Advisory Opinions

Sarah Isgur and David French break down United States v. Hemani, a Second Amendment case involving an alleged user of a controlled substance in possession of a gun. They then discuss two interim docket decisions, one on elections and congressional districts, and one on parental rights and substantive due process.The Agenda:–Guns and drug use–Downtown Bonkers Town–Interim Docket: California...

Sarah Isgur and David French debate whether President Donald Trump's military action against Iran requires congressional authorization, explore the constitutional limits of presidential power, and argue over which version of James Madison deserves our respect.The Agenda:–Housekeeping: corrections, good causes, and collaborations–Legalities of interventions in Iran–Abrielle skips school to talk...

Sarah Isgur and David French dive deep into the world of immunities, examining recent Supreme Court decisions and their implications. They discuss State of the Union attendance patterns, analyze a postal service immunity case that split along unexpected ideological lines, and explore the contrasting jurisprudential approaches of Justices Gorsuch and Kavanaugh across different administrations.The...

Sarah Isgur and David French record live at Florida State University and further examine the Supreme Court’s major tariff decision, examining Justice Kagan’s consistency argument, debating the Major Questions Doctrine with Justice Gorsuch’s concurrence, and analyzing Justice Kavanaugh’s dissent on executive power in foreign affairs.The Agenda–Analyzing Kagan’s argument–Deep dive into statutory...

In this emergency episode, Sarah Isgur and David French break down the Supreme Court’s historic 6-3 decision striking down President Donald Trump’s tariff authority under IEEPA.The Agenda:– The 6-3 decision–Chief Justice Roberts’ straightforward opinion–Major questions doctrine explained–The Festivus Concurrence begins–The refund mess–Why this is the most important caseShow Notes:–Quick Thoughts...

Sarah Isgur and David French are in Dallas, Texas, at Southern Methodist University’s Dedman School of Law to discuss Justice Samuel Alito’s potential next moves, the alternative to federalism, and attorney-client privilege in AI.The Agenda:–Justice Alito’s book release has raised eyebrows–Judge Amul Thapar, fitness influencer–A question from the best history teacher ever–Can the courts subpoena...

Sarah Isgur and David French discuss another set of Trump administration indictments rejected by a grand jury, the memo from Chief Judge Jeffrey Sutton of the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals dismissing the complaint against U.S. District Judge James Boasberg, and finally, Grifter Sarah comes out to play in the Texas Senate race.The Agenda:–The DOJ’s dropping success rate with cases–David goes...

Hot takes from James Comey, the 5th Circuit weighs in on habeas corpus petitions, and does being a lawyer suck? Sarah Isgur and David French weigh in.Note: SCOTUSblog is hiring. Find more details and apply at this link, or send a cover letter and resume to scotusblog@thedispatch.com.The Agenda:–Introducing the Interim Relief Docket Stat Pack–Where are all the U.S. attorneys?–Supreme Court allows...

Sarah Isgur and David French investigate the case of Don Lemon and the church disruptors. Plus: Trump sues Trump and two circuit court split decisions.The Agenda:–Chess, the musical—What are these clerks going on about?—Trump v. IRS—The issue of selective admissions policies—Compelled speech and pronouns in school–Taking bets on the tariffs decisionNote: SCOTUSblog is hiring. Find more details...

Sarah Isgur and David French are hosted by the Rockefeller Center for Public Policy and Social Sciences at Dartmouth to discuss the United States at 250 and where the Supreme Court stands today.Pre-order Sarah’s book: Last Branch Standing: A Potentially Surprising, Occasionally Witty Journey Inside Today's Supreme CourtThe Agenda:—The Swing Justice era of the court is the exception—Thank you...