Shoveling Smoke

About Shoveling Smoke

Shoveling Smoke – A Frantz Ward Lawcast is a podcast series created by Frantz Ward LLP, a full-service law firm in Cleveland, Ohio. Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes said that "lawyers spend a great deal of their time shoveling smoke." One interpretation of his remark is that lawyers take a vague concept or principle and give it shape, clearing away the smoke. Our podcast series focuses on current legal issues and news items that may affect your business, your community or you as an individual. Our attorneys – sometimes with a judge, client or other guest – spend 15-20 minutes exploring an issue and, at the end, provide a few takeaways to assist you in making sense of the gray areas of law.

Publisher

Frantz Ward LLP

Category

business

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

22 Jan 2021

Latest episode

31 Aug 2026

Latest episodes

4 of 35 episodes have a transcript.

1. 

   31 Aug 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Everybody's Using AI. Nobody’s Owning It.

   Host Jim Ickes interviews Chris McCarthy of OB.1 AI Solutions and Anthony Catalano of RSM US LLP about AI accountability and the real risks of widespread adoption.

2. 

   6 Aug 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Cannabis Rescheduling and Employment

   Host Josh A. Friedman and Associate Ben F. Kerns explore the employment implications of cannabis rescheduling, clarifying what the shift means for employers.

3. 

   5 Dec 2025TRANSCRIPT

   Pay Transparency in Cleveland: Compliance Tips for Employers

   Frantz Ward Associate and Host Josh A. Friedman sits down with Associate Ben F. Kerns to break down Cleveland’s new Pay Transparency Ordinance, which took effect Monday, October 27, 2025. They discuss which employers and applicants are covered, what the ordinance requires in job postings, and how restrictions on salary history inquiries will impact hiring practices. Josh and Ben also explore the enforcement process and offer practical compliance insights for employers operating in or around Cleveland.

Inside a recent episode

Everybody's Using AI. Nobody’s Owning It.

Published 31 Aug 2026 · Transcript excerpt

[…] And we're finding that people use Gemini and ChatGPT and Claude kind of on their own accord. And, you know, you see these numbers of monthly active users for ChatGPT and Claude and Gemini. Sometimes users forget that AI is built into YouTube and Gmail and Google. Outlook. And these are not necessarily new systems. They're just updates, right? You're already on these platforms. The technology is just kind of adapting into pre-existing systems. And I think individuals are using AI in a shadow kind of context, but as it relates to business use, it's either all in or kind of tiptoeing around the concept of AI. […]

Who has been a guest on Shoveling Smoke

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Chris McCarthy
• Anthony Catalano
• Ben F Kerns
• Katherine E McLaughlin
• Stacey M Sanderson

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

14 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 15 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

10

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

51

Questions about Shoveling Smoke