On Point with Meghna Chakrabarti Why you’re thinking about the Supreme Court in the wrong way
May 4, 2026
Sarah Isgur, senior editor at SCOTUSblog and author of Last Branch Standing, offers a fresh lens on the Supreme Court. She profiles justices by tolerance for change, from order-loving institutionalists to solo-minded risk-takers. Conversations cover how those styles shape precedent, key rulings, court dynamics, and why Congress’s paralysis pushes issues into judicial hands.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Court Behavior Depends On Institutional Style
- Predicting Supreme Court outcomes requires understanding justices' institutional styles, not just ideology.
- Sarah Isgur groups justices as Deciders (team-minded), Conservative Honey Badgers (individualist), and Lonely Liberals (ideological but varied institutional views).
Kavanaugh Is A Team Player Gorsuch Is A Solo Rider
- Sarah Isgur contrasts Brett Kavanaugh's team metaphor with Neil Gorsuch's solo-athlete persona to explain voting differences.
- Kavanaugh favors compromise to build majority opinions; Gorsuch treats opinions as his personal statement and often refuses to chase coalition votes.
McGirt Shows Text Over Tradition
- Isgur uses McGirt v. Oklahoma to show non-institutionalist fidelity to text and treaties over reliance on long-standing practice.
- Gorsuch read treaty language literally and ruled 45% of Oklahoma remained tribal land despite 120 years of state control.
