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Strict Scrutiny

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Strict Scrutiny is a podcast about the United States Supreme Court and the legal culture that surrounds it. Hosted by three badass constitutional law professors-- Leah Litman, Kate Shaw, and Melissa Murray-- Strict Scrutiny provides in-depth, accessible, and irreverent analysis of the Supreme Court and its cases, culture, and personalities. Each week, Leah, Kate, and Melissa break down the latest headlines and biggest legal questions facing our country, emphasizing what it all means for our daily lives. Whether you’re a lawyer or law student, or you’re just here for the messy legal drama, Strict Scrutiny has you covered. New episodes out every Monday… plus bonuses whenever SCOTUS takes away another one of our rights.
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Strict Scrutiny is a podcast about the United States Supreme Court and the legal culture that surrounds it. Hosted by three badass constitutional law professors-- Leah Litman, Kate Shaw, and Melissa Murray-- Strict Scrutiny provides in-depth, accessible, and irreverent analysis of the Supreme Court and its cases, culture, and personalities. Each week, Leah, Kate, and Melissa break down the latest headlines and biggest legal questions facing our country, emphasizing what it all means for our daily lives. Whether you’re a lawyer or law student, or you’re just here for the messy legal drama, Strict Scrutiny has you covered. New episodes out every Monday… plus bonuses whenever SCOTUS takes away another one of our rights.
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Episodes

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Published 2025-01-20

SCOTUS's Porn Problem

73 min
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Leah, Melissa and Kate cover some breaking news, including Biden’s last-minute declaration that the Equal Rights Amendment is the law of the land. Then, it’s a rollicking ride through Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton, one of the more entertaining oral arguments of late. Come for the hosts’ sharp legal analysis, stay for Justice Alito’s questions about whether Pornhub features longform journalism.
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Leah, Melissa and Kate cover some breaking news, including Biden’s last-minute declaration that the Equal Rights Amendment is the law of the land. Then, it’s a rollicking ride through Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton, one of the more entertaining oral arguments of late. Come for the hosts’ sharp legal analysis, stay for Justice Alito’s questions about whether Pornhub features longform journalism.
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Published 2025-01-17

SCOTUS Unanimously Upholds TikTok Ban

38 min
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In the first emergency episode of 2025, Kate, Leah, and Melissa break down the Court’s unanimous decision to uphold the upcoming TikTok ban in the United States. They cover the implications and possible unintended consequences, and Leah bids farewell to her personal Chinese spy.
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In the first emergency episode of 2025, Kate, Leah, and Melissa break down the Court’s unanimous decision to uphold the upcoming TikTok ban in the United States. They cover the implications and possible unintended consequences, and Leah bids farewell to her personal Chinese spy.
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Published 2025-01-13

Is TikTok’s Time Up?

83 min
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Leah, Melissa & Kate dive headfirst into an already busy 2025 by detailing the Republican attempt to steal a North Carolina Supreme Court seat, looking at the just-argued TikTok case, parsing through Donald Trump’s various legal challenges, and more. Then, the hosts speak with Michelle Adams, professor of law at the University of Michigan about her book The Containment: Detroit, The Supreme Court, and the Battle for Racial Justice in the North. To support disaster relief efforts in Los Angeles, you can make a donation at votesaveamerica.com/relief.
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Leah, Melissa & Kate dive headfirst into an already busy 2025 by detailing the Republican attempt to steal a North Carolina Supreme Court seat, looking at the just-argued TikTok case, parsing through Donald Trump’s various legal challenges, and more. Then, the hosts speak with Michelle Adams, professor of law at the University of Michigan about her book The Containment: Detroit, The Supreme Court, and the Battle for Racial Justice in the North. To support disaster relief efforts in Los Angeles, you can make a donation at votesaveamerica.com/relief.
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Published 2025-01-06

The Promise and Perils of Presidential Power

61 min
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On the fourth anniversary of January 6th, Leah, Melissa & Kate dive deep on presidential power: how the presidency became what it is today, transitions of power, and how we’ve seen checks on the power of the president from unexpected quarters. Joining them are two experts: Lindsay Chervinsky, author of Making the Presidency: John Adams and the Precedents That Forged the Republic and Corey Brettschneider, author of The Presidents and the People: Five Leaders Who Threatened Democracy and the Citizens Who Fought to Defend It.
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On the fourth anniversary of January 6th, Leah, Melissa & Kate dive deep on presidential power: how the presidency became what it is today, transitions of power, and how we’ve seen checks on the power of the president from unexpected quarters. Joining them are two experts: Lindsay Chervinsky, author of Making the Presidency: John Adams and the Precedents That Forged the Republic and Corey Brettschneider, author of The Presidents and the People: Five Leaders Who Threatened Democracy and the Citizens Who Fought to Defend It.
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Published 2024-12-23

Our Favorite Things, 2024

64 min
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In the spirit of the holidays, Leah, Kate & Melissa force themselves to say something nice about each Supreme Court Justice. Yes, all of them. Then they take a break from the tomfoolery at One First Street to share their favorite things. Whether you’re doing some very last-minute holiday shopping, looking to indulge yourself, or craving a good book or podcast, there are ideas for everyone. Programming note: we’re taking a break next week, but will be back on January 6, 2025 with a very special–and timely–episode on the presidency.
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In the spirit of the holidays, Leah, Kate & Melissa force themselves to say something nice about each Supreme Court Justice. Yes, all of them. Then they take a break from the tomfoolery at One First Street to share their favorite things. Whether you’re doing some very last-minute holiday shopping, looking to indulge yourself, or craving a good book or podcast, there are ideas for everyone. Programming note: we’re taking a break next week, but will be back on January 6, 2025 with a very special–and timely–episode on the presidency.
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Published 2024-12-16

Jingle Bells, the Fifth Circuit Is Hell

70 min
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Leah, Melissa, and Kate cover some breaking news before recapping last week’s SCOTUS arguments. They also touch on some lower-court opinions and court culture including the Fifth Circuit going buck wild (yet again), KBJ’s Broadway debut, Mitch McConnell’s never-ending hypocrisy, and TikTok’s fate in America.

Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025! 

  • 3/6/26 – San Francisco
  • 3/7/26 – Los Angeles

Learn more: http://crooked.com/events

Order your copy of Leah's book, Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes

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Leah, Melissa, and Kate cover some breaking news before recapping last week’s SCOTUS arguments. They also touch on some lower-court opinions and court culture including the Fifth Circuit going buck wild (yet again), KBJ’s Broadway debut, Mitch McConnell’s never-ending hypocrisy, and TikTok’s fate in America.

Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025! 

  • 3/6/26 – San Francisco
  • 3/7/26 – Los Angeles

Learn more: http://crooked.com/events

Order your copy of Leah's book, Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes

Follow us on Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky

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Published 2024-12-09

Leave Trans Kids Alone You Absolute Freaks (with Chase Strangio)

69 min
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Kate, Melissa, and Leah break down United States v. Skrmetti, the Court’s big case on gender-affirming care for minors, with the ACLU’s Chase Strangio. Chase is one of the lawyers who argued the case–as well as the first known transgender lawyer to argue at the Supreme Court. The hosts then make a pit stop at the always-out-there Fifth Circuit before recapping the other cases the Court heard this week.

Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025! 

  • 3/6/26 – San Francisco
  • 3/7/26 – Los Angeles

Learn more: http://crooked.com/events

Order your copy of Leah's book, Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes

Follow us on Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky

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Kate, Melissa, and Leah break down United States v. Skrmetti, the Court’s big case on gender-affirming care for minors, with the ACLU’s Chase Strangio. Chase is one of the lawyers who argued the case–as well as the first known transgender lawyer to argue at the Supreme Court. The hosts then make a pit stop at the always-out-there Fifth Circuit before recapping the other cases the Court heard this week.

Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025! 

  • 3/6/26 – San Francisco
  • 3/7/26 – Los Angeles

Learn more: http://crooked.com/events

Order your copy of Leah's book, Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes

Follow us on Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky

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Published 2024-12-02

Gender-Affirming Care in the Court’s Crosshairs

66 min
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After touching on some shenanigans from the Federalist Society’s National Lawyers Convention and Chuck Schumer’s lousy deal on judicial appointments, Leah, Kate, and Melissa preview December’s upcoming Supreme Court cases. The Justices will hear arguments in cases about gender-affirming care for minors, the FDA’s denial of authorization to flavored e-cigarettes, and the National Environmental Policy Act.
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After touching on some shenanigans from the Federalist Society’s National Lawyers Convention and Chuck Schumer’s lousy deal on judicial appointments, Leah, Kate, and Melissa preview December’s upcoming Supreme Court cases. The Justices will hear arguments in cases about gender-affirming care for minors, the FDA’s denial of authorization to flavored e-cigarettes, and the National Environmental Policy Act.
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Published 2024-11-25

How Will Trump 2.0 Embolden SCOTUS to Gut the Law?

79 min
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Kate and Melissa comb through the latest from the incoming Trump administration, including the subbing in of Pam Bondi for Matt Gaetz for Attorney General. Then, they take a look at the areas of law that will be hit hardest during a second Trump term. Finally, all three hosts speak with Judge David Tatel, formerly of the DC Circuit, about his book, Vision: A Memoir of Blindness and Justice.
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Kate and Melissa comb through the latest from the incoming Trump administration, including the subbing in of Pam Bondi for Matt Gaetz for Attorney General. Then, they take a look at the areas of law that will be hit hardest during a second Trump term. Finally, all three hosts speak with Judge David Tatel, formerly of the DC Circuit, about his book, Vision: A Memoir of Blindness and Justice.
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Published 2024-11-18

Trump’s Parade of Clowns, Idiots, and Creeps

63 min
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Leah, Melissa, and Kate wade through more election fallout, including President-elect Trump’s proposed use of recess appointments to jam his cabinet picks through. Also covered: this week’s SCOTUS arguments, the tryhards auditioning to be Trump Supreme Court nominees, and why everyone should shut up about Justice Sotomayor retiring.
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Leah, Melissa, and Kate wade through more election fallout, including President-elect Trump’s proposed use of recess appointments to jam his cabinet picks through. Also covered: this week’s SCOTUS arguments, the tryhards auditioning to be Trump Supreme Court nominees, and why everyone should shut up about Justice Sotomayor retiring.
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Published 2024-11-11

Making Sense of the Election and What It Means for the Court

52 min
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After processing the election and thinking through what it means for the future of the Supreme Court, Kate and Leah dig into a Voting Rights Act case newly added to SCOTUS’s docket. They also tackle this week’s cases on the False Claims Act, compensation for hospitals that treat low-income people, the Fair Labor Standards Act, and federal securities law.

Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025! 

  • 3/6/26 – San Francisco
  • 3/7/26 – Los Angeles

Learn more: http://crooked.com/events

Order your copy of Leah's book, Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes

Follow us on Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky

More description

After processing the election and thinking through what it means for the future of the Supreme Court, Kate and Leah dig into a Voting Rights Act case newly added to SCOTUS’s docket. They also tackle this week’s cases on the False Claims Act, compensation for hospitals that treat low-income people, the Fair Labor Standards Act, and federal securities law.

Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025! 

  • 3/6/26 – San Francisco
  • 3/7/26 – Los Angeles

Learn more: http://crooked.com/events

Order your copy of Leah's book, Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes

Follow us on Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky

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Published 2024-11-04

Election Anxiety: How the Outcome Could Affect SCOTUS’s Docket

50 min
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After diving deep on a wild story about Justice Alito palling around with a German princess, Melissa, Kate, and Leah take a look at pending SCOTUS cases, including some that could be affected by the outcome of the election. They also take a look at a crucial case in the 5th circuit about Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).
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After diving deep on a wild story about Justice Alito palling around with a German princess, Melissa, Kate, and Leah take a look at pending SCOTUS cases, including some that could be affected by the outcome of the election. They also take a look at a crucial case in the 5th circuit about Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).
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Published 2024-10-28

Fifth Circuit Election Madness, a Post-Mortem on Roe, & the War on Drugs

87 min
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After an emergency intro looking at the Fifth Circuit’s bonkers mail-in ballot decision, the ladies do a deep dive on two books. First, they speak with New York Times correspondents Lisa Lerer and Elizabeth Dias about The Fall of Roe: The Rise of a New America. Then, David Pozen of Columbia Law School joins to talk about The Constitution of the War on Drugs, his book about how the war on drugs influenced the constitutional law we have today.
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After an emergency intro looking at the Fifth Circuit’s bonkers mail-in ballot decision, the ladies do a deep dive on two books. First, they speak with New York Times correspondents Lisa Lerer and Elizabeth Dias about The Fall of Roe: The Rise of a New America. Then, David Pozen of Columbia Law School joins to talk about The Constitution of the War on Drugs, his book about how the war on drugs influenced the constitutional law we have today.
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Published 2024-10-21

SCOTUS’s Endless Beef with the EPA

64 min
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Melissa, Kate, and Leah recap October at the Supreme Court, diving into the sewage-infested waters of City and County of San Francisco v. Environmental Protection Agency. What did clean water ever do to Brett Kavanaugh? Also recapped: cases about the judicial review of immigration visas and veterans benefits. Finally, the hosts finish off with a peek at what’s going on in state courts around the country.

Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025! 

  • 3/6/26 – San Francisco
  • 3/7/26 – Los Angeles

Learn more: http://crooked.com/events

Order your copy of Leah's book, Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes

Follow us on Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky

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Melissa, Kate, and Leah recap October at the Supreme Court, diving into the sewage-infested waters of City and County of San Francisco v. Environmental Protection Agency. What did clean water ever do to Brett Kavanaugh? Also recapped: cases about the judicial review of immigration visas and veterans benefits. Finally, the hosts finish off with a peek at what’s going on in state courts around the country.

Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025! 

  • 3/6/26 – San Francisco
  • 3/7/26 – Los Angeles

Learn more: http://crooked.com/events

Order your copy of Leah's book, Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes

Follow us on Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky

Extract Knowledge
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Published 2024-10-14

"Ghost Guns" are Guns (Duh)

47 min
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After covering some breaking news, Kate, Melissa and Leah recap last week's oral arguments at the Supreme Court, including cases about civil rights, ghost guns, and the death penalty. Come for the palpable tension between Justices Alito and Kagan, stay for SG Prelogar gently explaining to Justice Alito how a gun isn’t like an omelet.

Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025! 

  • 3/6/26 – San Francisco
  • 3/7/26 – Los Angeles

Learn more: http://crooked.com/events

Order your copy of Leah's book, Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes

Follow us on Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky

More description

After covering some breaking news, Kate, Melissa and Leah recap last week's oral arguments at the Supreme Court, including cases about civil rights, ghost guns, and the death penalty. Come for the palpable tension between Justices Alito and Kagan, stay for SG Prelogar gently explaining to Justice Alito how a gun isn’t like an omelet.

Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025! 

  • 3/6/26 – San Francisco
  • 3/7/26 – Los Angeles

Learn more: http://crooked.com/events

Order your copy of Leah's book, Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes

Follow us on Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky

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Published 2024-10-07

An Unsealed Brief, Ghost Guns, & Antitrust Law as Social Justice

79 min
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Leah, Melissa, and Kate kick off with a look at Jack Smith’s unsealed brief on Trump’s election interference case before digging into some cases the court is hearing this week, including one centered around ghost guns–unserialized guns that can be put together from component parts. Then, Melissa and Leah speak with Doha Mekki and Jonathan Kanter of the DOJ’s Antitrust Division about how antitrust law can be a vehicle for progressive social change.

  • Listen back to our 2023 interview with one of Richard Glossip's lawyers

Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025! 

  • 3/6/26 – San Francisco
  • 3/7/26 – Los Angeles

Learn more: http://crooked.com/events

Order your copy of Leah's book, Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes

Follow us on Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky

More description

Leah, Melissa, and Kate kick off with a look at Jack Smith’s unsealed brief on Trump’s election interference case before digging into some cases the court is hearing this week, including one centered around ghost guns–unserialized guns that can be put together from component parts. Then, Melissa and Leah speak with Doha Mekki and Jonathan Kanter of the DOJ’s Antitrust Division about how antitrust law can be a vehicle for progressive social change.

  • Listen back to our 2023 interview with one of Richard Glossip's lawyers

Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025! 

  • 3/6/26 – San Francisco
  • 3/7/26 – Los Angeles

Learn more: http://crooked.com/events

Order your copy of Leah's book, Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes

Follow us on Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky

Extract Knowledge
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Published 2024-09-30

Steel Yourself for a New SCOTUS Term

69 min
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Melissa, Leah and Kate break down some excellent recent SCOTUS reporting and look ahead to what fresh hell the Roberts Court has in store for us in its new term. While much is unknown at this point, the Court will hear cases on gender-affirming care for trans kids, “ghost” guns, and further challenges to the Environmental Protection Agency. In other words, time to take a deep breath.

Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025! 

  • 3/6/26 – San Francisco
  • 3/7/26 – Los Angeles

Learn more: http://crooked.com/events

Order your copy of Leah's book, Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes

Follow us on Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky

More description

Melissa, Leah and Kate break down some excellent recent SCOTUS reporting and look ahead to what fresh hell the Roberts Court has in store for us in its new term. While much is unknown at this point, the Court will hear cases on gender-affirming care for trans kids, “ghost” guns, and further challenges to the Environmental Protection Agency. In other words, time to take a deep breath.

Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025! 

  • 3/6/26 – San Francisco
  • 3/7/26 – Los Angeles

Learn more: http://crooked.com/events

Order your copy of Leah's book, Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes

Follow us on Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky

Extract Knowledge
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Published 2024-09-23

No Choice but to Stan: A Deep Dive on Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar

78 min
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Pamela Karlan, experienced advocate and co-director of Stanford’s Supreme Court Litigation Clinic, joins Kate and Leah to break down just how exceptional Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar is at her job. Then, all three hosts speak with Madiba K. Dennie about her book, The Originalism Trap: How Extremists Stole the Constitution and How We the People Can Take It Back.
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Pamela Karlan, experienced advocate and co-director of Stanford’s Supreme Court Litigation Clinic, joins Kate and Leah to break down just how exceptional Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar is at her job. Then, all three hosts speak with Madiba K. Dennie about her book, The Originalism Trap: How Extremists Stole the Constitution and How We the People Can Take It Back.
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Published 2024-09-16

The Battle for Native Rights & Comstock: The Zombie Law From Hell

62 min
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Kate and Leah speak with Rebecca Nagle, author of By the Fire We Carry: The Generations-Long Fight for Justice on Native Land about the battlefield that is federal Indian law. Then, all three hosts speak with law professors Reva Siegel and Mary Ziegler about their paper for the Yale Law Journal, Comstockery: How Government Censorship Gave Birth to the Law of Sexual and Reproductive Freedom, and May Again Threaten It.
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Kate and Leah speak with Rebecca Nagle, author of By the Fire We Carry: The Generations-Long Fight for Justice on Native Land about the battlefield that is federal Indian law. Then, all three hosts speak with law professors Reva Siegel and Mary Ziegler about their paper for the Yale Law Journal, Comstockery: How Government Censorship Gave Birth to the Law of Sexual and Reproductive Freedom, and May Again Threaten It.
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Published 2024-09-09

Reform, Repression, & Reproductive Rights (Live from Texas!)

58 min
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This week Kate and Melissa are live from the Texas Tribune Festival with a couple of dream guests. First, Representative Jamie Raskin joins to discuss how Congress can rein in our ethically questionable Supreme Court. Then, they speak with activist Amanda Zurawski, lead plaintiff in Zurawski v. State of Texas, whose story tragically illuminates the cost of “pro-life” laws. Finally, a look at SCOTUS’s enabling of voter suppression and the latest shenanigans of the always-spirited Ginni Thomas.
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This week Kate and Melissa are live from the Texas Tribune Festival with a couple of dream guests. First, Representative Jamie Raskin joins to discuss how Congress can rein in our ethically questionable Supreme Court. Then, they speak with activist Amanda Zurawski, lead plaintiff in Zurawski v. State of Texas, whose story tragically illuminates the cost of “pro-life” laws. Finally, a look at SCOTUS’s enabling of voter suppression and the latest shenanigans of the always-spirited Ginni Thomas.
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Published 2024-09-02

Shining a Light on State Supreme Court Races

74 min
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In this week’s three-part episode, we take a look at state supreme courts and why this year’s elections are so important. First, Kate and Emily Passini of the ACLU walk us through some of the most crucial races. Then, Kate and Leah speak with state supreme court candidates Professor Kimberly Thomas of Michigan and Justice Allison Riggs of North Carolina. Finally, we have a conversation with Professor Miriam Seifter and Justice Anita Earls of the North Carolina Supreme Court about the weaponization of judicial disciplinary proceedings.
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In this week’s three-part episode, we take a look at state supreme courts and why this year’s elections are so important. First, Kate and Emily Passini of the ACLU walk us through some of the most crucial races. Then, Kate and Leah speak with state supreme court candidates Professor Kimberly Thomas of Michigan and Justice Allison Riggs of North Carolina. Finally, we have a conversation with Professor Miriam Seifter and Justice Anita Earls of the North Carolina Supreme Court about the weaponization of judicial disciplinary proceedings.
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Published 2024-08-26

Project 2025 (cont.): The Fascist Plan to Plunder the Government

54 min
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To wrap up our series on Project 2025, Kate, Leah and Melissa are joined by NYU's Ruth Ben-Ghiat, author of Strongmen: Mussolini To The Present to share her perspective as a historian on the Heritage Foundation's terrifying plans for the country.
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To wrap up our series on Project 2025, Kate, Leah and Melissa are joined by NYU's Ruth Ben-Ghiat, author of Strongmen: Mussolini To The Present to share her perspective as a historian on the Heritage Foundation's terrifying plans for the country.
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Published 2024-08-19

Project 2025 (cont.): How to Create a Geopolitical Hellscape & Back to School With Meredith Marks

61 min
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Ben Rhodes of Crooked's Pod Save the World joins Leah and Kate to break down Project 2025's truly frightening foreign policy goals. Then, Leah and Melissa are joined by The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City's Meredith Marks. In addition to braving the "rumors and nastiness" of reality television, Meredith is also a graduate of Northwestern Law School. So who better to help analyze the intersection between reality TV and the law?
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Ben Rhodes of Crooked's Pod Save the World joins Leah and Kate to break down Project 2025's truly frightening foreign policy goals. Then, Leah and Melissa are joined by The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City's Meredith Marks. In addition to braving the "rumors and nastiness" of reality television, Meredith is also a graduate of Northwestern Law School. So who better to help analyze the intersection between reality TV and the law?
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Published 2024-08-12

State of the Uterus: Two Years After the End of Roe

62 min
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In what has become a depressing tradition, it's time for our annual look at the hell that SCOTUS unleashed with Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization. To look at the landscape for reproductive rights and justice, the team is joined by Julia Kaye, senior staff attorney at the ACLU and Fatima Goss Graves, president and CEO of the National Women’s Law Center Action Fund.
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In what has become a depressing tradition, it's time for our annual look at the hell that SCOTUS unleashed with Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization. To look at the landscape for reproductive rights and justice, the team is joined by Julia Kaye, senior staff attorney at the ACLU and Fatima Goss Graves, president and CEO of the National Women’s Law Center Action Fund.
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Published 2024-08-05

Project 2025 (cont.): DEI for Men With Terrible Personalities

87 min
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Jon Lovett joins Melissa and Leah to climb inside the mind of one of Project 2025’s biggest boosters: J.D. Vance. It’s nasty in there! Then, Leah and Melissa discuss the proposed SCOTUS reforms. Finally, Leah chats with Olivia Warren and Deeva Shah about misconduct in the federal judiciary–specifically, the investigation into certified creep Judge Joshua Kindred.

Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025! 

  • 3/6/26 – San Francisco
  • 3/7/26 – Los Angeles

Learn more: http://crooked.com/events

Order your copy of Leah's book, Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes

Follow us on Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky

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Jon Lovett joins Melissa and Leah to climb inside the mind of one of Project 2025’s biggest boosters: J.D. Vance. It’s nasty in there! Then, Leah and Melissa discuss the proposed SCOTUS reforms. Finally, Leah chats with Olivia Warren and Deeva Shah about misconduct in the federal judiciary–specifically, the investigation into certified creep Judge Joshua Kindred.

Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025! 

  • 3/6/26 – San Francisco
  • 3/7/26 – Los Angeles

Learn more: http://crooked.com/events

Order your copy of Leah's book, Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes

Follow us on Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky

Extract Knowledge
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Published 2024-07-29

Project 2025: 900 Pages and 100% Deranged

79 min
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Leah and Melissa introduce a new series on Project 2025–the Heritage Foundation’s deranged instruction manual for taking away all of our rights and making everyone’s lives worse. Then, the whole crew is together for a conversation with Dylan C. Penningroth about his book Before the Movement: The Hidden History of Black Civil Rights.
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Leah and Melissa introduce a new series on Project 2025–the Heritage Foundation’s deranged instruction manual for taking away all of our rights and making everyone’s lives worse. Then, the whole crew is together for a conversation with Dylan C. Penningroth about his book Before the Movement: The Hidden History of Black Civil Rights.
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Published 2024-07-22

The Hubris and Hackery of Aileen Cannon

73 min
View
Kate and Leah attempt to wrap their heads around Aileen Cannon’s bonkers decision on the Trump classified documents case. Then, Leah talks with Josie Duffy Rice, Kathrina Szymborski Wolfkot, and Kyle Barry about the promises and challenges of relying on state courts and state constitutional law to address the criminal legal system. Check out Kyle’s piece on the subject here.
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Kate and Leah attempt to wrap their heads around Aileen Cannon’s bonkers decision on the Trump classified documents case. Then, Leah talks with Josie Duffy Rice, Kathrina Szymborski Wolfkot, and Kyle Barry about the promises and challenges of relying on state courts and state constitutional law to address the criminal legal system. Check out Kyle’s piece on the subject here.
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Published 2024-07-15

We Read Josh Hawley's Book So You Don't Have To

62 min
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Josh Hawley's book/polemic on the trials and tribulations of American men also gives us a window into the dark worldview that informs his politics-- so unfortunately, we needed to see what all he said.
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Josh Hawley's book/polemic on the trials and tribulations of American men also gives us a window into the dark worldview that informs his politics-- so unfortunately, we needed to see what all he said.
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Published 2024-07-08

A Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Term

75 min
View

Kate, Melissa, and Leah steel themselves to look back on a truly terrible term for the ages. From SCOTUS’s determined effort to hollow out the administrative state to its cynical dodges on abortion to granting immunity to certain corrupt former presidents, it was a rough ride. Drink, anyone?

  • In case you want to hear our predictions for yourself, go back and listen to our term preview from September 2023

Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025! 

  • 3/6/26 – San Francisco
  • 3/7/26 – Los Angeles

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Kate, Melissa, and Leah steel themselves to look back on a truly terrible term for the ages. From SCOTUS’s determined effort to hollow out the administrative state to its cynical dodges on abortion to granting immunity to certain corrupt former presidents, it was a rough ride. Drink, anyone?

  • In case you want to hear our predictions for yourself, go back and listen to our term preview from September 2023

Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025! 

  • 3/6/26 – San Francisco
  • 3/7/26 – Los Angeles

Learn more: http://crooked.com/events

Order your copy of Leah's book, Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes

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Published 2024-07-01

SCOTUS Hands Trump Presidential Immunity

46 min
View

It’s the last decision day of the year, and SCOTUS goes out with a bang. Kate, Leah, and Melissa unpack the frankly terrifying decision granting Trump immunity for “official acts” taken as president. As if that’s not enough, the court takes further steps to hobble the administrative state, which will have serious consequences for the functioning of the federal government.

Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025! 

  • 3/6/26 – San Francisco
  • 3/7/26 – Los Angeles

Learn more: http://crooked.com/events

Order your copy of Leah's book, Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes

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It’s the last decision day of the year, and SCOTUS goes out with a bang. Kate, Leah, and Melissa unpack the frankly terrifying decision granting Trump immunity for “official acts” taken as president. As if that’s not enough, the court takes further steps to hobble the administrative state, which will have serious consequences for the functioning of the federal government.

Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025! 

  • 3/6/26 – San Francisco
  • 3/7/26 – Los Angeles

Learn more: http://crooked.com/events

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Published 2024-06-29

The Supreme Court Makes Its Biggest Power Grab in a Generation

66 min
View

Leah, Melissa and Kate try to wrap their heads around SCOTUS throwing away 40 years of precedent that allowed federal agencies (and the experts who work for them) to interpret ambiguous laws, not the judiciary. The court also made it easier to criminalize homelessness and harder to charge hundreds of January 6th insurrectionists. A tough day on 1 First Street, to say the least.

Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025! 

  • 3/6/26 – San Francisco
  • 3/7/26 – Los Angeles

Learn more: http://crooked.com/events

Order your copy of Leah's book, Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes

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Leah, Melissa and Kate try to wrap their heads around SCOTUS throwing away 40 years of precedent that allowed federal agencies (and the experts who work for them) to interpret ambiguous laws, not the judiciary. The court also made it easier to criminalize homelessness and harder to charge hundreds of January 6th insurrectionists. A tough day on 1 First Street, to say the least.

Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025! 

  • 3/6/26 – San Francisco
  • 3/7/26 – Los Angeles

Learn more: http://crooked.com/events

Order your copy of Leah's book, Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes

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Published 2024-06-28

SCOTUS Dodges the Question of Emergency Abortions

62 min
View

After accidentally uploading the decision in the EMTALA case, the Supreme Court released it for real today. Leah is joined by Fatima Goss-Graves, Chris Geidner, and Amanda Hollis-Brusky to analyze the Court’s “refusal to declare what the law requires,” as KBJ put it in her dissent. Plus, Leah, Chris, and Amanda break down today’s opinions in cases about the administrative state, breathing clean air, and big pharma.

Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025! 

  • 3/6/26 – San Francisco
  • 3/7/26 – Los Angeles

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After accidentally uploading the decision in the EMTALA case, the Supreme Court released it for real today. Leah is joined by Fatima Goss-Graves, Chris Geidner, and Amanda Hollis-Brusky to analyze the Court’s “refusal to declare what the law requires,” as KBJ put it in her dissent. Plus, Leah, Chris, and Amanda break down today’s opinions in cases about the administrative state, breathing clean air, and big pharma.

Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025! 

  • 3/6/26 – San Francisco
  • 3/7/26 – Los Angeles

Learn more: http://crooked.com/events

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Published 2024-06-26

SCOTUS Greenlights Government Corruption

40 min
View
Leah, Melissa, and Kate weigh the implications of Bloomberg’s scoop on EMTALA (apparently someone at the court got a little trigger-happy with the upload button). Then they take a look at today’s two official opinions–is a $13,000 bribe equivalent to buying someone Chipotle? Coach Kavanaugh has thoughts. And did the government strong-arm social media companies into censoring content? There’s a word for that: jawboning.
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Leah, Melissa, and Kate weigh the implications of Bloomberg’s scoop on EMTALA (apparently someone at the court got a little trigger-happy with the upload button). Then they take a look at today’s two official opinions–is a $13,000 bribe equivalent to buying someone Chipotle? Coach Kavanaugh has thoughts. And did the government strong-arm social media companies into censoring content? There’s a word for that: jawboning.
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Published 2024-06-24

A Very DC Saturday Night

99 min
View

As we wait for SCOTUS opinions in cases about presidential immunity, emergency abortions, the future of the administrative state, and more, we did a rowdy live show at the Howard Theatre in Washington, DC! It was  one for the books-- The Second Gentleman, Doug Emhoff, joined us to reflect on the second anniversary of Dobbs. Friend of the pod Commander Steve Vladeck filled in as guest host. And former Attorney General Eric Holder joined us to talk about the Court's decision in a case about domestic violence offenders obtaining guns, analyze possible paths for court reform, and lighten the mood with a game of This or That.

Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025! 

  • 3/6/26 – San Francisco
  • 3/7/26 – Los Angeles

Learn more: http://crooked.com/events

Order your copy of Leah's book, Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes

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As we wait for SCOTUS opinions in cases about presidential immunity, emergency abortions, the future of the administrative state, and more, we did a rowdy live show at the Howard Theatre in Washington, DC! It was  one for the books-- The Second Gentleman, Doug Emhoff, joined us to reflect on the second anniversary of Dobbs. Friend of the pod Commander Steve Vladeck filled in as guest host. And former Attorney General Eric Holder joined us to talk about the Court's decision in a case about domestic violence offenders obtaining guns, analyze possible paths for court reform, and lighten the mood with a game of This or That.

Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025! 

  • 3/6/26 – San Francisco
  • 3/7/26 – Los Angeles

Learn more: http://crooked.com/events

Order your copy of Leah's book, Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes

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Published 2024-06-20

SCOTUS's Indefensible Delay in Trump's Immunity Case

33 min
View
The gang is back together! Ahead of the Strict Scrutiny live show on Saturday in DC, Kate, Melissa and Leah comb through four decisions from the Court. Are these the cases everyone’s waiting for? Not quite, but they do involve repatriation taxes, malicious prosecution, federal rules of evidence, and retaliatory arrests.
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The gang is back together! Ahead of the Strict Scrutiny live show on Saturday in DC, Kate, Melissa and Leah comb through four decisions from the Court. Are these the cases everyone’s waiting for? Not quite, but they do involve repatriation taxes, malicious prosecution, federal rules of evidence, and retaliatory arrests.
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Published 2024-06-17

Mifepristone Stays on the Market (live from Tribeca!)

77 min
View
Live from New York, it's Strict Scrutiny! Elie Mystal joins Kate and Melissa in front of a sold-out crowd at the Tribeca Festival to break down opinions, perform dramatic readings of the secret Alito recordings, and dole out some end-of-year superlatives to the justices.
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Live from New York, it's Strict Scrutiny! Elie Mystal joins Kate and Melissa in front of a sold-out crowd at the Tribeca Festival to break down opinions, perform dramatic readings of the secret Alito recordings, and dole out some end-of-year superlatives to the justices.
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Published 2024-06-14

The Textualist Case for Mass Shootings

42 min
View

In an emergency episode, Leah and Melissa break down the Court's 6-3 decision to strike down a ban on bump stocks, attachments that allow semi-automatic weapons to fire at machine gun-like rates. It's bad, people.

Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025! 

  • 3/6/26 – San Francisco
  • 3/7/26 – Los Angeles

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Order your copy of Leah's book, Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes

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In an emergency episode, Leah and Melissa break down the Court's 6-3 decision to strike down a ban on bump stocks, attachments that allow semi-automatic weapons to fire at machine gun-like rates. It's bad, people.

Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025! 

  • 3/6/26 – San Francisco
  • 3/7/26 – Los Angeles

Learn more: http://crooked.com/events

Order your copy of Leah's book, Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes

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Published 2024-06-10

Texas Doubles Down on Life-Threatening Abortion Ban

70 min
View

Melissa and Kate talk to Molly Duane, lawyer from the Center for Reproductive Rights, about the disheartening outcome in the Zurawski case in Texas. Plus, they recap recent opinions in cases about bankruptcy, tax law, and health care on Native American reservations.

  • To hear more about the Zurawski case, including the stories of the women who testified, listen to our episode "A Code of Misconduct" from  November 2023

Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025! 

  • 3/6/26 – San Francisco
  • 3/7/26 – Los Angeles

Learn more: http://crooked.com/events

Order your copy of Leah's book, Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes

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Melissa and Kate talk to Molly Duane, lawyer from the Center for Reproductive Rights, about the disheartening outcome in the Zurawski case in Texas. Plus, they recap recent opinions in cases about bankruptcy, tax law, and health care on Native American reservations.

  • To hear more about the Zurawski case, including the stories of the women who testified, listen to our episode "A Code of Misconduct" from  November 2023

Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025! 

  • 3/6/26 – San Francisco
  • 3/7/26 – Los Angeles

Learn more: http://crooked.com/events

Order your copy of Leah's book, Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes

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Published 2024-06-03

Flags, Feuds, and Roberts' Rebuff

71 min
View

Melissa and Kate recap the Supreme Court's latest opinions and catch up on the latest drama from the Alitos' flag-flying fiasco.

We’re giving one lucky listener the chance to win a pair of tickets to our SOLD OUT show in DC on June 22nd.Here’s how to enter:

  1. Subscribe to Strict Scrutiny’s Youtube channel
  2. Leave a COMMENT on our most recent video episode with YOUR favorite Strict Scrutiny moment. [LINK MONDAY’S YT VIDEO HERE]

The giveaway starts TODAY and ends June 7th at 11:59pm PT. We’ll be picking a winner on/around June 10th so be sure to keep an eye on your comment. For the full rules, check out the link here: http://crooked.com/strictgiveawaydc

Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025! 

  • 3/6/26 – San Francisco
  • 3/7/26 – Los Angeles

Learn more: http://crooked.com/events

Order your copy of Leah's book, Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes

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Melissa and Kate recap the Supreme Court's latest opinions and catch up on the latest drama from the Alitos' flag-flying fiasco.

We’re giving one lucky listener the chance to win a pair of tickets to our SOLD OUT show in DC on June 22nd.Here’s how to enter:

  1. Subscribe to Strict Scrutiny’s Youtube channel
  2. Leave a COMMENT on our most recent video episode with YOUR favorite Strict Scrutiny moment. [LINK MONDAY’S YT VIDEO HERE]

The giveaway starts TODAY and ends June 7th at 11:59pm PT. We’ll be picking a winner on/around June 10th so be sure to keep an eye on your comment. For the full rules, check out the link here: http://crooked.com/strictgiveawaydc

Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025! 

  • 3/6/26 – San Francisco
  • 3/7/26 – Los Angeles

Learn more: http://crooked.com/events

Order your copy of Leah's book, Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes

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Published 2024-05-31

TRUMP FOUND GUILTY!

51 min
View
A jury of Donald Trump's peers finds him guilty on all 34 counts in the Manhattan election interference trial. Melissa joins Pod Save America to talk about next steps for sentencing and possible appeal. Plus, CNN Legal Analyst Norm Eisen shares what it was like in the courtroom when the verdict came down, and Jon and Dan talk about the political fallout and which voters the conviction might sway.
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A jury of Donald Trump's peers finds him guilty on all 34 counts in the Manhattan election interference trial. Melissa joins Pod Save America to talk about next steps for sentencing and possible appeal. Plus, CNN Legal Analyst Norm Eisen shares what it was like in the courtroom when the verdict came down, and Jon and Dan talk about the political fallout and which voters the conviction might sway.
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Published 2024-05-27

Time for Some Bad Decisions

82 min
View

There are more red flags flying from House Alito! Plus, that same guy authored an opinion in a major voting discrimination case, and somehow it's worse than expected. Plus, Melissa and Kate talk with Shefali Luthra about her important new book, Undue Burden: Life and Death Decisions in Post-Roe America.

  • New merch alert!! Our new t-shirts and mugs are just thing for the hellscape to come in the final weeks of the SCOTUS term.
  • Order Undue Burden at Bookshop.org and get 10% off

Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025! 

  • 3/6/26 – San Francisco
  • 3/7/26 – Los Angeles

Learn more: http://crooked.com/events

Order your copy of Leah's book, Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes

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There are more red flags flying from House Alito! Plus, that same guy authored an opinion in a major voting discrimination case, and somehow it's worse than expected. Plus, Melissa and Kate talk with Shefali Luthra about her important new book, Undue Burden: Life and Death Decisions in Post-Roe America.

  • New merch alert!! Our new t-shirts and mugs are just thing for the hellscape to come in the final weeks of the SCOTUS term.
  • Order Undue Burden at Bookshop.org and get 10% off

Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025! 

  • 3/6/26 – San Francisco
  • 3/7/26 – Los Angeles

Learn more: http://crooked.com/events

Order your copy of Leah's book, Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes

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Published 2024-05-20

The Alitos Let Their Freak Flag Fly

68 min
View

Leah and Melissa catch up on the Alitos' upside-down flag situation, an opinion preserving the funding structure of the CFPB, and a racial gerrymandering case out of Texas.

We’re giving one lucky listener the chance to win a pair of tickets! Here’s how to enter:

  1. Subscribe to Strict Scrutiny’s Youtube channel
  2. Leave a comment on our most recent video episode with your favorite Strict Scrutiny moment.

The giveaway starts TODAY and ends May 24 at 11:59pm PT. We’ll be picking a winner on/around 5/28 so be sure to keep an eye on your comment. For the full rules, check out the link here: https://crooked.com/strictgiveaway/

Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025! 

  • 3/6/26 – San Francisco
  • 3/7/26 – Los Angeles

Learn more: http://crooked.com/events

Order your copy of Leah's book, Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes

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More description

Leah and Melissa catch up on the Alitos' upside-down flag situation, an opinion preserving the funding structure of the CFPB, and a racial gerrymandering case out of Texas.

We’re giving one lucky listener the chance to win a pair of tickets! Here’s how to enter:

  1. Subscribe to Strict Scrutiny’s Youtube channel
  2. Leave a comment on our most recent video episode with your favorite Strict Scrutiny moment.

The giveaway starts TODAY and ends May 24 at 11:59pm PT. We’ll be picking a winner on/around 5/28 so be sure to keep an eye on your comment. For the full rules, check out the link here: https://crooked.com/strictgiveaway/

Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025! 

  • 3/6/26 – San Francisco
  • 3/7/26 – Los Angeles

Learn more: http://crooked.com/events

Order your copy of Leah's book, Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes

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Published 2024-05-13

The Pick-Me Boys and Girls of the Federal Judiciary

67 min
View

Victoria Wenger of NAACP-LDF joins Kate and Leah for an update on the four years of litigation trying to get fair voting maps for Louisiana residents. Then, a major update on a group of federal officials who plan to penalize a private institution for failing to censor certain speech-- you'll never guess who!

Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025! 

  • 3/6/26 – San Francisco
  • 3/7/26 – Los Angeles

Learn more: http://crooked.com/events

Order your copy of Leah's book, Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes

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Victoria Wenger of NAACP-LDF joins Kate and Leah for an update on the four years of litigation trying to get fair voting maps for Louisiana residents. Then, a major update on a group of federal officials who plan to penalize a private institution for failing to censor certain speech-- you'll never guess who!

Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025! 

  • 3/6/26 – San Francisco
  • 3/7/26 – Los Angeles

Learn more: http://crooked.com/events

Order your copy of Leah's book, Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes

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Published 2024-05-06

Asked and Answered: A Listener Mailbag Episode!

70 min
View

Melissa, Leah, and Kate recap oral arguments in cases about unhoused people, immigration, and Starbucks unions. Then, it's our second annual listener mailbag episode! What's the best way to fight against usage of the Comstock Act? Should liberals be using law suits to troll conservatives? Why don't the Democrat-appointed justices speak out about their colleagues' poor behavior? You asked, we answered!

  • Strict Scrutiny will be live at the Tribeca Film Festival on June 13th! Tickets are on sale now. Learn more and get tickets at tribecafilm.com/strict

Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025! 

  • 3/6/26 – San Francisco
  • 3/7/26 – Los Angeles

Learn more: http://crooked.com/events

Order your copy of Leah's book, Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes

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Melissa, Leah, and Kate recap oral arguments in cases about unhoused people, immigration, and Starbucks unions. Then, it's our second annual listener mailbag episode! What's the best way to fight against usage of the Comstock Act? Should liberals be using law suits to troll conservatives? Why don't the Democrat-appointed justices speak out about their colleagues' poor behavior? You asked, we answered!

  • Strict Scrutiny will be live at the Tribeca Film Festival on June 13th! Tickets are on sale now. Learn more and get tickets at tribecafilm.com/strict

Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025! 

  • 3/6/26 – San Francisco
  • 3/7/26 – Los Angeles

Learn more: http://crooked.com/events

Order your copy of Leah's book, Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes

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Published 2024-04-29

SCOTUS Seems to Normalize Authoritarianism

83 min
View

Melissa, Leah, and Kate recap the oral arguments in the Idaho case about the legality of abortions in emergency situations, and the case about whether former President Trump is immune from prosecution in the federal election interference case arising out of January 6. It's all very bleak!

In better news, Strict Scrutiny will be live at the Tribeca Film Festival on June 13th! Tickets go on sale Tuesday, April 30th, at 11am ET. Learn more and get tickets at tribecafilm.com/strict

Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025! 

  • 3/6/26 – San Francisco
  • 3/7/26 – Los Angeles

Learn more: http://crooked.com/events

Order your copy of Leah's book, Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes

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Melissa, Leah, and Kate recap the oral arguments in the Idaho case about the legality of abortions in emergency situations, and the case about whether former President Trump is immune from prosecution in the federal election interference case arising out of January 6. It's all very bleak!

In better news, Strict Scrutiny will be live at the Tribeca Film Festival on June 13th! Tickets go on sale Tuesday, April 30th, at 11am ET. Learn more and get tickets at tribecafilm.com/strict

Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025! 

  • 3/6/26 – San Francisco
  • 3/7/26 – Los Angeles

Learn more: http://crooked.com/events

Order your copy of Leah's book, Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes

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Published 2024-04-22

Will SCOTUS Let January 6 Defendants Off the Hook?

78 min
View

Melissa, Leah, and Kate recap oral arguments in cases about January 6, political corruption, malicious prosecution claims, and the right to counsel. They also break down a batch of decisions, and look ahead to how SCOTUS may address state bans on gender-affirming care.

Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025! 

  • 3/6/26 – San Francisco
  • 3/7/26 – Los Angeles

Learn more: http://crooked.com/events

Order your copy of Leah's book, Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes

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Melissa, Leah, and Kate recap oral arguments in cases about January 6, political corruption, malicious prosecution claims, and the right to counsel. They also break down a batch of decisions, and look ahead to how SCOTUS may address state bans on gender-affirming care.

Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025! 

  • 3/6/26 – San Francisco
  • 3/7/26 – Los Angeles

Learn more: http://crooked.com/events

Order your copy of Leah's book, Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes

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Published 2024-04-15

SCOTUS’s Final Sitting of the Term Is A Doozy

66 min
View

In the next two weeks, SCOTUS will hear arguments in cases on political corruption, criminalizing houselessness, whether a state abortion ban can override a federal policy permitting abortion in emergency medical care, the statute under which most January 6th defendants were convicted-- and if that weren’t enough, Donald Trump’s request for immunity in the January 6th case against him. After previewing all these cases, Kate, Leah, and Melissa also provide updates on the total abortion ban and ballot initiative happening in Arizona, and the latest shenanigans out of the Fifth Circuit.

Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025! 

  • 3/6/26 – San Francisco
  • 3/7/26 – Los Angeles

Learn more: http://crooked.com/events

Order your copy of Leah's book, Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes

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In the next two weeks, SCOTUS will hear arguments in cases on political corruption, criminalizing houselessness, whether a state abortion ban can override a federal policy permitting abortion in emergency medical care, the statute under which most January 6th defendants were convicted-- and if that weren’t enough, Donald Trump’s request for immunity in the January 6th case against him. After previewing all these cases, Kate, Leah, and Melissa also provide updates on the total abortion ban and ballot initiative happening in Arizona, and the latest shenanigans out of the Fifth Circuit.

Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025! 

  • 3/6/26 – San Francisco
  • 3/7/26 – Los Angeles

Learn more: http://crooked.com/events

Order your copy of Leah's book, Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes

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Published 2024-04-08

Florida Becomes a Battleground for Reproductive Rights

64 min
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Kate and Leah break down the latest court news with Errin Haines, Editor-at-Large for The 19th and host of The Amendment, including developments in abortion access in Florida and the discourse around whether Justice Sotomayor should retire. Then, Jill Habig of the Public Rights Project and Tyler Yarbro from the Tennessee Freedom Circle join Melissa, Kate, and Leah to talk about the latest conservative effort to control the courts: judicial gerrymandering.
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Kate and Leah break down the latest court news with Errin Haines, Editor-at-Large for The 19th and host of The Amendment, including developments in abortion access in Florida and the discourse around whether Justice Sotomayor should retire. Then, Jill Habig of the Public Rights Project and Tyler Yarbro from the Tennessee Freedom Circle join Melissa, Kate, and Leah to talk about the latest conservative effort to control the courts: judicial gerrymandering.
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Published 2024-04-01

The Absurd Fiction of the Mifepristone Case

76 min
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Melissa, Kate, and Leah recap the oral arguments in the case challenging the FDA's approval of mifepristone, one of the drugs used in medication abortion. They also recap arguments in cases about the Armed Career Criminal Act and Indian Health Services, and give some updates on cases they're watching in the lower courts, ranging from immigration, to guns, to Title IX.

Get your tickets to Strict Scrutiny Live HERE, or head to crooked.com/events for more info.

  • ICYMI, we did a quick reaction episode on Tuesday right after the mifepristone case was argued

 

Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025! 

  • 3/6/26 – San Francisco
  • 3/7/26 – Los Angeles

Learn more: http://crooked.com/events

Order your copy of Leah's book, Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes

Follow us on Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky

More description

Melissa, Kate, and Leah recap the oral arguments in the case challenging the FDA's approval of mifepristone, one of the drugs used in medication abortion. They also recap arguments in cases about the Armed Career Criminal Act and Indian Health Services, and give some updates on cases they're watching in the lower courts, ranging from immigration, to guns, to Title IX.

Get your tickets to Strict Scrutiny Live HERE, or head to crooked.com/events for more info.

  • ICYMI, we did a quick reaction episode on Tuesday right after the mifepristone case was argued

 

Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025! 

  • 3/6/26 – San Francisco
  • 3/7/26 – Los Angeles

Learn more: http://crooked.com/events

Order your copy of Leah's book, Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes

Follow us on Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky

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Listen elsewhere
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Published 2024-03-26

The Supreme Court Abortion Pill Case

17 min
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Leah, Melissa, and Kate give a quick take on the bottom line from the oral arguments in the medication abortion case that is currently unraveling in the Supreme Court.

Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025! 

  • 3/6/26 – San Francisco
  • 3/7/26 – Los Angeles

Learn more: http://crooked.com/events

Order your copy of Leah's book, Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes

Follow us on Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky

More description

Leah, Melissa, and Kate give a quick take on the bottom line from the oral arguments in the medication abortion case that is currently unraveling in the Supreme Court.

Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025! 

  • 3/6/26 – San Francisco
  • 3/7/26 – Los Angeles

Learn more: http://crooked.com/events

Order your copy of Leah's book, Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes

Follow us on Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky

Extract Knowledge
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