⚖ Oral Arguments, with Context

Real court arguments, crisp audio, with context.

Court recordings can be difficult to follow, and many suffer from poor audio quality. This podcast enhances the audio, provides a brief introduction to each case, and explains legal concepts that may be unfamiliar to some listeners.

We hope these enhancements make oral argument recordings easier to understand, more accessible, and more enjoyable to listen to.

Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube /feed.xml Open RSS

Kamdem-Ouaffo v. Balchem Corporation — 2d Cir. (Sep 23, 2026)

No. 25-1056, 25-1116 Argued September 23, 2026 Published September 27, 2026

The Second Circuit hears two related appeals by Ricky Kamdem-Ouaffo against his former employer, Balchem Corporation. He sued after alleging workplace harassment and wrongful termination. His first suit was dismissed after he missed a court-ordered deposition; the second was dismissed as duplicative. Years later, he asked to reopen both judgments, but a March 2025 order refused permission. Representing himself, Kamdem-Ouaffo asks the appeals court to revisit that refusal. Rule 60(b)(4) concerns a judgment that is void; Rule 60(b)(6) permits relief for other extraordinary reasons. He says the magistrate judge exceeded his authority and that a rule about applying new decisions to pending appeals supports reopening one case. Two days after this hearing, the panel affirmed both denials, finding the requests too late and the proposed grounds insufficient.

Kamdem-Ouaffo v. Balchem Corporation (No. 25-1056, 25-1116) — U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, argued September 23, 2026.

Sources
Argument audio — Second Circuit (public domain, 17 U.S.C. § 105):https://ww3.ca2.uscourts.gov/audio/25-1056%20%26%2025-1116.mp3
Argument date and combined dockets — Second Circuit:https://ww3.ca2.uscourts.gov/oral_arguments.html
Original employment case — 2018 district court opinion:https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/new-york/nysdce/7%3A2017cv02810/472673/36/
Second employment case — 2022 district court opinion:https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/new-york/nysdce/7%3A2019cv09943/525581/70/
Rule 60(b) denial — March 2025 district court order:https://cases.justia.com/federal/district-courts/new-york/nysdce/7:2017cv02810/472673/340/0.pdf
Reconsideration denial — April 2025 district court order:https://docs.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/new-york/nysdce/7:2017cv02810/472673/345
Appeal docket — Second Circuit:https://dockets.justia.com/docket/circuit-courts/ca2/25-1116
Rules 60 and 72 — Federal Rules of Civil Procedure:https://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/federal-rules-of-civil-procedure.pdf
Magistrate judge authority — 28 U.S.C. § 636:https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=%28title%3A28+section%3A636+edition%3Aprelim%29
Griffith v. Kentucky — U.S. Supreme Court:https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USREPORTS-479/pdf/USREPORTS-479-314.pdf
Harper v. Virginia Department of Taxation — U.S. Supreme Court:https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/USREPORTS-509/USREPORTS-509-86
Outcome in No. 25-1056 — Second Circuit summary order:https://ww3.ca2.uscourts.gov/decisions/SUM/25-1056_so.pdf
Outcome in No. 25-1116 — Second Circuit summary order:https://ww3.ca2.uscourts.gov/decisions/SUM/25-1116_so.pdf

0:00
0:00