SCOTUStalk

By SCOTUSblog

What's SCOTUStalk about?

SCOTUStalk is a nonpartisan podcast about the Supreme Court for lawyers and non-lawyers alike, brought to you by SCOTUSblog. SCOTUStalk is hosted by Amy Howe and produced and edited by Ellena Erskine. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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SCOTUStalk episodes:

05.17.2023
The shadow docket with Steve Vladeck
Since 2017, the Supreme Court has significantly increased its use of the process by which the justices hear and resolves emergency appeals, sometimes known as the shadow docket. These decisions are made without oral argument and often come in short...
02.28.2023
Section 230 and the internet
In the first week of the February session, the justices heard oral arguments in two cases about the scoop of liability tech companies may face for user content. Amy is joined by Megan Iorio of the Electronic Privacy Information Center...
02.13.2023
SCOTUS Spotlight: Daniel Geyser
In another edition of our series of interviews with Supreme Court advocates, Amy sits down with Daniel Geyser, head of the Supreme Court practice at Haynes Boone. Geyser has argued 15 cases before the court, including two this term. He...
01.30.2023
What’s going on with Munsingwear?
In an essay published in The New York Times this fall, two law professors, Lisa Tucker and Stefanie Lindquist, argued that the Supreme Court is increasingly setting aside significant decisions from the lower courts as if they never happened. The...
01.17.2023
Three decades covering the Supreme Court
After more than three decades covering the Supreme Court, Marcia Coyle has announced her retirement from the National Law Journal. Amy sits down with Coyle to discuss her career, her book, and how covering the court has changed over...
12.19.2022
Looking back at the term so far
The end of the calendar year means we’re about a third of the way through the SCOTUS year. Amy sits down with SCOTUSblog editor James Romoser to discuss the first three months of the 2022 term. Send us a question about...
12.05.2022
The 800-pound gorilla
UCLA election law professor Richard Hasen joins Amy to explain Moore v. Harper, the case in which North Carolina legislators ask the justices to consider a theory that would give state legislatures near complete power to regulate federal elections without interference from...
11.21.2022
Can a web designer refuse to design websites for same-sex weddings?
On Dec. 5 the justices will hear oral argument in 303 Creative v. Elenis, a clash between free speech rights and LGBTQ rights. Bloomberg News Supreme Court reporter Greg Stohr joins Amy to explain the case and what to expect...
11.08.2022
The Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade
On Friday, June 24, the court ruled in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization that the Constitution does not confer a right to abortion. Amy talks with abortion law scholar Mary Ziegler, professor of law at University of California, Davis,...
11.07.2022
SCOTUS Spotlight: Michael Dreeben on helping the justices have a conversation
Michael Dreeben, who has argued 107 cases at the Supreme Court, joins us for another episode in our SCOTUS Spotlight series. Dreeben looks back on notable moments from his career as an advocate, including his very first argument -- in...
10.24.2022
Affirmative action comes to the Supreme Court
On Oct. 31, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in two cases challenging the race-conscious admissions programs of Harvard College and the University of North Carolina. Amy talks to lawyers on both sides of the dispute. David Hinojosa is...
10.10.2022
The first week
The Supreme Court is back. After a packed first week of the 2022-23 term, Amy sits down with SCOTUSblog’s James Romoser and Katie Barlow to discuss the oral arguments, new dynamics on the bench, and a significant grant from the...
09.26.2022
The October term 2022 preview
Another Supreme Court term will begin on Monday, October 3, with major cases on affirmative action, voting rights, and free speech. To talk through the cases already scheduled this year, Amy is joined by experienced Supreme Court attorneys Morgan Ratner,...
09.12.2022
What it’s like to be a new justice
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson will take the bench next month as the court’s newest member. Amy is joined by Marin Levy, a professor at Duke Law School, to talk about what it’s like to join the court. Levy runs a...
08.29.2022
SCOTUS Spotlight: Kannon Shanmugam on dealing with hostile questions
In our latest SCOTUS Spotlight episode, Amy sits down with Kannon Shanmugam, a partner at Paul Weiss and a former assistant to the solicitor general. He has argued 35 cases before the court. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
08.15.2022
SCOTUS Spotlight: An interview with Roman Martinez
With the Supreme Court on summer recess, we are bringing back SCOTUS Spotlight, our series of interviews with lawyers who argue regularly before the court. Amy sits down with Roman Martinez, a partner at Latham & Watkins who has argued...
07.18.2022
Courtartist Art Lien on his work and retirement
Art Lien, best known for his watercolor sketches of the Supreme Court (and for his colorful banners on SCOTUSblog), retired with the close of the 2021-22 term. Amy sits down with Art to discuss his life and retirement, and to...
07.01.2022
Climate change at the Supreme Court
In the last opinion of the term, the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in favor of a group of Republican-led states and coal companies to limit the Environmental Protection Agency’s ability to regulate carbon emissions system-wide. Amy sits down with investigative...
06.20.2022
An important week for immigration law
During the week of June 13, the Supreme Court decided two immigration cases (involving bond hearings for noncitizens in immigration detention) and declined to decide a third (involving the Trump-era “public charge” policy for green card applicants). Shalini Bhargava Ray, who...
06.06.2022
The woman who argued Planned Parenthood v. Casey
In Planned Parenthood v. Casey’s dramatic joint opinion, the Supreme Court upheld the right to access an abortion 30 years ago this month. Amy talks with Kathryn Kolbert, who argued the case for Planned Parenthood. Kolbert explains what the 1992...
05.23.2022
Entering the homestretch
Over the next six weeks the Supreme Court is poised to issue 35 opinions, on topics ranging from gun rights to religion and the EPA’s power to regulate greenhouse gases. Amy is joined by Steven Mazie of The Economist and...
05.09.2022
The Dobbs draft
Amy sits down with SCOTUSblog’s media editor, Katie Barlow, to discuss the leaked draft in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization and the repercussions such an opinion would have on reproductive rights. Plus Amy explains the court’s request for additional briefing in Biden...
04.25.2022
Prayer at the 50-yard line
On Monday, April 25, the court hears oral argument in Kennedy v. Bremerton School District, a case concerning a public school coach’s right to pray on the football field. In a two-part episode, Amy talks with Rachel Laser and Kelly...
04.18.2022
The “reasonable observer” of prayer in school
Amy talks to Professor Nicole Stelle Garnett and supervising attorney John Meiser of the Religious Liberty Clinic at Notre Dame Law School about the amicus brief the clinic filed in Kennedy v. Bremerton School District. The brief calls on the court to address...
03.25.2022
The Jackson hearings: A week in review
Amy sits down with SCOTUSblog’s James Romoser and Katie Barlow to discuss all four days of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s Senate Judiciary Committee hearings. Later in the episode: Justice Clarence Thomas in the hospital, Ginni Thomas’ texts, and major orders...
03.24.2022
The Jackson hearings: Key moments from Day 3
At times moved to tears, Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson weathered another full day of questioning from the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday. Here’s our recap of the major moments from day three of the hearings. If you have a question about...
03.23.2022
The Jackson hearings: Key moments from Day 2
For 12 hours on Tuesday, Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson answered questions from the Senate Judiciary Committee. Here's a 15-minute recap of some of the most significant questions and answers. Plus, Amy answers two listener questions. If you have a question about...
03.22.2022
The Jackson hearings: Key moments from Day 1
On Monday, hearings began in the Senate Judiciary Committee for the nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court. Here’s a recap of some of the most revealing remarks from senators on both sides of the aisle and...
03.07.2022
The historic nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson
Dean Danielle Holley-Walker of Howard University Law School and SCOTUSblog’s Katie Barlow join Amy Howe to discuss the nomination of the first Black woman to the Supreme Court, what to expect out of the Senate in the coming weeks, and...
02.22.2022
Midterm Review
Amy Howe is joined by David Savage, longtime Supreme Court reporter for the Los Angeles Times, to discuss the term so far and how it compares to previous blockbuster years. SCOTUStalk is launching a new Q&A; feature. Send us your questions...
02.11.2022
Alabama’s redistricting on the shadow docket
Amy Howe is joined by Professor Ciara Torres-Spelliscy, of Stetson Law, to discuss the court’s decision earlier this week to reinstate Alabama’s voting map, which a lower court ruled dilutes Black votes. SCOTUStalk is launching a new Q&A; feature. Send us...
02.07.2022
Chris Geidner and Kimberly Robinson on Stephen Breyer's legacy
Two veteran legal journalists -- Chris Geidner of Grid and Kimberly Robinson of Bloomberg Law -- join fellow veteran legal journalist Amy Howe to discuss Justice Stephen Breyer's most important opinions and who might replace him on the bench. SCOTUStalk is...
01.28.2022
The retirement of Stephen Breyer
Tom Goldstein joins Amy Howe to discuss Breyer’s retirement, the most likely candidates to succeed him, and the upcoming White House vetting process. SCOTUStalk is launching a new Q&A; feature. Send us your questions about the justices, how the Supreme Court...
01.24.2022
Squabbles over masks and shadow-docket tasks
Amy Howe and Katie Barlow review a busy Supreme Court week, including a new cert grant in a religious-freedom case, the latest action on the shadow docket, and “maskgate.” SCOTUStalk is launching a new Q&A; feature. Send us your questions about...
01.10.2022
Breaking down the vaccine arguments
Sean Marotta, a partner at Hogan Lovells and an expert on the legal challenges to Biden vaccine policies, joins us to dissect Friday’s remarkable oral arguments. If you have questions about the court, the justices, or an upcoming case, please email...
12.27.2021
Term limits, transparency, and other proposed Supreme Court fixes
Gabe Roth, the executive director of Fix the Court, discusses the Biden court commission's final report and why he believes term limits are the superior court reform. If you have questions about the court, the justices, or an upcoming case, please...
12.13.2021
The Texas abortion decision and the Mississippi abortion argument
Mary Ziegler, a professor at Florida State University and the foremost expert on abortion law, analyzes the ruling in Whole Woman's Health v. Jackson and the argument in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
11.29.2021
Roe, Dobbs, and the current state of abortion access
In advance of Wednesday's oral argument in the momentous abortion case, Shefali Luthra, a gender and health care reporter for The 19th, joins SCOTUStalk to describe what abortion access in Mississippi looks like on the ground and how the court's...
11.16.2021
Two weeks of action-packed arguments
Over the first two weeks of November, the court heard cases on abortion in Texas, gun rights in New York, religious rights of death-row inmates, and more. Katie Barlow joins Amy Howe to break it all down. Hosted on Acast....
11.01.2021
Abortion, guns, and the rocket docket
In advance of a momentous November argument session, SCOTUSblog Editor James Romoser joins Amy Howe to dissect the two challenges to Texas’ six-week abortion ban and the challenge to New York’s restriction on carrying guns in public. Hosted on Acast....
10.18.2021
A top 10 list for the justices’ return to the courtroom
At the conclusion of the October argument sitting, longtime SCOTUSblog contributor Mark Walsh joins Amy Howe to select 10 big themes from the court’s first in-person arguments since the start of the pandemic. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more...
10.04.2021
First Monday in October
As the court begins its 2021-22 term and the justices return to the courtroom for the first in-person arguments in a year and a half, Katie Barlow rejoins Amy Howe to talk October arguments, new cert grants, and the justices’ gripes...
09.20.2021
A short guide to the long conference
Amy Howe is joined by SCOTUSblog’s media editor, Katie Barlow, to preview the court’s upcoming “long conference,” where the justices will sort through hundreds of cert petitions that have been filed over the summer. The pair also dig into the...
09.08.2021
The Texas abortion law and other shadow-docket controversies
Over a two-week period, the Supreme Court issued three momentous rulings on its shadow docket: one on abortion, another on evictions, and a third on asylum policy. SCOTUSblog’s publisher and co-founder, Tom Goldstein, joins the podcast to break down all...
08.23.2021
Joan Biskupic on interviewing Breyer and other SCOTUS scoops
CNN legal analyst Joan Biskupic is known for getting exclusive stories – the most recent of which was her interview last month with Justice Stephen Breyer. She joins SCOTUStalk to discuss Breyer’s retirement calculations, what she’s watching in the upcoming term, and...
08.09.2021
SCOTUS spotlight: Jeffrey Fisher on arguing during the pandemic
Jeffrey Fisher, the co-director of Stanford Law’s Supreme Court Litigation Clinic, has more than 40 Supreme Court arguments under his belt. He joins SCOTUStalk to discuss his non-traditional path to becoming a top oral advocate, and he breaks down key...
07.19.2021
How do you solve a problem like the shadow docket?
SCOTUSblog has shone a light on the shadow docket, but as its breadth and import evolves, so must those who cover it. Professor Steve Vladeck, who has written on the topic extensively and recently testified before the House Judiciary Committee, joins SCOTUStalk to discuss the shadow...
07.07.2021
Tom Goldstein reviews a transitional Supreme Court term
SCOTUSblog founders Amy Howe and Tom Goldstein look back on the 2020-21 term. The pair examine how Justice Amy Coney Barrett is settling in and review some of the term’s most noteworthy decisions, particularly on the First Amendment. Plus, a...
06.22.2021
From 9th grade study hall to the Supreme Court
Anna Salvatore started High School SCOTUS as a way to explain the Supreme Court’s work to high schoolers. After early success, the site has blossomed into a nationwide publication pulling in high school journalists from across the country – students like freshman...
06.07.2021
Stacey Abrams on While Justice Sleeps
Voting-rights activist and Georgia politician Stacey Abrams joins SCOTUStalk to discuss her new novel, While Justice Sleeps, a thriller about the Supreme Court. We talk with Abrams about her writing process, being told “no” multiple times for what is now a New...

What's SCOTUStalk about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

SCOTUStalk episodes:

The shadow docket with Steve Vladeck

Section 230 and the internet

SCOTUS Spotlight: Daniel Geyser

What’s going on with Munsingwear?

Three decades covering the Supreme Court

Looking back at the term so far

The 800-pound gorilla

Can a web designer refuse to design websites for same-sex weddings?

The Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade

SCOTUS Spotlight: Michael Dreeben on helping the justices have a conversation

Affirmative action comes to the Supreme Court

The first week

The October term 2022 preview

What it’s like to be a new justice

SCOTUS Spotlight: Kannon Shanmugam on dealing with hostile questions

SCOTUS Spotlight: An interview with Roman Martinez

Courtartist Art Lien on his work and retirement

Climate change at the Supreme Court

An important week for immigration law

The woman who argued Planned Parenthood v. Casey

Entering the homestretch

The Dobbs draft

Prayer at the 50-yard line

The “reasonable observer” of prayer in school

The Jackson hearings: A week in review

The Jackson hearings: Key moments from Day 3

The Jackson hearings: Key moments from Day 2

The Jackson hearings: Key moments from Day 1

The historic nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson

Midterm Review

Alabama’s redistricting on the shadow docket

Chris Geidner and Kimberly Robinson on Stephen Breyer's legacy

The retirement of Stephen Breyer

Squabbles over masks and shadow-docket tasks

Breaking down the vaccine arguments

Term limits, transparency, and other proposed Supreme Court fixes

The Texas abortion decision and the Mississippi abortion argument

Roe, Dobbs, and the current state of abortion access

Two weeks of action-packed arguments

Abortion, guns, and the rocket docket

A top 10 list for the justices’ return to the courtroom

First Monday in October

A short guide to the long conference

The Texas abortion law and other shadow-docket controversies

Joan Biskupic on interviewing Breyer and other SCOTUS scoops

SCOTUS spotlight: Jeffrey Fisher on arguing during the pandemic

How do you solve a problem like the shadow docket?

Tom Goldstein reviews a transitional Supreme Court term

From 9th grade study hall to the Supreme Court

Stacey Abrams on While Justice Sleeps