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Barrister father and daughter's Carpool Karoake-style YouTube videos discussing law is a surprise hit
The pair’s discussions, filmed while driving to work, have been dubbed Carpool Caselaw
December 17, 2019 13:36
The pair’s discussions, filmed while driving to work, have been dubbed Carpool Caselaw
December 17, 2019 13:36A father and daughter’s discussions on the finer points of property law, filmed while driving to work in the style of comedian James Corden’s “Carpool Karaoke", have become a surprise YouTube hit.
Barristers Jonathan Seitler QC and his daughter, Miriam, have uploaded two episodes of their — admittedly niche-interest — “Carpool Caselaw” under the YouTube channel of Wilberforce Chambers, where he works.
Mr Corden’s original version, a regular segment on his Late Late Show on US network CBS, has attracted millions of worldwide views with videos featuring stars such as Kanye West, Adele, Elton John and Barbra Streisand.
Carpool Caselaw sees the Seitlers propping up a camera on their windshield to debate legal issues as they drive through London.
Miriam, a member of Alei Tzion Synagogue in Hendon, told the JC that the pair live nearby each other in Finchley, and often drive to and from work together.
She said: “Basically, the idea was just to put a camera in the car and just do what we would normally do — talk about the things we would otherwise.
“We tend to talk about law a lot anyway. We work in the same area of law, which is quite unusual.
“We intentionally made it unscripted, apart from reading about the case in advance. It means it comes across quite naturally.”
Manchester-born Mr Seitler, who attends Finchley United Synagogue (Kinloss), told The Times the venture was “98 per cent for our own amusement and two per cent marketing” for his chambers.
He explained that Carpool Caselaw stood apart from other barristers’ promotional videos — increasingly used to win business — in that normally “the lawyers presenting them are very wooden… They look like hostages”.
He added: “What we do is much more naturalistic and therefore, we hope, more accessible.”
In the first episode, the pair discuss London Kendal St v Daejan Investments, a firm owned and operated by the Jewish Freshwater family.
The county court case concerned the ability of the landlord to refuse a tenant’s lease renewal on the basis that it intended to redevelop the premises.
The second focused on the University of London v Cornerstone Telecommunications Infrastructure Ltd in 2019 — which Mr Seitler interrupted briefly to listen to Manchester City’s match against Shakhtar Donetsk.
They have ruled out pivoting to a more musical format, with Miriam saying “we are not musical people”.
