Advisory Opinions

Sarah Isgur and David French react to the latest opinions of the court in two major immigration cases and a review of Hawaii’s restrictions on concealed-carry permits.The Agenda:—The SCOTUS opinion day “ritual”—Hawaii gun restrictions—Shall not be infringed—Border dispute over asylum seekers—Judicial review of TPS—Trump's “Muslim” banShow notes:—Destiny of the RepublicAdvisory Opinions is a...

Sarah Isgur and David French explain the various legal complications of the Iran MOU and react to the most recent opinions handed down by the Supreme Court.The Agenda:—Waiving Iranian sanctions—Suing state employees personally—International law in U.S. courts—Cuban confiscation case—Seizing homes over unpaid taxes—The rights of green card holdersShow notes:—Jack Goldsmith at Executive Functions...

Sarah Isgur and David French react to two new Supreme Court opinions on gun ownership while possessing illegal drugs and appeal waivers.The Agenda:—Drugs and the Second Amendment—Rewriting Bruen—Bad plea deals—Overcharging crimes—The Gorsuch-Kavanaugh dynamic—The DOJ and the Hyde AmendmentShow notes:—United States v. Hemani—Hunter v. United StatesAdvisory Opinions is a production of The Dispatch,...

Sarah Isgur and David French break down the most recent cert grants out of the Supreme Court's order list and Trump's argument for suspending habeas corpus.The Agenda:—Paid petitions vs. In Forma Pauperis—Six-person juries in Florida—Can undocumented immigrants be held indefinitely?—New York Times reporting on Trump and habeas corpus—Leaked memo fallout—Lawyers using AI—Georgia campaign finance...

Sarah Isgur and David French discuss the three SCOTUS decisions that dropped Thursday morning, a D.C. Circuit decision on President Donald Trump's ban on transgender military members, and accommodations running rampant at law schools. Oh, and a federal judge charged with battery and destruction of physical property. The Agenda:–Sign up for the SCOTUSblog newsletter–We are faced with the duddiest...

Sarah Isgur and David French look at what’s left on the docket from this term before diving into a little Los Angeles mayoral politics. The Agenda:–Supreme Court bingo–Do Rastafarians get religious exemptions?–The mighty small-dollar donor – United States v. Hemani–Wolford v. Lopez–Appearance of election corruption–No, a GOP candidate did not have a chance to become mayor of Los...

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...