Legal Docket

The Supreme Court considers questions of mitigating evidence and jury bias arising from the trial of one of the Boston Marathon bombers.

The federal government and two pain management physicians argue about the meaning of the text in the Controlled Substances Act.

Abortion proponents and pro-life advocates battle it out at the Supreme Court over Mississippi’s law that protects unborn life after 15 weeks’ gestation.

A new Mississippi law protects unborn life after 15 weeks’ gestation. The only abortion provider in the state sued, arguing the law is a direct affront to Supreme Court precedent.

Virginia Prodan worked as a lawyer in communist Romania under dictator Nicolae Ceausescu. He sent a man to assassinate her. Instead, Prodan witnessed Christ to him.

A famous courtroom artist tells the little-known aspects of his craft, beyond the colorful sketches that you can see.

A football coach sued his school district when the school prohibited him from offering a prayer on the field after games.

A man concerned for his own safety sought a license to carry a gun outside his home. But a New York judge said no to him while other judges said yes to others arguably less qualified.

A former Taco Bell employee sued her employer for unpaid wages. She wants to keep her battle in court, but the employer wants to force arbitration.

A man on death row wants his pastor with him in the execution chamber, but he had to sue the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to get it.

Abortion, guns, religion—our third season covers it all. Get personal with a Supreme Court artist. Understand how the latest decisions from our nation's highest court shape our immediate futures.

Patent law and administrative law intersect in this case that raises a question about the Appointments Clause of the U.S. Constitution.

The new 2021-2022 term of the US Supreme Court is upon us. Today, you’ll hear previews of several cases the justices will decide this term. Those include decisions about abortion, free speech, unequal treatment of religious schools, second amendment rights, and more.

When the attorney general of California sought confidential information about charitable donors, charities on the left and the right fought back.

Former child slaves on West African cocoa farms sue U.S. chocolate companies. The case examines whether the Alien Tort Statute covers those claims.

A cheerleader’s vulgar post on social media lands her in trouble with the school, but judicial precedent from the 1960s and the First Amendment protects her right to free speech

Find out what it's like to work as a law clerk for a Supreme Court justice. In this episode, hosts Mary Reichard and Jenny Rough talk with five law clerks, plus a Marshal's aide, for an inside peek at what goes on when the court is not in session.

Indian tribes are considered a nation within a nation. U.S. v Cooley looks at how much authority a tribe's law enforcement has to investigate crimes by non-Indians on its reservation.

Religious Liberty and emerging LGBT rights clash when the city of Philadelphia excludes Catholic Social Services from placing children with foster families.

Hosts Jenny Rough and Mary Reichard analyze an 8th Amendment case, cruel and unusual punishment. In 2005, Brett Jones killed his grandfather. He was 15. The Supreme Court looks at what is required before a juvenile can receive a life without parole sentence.

Hosts Mary Reichard and Jenny Rough analyze a case of simple facts and complicated law. In 2014, college student James King is beaten up by FBI agents who had the wrong guy. Now in 2021, he still hasn’t received recompense for his damages after going all the way to the US Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court first considered the constitutionality of mandatory vaccine laws in Jacobson v. Massachusetts (1905). In this episode, hosts Mary Reichard and Jenny Rough examine that decision and cases that expanded it. You will hear from legal experts, doctors, a COVID-19 patient, and a pastor who offer insightful interviews on this this complex debate.

Hosts Mary Reichard and Jenny Rough preview a handful of cases from the upcoming Supreme Court term: including legal questions over copyright, Catholic adoption agencies, the Affordable Care Act, and free speech on college campuses. Legal Docket is a production of WORLD Radio. Support WORLD at wng.org/donate.

Hosts Mary Reichard and Jenny Rough consider abortion law, incrementalism, and the surprising plurality opinion from the Supreme Court in June Medical Services L.L.C. v. Russo. Legal Docket is a production of WORLD Radio. Support WORLD at wng.org/donate.

Hosts Mary Reichard and Jenny Rough consider Kansas v. Glover, a case about a routine traffic stop. In 2016, a Kansas sheriff ran the plates of a truck on the road. The state database indicated that the owner of the vehicle had a suspended license. So the sheriff pulled the driver over, even though he was not breaking any other traffic regulations at the time. The nine Supreme Court justices had to decide if driver's 4th Amendment protections against unreasonable searches were violated. Legal Docket is a production of WORLD Radio. Support WORLD at wng.org/donate.

Hosts Mary Reichard and Jenny Rough analyze Hernández v. Mesa, a case about a cross-border shooting. In 2010 a U.S. Border Patrol agent shot and killed a Mexican teenager who was standing on Mexican soil. Can the boy’s parents sue the Border Patrol agent for money damages? Legal Docket is a production of WORLD Radio. Support WORLD at wng.org/donate.

Hosts Mary Reichard and Jenny Rough consider Harris Funeral Homes, Inc. v. EEOC, a case that had to decide whether the term "sex" in Title VII should include gender identity. Legal Docket is a production of WORLD Radio. Support WORLD at wng.org/donate. This episode contains mature content.

Hosts Mary Reichard and Jenny Rough break down Kahler v. Kansas, a case that considers limits on the insanity defense. This episode features insightful interviews, memorable moments from oral argument, and some colorful history behind this complex issue. Legal Docket is a production of WORLD Radio. Support WORLD at wng.org/donate. This episode contains mature content.

In 2018, the state of Montana shut down a scholarship program after it discovered parents were using the money to send children to religious schools. The state maintained that doing so was not religious discrimination. In this episode you'll hear from the petitioners on why they chose to challenge that decision all the way to the Supreme Court in Espinoza v. Montana. Hosted by Mary Reichard and Jenny Rough.

Hosts Mary Reichard and Jenny Rough follow waste water from the Supreme Court building to the Potomac River as they consider how County of Maui v. Hawaii Wildlife Fund further shapes the Clean Water Act.

Hosts Mary Reichard and Jenny Rough explore oral argument and the eventual ruling in Babb v. Wilkie,an age discrimination case the Supreme Court decided in April 2020. Legal Docket is a production of WORLD Radio. Other podcasts include The World and Everything in It, Listening In, Effective Compassion, and The Olasky Interview. Support WORLD at wng.org/donate.

Hosts and lawyers Mary Reichard and Jenny Rough take us behind the scenes of the Supreme Court as they talk with two advocates who have argued cases before the nine justices.For the next nine weeks you'll be hearing Legal Docket on The World and Everything in It on Saturdays. Episode 1 is available this week.We also release Legal Docket as a stand-alone series, and we publish new episodes each Tuesday. So if you want to listen sooner or help others find this program, you can subscribe by searching for Legal Docket on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you listen. Legal Docket is a production of WORLD Radio. Other podcasts include The World and Everything in It, Listening In, Effective Compassion, and The Olasky Interview. Support WORLD at wng.org/donate.

Coming soon: Legal Docket, Season 1