The conversation goes beyond the surface-level excitement around AI to ask harder questions: Can AI genuinely replicate the depth of traditional legal training? What is gained in efficiency, and what might be lost in judgement, mentorship, and professional development? And ultimately, if AI transforms how lawyers are trained, what are the long-term implications for the profession?This episode challenges the assumption that innovation is always progress, and instead asks what the true cost of that transformation might be.Guests: Mike Kochkin & Oliver LipscombeHosts: Raana Syed and Hasti HashemiEditors: Salma Abuelatta and Noor Sayegh

In this episode of The Oeuvre, we chat with Joseph Lee, the mind behind Sontag, a café that’s quickly cemented itself as an LSE student staple. We unpack Joseph’s journey, the vision driving Sontag, and what it takes to build a space that people keep coming back to.We also get into his unfiltered take on matcha vs coffee, the rise of the new “it” drink, and the performative personas that orbit café culture today.Hosts: Farah Alaradi, Amanda Suliawan, Angelika SantanielloGuest: Joseph Lee Editors: Salma Abuelatta and Noor SayeghArtwork: Sylvain Chan

We are joined by Daniel Long, Co-Founder of Garfield AI, for the first episode in our Introduction to AI series.He discusses how artificial intelligence could transform access to legal services, particularly by lowering costs and widening access to legal support. The episode explores whether AI might democratise aspects of legal advice and representation, while also reflecting on the opportunities and risks of integrating automated systems into the delivery of justice.Hosts: Raana Syed and Hasti HashemiEditors: Salma Abuelatta and Noor Sayegh

In this episode, we’re joined by Rebecca, who shares her experience growing up across France, Italy, and London. She reflects on navigating a French-Indian multinational upbringing and the gradual process of embracing her Indian identity. Rebecca also speaks about the role of family in shaping her sense of self, and how film and music have helped her stay connected to her cultures.Host: Nora Kaul Hoelgaard Editor: Salma Abuelatta, Noor Sayegh Artwork: Sylvain Chan

In this episode of The Oeuvre, Farah, Amanda, and Angelika explore the gentrification of East London. A cultural hub once renowned for its accessibility and thriving community of underground creatives, East London is now synonymous with exorbitant prices for thrifted clothing, unique food spots, and rent. How have progressive ideals, whether expressed through an aversion to fast fashion and unsustainable business practices, or through support for self-expression and multiculturalism, been co-opted into a machine of aestheticised overconsumption?Hosts: Farah Alaradi, Amanda Suliawan, Angelika SantanielloEditors: Salma Abuelatta and Noor SayeghArtwork: Sylvain Chan

In this episode of What If? The Future’s Legal Podcast, we ask: what if justice focused less on punishment, and more on memory?We explore whether preserving testimonies, storytelling, and collective memory can itself function as a form of justice in post-conflict societies.We are joined by Francisco, a Public Information Coordinator at the International Criminal Court, who shares insights from his work communicating justice to communities affected by conflict. The episode considers whether international justice should be measured by convictions alone, or by how societies remember what happened, and why that memory matters.Hosts: Raana Syed and Hasti HashemiEditors: Salma Abuelatta and Noor Sayegh

In this episode we are joined by Silvia Teixeira and Stephane Duponcheele in exploring the fascinating novel legal and policy concerns that are associated with permanent settlement in outer space. We discuss the provisions of the Outer Space Treaty, as well as the current grey areas in international space law.Alongside currently completing her masters in International Development and Public Policy, Silvia works as a project manager at Nova SBE's Knowledge Centre. She has collaborated as a research assistant on a H2020 Earth observation project. Her interests lie in legal and policy challenges of emerging technologies on Earth and in space.Stephane is an undergraduate student at UCL, with a strong interest in space law from both a commercial and public policy standpoint.Hosts: Raana Syed and Hasti HashemiEditors: Salma Abuelatta and Noor Sayegh

In this episode, we are joined by Elen Griffiths, an Environment and Sustainable Development with Economics student. We explore how it is growing up in a Welsh-speaking household and the importance of minority-spoken languages. We also discuss moving to London and her realisation of wanting to return to Wales, despite pressures from external forces.Host: Nora Kaul HoelgaardEditor: Laila GauharArtwork: Sylvain Chan