Advisory Opinions

Sarah Isgur and David French analyze the last three election cycles as influenced by free speech issues, from Donald Trump’s “they/them” ad as an effective closing argument in 2024 to contentious campus speech and protests and the Trump administration’s threats to social media companies. The two also discuss the next free speech fight in the last two years of the Trump administration.The...

Sarah Isgur and David French discuss bypassing the Electoral College through the National Popular Vote Compact, review the Department of Justice’s criminal investigation into the Dobbs decision leak, and break down the fight between the Berkeley Homeless Union and the City of Berkeley trying to clear out homeless encampments. But first, Sarah defends her online take of how you can confirm a...

Sarah Isgur and David French discuss the Texas Supreme Court’s blue wave, the possibility of a majority-Democrat Supreme Court, and one of the biggest Supreme Court cases of the term: St. Mary’s Catholic Parish v. Roy. The Agenda:–⁠Potential legal thermonuclear war in Mississippi⁠–Texas attorney general is now blue–Will Justice Samuel Alito retire?–How President Donald Trump will legislate–⁠The...

David French interviews “Grifter Sarah” Isgur as the midterm elections conclude, before they dive into new revelations in the Alaska Senate race and discuss an update in the California noncitizen voters lawsuit.The Agenda:–It’s not a wave, it’s a tide–Does Haley Stevens’ endorsement matter?–St. Mary Catholic Parish v. Roy–The Dan Sullivans of Alaska–California noncitizen voting lawsuit–Trump’s...

Sarah Isgur and David French zoom in on the cases prosecutors have brought against political enemies of the Trump administration. Then, they review the latest news from Judge Ana Reyes’ court in the battle over a Washington, D.C., golf course before tackling the administration’s sue-and-settle case in Texas. –We’re hiring! Apply here.–Come see us in Austin! Or come see us in Houston!–The...

Sarah Isgur and David French discuss election-related legal woes from New Hampshire to Alaska, election lawsuits and where they’re headed, plus a little takedown of forum shopping. The Agenda:–Two Dan Sullivans–New Hampshire’s student ID laws and why the media got it wrong–Sarah votes in Texas–Holy Trinity Ukrainian Catholic Church v. Township of Collier–Harsh opinions and hallucinating...

Sarah Isgur and David French go through a few orders from the Supreme Court (including one that’ll have our libertarian friends jumping from the second-story window), a CNN article on Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, and two dueling en banc decisions from the 3rd Circuit. –⁠Trigger warning for the libertarians⁠–⁠Prisons must continue providing gender-affirming care⁠–⁠Four justices recuse themselves...

Sarah Isgur and David French discuss the legal battle between the Trump administration and the East Potomac Golf Course, a certiorari grant on race-neutral admissions, and another on distilling booze at home. Finally, David asks Sarah about the Department of Justice’s hiring standards.The Agenda:–⁠Trump’s legal battle is par for the course⁠–⁠Supreme Court agrees to consider federal ban on home...

Sarah Isgur and David French are joined by Vince Chhabria, a judge for the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, and Stanford professor Nora Engstrom to discuss the incredibly high number of motions granted to seal documents and the line between secrecy and protecting the public interest. They also discuss three new cases that SCOTUS added to its oral argument docket and...

Sarah Isgur and David French discuss what’s on the Supreme Court’s docket, debate whether anonymous speech is protected by the First Amendment, and undergo a grim historical review of the death penalty after the Pentagon’s announcement that an execution will be livestreamed. The Agenda:–Columbus Day discourse–Video rental records and boring 1980s movies–Suing Hillary Clinton–Disputes over...