Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts

After a successful blockade of President Obama’s Supreme Court nominee, the GOP-led Senate will convene hearings this week on President Trump’s pick for the Court’s year-old vacancy. Considering all that has happened in the past year, how should Democrats handle the proceedings? On this week’s episode, we put that question to U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. We also sit down with veteran journalist Tom Rosenstiel to discuss his debut novel Shining City, a timely thriller about the inner-workings of a controversial Supreme Court nomination. Tom describes how his decades of political reporting informed the book, and reflects on some of the parallels between reality and fiction. Amicus is brought to you by The Great Courses Plus, a video learning service that offers lectures on all kinds of topics. Get the first full month FREE when you sign up by going to TheGreatCoursesPlus.com/amicus.And by Blue Apron. Create delicious, home-cooked meals with fresh ingredients delivered right to your door. Get your first three meals free when you go to BlueApron.com/Amicus.Please let us know what you think of Amicus. Our email is [email protected]. Follow us on Facebook here. Podcast production by Tony Field. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Monday, the Department of Justice announced an abrupt about-face on voting rights, essentially walking away from a lawsuit against a harsh voter-ID law in Texas. We discuss the reversal and its implications with Janai Nelson of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund. She was one of the lawyers in the strange position of arguing the case in court this week, the day after the DOJ reversed course. We also sit down with Jeffrey Fisher, who argued an important immigration-related case at the Supreme Court his week. Esquivel-Quintana v. Sessions asks whether a legal immigrant can be deported for something that counts as a serious crime in some states, but not others. It also previews a question likely to play a big role in Neil Gorsuch’s confirmation hearings: how much deference courts should give federal agencies when interpreting the meaning of laws. Amicus is brought to you by Casper, an online retailer of premium mattresses. Get $50 toward any mattress purchase by going to Casper.com/amicusand using the promo code amicus.And by The Great Courses Plus, a video learning service that offers lectures on all kinds of topics. Get the first full month FREE when you sign up by going to TheGreatCoursesPlus.com/amicus. Please let us know what you think of Amicus. Our email is [email protected]. Follow us on Facebook here. Podcast production by Tony Field. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 2010, a Mexican teenager in Juarez was shot to death by a Border Patrol agent on the U.S. side of the border. In Hernandez v. Mesa, set for argument next week, the Supreme Court will determine whether the boy’s parents can sue the agent in U.S. courts. We are joined by Deepak Gupta, the family’s attorney, to discuss the case and its potential implications on American intelligence activities abroad. We also sit down with Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring to discuss this week’s ruling by a federal judge in one of the lawsuits challenging President Trump’s travel ban. Herring explains why Virginia joined the plaintiffs in that suit, and what the role of state attorneys general will be in the next four years of the Trump era. Transcripts of Amicus are available to Slate Plus members. Consider signing up today! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial here. Amicus is brought to you by Blue Apron. Blue Apron’s meal kits are delivered right to your door, and make cooking at home easy. Get your first three meals free by going to BlueApron.com/Amicus. And by First Republic Bank. First Republic is dedicated to providing extraordinary service and changing the way clients feel about banking. Visit firstrepublic.com to hear what their clients say about them. Please let us know what you think of Amicus. Our email is [email protected]. Follow us on Facebook here. Podcast production by Tony Field. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A little more than a week after President Trump announced his ban on travel from a handful of majority-Muslim nations, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit this week refused to lift a temporary restraining order blocking enforcement of the new rule. This week, Dahlia sits down with fellow Slate legal writers Mark Joseph Stern and Jeremy Stahl for a special off-week episode to discuss the ruling and its implications.Transcripts of Amicus are available to Slate Plus members. Consider signing up today! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial here. Please let us know what you think of Amicus. Our email is [email protected]. Follow us on Facebook here. Podcast production by Tony Field. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In an elaborately choreographed prime-time ceremony this week, President Trump tapped Judge Neil Gorsuch for the Supreme Court seat that has been vacant for almost a year. We sit down with the Constitutional Accountability Center’s Elizabeth Wydra to examine Judge Gorsuch’s judicial record, whether he really is “Scalia 2.0,” and the difficult choices confronting Senate Democrats in the wake of this nomination. We also consider the ramifications of reports that some U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents are defying federal court orders around Trump’s new travel restrictions. Slate staffers Mark Joseph Stern and Leon Neyfakh tell us what they learned from constitutional law scholars about the possibility of a standoff between two branches of the federal government. (Read our Slate piece on the subject here.) Finally, we zero in on one of the many lawsuits filed this week against Trump’s executive order. Aziz v. Trump centers on a pair of young men who were en route to join their father in Michigan when the order was issued, and wound up being deported to Ethiopia upon their arrival at Dulles International Airport. We’re joined by the Legal Aid Justice Center’s Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg, one of the lawyers representing the plaintiffs in the case. Transcripts of Amicus are available to Slate Plus members. Consider signing up today! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial here. Amicus is brought to you by Casper, an online retailer of premium mattresses. Get $50 toward any mattress purchase by going to Casper.com/amicusand using the promo code amicus.And by The Great Courses Plus, a video learning service that offers lectures on all kinds of topics. Get the first full month FREE when you sign up by going to TheGreatCoursesPlus.com/amicus. Please let us know what you think of Amicus. Our email is [email protected]. Follow us on Facebook here. Podcast production by Tony Field. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Can a group of wrongfully-detained noncitizens sue high-ranking Bush Administration officials for violating their rights in the days following 9/11? That’s the central question in Ziglar v Abbasi, which was argued this week at the Supreme Court. On today’s episode, we hear from Rachel Meeropol of the Center for Constitutional Rights, who represented the former detainees. We also consider Lee v. Tam, another big case argued at the high court on Wednesday. It centers on a trademark claim by the Asian-American dance-rock band The Slants. That claim was denied on the grounds that the name was disparaging towards “persons of Asian descent.” Simon Tam joins us to tell the story of his band’s name, and to make the case that the government isn’t equipped to be deciding who is and isn’t using language disparagingly. Transcripts of Amicus are available to Slate Plus members. Consider signing up today! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial here. Amicus is brought to you by The Great Courses Plus, a video learning service that offers lectures on all kinds of topics. Get the first full month FREE when you sign up by going to TheGreatCoursesPlus.com/amicus.And by Blue Apron. Blue Apron’s meal kits are delivered right to your door, and make cooking at home easy. Get your first THREE meals FREE by going to BlueApron.com/amicus.Please let us know what you think of Amicus. Our email is [email protected]. Follow us on Facebook here. Podcast production by Tony Field. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the lead-up to November’s presidential election, Donald Trump released a list of 21 potential Supreme Court nominees in what many saw as an effort to mollify conservatives who tend to worry about these sorts of things. Now, that list has reportedly been narrowed to eight. On this episode, we sit down with William Jay, a former clerk to Justice Antonin Scalia, to discuss Scalia’s possible successors. We also speak with Jack Robinson, a lawyer for the special-needs student at the center of Endrew F. v Douglas City School District. The case is scheduled for argument at the Supreme Court next week, and Robinson explains why special-education advocates are watching the case so closely. Transcripts of Amicus are available to Slate Plus members. Consider signing up today! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial here. Amicus is brought to you by Casper, an online retailer of premium mattresses for a fraction of the price. Get $50 toward any mattress purchase by going to Casper.com/amicus and using the promo code Amicus. And by the Great Courses Plus, a video learning service that offers lectures on all kinds of topics. Get the first full month FREE when you sign up by going to TheGreatCoursesPlus.com/amicus. Please let us know what you think of Amicus. Our email is [email protected]. Follow us on Facebook here. Podcast production by Tony Field. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“[N]o person holding any office of profit or trust under them, shall, without the consent of the Congress, accept of any present, emolument, office, or title, of any kind whatever, from any king, prince, or foreign state.” These words, from Article I of the U.S. Constitution, make it unambiguously clear to many legal scholars that Donald Trump will be committing an impeachable offense by not relinquishing an ownership stake in his multiple companies before Jan 20. Zephyr Teachout is among those scholars, and joins us to explain why corruption in the presidency was such anathema to the nation’s founders. In the remainder of today’s episode, we share a few highlights from a recent symposium about the current state of free speech on campus. The event was organized by the Thomas Jefferson Center for the Protection of Free Expression. You can watch videos of the entire two-day event here.Transcripts of Amicus are available to Slate Plus members. Consider signing up today! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial here. Amicus is brought to you by The Great Courses Plus, a video learning service with a large library of lectures all taught by award-winning professors. Get a free month of unlimited access when you sign up at TheGreatCoursesPlus.com/amicus.And by Casper, an online retailer of premium mattresses for a fraction of the price. Get 50 dollars toward any mattress purchase by going to Casper.com/amicus and using the promo code Amicus.Please let us know what you think of Amicus. Our email is [email protected]. Follow us on Facebook here. Podcast production by Tony Field. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Monday, the Supreme Court heard arguments in McCrory v. Harris and Bethune-Hill v. Virginia Board of Elections, two challenges to Republican gerrymandering efforts that resulted in the creation of majority-minority voting districts. At issue is whether lawmakers in Virginia and North Carolina were motivated primarily by racial considerations or only secondarily so. Marc Elias, the lawyer who represented the challengers in both cases, joins us to explain why the distinction is so critical. We also consider the revolt that’s underway in the Electoral College. A small group of electors calling themselves the Hamilton Electors are seeking to be unbound from state requirements that they vote as their state voted. Legal scholar Carolyn Shapiro explains why she believes the Hamilton Electors should be taken seriously. Transcripts of Amicus are available to Slate Plus members. Consider signing up today! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial here. Amicus is brought to you by the Great Courses Plus, a video learning service with a large library of lectures all taught by award-winning professors. Get a free month of unlimited access when you sign up at TheGreatCoursesPlus.com/amicus. And by First Republic Bank. At First Republic, the staff takes the time to know your business and customize solutions to help you reach your goals. Visit FirstRepublic.com today to hear what their clients say about them. Please let us know what you think of Amicus. Our email is [email protected]. Follow us on Facebook here. Podcast production by Tony Field. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Just a few weeks into the era of President-elect Donald Trump, and already there is a lot of bruising around the edges of the Constitution. The past few weeks have brought talk of Muslim registries, jail time for flag burners, restrictions on voting and the sweet mystery of the Emoluments Clause. This week, we sit down with U.S. Senator Chris Coons to discuss how much of this talk we should take seriously, and where the true threats to Americans’ constitutional protections lie. We also speak with Neal Katyal, former Acting Solicitor General of the United States, about the 1944 Supreme Court decision that upheld the internment of Japanese-Americans. In 2011, Katyal issued an official apology for the role of one of his predecessors in that case. Korematsu v United Stateshas been in the news again recently, after one Trump surrogate cited it as a “precedent” for a possible Trump Administration program that would require the registration of immigrants from a handful of predominantly Muslim countries. Transcripts of Amicus are available to Slate Plus members. Consider signing up today! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial here. Amicus is brought to you by the Great Courses Plus, a video learning service with a large library of lectures all taught by award-winning professors. Get a free month of unlimited access when you sign up at TheGreatCoursesPlus.com/amicus. And by First Republic Bank. At First Republic, they take the time to know your business and customize solutions to help you reach your goals. Visit FirstRepublic.com today to hear what their clients say about them. Please let us know what you think of Amicus. Our email is [email protected]. Follow us on Facebook here. Podcast production by Tony Field. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the days leading up to Election Day, conservative legal scholar Orin Kerr explained why he would be crossing the aisle to vote for a Democrat. On this episode, he tells us why the prospect of a President Trump frightened him so much, and what we can expect in the way of checks and balances on executive power for the next four years. We also speak with Garrett Epps, who wrote in The Atlantic this week that Trump is “a figure out of authoritarian politics, not the American tradition.” Epps observes that Trump has expressed contempt for nearly every article in the Bill of Rights, and deserves to be taken at his word. Transcripts of Amicus are available to Slate Plus members. Consider signing up today! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial here. Amicus is brought to you by The Great Courses Plus, a video learning service with a large library of lectures all taught by award-winning professors. Get a free month of unlimited access when you sign up at TheGreatCoursesPlus.com/amicus. And by First Republic Bank. At First Republic, they take the time to know your business and customize solutions to help you reach your goals. Visit FirstRepublic.com today to hear what their clients say about them. Please let us know what you think of Amicus. Our email is [email protected]. Follow us on Facebook here. Podcast production by Tony Field. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the wake of the Supreme Court’s 2013 decision in Shelby County v Holder, many states made changes to their voting laws that may disproportionately harm minorities. This week, lawyers in Ohio filed an emergency motion with the Supreme Court requesting a suspension of voting restrictions in their state. One of those lawyers, Subodh Chandra, joins us to explain why. We also speak with Wendy Weiser, director of the Democracy Program at the Brennan Center for Justice, about the potential impact of Donald Trump’s recent warnings about vote-rigging. She explains why long-term neglect of our voting infrastructure is a much bigger threat than either vote tampering or self-styled poll watchers. Transcripts of Amicus are available to Slate Plus members. Consider signing up today! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial here. Amicus is brought to you by The Great Courses Plus, a video learning service with a large library of lectures all taught by award-winning professors. Get a free month of unlimited access when you sign up at TheGreatCoursesPlus.com/amicus. And by Blue Apron. For less than $10 per meal, Blue Apron delivers meal kits right to your door to make cooking at home easy. Get your first THREE meals FREE by going to BlueApron.com/amicus. Please let us know what you think of Amicus. Our email is [email protected]. Follow us on Facebook here. Podcast production by Tony Field. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After President Obama nominated Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court in March, there was widespread speculation that opposing his confirmation hearings could have political costs for Republican senators. But seven months later, it’s not clear how much the GOP’s continued obstructionism will matter to voters next month. On this episode, we discuss Obama’s handling of the Supreme Court vacancy with White House Counsel Neil Eggleston and Brian Deese, Senior Adviser to the President. We also take a closer look at Peña Rodriguez v. Colorado, an important case about jury bias that was argued at the Supreme Court this week. Jeffrey Fisher, who represented the petitioner, joins us to explain why blatantly racist comments uttered by a juror in a criminal trial should invalidate that trial’s verdict. Transcripts of Amicus are available to Slate Plus members. Consider signing up today! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial here. Amicus is brought to you by The Great Courses Plus, a video learning service with a large library of lectures all taught by award-winning professors. Get a free month of unlimited access when you sign up at TheGreatCoursesPlus.com/amicus. And by Blue Apron. For less than 10 dollars per meal, Blue Apron delivers meal kits right to your door to make cooking at home easy. Get your first THREE mealsFREE by going to BlueApron.com/amicus.Subscribe to our podcast here. Please let us know what you think of Amicus. Our email is [email protected]. Follow us at Facebook here. Podcast production by Tony Field.Panoply SurveyWe want you to tell us about the podcasts you enjoy, and how often you listen to them. So we created a survey that takes just a couple of minutes to complete. If you fill it out, you'll help Panoply to make great podcasts about the things you love. And things you didn’t even know you loved. To fill out the survey, just go to www.megaphone.fm/survey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The 2016 Supreme Court term gets underway next week, but don’t get too excited. Eager to avoid any more 4-4 split decisions, the eight remaining justices have cobbled together a caseload that steers clear of the big social questions that defined the court’s past two terms. SCOTUSblog founder and publisher Tom Goldstein joins us for our annual survey of what’s ahead. We also speak with former federal judge Shira Scheindlin. In 2013, she ruled that stop-and-frisk tactics were being used unconstitutionally by the NYPD. Because of that ruling, she was accused this week by Donald Trump of being “very against police.” Transcripts of Amicus are available to Slate Plus members. Consider signing up today! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial here. Amicus is brought to you by The Great Courses Plus, a video learning service withhundreds of engaging lectures taught by top professors. Get a free month ofunlimited access when you sign up at TheGreatCoursesPlus.com/amicus. And by Blue Apron. For less than 10 dollars per meal, Blue Apron delivers mealkits right to your door to make cooking at home easy. Get your first THREEmeals FREE by going to BlueApron.com/amicus. Please let us know what you think of Amicus. Our email is [email protected]. Follow us on Facebook here.Podcast production by Tony Field. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We kick off a brand new season of our podcast with an episode devoted to the member of the Supreme Court bench who has garnered by far the most headlines since our last episode. That’s right, it’s the slavish fangirl edition of Amicus, in which we cave to the pressure of our listeners and fête the woman who had the temerity to call Donald Trump a “faker” this past July. Joining us to discuss the cultural phenomenon that is Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is MSNBC national reporter Irin Carmon, co-author of the bestselling biography Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. We also hear from Cooper Sirwatka, a New York attorney and proud wearer of a full-color RBG tattoo. Amicus is brought to you by Upstanders, a new podcast from Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz and Rajiv Chandrasekaran. Hear stories of ordinary peopledoing extraordinary things to create positive change in their communities. Listen and subscribe to Upstanders on iTunes now.Transcripts of Amicus are available to Slate Plus members. Consider signing up today! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts,and more. Sign up for a free trial today here. Please let us know what you think of Amicus. Our email is [email protected]. Podcast production by Tony Field. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Monday, the Supreme Court invalidated two provisions of Texas’ omnibus abortion law known as HB2. The 5-3 decision in Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt was a big win for abortion rights advocates, many of whom expected things to turn out the other way. On today’s show, we speak with Amy Hagstrom Miller, founder and CEO of the abortion provider that challenged the Texas law. We also sit down with Slate’s own Mark Joseph Stern to recap the highlights – and lowlights – of one a Supreme Court term that was chock-full of unexpected twists and turns. Amicus is sponsored by The Great Courses Plus, a new video service with thousands of lectures on dozens of topics. Learn more at TheGreatCoursesPlus.com/amicus.And by Wunder Capital. Invest in large-scale solar project across the US. Create an account for free at Wundercapital.com/amicus. Invest in Wunder Capital’ssolar funds. Do well and do good. Please let us know what you think of Amicus. Our email is [email protected]. Podcast production by Tony Field. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Marriage equality. Voting Rights. Obamacare. These are among the many enormously consequential causes that have fallen to Donald Verrilli to defend at the Supreme Court over the past five years. On this week’s episode, he looks back on some of the highlights – and lowlights – of his term as U.S. Solicitor General. We’re also joined by Sherrilyn Ifill, President of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, to discuss this week’s big affirmative action win at the Supreme Court. Many court-watchers were surprised by Justice Anthony Kennedy’s vote in Fisher v University of Texas, but not Ifill. She tells us why. Transcripts of Amicus are available to Slate Plus members. Consider signing up today! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today here. Amicus is sponsored by The Great Courses Plus, a new video service with thousands of lectures on dozens of topics. Right now, Amicus listeners can stream Influence: Mastering Life’s Most Powerful Skill—and hundreds of other courses—for free. Just visit TheGreatCoursesPlus.com/amicus. Please let us know what you think of Amicus. Our email is [email protected]. Podcast production by Tony Field. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Much of the legal world’s attention was focused this week on Donald Trump’s attacks on Gonzalo Curiel, the federal judge presiding over the Trump University fraud cases in California. The outrage centered on Trump’s insistence that the fact of Curiel’s Mexican ancestry should disqualify him from the case, considering Trump’s declared intent to build a border wall. We discuss Trump’s stance – and its historical antecedents – with Deborah Rhode, founding director of Stanford University’s Center on Ethics. And we sit down with Jeffrey Rosen to talk about the far-reaching legal mind of Justice Louis Brandeis, confirmed to the Supreme Court 100 years ago this month. Rosen is the author of the new book Louis D. Brandeis: An American Prophet. Transcripts of Amicus are available to Slate Plus members. Sign up for a free Slate Plus trial here. Amicus is sponsored by The Great Courses Plus, a new video service with thousands of lectures on dozens of topics. Right now, Amicus listeners can stream Influence: Mastering Life’s Most Powerful Skill—and hundreds of other courses—for free. Just visit TheGreatCoursesPlus.com/amicus.And by Casper, an online retailer of premium mattresses for a fraction of the price. All Casper mattresses come with free delivery and returns within a 100-day period. Right now, get 50 dollars toward any mattress purchase by visiting Casper.com/amicus and using the promo code AMICUS.Please let us know what you think of Amicus. Our email is [email protected]. Podcast production by Tony Field. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Despite many appearances to the contrary, Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer this week told an interviewer that the Court has not been diminished by the Senate’s inability to fill its empty seat. On this episode, Dahlia considers that claim with The Atlantic’s Garrett Epps. She is also joined by legal scholar Jonathan Adler, who weighs in on Donald Trump’s recently released shortlist of potential Supreme Court nominees. Adler counts himself among the conservatives who are deeply troubled by the prospect of Trump’s impact on the judiciary were he to be elected president.You can listen to past episodes of Amicus here. Transcripts of Amicus are available to Slate Plus members. Consider signing up today! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today here. Please let us know what you think of Amicus. Our email is [email protected]. Amicus is sponsored by The Great Courses Plus, a new video service with thousands of lectures on dozens of topics. For a limited time, Amicus listeners can stream Influence: Mastering Life’s Most Powerful Skill—and hundreds of other courses—for free. Just visit TheGreatCoursesPlus.com/amicus.Podcast production by Tony Field. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dahlia sits down with Tony Mauro of the National Law Journal to listen to highlights from the Supreme Court’s 2015 term. And she speaks with Politico’s Josh Gerstein about recent non-developments in the non-confirmation of SCOTUS nominee Merrick Garland.You can listen to past episodes of Amicus here. Transcripts of Amicus are available to Slate Plus members. Consider signing up today! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today here. Please let us know what you think of Amicus. Our email is [email protected]. Amicus is sponsored by The Great Courses Plus, a new video service with thousands of lectures on dozens of topics. For a limited time, Amicus listeners can stream Influence: Mastering Life’s Most Powerful Skill—and hundreds of other courses—for free. Just visit TheGreatCoursesPlus.com/amicus.Podcast production by Tony Field. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, the Supreme Court heard arguments in McDonnell v. United States, an appeal of the 2014 corruption conviction of Virginia’s former governor. The facts of thecase read a bit like a reality show, with Gov. Bob McDonnell and his wife affording access to a wealthy businessman in exchange for Rolex watches, fancy ball gowns and expensive golf clubs. But on this episode of the podcast, former federal judge Nancy Gertner argues that prosecutors interpreted an anti-corruption law too broadly. (Gertner co-authored an amicus brief in support of McDonnell – you can read it here.)You can listen to past episodes of Amicus here. Transcripts of Amicus are available to Slate Plus members. Consider signing up today! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today here. Please let us know what you think of Amicus. Our email is [email protected]. Amicus is sponsored by The Great Courses Plus, a new video service with thousands of lectures on dozens of topics. For a limited time, Amicus listeners can stream The Modern Political Tradition: Hobbes to Habermas—and hundreds of other courses—for free. Just visit TheGreatCoursesPlus.com/amicus.Podcast production by Tony Field. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dahlia previews United States v. Texas – this week’s big immigration case – with Brianne Gorod of the Constitutional Accountability Center. She also hears from Sen. Al Franken about the latest in the standoff over Obama’s SCOTUS nominee, Merrick Garland.You can listen to past episodes of Amicus here. Transcripts of Amicus are available to Slate Plus members. Consider signing up today! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today here. Please let us know what you think of Amicus. Our email is [email protected]. Amicus is sponsored by The Great Courses Plus, a new video service with thousands of lectures on dozens of topics. For a limited time, Amicus listeners can stream The Modern Political Tradition: Hobbes to Habermas—and hundreds of other courses—for free. Just visit TheGreatCoursesPlus.com/amicus. And by “Confirmation,” the new HBO film that details the explosive 1991 Supreme Court nomination hearings of Clarence Thomas. Confirmation premieres at 8 p.m. tonight, April 16th, on HBO. Podcast production by Tony Field. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

More than two weeks have passed since President Obama tapped Merrick Garland to fill Antonin Scalia’s vacant seat on the Supreme Court. But while their rationale has shifted somewhat, Senate Republican leaders remain as firm as ever in their refusal to hold confirmation hearings for the nominee. On this week’s episode, University of Chicago Law School professor Geoffrey R. Stone joins us to explain why the GOP’s intransigence is so threatening to the core institutions of federal government.You can listen to past episodes of Amicus here. Transcripts of Amicus are available to Slate Plus members. Consider signing up today! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today here. Please let us know what you think of Amicus. Our email is [email protected]. Amicus is sponsored by The Great Courses Plus, a new video service with more than 5,000 lectures on subjects from science to cooking to history. Right now, you can have unlimited access to the entire Great Courses Plus library—for one whole month for free—by visiting TheGreatCoursesPlus.com/amicus. Podcast production by Tony Field. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, the Supreme Court heard arguments in Zubik v Burwell, the latest challenge to the Affordable Care Act. This time, a group of religious non-profits are challenging the government’s accommodation for employers who don’t want to have anything to do with providing birth control to their workers. Dahlia speaks with Paul Clement, who argued the case for the plaintiffs, and Walter Dellinger, who supports the government's position.You can listen to past episodes of Amicus here. Transcripts of Amicus are available to Slate Plus members. Consider signing up today! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today here. Please let us know what you think of Amicus. Our email is [email protected]. This week’s excerpts from the Supreme Court’s public sessions were provided by Oyez, a free law project at the Chicago-Kent College of Law, part of the Illinois Institute of Technology.Amicus is sponsored by Amazon. Detective Harry Bosch is back on the new season of Amazon’s Original Series Bosch, based on the best selling novels by Michael Connelly. Stream the new season now on Amazon Prime Video.And by The Great Courses Plus, a new video service with more than 5,000 lectures on subjects from science to cooking to history. Right now, you can have unlimited access to the entire Great Courses Plus library—for one whole month for free—by visiting TheGreatCoursesPlus.com/amicus. Podcast production by Tony Field. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It was a big week at SCOTUS, as a newly-balanced Court turned to Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt, its first abortion case in nine years. We discuss the case with legal scholar Pamela Karlan and listen to some highlights from oral arguments.Amicus is sponsored by Casper, an online retailer of premium mattresses for a fraction of the price. Casper mattresses come with free delivery and returns within a100-day period. And get 50 dollars toward any mattress purchase by visitingCasper.com/amicus and using the promo code AMICUS.And by Amazon. Detective Harry Bosch is back on the new season of Amazon’s Original Series Bosch, based on the best selling novels by Michael Connelly. Stream the new season on March 11th on Amazon Prime Video.Transcripts of Amicus are available to Slate Plus members. Consider signing up today! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today here. Please let us know what you think of Amicus. Our email is [email protected]. Podcast production by Tony Field. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A week after the death of Justice Antonin Scalia, his former clerk Rachel Barkow shares fond memories of a mentor with whom she didn’t always agree politically. And legal scholar Akhil Reed Amar explains why Scalia didn’t always remain true to his originalist principles.You can listen to past episodes of Amicus here. Transcripts of Amicus are available to Slate Plus members. Consider signing up today! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today here. Please let us know what you think of Amicus. Our email is [email protected]. Podcast production by Tony Field. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The sudden death on Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia on Saturday has unleashed huge shockwaves in both the presidential race and the legal community. Luckily, Slate has podcasts covering both areas. In this special joint episode, Amicus host Dahlia Lithwick joins Political Gabfest panelists Emily Bazelon and David Plotz to look at all the possible repercussions of Scalia’s death.Transcripts of Amicus are available to Slate Plus members. Consider signing up today! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today here. Please let us know what you think of Amicus. Our email is [email protected]. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode, Dahlia asks why the Supreme Court has been almost absent as a campaign issue, despite the fact that the next president could have the opportunity to reshape the Court’s bench. She is joined by UC-Irvine law professor Erwin Chemerinsky.Transcripts of Amicus are available to Slate Plus members. Consider signing up today! Members get bonus segments, exclusivemember-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today here. Please let us know what you think of Amicus. Our email is [email protected]. Podcast production by Tony Field. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In Heffernan v City of Paterson, the Supreme Court must decide whether a government worker can be punished for a political belief his employers attribute to him – rightly or wrongly. This week, Dahlia speaks with lawyers on both sides of the topsy-turvy case.Please let us know what you think of Amicus. Our email is [email protected]. Subscribe to our podcast here. You can find past episodes of our show here. Amicus is sponsored by Casper, an online retailer of premium mattresses for a fraction of the price. Casper mattresses come with free delivery and returns within a 100-day period. Get $50 toward any mattress purchase by visiting Casper.com/amicus and using the promo code AMICUS. Podcast production by Tony Field. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, the Supreme Court will hear a case that could undercut the ability of public sector unions to raise money. Dahlia is joined by CatoInstitute’s Ilya Shapiro and U. of Michigan’s Sam Bagenstos, who submitted briefs on opposite sides of the case.Please let us know what you think of Amicus. Our email is [email protected] to our podcast here. You can find past episodes of our show here.Podcast production by Tony Field. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dahlia speaks with attorney Mary Kathryn Nagle about Dollar General Corporation v.Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, a major Native American rights case argued at the Supreme Court earlier this month.Please let us know what you think of Amicus. Our email is [email protected] to our podcast here. You can find past episodes of our show here.Podcast production by Tony Field. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What is the meaning of “one person, one vote? That’s the main question in Evenwel v. Abbott, argued this week at the Supreme Court. On this episode, Dahlia speaks with Andrew Grossman and Nathaniel Persily -- experts on opposing sides of the case. She also plays a few highlights from the week’s big affirmative action case, Fisher v University of Texas at Austin.Please let us know what you think of Amicus. Our email is [email protected] to our podcast here. You can find past episodes of our show here.Amicus is sponsored by The Great Courses, offering a series of lectures about the impact that technology is having on the constitution and our rights. The series—"Privacy, Property & Free Speech: Law and the Constitution in the 21st Century"—is available right now at up to 80 percent off the original price if you visit TheGreatCourses.com/amicus.Podcast production by Tony Field. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A half-century after Brown v. Board of Education, should the Supreme Court still be in the business of integrating public schools and universities? Dahlia sits down with University of Virginia legal historian Risa Golubuff to discuss the backdrop to the term’s big affirmative action case, Fisher v University of Texas.Please let us know what you think of Amicus. Our email is [email protected] to our podcast here. You can find past episodes of our show here.This week’s excerpts from the Supreme Court’s public sessions were provided by Oyez, a free law project at the Chicago-Kent College of Law, part of the Illinois Institute of Technology. Amicus is sponsored by MileIQ. If you’re one of the 60 million Americans who drive for work then you know that your miles are your dollars. Every mile you don’t log is money that you are losing. MileIQ is the only mileage-tracker app that detects, logs, andcalculates your miles for you, ensuring that every mile is accounted for and no dollar is lost. Try MileIQ for free today by texting AMICUS to 31996.Podcast production by Tony Field. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dahlia speaks with Carter Phillips, the lawyer who represented Tyson Foods at the Supreme Court this week in Tyson's attempt to dismiss a class action suit by its workers. She also considers the love-hate relationship between presidential hopefuls and the high court.Please let us know what you think of Amicus. Our email is [email protected] to our podcast here. Want a transcript of this week’s episode? They’re all available to members of Slate Plus on our show page. If you're not a Slate Plus member, consider becoming one -- members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial here.Amicus is sponsored by The Great Courses, offering a series of lectures about the impact that technology is having on the constitution and our rights. The series—titled "Privacy, Property & Free Speech: Law and the Constitution in the 21st Century"—is available right now at up to 80% off the original price if you visit TheGreatCourses.com/amicus.And by The Rachel Maddow Show on MSNBC. Watch Rachel as she breaks down the big headlines for the local threads that tie them all together. It’s the Rachel Maddow Show … covering America one story at time. Weeknights at 9 Eastern only on MSNBC.Podcast production by Tony Field. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dahlia previews Foster v. Chatman, a Supreme Court appeal that contends with the problem of racial bias in the process of jury selection. Her guests include Stephen Bright, president of the Southern Center for Human Rights; and Glenn Ivey, a former prosecutor who has joined an amicus brief in support of the man at the center of Foster.Please let us know what you think of Amicus. Our email is [email protected]. Subscribe to our podcast here.Want a transcript of this week’s episode? They’re all available to members of Slate Plus on our show page. If you're not a Slate Plus member, consider becoming one -- members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial here.Amicus is sponsored by The Great Courses, offering a series of lectures about the impact that technology is having on the constitution and our rights. The series—titled "Privacy, Property & Free Speech: Law and the Constitution in the 21st Century"—is available right now at up to 80% off the original price if you visit TheGreatCourses.com/amicus.And by MileIQ. If you’re one of the 60 million Americans who drive for work then you know that your miles are your dollars. Every mile you don’t log is money that you are losing. MileIQ is the only mileage-tracker app that detects, logs, and calculates your miles for you, ensuring that every mile is accounted for and no dollar is lost. Try MileIQ for free today by texting AMICUS to 31996.Podcast production by Tony Field. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dahlia speaks with law professor Robert J. Smith about Montgomery v. Louisiana, a Supreme Court case that focuses on a man who has served 53 years in prison for a murder he committed as a juvenile.Please let us know what you think of Amicus. Our email is [email protected]. Subscribe to our podcast here.Want a transcript of this week’s episode? They’re all available to members of Slate Plus on our show page. If you're not a Slate Plus member, consider becoming one -- members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial here.Amicus is sponsored by the Great Courses, offering a series of lectures about business and presentation—including Scientific Secrets for a Powerful Memory, How Conversation Works, The Art of Public Speaking, and Influence: Mastering Life’s Most Powerful Skill. Order any one of these courses for only $9.95 for a limited time at TheGreatCourses.com/amicus.And by The Rachel Maddow Show on MSNBC. Watch Rachel as she breaks down the big headlines for the local threads that tie them all together. It’s the Rachel Maddow Show … covering America one story at time. Weeknights at 9 Eastern only on MSNBC. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As serious questions about lethal injection protocols continue to swirl, Dahlia speaks with The Marshall Project’s Andrew Cohen about where the Supreme Court currently stands on the constitutionality of the death penalty.Please let us know what you think of Amicus. Our email is [email protected]. Subscribe to our podcast here. Want a transcript of this week’s episode? They’re all available to members of Slate Plus on our show page. If you're not a Slate Plus member, consider becoming one -- members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial here.Amicus is sponsored by the Great Courses, offering a series of lectures about business and presentation—including Scientific Secrets for a Powerful Memory, How Conversation Works, The Art of Public Speaking, and Influence: Mastering Life’s Most Powerful Skill. Order any one of these courses for only $9.95 for a limited time at TheGreatCourses.com/amicus.And by Casper, an online retailer of premium mattresses for a fraction of the price. Casper mattresses come with free delivery and returns within a one hundred day period. Right now, get 50 dollars toward any mattress by visiting Casper.com/amicus and using the promo code AMICUS. This week’s excerpts from the Supreme Court’s public sessions were provided by Oyez, a free law project at the Chicago-Kent College of Law, part of the Illinois Institute of Technology. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dahlia sits down with the LA Times’ David Savage to consider three of the big cases on the SCOTUS docket this fall -- and whether liberals are right to be worried about the outcomes of those cases.***********Transcripts of Amicus are available to Slate Plus members. Consider signing up today! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today here.Amicus is sponsored by the Great Courses, offering engaging audio and video lectures taught by top professors. Courses like "Cycles of American Political Thought." Right now, get up to 80 percent off the original price when you visit TheGreatCourses.com/AMICUS.And by LegalZoom—a way for regular people to confidently navigate the legal system. If you need help with Incorporation, Trademarks, Last Wills, Living Trusts, and more, then don't let legal hurdles become an excuse. Go to LegalZoom.com today and enter AMICUS in the referral box for additional savings. And by Casper, an online retailer of premium mattresses for a fraction of the price. Casper mattresses come with free delivery and returns within a one hundred day period. Right now, get 50 dollars toward any mattress by visiting Casper.com/amicus and using the promo code AMICUS.Please let us know what you think of our legal affairs podcast. Our email is [email protected] production by Tony Field. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dahlia sits down with Linda Hirshman, author of Sisters in Law: How Sandra Day O'Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg Went to the Supreme Court and Changed the World. Hirshman recounts the two women’s rise to the SCOTUS bench and reflects on the impact they’ve had.**************Subscribe to our podcast here. Want a transcript of this week’s episode? They’re all available to members of Slate Plus. Consider signing up today -- members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today. Amicus is sponsored by the Great Courses, offering engaging audio and video lectures taught by top professors. Courses like "Cycles of American Political Thought." Right now, get up to 80 percent off the original price when you visit TheGreatCourses.com/AMICUS.And by LegalZoom—a way for regular people to confidently navigate the legal system. If you need help with Incorporation, Trademarks, Last Wills, Living Trusts, and more, then don't let legal hurdles become an excuse. Go to LegalZoom.com today and enter AMICUS in the referral box for additional savings. And by FreshBooks, the super-simple invoicing solution designed to help lawyers, consultants, and freelancers be organized, save time, and get paid faster. Creating and sending invoices, managing your expenses, and tracking your billable hours is about to get a lot easier. Go to FreshBooks.com/AMICUS for your free 30-day trial. Please let us know what you think of our legal affairs podcast. Our email is [email protected] production by Tony Field. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

To mark the 50th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act, Dahlia sits down with The Nation’s Ari Berman to discuss the decades-long campaign to roll back the achievements of the landmark 1965 legislation.*************************Please let us know what you think of our legal affairs podcast. Our email is [email protected] of Amicus are available to Slate Plus members. Consider signing up today! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today here.Amicus is sponsored by the Great Courses, offering engaging audio and video lectures taught by top professors. Courses like a series on "Cycles of American Political Thought.” Right now, get up to 80 percent off the original price when you visit thegreatcourses.com/amicus. And by FreshBooks, the super-simple invoicing solution made to help lawyers, consultants and freelancers get organized, save time and get paid faster. Creating and sending invoices, managing your expenses and tracking your billable hours is about to get a lot easier. Go to FreshBooks.com/Amicus for your free 30-day trial. And by Audible, offering more than 180,000 audiobooks and spoken-word audio products. Get a free audiobook of your choice at audible.com/amicus. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dahlia sits down with three fellow SCOTUS-watchers — Kenji Yoshino, Mark Joseph Stern, and Christian Turner — to reflect on the just-completed term and how it will go down in history. Transcripts of Amicus are available to Slate Plus members. Consider signing up today! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today here.Amicus is sponsored by The Great Courses, offering engaging audio video lectures like “The Great Debate: Advocates and Opponents of the American Constitution." Get up to get up to 80 percent off the original price when you visit thegreatcourses.com/amicus. We’re also sponsored by FreshBooks, the super-simple invoicing solution made to help lawyers, consultants and freelancers get organized, save time and get paid faster. For your free 30-day trial, go to FreshBooks.com/Amicus. Podcast production by Tony Field. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With the ink barely dry on two momentous Supreme Court decisions affecting marriage equality and health care, Dahlia discusses the history, high points, and likely impact of those decisions with Walter Dellinger, professor of law at Duke University, a Slate contributor, and the former head of the Office of Legal Counsel from 1993 to 1996. First, Dahlia and Walter reflect on Friday's 5-4 decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, which ruled that same-sex marriage bans are unconstitutional. Next, they talk about Thursday's 6-3 decision in King v. Burwell, which supported the Affordable Care Act's subsidies for poor and middle class people. Please let us know what you think of our podcast – and your ideas for our shows during the summer recess. Our email is [email protected]. Amicus is sponsored by The Great Courses, offering engaging audio video lectures like “The Great Debate: Advocates and Opponents of the American Constitution." Get up to get up to 80 percent off the original price when you visit thegreatcourses.com/amicus. Transcripts of Amicus are available to Slate Plus members. Consider signing up today at slate.com/podcastplus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today here. (Note: After a new episode is posted, its transcript may take several days to appear on our show page.) Podcast production by Joel Meyer. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dahlia is joined by The Atlantic’s Garrett Epps to parse the latest batch of 5-4 decisions from SCOTUS. They included rulings on immigration, free speech, and the death penalty, and involved some strange alliances among the Justices.*************************Want a transcript of this week’s episode? They’re all available to members of Slate Plus. Consider signing up today -- members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today here.Amicus is sponsored by The Great Courses, offering engaging audio video lectures like “The Great Debate: Advocates and Opponents of the American Constitution." Get up to get up to 80 percent off the original price when you visit thegreatcourses.com/amicus. We’re also sponsored by FreshBooks, the super-simple invoicing solution made to help lawyers, consultants and freelancers get organized, save time and get paid faster. For your free 30-day trial, go to FreshBooks.com/Amicus. This week’s excerpt from the Supreme Court’s public sessions were provided by Oyez, a free law project at the Chicago-Kent College of Law, part of the Illinois Institute of Technology. Podcast production by Tony Field. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Dahlia speaks with a former clerk to Justice Clarence Thomas about the strong stances that Thomas has been taking recently. And she asks what’s at stake in a big challenge to “One Person One Vote” that SCOTUS will take up next term.Please let us know what you think of Amicus. Our email is [email protected] to our podcast here.Want a transcript of this week’s episode? They’re all available to members of Slate Plus. Consider signing up today -- members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial here.Our sponsor this week is The Great Courses, offering audio video lectures like "The First Amendment and You: What Everyone Should Know." Get up to get up to 80 percent off the original price when you visit . We’re also sponsored by FreshBooks. For your free 30-day trial, go to , and use the promo code Amicus. This week’s excerpts from the Supreme Court’s public sessions were provided by Oyez, a free law project at the Chicago-Kent College of Law, part of the Illinois Institute of Technology. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On today’s episode, Dahlia takes stock of the big whammy decisions just around the corner at the Supreme Court, and considers a few of the major abortion cases that could be following shortly on their heels.Please let us know what you think of Amicus, our legal affairs podcast. Our email is [email protected] week’s episode was sponsored by The Great Courses. Get up to 80% off the original price of their eight most popular courses when you visit thegreatcourses.com/amicus.Subscribe to our podcast here.Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we learned that Natalie Portman will play a young Ruth Bader Ginsburg in a new film about the Supreme Court Justice. On this episode, Dahlia and her guests consider the recent explosion of Court-related dramatizations on the stage and screen.Please let us know what you think of Amicus, our legal affairs podcast. Our email is [email protected] Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we take you inside the courtroom for the recent gay marriage case at the Supreme Court. Dahlia listens to highlights of oral arguments with Douglas Hallward-Driemeier, one of the lawyers who represented same-sex couples in the historic case.Please let us know what you think of Amicus, our legal affairs podcast. Our email is [email protected]. Our archives, which include discussions of other big cases recently decided by the Court, can be found at slate.com/amicus.Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/podcastplus. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In anticipation of big decisions on marriage equality and Obamacare, many are talking about the balance of political power on the Supreme Court. Dahlia Lithwick speaks with two court watchers about the extent to which the Justices are political actors.Please let us know what you think of Amicus, our legal affairs podcast. Our email is [email protected] to our podcast here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/slates-amicus-dahlia-lithwick/id928790786?mt=2#Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at [http://slate.me/1ENza1a]. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On April 28, the Supreme Court will finally take up the constitutionality of same-sex marriage bans. Dahlia Lithwick previews the cases with Paul Smith, the lawyer involved in the 2003 gay rights case that helped set the stage for this historic event.Please let us know what you think of Amicus, our legal affairs podcast. Our email is [email protected] Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at http://slate.me/1ENza1a Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How should the EPA weigh costs when regulating toxic emissions? Dahlia Lithwick speaks with lawyers on both sides of a Supreme Court case posing that question. And she reviews the highlights of a case testing the limits of free speech on license plates.Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at http://slate.com/podcast.plus Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.