Untitled Dating Show
It’s law school advice time, Strict Scrutiny style! Melissa and Leah chat with Mark Moran, graduate of UVA Law and contestant on FBoy Island, for the first ever Strict Scrutiny x FBoy Island Crossover. What can law school teach you about reality TV, and reality TV teach you about law school? A lot, it turns out…. Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025! 3/6/26 – San...
43m Sep 06, 2021
43m
Flagrantly Unconstitutional
Melissa, Kate, & Leah get together again to discuss the Supreme Court’s decision in the Texas SB8 case, what is happening now in Texas, and what might happen still with the law. Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025! 3/6/26 – San Francisco 3/7/26 – Los Angeles Learn more: http://crooked.com/events Order your copy of Leah's book, Lawless: How the Supreme Court Ru...
46m Sep 04, 2021
46m
Message Received
Commander Professor Steve Vladeck joins us for an emergency episode about SB8, the most restrictive abortion law that has been allowed to go into effect since Roe v. Wade.
40m Sep 02, 2021
40m
Sexual Justice
Kate and Leah talk with Alexandra Brodsky, founding co-director of Know Your IX and author of Sexual Justice: Supporting Victims, Ensuring Due Process, and Resisting the Conservative Backlash.
54m Aug 30, 2021
54m
How Rights Went Wrong
Kate and Leah talk with Jamal Greene about his new book, How Rights Went Wrong: Why Our Obsession with Rights is Tearing America Apart. 
54m Aug 23, 2021
54m
Open Wound
Melissa talks reparations with Katherine Franke, Columbia Law Professor and author of Repair: Redeeming the Promise of Abolition.
47m Aug 16, 2021
47m
Superminority Status
Melissa and Leah are joined by Easha Anand (MacArthur Justice Center) and Kate Levine (Cardozo University School of Law) to recap the big criminal law cases from last term. Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025! 3/6/26 – San Francisco 3/7/26 – Los Angeles Learn more: http://crooked.com/events Order your copy of Leah's book, Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on...
1hr 3m Aug 09, 2021
1hr 3m
Born Tired
In collaboration with The Appellate Project, Leah, Kate, and Melissa talk to Debo Adegbile and Bruce Spiva about voting rights and diversity in the appellate bar.
56m Aug 02, 2021
56m
Anti-Democratic Super Weapon
It’s Supreme Court reform summer! On this episode, Leah talks to Professor Nikolas Bowie about his testimony to the Presidential commission on the Supreme Court and whether we have or should have a democracy.
50m Jul 26, 2021
50m
Justice, Justice Thou Shalt Pursue
Melissa interviews Berkeley Law Professor Amanda Tyler about the book she co-wrote with the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Justice, Justice, Thou Shalt Pursue. The book includes Justice Ginsburg's favorite opinions she authored, along with stories of her life, family, and career. Professor Tyler shares some of those stories as well as reflections on her working relationship and friendship wi...
53m Jul 19, 2021
53m
Roses & Thorns
It’s here … our term recap! We go over all the roses and thorns from OT2020, or at least as much as we have time for in this jam-packed episode. Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025! 3/6/26 – San Francisco 3/7/26 – Los Angeles Learn more: http://crooked.com/events Order your copy of Leah's book, Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fri...
1hr 23m Jul 12, 2021
1hr 23m
Textually Challenged
For a further break down of the opinion that is definitely not necessary to enforce the Voting Rights Act (Brnovich v. DNC), Leah is joined by two voting rights experts, Professors Nick Stephanopoulos and Franita Tolson, who offer their thoughts on (among other things) what music Justice Alito was listening to while writing Brnovich and who he was talking to as well. Get tickets for STRICT SCR...
1hr 25m Jul 05, 2021
1hr 25m
An Insult to History
With SCOTUS finishing in July, Leah recaps the end of the term (end of democracy?) cases, Brnovich and Americans for Prosperity, with law of democracy experts Wilfred Codrington and Rick Hasen. Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025! 3/6/26 – San Francisco 3/7/26 – Los Angeles Learn more: http://crooked.com/events Order your copy of Leah's book, Lawless: How the ...
1hr 7m Jul 01, 2021
1hr 7m
Tired of These Fools
On June 23rd, we joined the Ninth Judicial Circuit Historical Society, together with the Western District of Washington Federal Bar Association, for a “SCOTUS in FOCUS” event moderated by Cynthia Jones, the program chair of the Society. Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025! 3/6/26 – San Francisco 3/7/26 – Los Angeles Learn more: http://crooked.com/events Order ...
56m Jun 28, 2021
56m
Comrade Thomas
Kate and Leah recap the big FRIDAY, FRIDAY at the Supreme Court -- two statutory interpretation cases (Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation and Hollyfrontier Cheyenne Refining Co), and a major standing case (TransUnion v. Ramirez). Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025! 3/6/26 – San Francisco 3/7/26 – Los Angeles Learn more: http://crooked.com/events ...
53m Jun 25, 2021
53m
Cheerleaders for Democracy
Kate and Leah recap four opinions: Lange v. California; Mahanoy Area School District v. BL; Collins v. Yellen; and Cedar Point Nursery v. Hassid. Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025! 3/6/26 – San Francisco 3/7/26 – Los Angeles Learn more: http://crooked.com/events Order your copy of Leah's book, Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fr...
59m Jun 24, 2021
59m
Love and Basketball
Leah and Melissa do a quick dash through Monday’s opinions in Arthrex, NCAA v. Alston, and Goldman v. Arkansas Teacher Retirement Systems and a quick note on Nestle v. Doe before allowing Leah time to work out some feelings on Justice Alito’s dissent in the ACA case. Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025! 3/6/26 – San Francisco 3/7/26 – Los Angeles Learn more: ht...
36m Jun 21, 2021
36m
Amuse Bouche
Kate and Melissa recap two opinions, California v. Texas (the ACA case) and Fulton v. City of Philadelphia (Masterpiece Cakeshop redux). For the latter, Katherine Franke joins with historical context and insights.
42m Jun 18, 2021
42m
State Courts Are Where It's At
Leah, Kate, and Melissa recap an important CVSG, the Court’s opinions (in Gary, Greer, and Terry), and a major Wisconsin Supreme Court case! Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025! 3/6/26 – San Francisco 3/7/26 – Los Angeles Learn more: http://crooked.com/events Order your copy of Leah's book, Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe ...
40m Jun 15, 2021
40m
Presto!
Kate, Melissa, and Leah get together to discuss Justice Kagan’s approach to statutory interpretation. We got two opinions this week, Sanchez v. Mayorkas, another unanimous immigration case, and the big ACCA (Armed Career Criminal Act, not Affordable Care Act) opinion we’ve been waiting for-- Borden v. US. They identify an important parallel between Justice Kagan and Taylor Swift and lay out the...
1hr 2m Jun 11, 2021
1hr 2m
Fetishistically Textualist
Leah, Melissa, and Kate recap the last week of opinions (Van Buren v. United States, Garland v. Dai, and Cooley v. United States). They also discuss some developments on the shadow docket, whether Neil Gorsuch is getting some cold feet about the whole textualism thing, and the newest teacher in town -- Justice Breyer, who clearly needs some Zoom advice. Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – T...
48m Jun 04, 2021
48m
Death Eaters
Melissa interviews Ian Millhiser about his new book, The Agenda: How a Republican Supreme Court Is Reshaping America. This conversation was originally an event with the Commonwealth Club in April.
1hr 4m May 31, 2021
1hr 4m
Siren Songs
Kate, Melissa, and Leah notice the siren song of purposivism in some of the Court’s recent statutory interpretation cases. They also talk about developments on the Court’s death penalty docket before going through one of their binders of women advocates & advocates of color. Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025! 3/6/26 – San Francisco 3/7/26 – Los Angeles Learn ...
52m May 26, 2021
52m
Hysterical Lady Brains
Melissa, Kate, and Leah break down the recent cert grants, the oral argument in Terry v. United States, and the opinions in Edwards v. Vannoy, CIC v. IRS, Caniglia v. Strom, & BP v. Baltimore. They then workshop their reviews of Justice Breyer’s forthcoming book before highlighting some exciting Supreme Court-related book reviews. Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2...
1hr 7m May 24, 2021
1hr 7m
When There Are 535
In March, the NYU School of Law hosted the the Birnbaum Women’s Leadership Network's symposium on Politics, Power, and Women’s Leadership. As a part of the event, Melissa interviewed Congresswoman Katie Porter about her experience running for office, child care as infrastructure, and, of course, her big whiteboard energy. Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025! 3/6...
53m May 17, 2021
53m
Drained Pool Politics
Kate & Melissa host Heather McGhee to discuss her new book, The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together.
52m May 10, 2021
52m
Burn Book on Purposivism
Leah and Kate recap the textualist bonanza in Niz-Chavez v. Garland, and the recent arguments in Americans for Prosperity Foundation (during which Justice Alito signaled that he’s a fan of the pod) and Mahanoy School District. They also preview the final case of the term, Terry v. United States. Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025! 3/6/26 – San Francisco 3/7/26 ...
1hr 14m May 03, 2021
1hr 14m
Barking Goldfish
Kate, Leah, and Melissa go over new opinion, recap the previous week of oral arguments, and preview the next batch of cases to be heard at the Supreme Court. Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025! 3/6/26 – San Francisco 3/7/26 – Los Angeles Learn more: http://crooked.com/events Order your copy of Leah's book, Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative G...
55m Apr 26, 2021
55m
Right for the Wrong Reasons
Kate and Melissa are joined by special guests Juvaria Khan, Matthew Fletcher, and Carmen Iguina Gonzalez to discuss the upcoming April sitting and the work of The Appellate Project. Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025! 3/6/26 – San Francisco 3/7/26 – Los Angeles Learn more: http://crooked.com/events Order your copy of Leah's book, Lawless: How the Supreme Cour...
1hr 1m Apr 19, 2021
1hr 1m
Tsunami of Slime
Leah and Kate are joined by Sen. Sheldon “Whiteboard” Whitehouse to discuss the courts subcommittee hearing on dark money and how the topic of the hearing relates to the Court’s upcoming case in Americans for Prosperity Foundation v. Becerra/Thomas More Law Foundation v. Becerra. Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025! 3/6/26 – San Francisco 3/7/26 – Los Angeles L...
54m Apr 12, 2021
54m
Sausage Fest
“Live” from Yale Law’s ACS chapter, Leah and Kate recap the end of the March sitting, break down recent opinions, and kvell over some court culture -- the first batch of judicial nominees from the Biden administration! Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025! 3/6/26 – San Francisco 3/7/26 – Los Angeles Learn more: http://crooked.com/events Order your copy of Leah'...
1hr 6m Apr 05, 2021
1hr 6m
Spaceships and Serial Killers
Melissa and special guest Ginger Anders recap the first week of the March sitting and preview the second week of the March sitting. Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025! 3/6/26 – San Francisco 3/7/26 – Los Angeles Learn more: http://crooked.com/events Order your copy of Leah's book, Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories,...
1hr 11m Mar 29, 2021
1hr 11m
Dear Steve
Melissa, Kate, and Leah preview the March sitting and have a romp through court culture — cancel culture, the monarchy, media bias, and so much more! Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025! 3/6/26 – San Francisco 3/7/26 – Los Angeles Learn more: http://crooked.com/events Order your copy of Leah's book, Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance...
53m Mar 22, 2021
53m
Amend: The Fight for America
Melissa, Kate, and Leah are joined by Robe Imbriano, producer of Amend: The Fight for America, and Michelle Adams, Cardozo Law Professor and one of the experts featured in the Netflix docuseries. Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025! 3/6/26 – San Francisco 3/7/26 – Los Angeles Learn more: http://crooked.com/events Order your copy of Leah's book, Lawless: How th...
49m Mar 15, 2021
49m
Get to the Punchline
Leah and Kate recap some February arguments (Brnovich v. DNC and United States v. Arthrex) before pleading with the Biden administration to give them some court culture material. Oh, and, Justice Breyer they have a request for you -- with respect, of course. Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025! 3/6/26 – San Francisco 3/7/26 – Los Angeles Learn more: http://croo...
58m Mar 08, 2021
58m
Toddler Logic
Leah is joined by Josie Duffy Rice, President of the Appeal, and Jay Willis, senior contributor at the Appeal, to discuss some Court related news, preview the upcoming Voting Rights Act case, and chat about some emerging Fourth Amendment issues on the Court’s docket. Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025! 3/6/26 – San Francisco 3/7/26 – Los Angeles Learn more: ht...
59m Mar 01, 2021
59m
Wilding Out
Melissa, Kate, and Leah recap opinions, preview the first week of arguments in the February sitting, and discuss the perils of Zoom filters and group texts. Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025! 3/6/26 – San Francisco 3/7/26 – Los Angeles Learn more: http://crooked.com/events Order your copy of Leah's book, Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Gr...
54m Feb 22, 2021
54m
Dude Process
Kate and Leah do a “snap” episode on the most recent impeachment proceedings. Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025! 3/6/26 – San Francisco 3/7/26 – Los Angeles Learn more: http://crooked.com/events Order your copy of Leah's book, Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes (https://www.simonandschuster.com/books...
53m Feb 15, 2021
53m
Gold Highways
Leah and Kate are joined by David Schleicher and Sam Moyn, cohosts and creators of “Digging A Hole,” a legal theory podcast. They discuss Supreme Court reform and why none of them were invited to join the court reform commission. 
53m Feb 08, 2021
53m
Dirty Damages
Leah, Melissa, and Kate recap the January sitting and the inauguration festivities. They also extend a few invites to join the pod -- so listen in! Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025! 3/6/26 – San Francisco 3/7/26 – Los Angeles Learn more: http://crooked.com/events Order your copy of Leah's book, Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, ...
55m Feb 01, 2021
55m
My Name Is Pauli Murray
Leah, Melissa, and Kate are joined by Julie Cohen, Betsy West and Talleah Bridges McMahon, the team behind the new documentary, My Name Is Pauli Murray.  The film premieres at the Sundance Film Festival this week.
53m Jan 25, 2021
53m
Rinse & Repeat
Leah, Melissa, and Kate are joined by Rutgers Law Dean Kim Mutcherson, host of “The Power of Attorney” podcast, to break down (FOR NOW) the Court’s recent grants, the decision in FDA v. ACOG, and to recap and preview some January cases.
1hr 1m Jan 20, 2021
1hr 1m
The Meme Lives
Leah, Melissa, and Kate discuss the insurrection, their new BFF Joe Manchin, the upcoming January sitting, and the 25th Amendment. Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025! 3/6/26 – San Francisco 3/7/26 – Los Angeles Learn more: http://crooked.com/events Order your copy of Leah's book, Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, ...
1hr 3m Jan 11, 2021
1hr 3m
No Coup For You
In this monster episode, Leah, Melissa, and Kate recap all of the December arguments, and the opinions we’ve gotten to date. They also deliver some disappointing news to Texas et al: NO COUP FOR YOU! Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025! 3/6/26 – San Francisco 3/7/26 – Los Angeles Learn more: http://crooked.com/events Order your copy of Leah's book, Lawless: Ho...
1hr 19m Dec 28, 2020
1hr 19m
Our Favorite Things
Melissa, Leah, and Kate bring some BIG OPRAH ENERGY to share some of their favorite things around the holidays and new year. Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025! 3/6/26 – San Francisco 3/7/26 – Los Angeles Learn more: http://crooked.com/events Order your copy of Leah's book, Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Ba...
21m Dec 23, 2020
21m
When Reality Is Surreal
Leah and Melissa are joined by Alexandra Petri, author of Nothing Is Wrong And Here Is Why, and Washington Post columnist. They discuss how to cover news by laughing rather than crying, and how to satirize reality when reality is surreal.
43m Dec 21, 2020
43m
Normal Scrutiny
Leah and Melissa are joined by the first repeat guest on Strict Scrutiny, Elie Mystal, to discuss his recent column about Democratic leadership on the Senate Judiciary Committee. They also provide some dramatic readings and reenactments of some of the hearings and filings from the (poorly run) coup attempt. Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025! 3/6/26 – San Franc...
1hr 7m Dec 14, 2020
1hr 7m
Big Whiteboard Energy
It’s the episode you’ve been waiting for – our breakdown of Justice Alito’s keynote speech at the Federalist Society convention. And as our guest, we have the Senator living rent free in Justice Alito’s head – Senator Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, who gets his own Strict Scrutiny nickname in this episode! Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025! 3/6/26 – San F...
1hr 7m Dec 07, 2020
1hr 7m
Call For Filings!
Send us your favorite, crazy election law filings from this cycle. And we'll do a dramatic reading! Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025! 3/6/26 – San Francisco 3/7/26 – Los Angeles Learn more: http://crooked.com/events Order your copy of Leah's book, Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes (https://www.simo...
1m Dec 06, 2020
1m
Unfeathered Discretion
Leah and Melissa preview the first week of the December sitting and recap a lot of Supreme Court and Supreme Court adjacent news about turkeys, COVID, and more. Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025! 3/6/26 – San Francisco 3/7/26 – Los Angeles Learn more: http://crooked.com/events Order your copy of Leah's book, Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservativ...
1hr 1m Nov 30, 2020
1hr 1m