Law and Chaos

The Fifth Circuit says yes to drag shows, but no to workers' rights. Donald Trump loses one fight to keep his dingbat lawyer Alina Habba on as Acting Interim Assistant Special Top Secret Temporary US Attorney for New Jersey, but wins big in a New York appellate court. And multiple courts tell Attorney General Pam Bondi to pound sand, even though she would really, really like to invade the secrecy of the grand jury to try and make everyone forget that her patron and Jeffrey Epstein were best buds. Links: US v. Giraud [challenge to Alina Habba; docket via CourtListener] https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69409922/united-states-v-giraud-iii/ Trump v. New York [New York Appellate Division] https://nycourts.gov/courts/AD1/calendar/AppsMots/2025/apps/20250821/2023-04925,%20et%20ano..pdf Spectrum WT v. Wendler [5th Cir.] https://www.ca5.uscourts.gov/opinions/pub/23/23-10994-CV0.pdf SpaceX v. NLRB [5th Cir.] https://ecf.ca5.uscourts.gov/n/beam/servlet/TransportRoom?servlet=ShowDocMulti&incPdfHeader=Y&pacer=t&CSRF=csrf_1956458841209811746&incPdfHeaderDisp=Y&caseId=220409&outputType=doc&d=10658064&outputForm=view&incPdfFooter=&dls=7661567 Show Links: https://www.lawandchaospod.com/ BlueSky: @LawAndChaosPod Threads: @LawAndChaosPod Twitter: @LawAndChaosPod See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The legal landscape is buzzing with defamation suits, as Hunter Biden takes on Overstock's Patrick Byrne while Newsmax settles with Dominion Voting Systems. Media Matters scores big against the FTC, revealing the tense relationship between politics and media. Meanwhile, Brian Flores challenges racial disparities in NFL coaching through litigation. The courtroom drama runs deep, exposing the absurdities of legal procedures and the intricacies of First Amendment rights in a polarized environment.

We welcome back National Security Counselors' Kel McClanahan to discuss how the Law & Chaos podcast will be suing the Trump administration. Also: no, Trump can't order a new census just because he doesn't like the actual numbers. And the Supreme Court tees up an argument advanced by Clarence Thomas to gut what remains of the Voting Rights Act. Links: Donate to Kel McClanahan! www.nationalsecuritylaw.org/donate Robinson v. Callais [Supreme Court docket] https://www.supremecourt.gov/docket/docketfiles/html/public/24-110.html Voting Rights Act, 52 U.S.C. § 103 et seq. https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/52/subtitle-I/chapter-103 Show Links: https://www.lawandchaospod.com/ BlueSky: @LawAndChaosPod Threads: @LawAndChaosPod Twitter: @LawAndChaosPod See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What's going on in Texas, where Democrats have walked out of the state legislature in an effort to thwart (or at least postpone) handing Donald Trump five more congressional seats in the 2026 midterms. Is it a crime? Does it break norms? And most importantly: will it work? And we check back in with the administration's efforts to keep Alina Habba on a job she's not legally entitled to have and for which she has zero qualifications. What could possibly go wrong?? Links: Texas HB4 https://capitol.texas.gov/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=891&Bill=HB4 Texas HB4 Map https://www.texastribune.org/2025/07/30/texas-redistricting-congressional-maps-house-republicans/ Texas Constitution https://tlc.texas.gov/docs/legref/TxConst.pdf Texas House Rules https://www.house.texas.gov/pdfs/resources/House-Rules.pdf US v. Giraud https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69409922/united-states-v-giraud-iii/?filed_after=&filed_before=&entry_gte=&entry_lte=&order_by=desc Show Links: https://www.lawandchaospod.com/ BlueSky: @LawAndChaosPod Threads: @LawAndChaosPod Twitter: @LawAndChaosPod See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Department of Justice has filed an ethics complaint against the Chief Judge of the District Court in DC, James Boasberg, and we've enlisted Kel McClanahan to help us figure out what (if any) evidence the Trump administration has to support its claims. Plus, Liz and Andrew listened to the Federal Circuit's oral argument over Trump's tariffs. And what does a disgraced former superlawyer have to do to get a pierogi in Martha's Vineyard?? For our subscribers, we chortle with glee at the return of the Super Best Election Lawyer in All the Land! Links: Boasberg Judicial Misconduct Complaint via Courthouse News https://www.courthousenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/FINAL-Misconduct-Complaint-7.28.pdf EXCLUSIVE: Memo Reveals D.C. Judges Are Predisposed Against Trump Administration https://thefederalist.com/2025/07/16/exclusive-memo-reveals-d-c-judges-are-predisposed-against-trump-administration/ Newsom v. Trump [docket via Court Listener] https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/70496361/newsom-v-trump/?order_by=desc Biden v. Byrne [docket via Court Listener] https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/67990012/robert-hunter-biden-v-patrick-m-byrne/ Posse Comitatus Act of 1878, 18 U.S. Code § 1385 https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/1385 VOS v. Trump (tariffs - US Court of International Trade) [via Court Listener] https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.cit.17080/gov.uscourts.cit.17080.55.0.pdf VOS v. Trump (tariffs - Federal Circuit) - admin stay [via Court Listener] https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.cafc.23105/gov.uscourts.cafc.23105.7.0.pdf Show Links: https://www.lawandchaospod.com/ BlueSky: @LawAndChaosPod Threads: @LawAndChaosPod Twitter: @LawAndChaosPod See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The ghost of Jeffrey Epstein continues to haunt Donald Trump, so he sent his attorney Todd Blanche to Florida to visit Ghislaine Maxwell for an exorcism. Despite the Supreme Court's valiant efforts, lower courts are still refusing to let the Trump administration un-person children of immigrants. And Alina Habba is back in her office at the US Attorney's office in New Jersey pretending to be a real prosecutor. Links: Ghislaine Maxwell SCOTUS Docket https://www.supremecourt.gov/search.aspx?filename=/docket/docketfiles/html/public/24-1073.html Trump v. Murdoch Docket https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/70843413/trump-v-murdoch/?order_by=desc New Jersey v. Trump Docket https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69561497/state-of-new-jersey-v-trump Federal Vacancies Reform Act https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/5/part-III/subpart-B/chapter-33/subchapter-III 28 USC 546 https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/28/546 NLRB v. SW General, 580 U.S. 288 (2017) https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=10679305642695926350 Biden v. Byrne Docket https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/67990012/parties/robert-hunter-biden-v-patrick-m-byrne/ Show Links: https://www.lawandchaospod.com/ BlueSky: @LawAndChaosPod Threads: @LawAndChaosPod Twitter: @LawAndChaosPod See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Supreme Court can't be bothered to do real law — but they still expect trial judges to read their minds and treat those nebulous shadow docket orders like binding precedent. And that invisible ink precedent says that Trump can fire anyone, anywhere, at any time. Abrego Garcia is still dancing on the knife edge between Trump's DOJ and his DHS. And we explain why the current state of our media is all Hulk Hogan's fault. Links: SCOTUS Shadow Docket Order Trump v. Wilcox https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24pdf/24a966_1b8e.pdf SCOTUS Shadow Docket Order Trump v. Boyle https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24pdf/25a11_2cp3.pdf Harper v. Bessent Docket https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69951586/harper-v-bessent/ Abrego Garcia v. Noem [Docket via Court Listener] https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69777799/abrego-garcia-v-noem US v. Garcia [Docket via Court Listener] https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/70475970/united-states-v-garcia Show Links: https://www.lawandchaospod.com/ BlueSky: @LawAndChaosPod Threads: @LawAndChaosPod Twitter: @LawAndChaosPod See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today on the show the First Circuit is reversing DOGE's "DEI" cuts at NIH. Trump is suing the Wall Street Journal for defamatory reporting that he was friends with that pedophile he used to party with all the time. And trial courts are calling SCOTUS's shadow docket bluff. Plus, Alina Habba is headed for the exit. Links: SCOTUS Shadow Docket Order Dept. of Education v. California https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24pdf/24a910_f2bh.pdf American Public Health Association v. National Institutes of Health https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/70621936/american-public-health-association-v-national-institutes-of-health/ CREW v. OMB https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69858087/citizens-for-responsibility-and-ethics-in-washington-v-office-of/ Show Links: https://www.lawandchaospod.com/ BlueSky: @LawAndChaosPod Threads: @LawAndChaosPod Twitter: @LawAndChaosPod See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What do Trump's plans to fire Fed Chair Jerome Powell, level illegal tariffs, and stuff the court with his cronies have in common? They're all the fault of the Supreme Court's six conservatives. Then we'll take a break from … all this … and learn some more civil procedure from Justin Baldoni. Links: Can Trump Actually Fire Fed Chair Jerome Powell? https://www.lawandchaospod.com/p/can-trump-actually-fire-fed-chair SCOTUS Order in Trump v. Wilcox https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24pdf/24a966_1b8e.pdf Lively v. Wayfairer https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69510553/lively-v-wayfarer-studios-llc/?order_by=desc Show Links: https://www.lawandchaospod.com/ BlueSky: @LawAndChaosPod Threads: @LawAndChaosPod Twitter: @LawAndChaosPod See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Supreme Court is handing out lit matches and gasoline to the arsonist in chief and inviting him to burn down the Department of Education. Attorney Pam Bondi keeps inventing new ways to be corrupt, and none of them have to do with Jeffrey Epstein. And DHS is now kidnapping IP along with actual human beings. Plus, for subscribers, we'll talk about an effort by Americans United for the Separation of Church and state's efforts to save the Johnson Amendment from the DOJ's collusion with the Christian right. Links: Trump v. Selzer https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69476247/trump-v-selzer/ US v. Plastic Surgery Institute of Utah https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/66735053/united-states-v-plastic-surgery-institute-of-utah/ Two-thirds of the DOJ unit defending Trump policies in court have quit https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/two-thirds-doj-unit-defending-trump-policies-court-have-quit-2025-07-14/ Black Rebel Motorcycle Club Instagram C&D https://www.instagram.com/p/DL8JVH7OIJ-/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=63f144d7-f9ed-4213-8170-f6432849d3fb US v. Amesty https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69553068/united-states-v-amesty/ Judge Orders ICE Goons To Stop Racial Profiling And Start Following The Constitution https://www.lawandchaospod.com/p/judge-orders-ice-goons-to-stop-racial Vasquez Perdomo v. Noem https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/70594806/pedro-vasquez-perdomo-v-kristi-noem/ Supreme Court stay New York v. McMahon https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24pdf/24a1203_pol1.pdf National Religious Broadcasters v. Werful https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69105317/national-religious-broadcasters-v-werfel/ Show Links: https://www.lawandchaospod.com/ BlueSky: @LawAndChaosPod Threads: @LawAndChaosPod Twitter: @LawAndChaosPod See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.