Juan Cartagena reflects on his journey from aspiring musician to Columbia Law School and more than a decade leading LatinoJustice PRLDEF, one of the nation’s premier civil rights law organizations, before turning to the Supreme Court’s 2025–26 term to examine cases involving racial profiling, gerrymandering and potential challenges to birthright citizenship, as well as ongoing debates over Puerto Rico’s political status.

This podcast is for educational purposes only. The views expressed are those of the host and guests and do not reflect the views of Arizona State University or the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law. Nothing discussed should be considered legal advice or a substitute for professional counsel. All errors are the responsibility of the speaker.

Part III is a bonus episode of Bad Bunny, the Super Bowl and the Law. Law professor Diego Alcala-Laboy, activist attorney Raquel Maldonado, Impacto AZ founder Jonathan Higuera and ASU law student Alondra Lopez Barrera examine Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime performance. The discussion explores its celebration of Puerto Rican and Latin culture, its reference to Puerto Rico’s colonial status and its challenge to conventional definitions of American identity. The episode also considers the role of joy and love during periods of social and political uncertainty.

This podcast is for educational purposes only. The views expressed are those of the host and guests and do not reflect the views of Arizona State University or the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law. Nothing discussed should be considered legal advice or a substitute for professional counsel. All errors are the responsibility of the speaker.

Part II continues the conversation with ASU scholar-in-residence Luis Mendoza; Albany Law School professor Diego Alcala Laboy; San Juan-based lawyer and activist Raquel Maldonado Navarro; and ASU Law student and superfan Alondra Lopez Barrera, examining how controversy over the NFL’s decision to invite Bad Bunny to perform at the Super Bowl offers a broader learning moment. The guests discuss how the debate highlights Puerto Rico’s ongoing colonial status, the contradictions of U.S. citizenship and questions of language, belonging, gender and culture, while also diving into key legal cases and Bad Bunny songs — and what audiences might expect from his Super Bowl performance.

This podcast is for educational purposes only. The views expressed are those of the host and guests and do not reflect the views of Arizona State University or the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law. Nothing discussed should be considered legal advice or a substitute for professional counsel. All errors are the responsibility of the speaker.

Bad Bunny photo © Glenn Francis, www.PacificProDigital.com. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.

Bad Bunny, the Super Bowl and the Law: Part 1 explores the global rise of Puerto Rican reggaeton star Bad Bunny, tracing the genre’s Afro-Caribbean roots from Jamaica and Panama to San Juan’s La Perla, New York City and California’s Central Valley. The episode features ASU scholar-in-residence Luis Mendoza; Albany Law School professor and Ponce native Diego Alcala Laboy; San Juan-based lawyer, scholar and activist Raquel Maldonado Navarro; and ASU Law student and superfan Alondra Lopez Barrera, who together examine how reggaeton — and Bad Bunny — emerged as a worldwide cultural force.

This podcast is for educational purposes only. The views expressed are those of the host and guests and do not reflect the views of Arizona State University or the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law. Nothing discussed should be considered legal advice or a substitute for professional counsel. All errors are the responsibility of the speaker.

Bad Bunny photo © Glenn Francis, www.PacificProDigital.com. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.

Jennifer Abruzzo traces her path to the labor movement and labor law, explains the historic role of an independent National Labor Relations Board in protecting workers’ right to organize, examines current threats to the agency’s viability — including a recently argued Supreme Court case that could reshape labor rights — and discusses her work to reimagine labor law and strengthen worker power, particularly in states like Arizona with historically low unionization rates.

This podcast is for educational purposes only. The views expressed are those of the host and guests and do not reflect the views of Arizona State University or the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law. Nothing discussed should be considered legal advice or a substitute for professional counsel. All errors are the responsibility of the speaker.

Daniel Ortega, a double Sun Devil and nationally recognized civil rights activist, reflects on growing up in Phoenix and navigating a segregated public school system that held low expectations for Latino students, tracing his path to the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University and a career shaped by courtroom and community battles — including successful challenges to SB 1070 and Maricopa County immigration sweeps — while explaining how those fights built on earlier civil rights coalitions, sparked new community leadership and continue to matter today, alongside the music that inspires him and what gives him hope.

This podcast is for educational purposes only. The views expressed are those of the host and guests and do not reflect the views of Arizona State University or the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law. Nothing discussed should be considered legal advice or a substitute for professional counsel. All errors are the responsibility of the speaker.

Fatima Goss Graves, a nationally recognized civil rights and gender justice leader, discusses her path to advocacy, the impact of recent government shutdowns and why the affordability of health care, housing and food remains a core civil rights issue, while also reflecting on the music that inspires her and the sources of hope that sustain her work.

This podcast is for educational purposes only. The views expressed are those of the host and guests and do not reflect the views of Arizona State University or the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law. Nothing discussed should be considered legal advice or a substitute for professional counsel. All errors are the responsibility of the speaker.