In this first part of our interview with Dr. Mike Hemphill, Co-director of the Presidential Leadership Scholars program, April and Glen learn how Mike's path from academia to leadership work shaped a simple but powerful belief: leadership grows out of real human interaction, not titles or formulas. He talks about why patience, curiosity, and reflection matter so much when we’re trying to communicate across differences, and how ideas from communication theory—and even jazz improvisation—help explain what good conversation really looks like. Mike also introduces the Presidential Leadership Scholars Program he co-directs, describing it as a hands-on “leadership lab” that brings together people from very different backgrounds and communities. Rather than teaching leadership from a textbook, the program focuses on storytelling, personal experience, and relationships, showing how listening, openness, and connection can broaden perspectives and help people lead more thoughtfully across political and cultural divides.

In part 3 of our conversation with Annabelle Tuck, April and Glen delve into broader issues of the law and the jurisprudential philosophies that influence decision-making by courts in the state and nationally. Recent increased use of the “shadow docket” by the US Supreme court is of concern to Annabelle, as it has a major impact on the legal status of ongoing cases without providing any rationale into the reasons for these initial decisions, leaving attorneys and courts around the country with no guidance toward resolving important legal and constitutional questions. A fascinating discussion ensues on how recent Supreme Court decisions in her view can take too big of a “slice” in some legal cases and how that can mistakenly get ahead of public opinion, an important consideration in promoting societal acceptance of the court’s decisions. We also hear about her volunteer activities during her retirement that include advocacy for greater access to the legal system by the disadvantaged.

In part 2 of our conversation with retired Arkansas Supreme Court Justice Annabelle Tuck, April and Glen explore her faith journey as she converted to Judaism, its coherence with her legal philosophy, and the Torah’s serving as a foundation for much of Western law. We also hear about her moral and legal views that led to her decisions in some legal rulings in Arkansas that continue to influence the legal landscape. Specifically, Annabelle provides a fascinating first-hand account of the thinking and judicial issues associated with the Lakeview school District case that changed the way Arkansas funded public education. She also helps us understand the underpinnings of the case involving the LGBTQ community that overturned laws against sodomy. Annabelle also shares her observations about the current judicial and legal environment that has recently changed in so many important ways that it now seems to her “another world.“