Advisory Opinions

Sarah Isgur and David French discuss the Supreme Court’s Alabama redistricting decision, a plea deal from the former national security adviser, and the best legal movies ever made.The Agenda:–⁠June 4 Opinions ⁠–Alabama’s new maps–John Bolton pleads guilty–Did the media actually get this right?–Gender and the Supreme Court’s culture–Favorite legal movies–Another round of Would You Rather!Show...

Sarah Isgur and David French (he returns!) discuss the major Trump losses—Kennedy Center name change, motion on Trump v. IRS, and injunction on the slush fund—before reviewing scrutiny of the court and the swatting incident at Justice Amy Coney Barrett’s residence. The Agenda:–Sarah returns to the greatest state in the U-S-of-A–Kicking Trump’s name from the Kennedy Center–The Flight 93...

David Lat joins Sarah Isgur (see ya later, French) to discuss the three-judge panel overturning Alabama’s congressional maps, a new lawsuit against President Donald Trump’s slush fund, and a lying Judge.The Agenda:–No redistricting according to race–Nonsense lawsuits–Dragging courts into political fights–Moving honey buns is interstate commerce–Sanction more judges?–Feeling Wicker-ty–The...

Sarah Isgur and David French discuss an anticlimactic dig from the Supreme Court over IQ tests and the death penalty and challenges to the $1.8 billion slush fund President Donald Trump created on weaponization, and they talk with NPR's Nina Totenberg about covering the Supreme Court.The Agenda:—Hamm v. Smith—How many IQ tests does a person on death row need to take?—Who can challenge the slush...

Sarah Isgur and David French analyze President Donald Trump’s $1.776 billion “anti-weaponization” fund through the lens of three legal “buckets,” and talk about how federal appropriations work and the Obama-era case that hangs over this legal issue. The two also discuss the Supreme Court’s latest cert grant on a Title IX case, plus the circuit split brewing over the First Amendment and judicial...

Sarah Isgur and David French discuss the IRS lawsuit brought by President Donald Trump, SCOTUS’s mifepristone decision, and a unanimous verdict from the justices that no one except Sarah cares about. The Agenda:–The 1,776 slush fund–David’s ‘back in the day’ lawsuit against the Obama administration–The Bivens brick wall–Trump loses on the law but wins in the politics–Ballroom and baby steps–Is...

Sarah Isgur and David French discuss the emergency docket ruling from SCOTUS on Alabama’s congressional maps, which broke down over three-justice ideological lines, Virginia’s filing (yes, they did file) at the Supreme Court, and a very special 2-1 9th Circuit panel opinion. The Agenda:–Remember Allen v. Milligan?–Central, urban bonkerstown–14th Amendment Equal Protection argument vs. Section 2...

Sarah Isgur and David French discuss the Virginia State Supreme Court striking down the state’s new congressional maps, Neal Katyal’s TED talk that we don’t want to talk about, and David plays a fun constitutional “Would You Rather” game.The Agenda:–Virginia’s gerrymandering map is unlawful–The left can’t get mad at the right when the right tried the independent state legislator argument–What...

Welcome to Callais-a-palooza, where Sarah Isgur and David French discuss Louisiana v. Callais, the Supreme Court decision that struck down Lousiana's congressional map and allows Louisiana to draw a new map that will likely favor Republicans. The two read Justice Ketanji Brown-Jackson's dissent, discussed whether the decision violates the Purcell principle, and answer listeners' questions about...

Justice Samuel Alito allows medical companies to continue administering the abortion pill Mifepristone after the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ordered for it to be dispensed only in person. Sarah Isgur and David French discuss the role of standing in judicial review and abortion access after Donald Trump’s presidency.The Agenda:–Court issues temporary order allowing access to abortion pill by...