Jason Ingber is an accomplished young attorney with an impressive resume. He earned a full merit scholarship to UCLA School of Law. He studied international law in Vienna. And he’s worked as a lawyer at different firms, settling hundreds of cases as well as a number of eight-figure class action lawsuits.
Now, he’s going out of the courtroom and onto YouTube, where he hosts “The Jason Ingber Podcast.” On it, he interviews lawyers and influencers about the top legal issues of today, including Alex Jones’ defamation trial, the impeachment of President Donald Trump and Johnny Depp vs. Amber Heard.
Ingber also talks to lawyers working on diverse issues, like Alene Anello, the lawyer fighting for chickens’ rights and suing abusive chicken farmers, and Gary Apfel, who has helped secure over 20 pardons working with prisoners through the Aleph Institute. A recent episode featured Ari Nagel, the world’s most prolific sperm donor who fathered 130 children; he discussed all the legal problems he’s facing.
“The show pulls back the curtain on the legal world,” said Ingber. “By the time listeners finish an episode, they will now know someone interesting. They will also know what issues they may need legal help with.”
When people tune in, they can learn about basic legal concepts, like the definition of subpoena, what it means to go to trial and whether or not you can sue somebody. For one show, he interviewed an attorney at his firm who explained in just 20 minutes how to ace a deposition: respond with “yes,” “no” or “I can’t recall.”
Ingber said, “Any time you say more than two sentences, you’re failing. It’s these types of interesting legal nuggets that keep me going.”
They are also helpful for the listeners. “The more you learn about the legal vocabulary and culture, the more empowered you are,” he said. “It gives you the ability to understand legal problems better.”
When tuning into “The Jason Ingber Podcast,” listeners can better understand the legal system in the U.S. and the reasons behind different legal decisions. On an episode with Alan Dershowitz called, “Alan Dershowitz Defends the Worst People,” listeners gained insight into why the lawyer defends people who are assumed to be guilty.
“The vast majority of people who are tried for a crime in America are guilty,” Dershowitz said. “Thank God for that. Would we want to live in a country where a majority of people tried for a crime were innocent? That was the Soviet Union. That is Iran today. That may be China today.”
The show also goes behind the scenes of what it’s really like to work in the legal profession – even when it isn’t pretty.
“I spoke with an attorney general about how on the outside, she had everything going for her, but on the inside, she was dying,” Ingber said. “She had the perfect husband and children, and she was the perfect attorney. But she was struggling. She gave tips on how to avoid that, which was huge.”
Ingber, a native Angeleno, has always been fascinated by all things legal.
“I was told that from a young age, I wanted to be a lawyer,” he said. “When I was in the fifth grade, I was asking the teacher for extra recess. Everyone would call me ‘the lawyer.’”
Ingber was drawn to the legal profession because it’s how he can help people.
“I have friends and family who often ask me for advice,” he said. “I’m able to solve their programs pretty fast. I was always good at arguing, but now I have new ways to leverage my skill set and achieve the desired results.”
In the future, Ingber hopes to have a variety show where he can interview attorneys who are litigating high-profile cases. Listeners will be able to call in, and the attorneys will weigh in on their problems.
Whether he sticks with the podcast format or goes into TV as well, he’s going to focus on what matters the most to him: making meaningful connections with others.
“The overwhelming majority of people are fascinating, and everyone has a story.”
“The overwhelming majority of people are fascinating, and everyone has a story,” he said. “I’m super curious to have raw, authentic and vulnerable conversations. Having a real and honest conversation is one of the highest forms of connecting with people.”
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