Beyond The Judgement

Hey there! Welcome back to Beyond the Judgement. Today, Eva chatted with Chief Judge Chris Dillon of the North Carolina Appellate Court. Judge Dillon has been on the court for over ten years now. We hope you enjoy this conversation, and we’ll see you in two weeks for the next interview! 

Hey y'all!

On today's episode Pari spoke with Judge Christine Walczyk who has been a district court judge for over 18 years and is now running for the NC Court of Appeals. You can learn more about her and her campaign here: https://www.judgechristine.org/. We are so grateful and honored to have had her on!

Hey y'all! On the first episode of Beyond the Judgement we had the honor of speaking with NC Supreme Court Justice Anita Earls. Justice Earls is running for re-election in 2026 and you can learn more about her and her campaign here: https://earls4justice.com/. Stay tuned for our next episode in 2 weeks!

Hey y'all!

We are so excited to announce a new chapter of "Tiers of Scrutiny." We cannot wait to speak with judges and justices across the country about why they do what they do and how. If you're interested in joining us as a speaker please email us at [email protected]. See you next week for our first episode!

- Eva and Pari

On today's episode Eva and I discuss Glossip v. Oklahoma. You can read more about the facts of the case here: https://www.oyez.org/cases/2024/22-7466 .

Here are the resources we used for this episode:

- https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24pdf/22-7466_5h25.pdf

- https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/04/opinion/courts-execution-mistakes.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare

In this episode, Pari and I break down the Supreme Court’s landmark decision in United States v. Skrmetti, where the Court upheld Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming medical care for minors. We chat about the majority’s rationale, the fierce dissent, various concurrences, and what this ruling might mean for the future of LGBTQ+ rights. We also discuss how Skrmetti fits into the broader post-Dobbs judicial landscape. Additional analysis on the case can be found in the "Gender-Affirming Care (US v. Skrmetti)" episode released on March 10th. As usual, our sources are listed below.

If interested, ACLU-NC, GSA Network, Human Rights Campaign, and Rainbow Collective for Change are hosting a virtual town hall discussing this SCOTUS decision TODAY (Monday, June 23rd at 6 PM EST)!

Sources:

https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24pdf/23-477_2cp3.pdf

https://www.hrc.org/resources/attacks-on-gender-affirming-care-by-state-map

https://www.scotusblog.com/cases/case-files/united-states-v-skrmetti/

On today's episode of Tiers of Scrutiny, Pari and I discuss Louisiana v. Callais, a case that the Supreme Court heard arguments for in late March. After a federal court ordered Louisiana to fix a Voting Rights Act violation, the new map—drawn to empower Black voters—sparked backlash from non-Black plaintiffs claiming racial gerrymandering. When, if ever, is racial gerrymandering a legitimate remedy? What does this mean for the future of the VRA? We discuss these questions and more in this episode. As always, sources below.

https://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/louisiana-v-callais/

https://www.oyez.org/cases/2024/24-109

https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/24/24-109/335630/20241219161939870_24-109%20Brief-updated.pdf

https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/24/24-109/339741/20250121131829124_24-109%2024-110%20Brief%20for%20Appellees.pdf

In this episode, we dive into one of the most talked-about education and religious liberty cases of this term: Mahmoud v. Taylor. At the heart of the case? A Maryland school district's decision to include LGBTQ-inclusive storybooks in the elementary curriculum—and to eliminate the opt-out policy that once allowed parents to excuse their children from these lessons on religious grounds.

We explore the constitutional questions raised by Muslim, Catholic, and Orthodox Christian families who say their religious rights were sidelined, and the school district’s rationale that maintaining opt-outs was unworkable and potentially stigmatizing. What does the First Amendment really protect when it comes to public education, religious upbringing, and curriculum decisions? Tune in as we unpack the legal arguments, the court’s reasoning, and what this case could mean for schools and families across the country.

Here are our sources:

- https://www.oyez.org/cases/2024/24-297

- https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/24/24-297/335502/20241218150621210_24-297%20-%20Mahmoud%20v.%20Taylor%20-%20Brief%20in%20Opposition.pdf:

- https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/24/24-297/351193/20250304160341072_Mahmoud%20Merits%20Opening%20Brief%20FINAL%20REVISED.pdf

- https://www.oyez.org/cases/2024/24-297

- https://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/mahmoud-v-taylor/

Welcome back to Tiers of Scrutiny! This week, Pari and I discussed Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc. v. Estados Unidos Mexicanos--a case where the Mexican government takes American gun companies to court.

Some relevant resources:

https://www.oyez.org/cases/2024/23-1141

https://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/smith-wesson-brands-inc-v-estados-unidos-mexicanos/

https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/23/23-1141/332815/20241126130359423_23-1141%20ts.pdf

https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/23/23-1141/337036/20250110145559191_Mexico%20Response%20Brief%201-10-25%20Final.pdf

https://www.culawreview.org/current-events-2/smith-amp-wesson-brands-inc-v-estados-unidos-mexicanos-and-the-future-of-transnational-gun-trafficking-liability

Hi everyone! On today's ToS episode, Pari and I discuss Oklahoma State Charter School Board v. Drummond. This case raises various questions about the First Amendment's relationship to state-funded religious schools. Is it possible that the Free Exercise Clause prohibits states from excluding religious schools from charter-school programs? Alternatively, does the Establishment Clause require states to exclude these schools? We chat about these questions, as well as a few others here. As always, resources are listed below--thank you for tuning and we'll see you in two weeks!

https://www.oyez.org/cases/2024/24-394

https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/amendment-1/

https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/24/24-394/351350/20250305181244391_24-396%2024-394%20Brief%20for%20Petitioner.pdf

https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/24/24-394/334661/20241209162142824_Board%20BIO%20MAIN%20E%20FILE%20Dec%209%2024.pdf