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

A Champion for the Rule of Law at Home and Abroad: Massachusetts Lawyer and Retired Justice Robert J. Cordy

March 20, 2023

Democracies are fragile things. Many of us who pay attention have watched democracies rise and fall. So far, American democracy has survived attempts to weaken it, but no one can guarantee its continued survival. Two of the …

Access to Justice: A Conversation with Pro Bono Lawyer Susan M. Finegan

March 4, 2023

Pro bono publico , a Latin phrase meaning “for the public good,” is most often associated with free legal services lawyers provide to people who need help but cannot afford to pay for it. No lawyer I know better reflects th…

Paying it Forward: Boston Bar Association President Chinh Pham

Feb. 24, 2023

When Chinh Pham was 10 years old, he and his family, like thousands of others, fled the chaotic capital of what was then South Vietnam on the final day of the Vietnam War. They were rescued by the 7th Fleet of the U.S. Navy,…

Combining Private Practice With Public Service: A Conversation With Retired Lawyer and Judge Karen Green

Feb. 19, 2023

Lawyers wear many hats. Some go into private practice, some into government service, and others represent the poor. Among those who choose courtroom work, some lawyers become prosecutors, some become criminal defense attorne…

"The Power to Effect Change": Clinical Professor of Law Sandra Babcock and the Cornell Center on the Death Penalty Worldwide (the Malawi story)

Feb. 13, 2023

This episode is an abridged version of the previous episode, picking up the story from the time Professor Babcock entered academia, and quickly focusing on the fascinating and important work she and her students have done an…

"The Power to Effect Change": Clinical Professor of Law Sandra Babcock and the Cornell Center on the Death Penalty Worldwide

Feb. 4, 2023

Malawi is a landlocked country in southeastern Africa. It is one of the poorest countries in the world. Like many countries, Malawi still applies the death penalty for capital crimes, although the death penalty is no longer …