The Legal Lab Podcast
A podcast by Haresh Sood
The Legal Lab is Haresh's podcast series cutting through the complexity of law as it affects everyday people — students, parents, teachers, and professionals who find themselves navigating a system that can feel overwhelming without the right guidance.
Each episode tackles a real, pressing legal issue with the same directness and clarity Haresh brings to his practice. No unnecessary jargon. Just honest, practical legal insight from someone who has seen these cases up close.
Series 1 — featuring Anita Chopra
In the first series, Haresh is joined by solicitor Anita Chopra for four episodes covering some of the most common — and most misunderstood — areas of education law.
Episode 1 — University Misconduct, AI, Plagiarism & Student Appeals
In the first episode of The Legal Lab podcast, Haresh Sood is joined by Anita Chopra — a solicitor with 25 years of experience specialising exclusively in education law, and one of a very small number of practitioners in England and Wales working at this level of specialism.
Episode 2 — Before Teachers Face the Teaching Regulation Agency
In this episode, Haresh Sood and Anita Chopra — a solicitor with 25 years of experience in education law — go deep on what happens when a teacher ends up before the TRA. Anita has been representing teachers in regulatory proceedings since the days of the General Teaching Council, and her perspective on the system is both forensic and honest.
Episode 3 — EHCPs Explained — What Parents Must Know
In this episode, Haresh Sood and Anita go through everything parents need to understand about Education, Health and Care Plans: what an EHCP actually is (and why the wording of the document matters so much), why the 20-week deadline keeps being missed, how to appeal at every stage of the process, and why being in the tribunal system — as overwhelming as it sounds — is usually better than not being in it.
Episode 4 — School Exclusions & Natural Justice
In the final episode of the series, Haresh Sood and Anita Chopra tackle school exclusions and natural justice. Since the law changed, only the governing body can reinstate an excluded child — the independent review panel no longer has that power. That single fact changes everything about how a case should be approached.
Series 2 — featuring Paul Wright
In this next series, Haresh is joined by Paul Wright, CEO of Quartz Barristers for a longer recorded episode covering direct access, new upcoming legal technology and much more.
Episode 5 — Paul Wright, CEO of Quartz Barristers | The Legal Lab Podcast
Haresh Sood sits down with Paul Wright, CEO of Quartz Barristers, to discuss innovation, direct access, legal technology and the future of the Bar.
Episode 6 — Ravi Sethi, Family Law Barrister | The Legal Lab Podcast
In this episode of the Legal Lab Podcast, filmmaker and barrister Haresh Sood sits down with Ravi Sethi, a family law barrister based in Manchester, to discuss family and criminal law, direct access, culture in the courtroom, and what clients are really going through when they pick up the phone.
More episodes coming soon.
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