As the Supreme Court opens a new term this week, we take a step back to ask: What did the last term tell us about this Court? About its values, its power, and its vision for American democracy?

Because make no mistake: Every decision, every ruling, every case the Court chooses to hear—or not to hear—signals something about who we are becoming as a nation.

In this Ms. Studios special, we bring you our 2024-2025 Supreme Court Review: a conversation recorded at Georgetown Law this summer, moderated by myself and featuring some of the sharpest legal minds in the country: Erwin Chemerinsky, Sherrilyn Ifill, Jamelle Bouie, Moira Donegan, Chris Geidner, and Mark Joseph Stern.

Together, we reflect on the major rulings, the missed opportunities, and the throughlines that defined the Court in 2024 and 2025—from the reshaping of executive power to the quiet dismantling of long-standing civil rights protections.

This episode is a recording of a panel that took place at Georgetown Law School on July 2, 2025. 

Joining us to discuss these issues are our very important guests:

• Dean Erwin Chemerinsky, Dean and Jesse H. Choper Distinguished Professor of Law, UC Berkeley School of Law
• Professor Sherrilyn A. Ifill, 14th Amendment Center for Law & Democracy Founding Director and Vernon Jordan Distinguished Professor in Civil Rights, Howard University School of Law
• Jamelle Antoine Bouie, Opinion Columnist, The New York Times
• Moira Donegan, Opinion Columnist, The Guardian US
• Chris Geidner, Former Legal Editor, Buzzfeed, Publisher; Editor Law Dork
• Mark Joseph Stern, Senior Writer, Slate Magazine

Check out this episode’s landing page at MsMagazine.com for a full transcript, links to articles referenced in this episode, further reading and ways to take action.

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This last Supreme Court term was harrowing—from momentous merits decisions about the First Amendment, parental rights, trans rights and more, to the stream of shocking “shadow docket” decisions and its enabling of many of the Trump administration’s executive actions. What does the 2025-2026 term have in store for our nation? What do we think will advance through the Court? What do we think will come up, when it comes to the shadow docket? And perhaps most importantly, how will the Court choose to mediate the Trump administration’s continued onslaught of executive actions?

Helping us to sort out these questions and set the record straight is our very special guest, 

Steve Vladeck: Steve Vladeck is a professor of law at the Georgetown University Law Center, and a nationally recognized expert on the federal courts; the Supreme Court; national security law; and military justice. Vladeck is CNN’s Supreme Court analyst and editor and author of “One First,” a popular weekly newsletter about the Supreme Court. He is author of the New York Times-bestselling book, The Shadow Docket: How the Supreme Court Uses Stealth Rulings to Amass Power and Undermine the Republic.

Check out this episode’s landing page at MsMagazine.com for a full transcript, links to articles referenced in this episode, further reading and ways to take action.

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In this episode, at a time where unprecedented news stories break every day, we’re re-elevating the Jeffrey Epstein files. As victims continue to come forward, and new evidence continues to emerge, the questions and demands for justice grow louder. What can we learn from the information that has been released? What will it take for the full files to be released? And how will Trump respond?

 Joining us to discuss these issues is a very special guest: 

 George Conway: George Conway is the President of The Society for the Rule of Law, an organization of conservative and libertarian lawyers devoted to the protection of constitutional government in the United States. He is also the co-host of The Bulwark's popular podcast, George Conway Explain It All, with Sarah Longwell. 

Check out this episode’s landing page at MsMagazine.com for a full transcript, links to articles referenced in this episode, further reading and ways to take action.

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As families prepare to send their kids back to school this year, some parents must face a new worry: will their children make it home safely, or will they be there to greet them, at the end of the day? 

Trump’s immigration crackdown is taking a toll on families across America, particularly under new guidance that allows ICE to arrest people in places where they were formerly prohibited from doing so—like schools, healthcare facilities, and places of worship. How will this impact students and families across the nation—and what can we do to fight back?

Helping us to sort out these questions and set the record straight is our very special guest, 

Kevin R. Johnson: Kevin R. Johnson is the former dean and a Professor of Law at UC Davis.  He is also Professor of Chicana/o Studies and Director of the Aoki Center for Critical Race and Nation Studies at UC Davis. He has published extensively on immigration law and civil rights. He is the author of How Did You Get to Be Mexican? A White/Brown Man's Search for Identity (1999) and Immigration Law and the US-Mexico Border (2011). Johnson blogs regularly on immigration law and policy developments at ImmigrationProf, and is quoted regularly by the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and other local, state, national and international news outlets. 

Check out this episode’s landing page at MsMagazine.com for a full transcript, links to articles referenced in this episode, further reading and ways to take action.

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In this episode, host Michele Goodwin speaks directly to students, young scholars, and the next generation of leaders, and of course, the people who love them.  As she remarks, they are coming of age in a world that is complicated, challenging, and often unfair. This talk is about standing up when it's easier to look away, holding your ground when the crowd moves in a different direction, and acting with empathy and accountability in a world that often forgets what those values actually mean. 

This episode is a rebroadcast of a keynote Michele Goodwin delivered at the Law and Society Association's graduate student Early Career Workshop in 2025.

Check out this episode’s landing page at MsMagazine.com for a full transcript, links to articles referenced in this episode, further reading and ways to take action.

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Trump has been in office for 200 days. In those 200 days, important institutions core to democracy have been dismantled. The rule of law has been challenged in countless ways—increasingly violent ICE raids and disappearances, dismantling of important agencies, canceling of funding for public broadcasts, significant rollbacks of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI)  initiatives, draconian cuts to healthcare and social services, executive orders singling out queer and trans people, and much more.

But we’ve also seen a coordinated effort to resist him, with millions across the country taking to the streets again and again to protest on behalf of the rights of their neighbors, their families, and themselves. Attorneys and advocates are also stepping up, demanding courts to defend our rights. Two hundred days in, what have we learned—and what’s  the playbook for the next four years?

Helping us to sort out these questions and set the record straight is our very special guest, 

Skye Perryman: Skye L. Perryman is President and CEO of Democracy Forward, a nonpartisan, national legal organization that promotes democracy and progress through litigation, regulatory engagement, policy education, and research. She previously served as Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. 

Check out this episode’s landing page at MsMagazine.com for a full transcript, links to articles referenced in this episode, further reading and ways to take action.

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Not even a year into the second Trump administration, it’s clear that people are struggling for hope. But there’s hope to be found in so many places, including in the wisdom of the women who took on Trump—and won. 

E. Jean Carroll and her lawyer Roberta “Robbie” Kaplan made headlines in 2023 and 2024 for winning a significant legal battle against Trump, with a jury finding him guilty of sexual abuse and defamation, and awarding Carroll $5 and then later an $83.3 million verdict. What can we learn from E. Jean Carroll’s case to fuel our fight forward?

Helping us to sort out these questions and set the record straight are our very special guests, 

E. Jean Carroll: E. Jean Carroll is an American journalist and author. In 2023, she won a legal battle against Donald Trump after a jury found him liable for sexual abuse and defamation. Her latest book, Not My Type: One Woman Against a President, was released in June of 2025. 

Roberta Kaplan: Roberta “Robbie” Kaplan is a renowned civil litigator and trial lawyer. On behalf of her client, E. Jean Carroll, she became the only lawyer to have taken the deposition of President Donald J. Trump twice, and to have obtained two separate unanimous jury verdicts against him of $5 and later $83.3 million. She is the author of the book Then Comes Marriage: United States v. Windsor and the Defeat of DOMA. 

Check out this episode’s landing page at MsMagazine.com for a full transcript, links to articles referenced in this episode, further reading and ways to take action.

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Everyone’s been asking: what’s up with men these days? From high rates of gun violence and domestic violence, to the “manosphere,” Andrew Tate, and the "male loneliness epidemic," it’s clear that (white) men are hurting. But why is this happening—and what can be done to change things?

Joining me to discuss these important issues are our special guests: 

Jackson Katz: Jackson Katz, Ph.D., is a regular Ms. contributor and creator of the 2024 film The Man Card: 50 Years of Gender, Power, and the American Presidency. He is also a member of the Young Men Research Initiative working group and founder of Men for Democracy. Katz’s new book, Every Man: Why Violence Against Women is a Men’s Issue, was published Feb. 20, 2025 by Penguin Random House U.K.

Gary Barker: Gary Barker, PhD is the CEO and co-founder of Equimundo Center for Masculinities and Social Justice, a major contributor to international activism on male allyship in gender equality. He was the first Executive Director of Instituto Promundo in Brazil and led its pioneering work on healthy masculinities. He is co-founder of MenCare, a global campaign in more than 50 countries to promote men’s involvement as caregivers, and co-founder of MenEngage, a global alliance of more than 700 NGOs. He co-created the International Men and Gender Equality Survey (IMAGES), the largest survey of men’s attitudes and behaviors related to violence, fatherhood, and gender equality. He leads Equimundo’s State of the World’s Fathers reports, which has become a major advocacy platform for the global care economy. He advises the UN, the World Bank, national governments, international foundations and corporations on strategies to engage men and boys in promoting gender equality.

Cody Thompson: Cody Thompson is a program coordinator with the Center on Addiction and Public Policy (CAPP) and the Center for Community Health Innovation (CCHI) at the O'Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law. Thompson is committed to contributing to and supporting work that serves people, especially communities disproportionately affected by chronic diseases, including but not limited to HIV/AIDS, substance use disorders, and mental disorders. Prior to joining the O’Neill Institute, Thompson interned for Faces and Voices of Recovery, supporting their advocacy team and planning for National Recovery Month. 

Check out this episode’s landing page at MsMagazine.com for a full transcript, links to articles referenced in this episode, further reading and ways to take action.

(Get Ms.’s Special Report on Men—guest edited by Jackson Katz—for just $5!)

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This is a preview of the first episode of Looking Back, Moving Forward, the latest podcast from Ms. Studios. The full first episode is out now—subscribe to Looking Back, Moving Forward wherever you get your podcasts, or head to MsMagazine.com to learn more!

What would a truly representative democracy look like — and why don’t we have one?

Looking Back, Moving Forward launches with a focus on women’s growing political power and how feminists can, and must, shape the future of government, policy, and lawmaking. 

Our democracy is under attack, and a more representative democracy is the answer. This week, Carmen explores how we can strengthen our democracy by lifting up women and other marginalized groups in politics, and why representation in politics and power matters so much. Featuring Celinda Lake, Aimee Allison, Angel Charley, Julie C. Suk, Cynthia Richie Terrell, and Jennifer M. Piscopo.

Since its founding, Ms. has named the difference women can make as voters and in the halls of political power — and demanded a more representative democracy. This episode traces the history of women’s fight for political representation and participation, including how Ms. has shifted the electoral and political landscape — and showcases how much work is left for a fully equitable democracy to take shape in the US.

Looking Back, Moving Forward is produced by Ms. Studios. Executive producers are Michele Goodwin and Kathy Spillar. Supervising Producer, Writer, and Host is Carmen Rios. Episode producers are Roxy Szal and Oliver Haug. Every episode is edited by Natalie Hadland. Art and design are by Brandi Phipps.

Stay in touch with Ms. at msmagazine.com and on Facebook @msmagazine, Instagram and Threads @ms_magazine, and @msmagazine.comon BlueSky.

Stay in touch with Carmen at carmenfuckingrios.com and @carmenriosss on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, BlueSky, and Threads.

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A new podcast from Ms. Studios, hosted by feminist superstar and Ms. consulting editor Carmen Rios, will trace the intertwined history of Ms. magazine and the feminist movement it has given voice to for over 50 years — and explore where the fight for gender equality must go next. 

By examining the legacy of America’s longest-running feminist magazine, Looking Back, Moving Forward explores how we got to where we are now — and how our shared histories illuminate the path forward, toward an intersectional feminist future.

Subscribe to Looking Back, Moving Forward today wherever you get podcasts so you won’t miss a second of the conversations and revelations to come! The first episode launches on the Fourth of July. 

Looking Back, Moving Forward is produced by Ms. Studios. Executive producers are Michele Goodwin and Kathy Spillar. Supervising Producer, Writer, and Host is Carmen Rios. Episode producers are Roxy Szal and Oliver Haug. Every episode is edited by Natalie Hadland. Art and design are by Brandi Phipps.

Stay in touch with Ms. at msmagazine.com and on Facebook and Twitter @msmagazine, Instagram and Threads @ms_magazine, and @msmagazine.com on BlueSky.

Stay in touch with Carmen at carmenfuckingrios.com and @carmenriosss on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, BlueSky, and Threads.

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