Advisory Opinions

A lively dive into immunity doctrines and recent Supreme Court rulings. They unpack a postal service immunity dispute that split along unexpected lines. The conversation contrasts judicial approaches to executive power and traces why conservatives often favor immunities. They also tackle qualified immunity tensions and realistic paths — and political roadblocks — for legislative reform.

A live campus conversation unpacks the Supreme Court’s big tariffs ruling and the clash over the Major Questions Doctrine. They debate Justice Kagan’s reasoning versus other cases and dissect Gorsuch’s pointed critiques. The talk weighs Kavanaugh’s take on executive power in foreign affairs and whether justices should attend the State of the Union after presidential attacks.

They unpack the Supreme Court’s 6-3 ruling and the Chief Justice’s terse opinion. The conversation explains the major questions doctrine and competing concurrences, especially Gorsuch’s fiery critiques. They also tackle the practical refund chaos and the case’s wider impact on separation of powers and presidential authority.

Live from SMU, they speculate on Justice Alito’s timing and who might replace him. They map potential nominees from circuit stars to outsider picks and discuss the rise of FedSoc versus liberal alternatives. A court ruling on AI chats and attorney-client privilege sparks debate about when using public AI waives confidentiality. Plus a quirky legal suit and audience questions keep things lively.

They dig into a streak of DOJ indictments rejected by grand juries and why judges are losing trust in the department. They unpack a dismissed misconduct complaint against a federal judge and the missing evidence behind it. They also break down the messy Texas Senate primaries and how different candidates could fare.

Discussion of the Supreme Court's interim orders and whether it will avoid deciding big gerrymandering fights. A deep look at interim docket statistics and how emergency filings differ from final merits decisions. Analysis of a Fifth Circuit habeas ruling about immigrant detention and why statutory wording matters. A candid courtroom moment about the strain on attorneys and courts.

Legal sparks fly over Don Lemon and the difference between state trespass and tougher federal conspiracy and FACE Act charges. Debates about press privileges, clerkroom culture, and NDAs pop up. A deep dive into Trump suing the IRS and the unitary-executive problems that raises. Circuit splits on compelled pronouns and race-conscious admissions get scrutinized.

Benjamin Valentino, Associate Dean for the Social Sciences at Dartmouth and longtime law event moderator, steers a lively conversation. They unpack how the Supreme Court’s alignments defy simple counts. They debate the rise of Federalist strategies, shifts from process to outcome, unitary executive theory, executive whiplash, and when courts end up deciding who decides.

A deep dive on whether the new TikTok ownership deal complies with the 2024 ban-or-sale law and the rule-of-law questions around enforcement delays. Conversation turns to content moderation as corporate speech and emerging litigation over platform addiction. Federal Tort Claims Act basics and recent circuit rulings on gun rights, sensitive places, and qualified immunity round out the legal roundup.

Orin Kerr, Stanford Law professor and Fourth Amendment specialist, explains judicial versus administrative warrants and the limits on remedies against ICE. He weighs Payton v. New York, circuit splits, and why suppression or Bivens claims often fail. They also debate prospects for injunctions and preview the Supreme Court’s geofencing case and its privacy implications.