

Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts
Slate Podcasts
A show about the law and the nine Supreme Court justices who interpret it for the rest of America.Want more Amicus? Join Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes with exclusive legal analysis. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the Amicus show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/amicusplus to get access wherever you listen. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jun 27, 2024 • 47min
Opinionpalooza: SCOTUS and MAGA’s Shared Vision For Government Comes Into View
SCOTUS decisions impacting agencies, conservative legal movement targeting administrative state, dissent by Justice Sotomayor, implications of SEC v Jarkesy on enforcement, power grab by the court disrupting Congress's authority, upcoming big administrative cases, emphasis on expanding court's power

Jun 26, 2024 • 8min
Opinionpalooza: The Vanishing Emergency Abortion Decision (Preview)
On Wednesday, the Supreme Court issued two important decisions in its traditional fashion: a box of printed copies for those journalists in the press room, and furious SCOTUS website refreshing for those who were not. Murthy v Missouri was one of the closely watched social media cases of the term, about “jawboning” or when and if the government can ask/prod/urge private social media companies to moderate content in the interest of things like public health or election integrity, or whether such conduct constitutes censorship. Snyder v US concerned corruption and the difference between bribes and gratuities under a federal corruption law. Somewhere in between the publishing of these opinions, however, the court inadvertently and very briefly published what may or may not be its opinion in a pair of emergency abortion cases, Moyle v United States and Idaho v United States. The Court spokeswoman urged us all to pay no attention to the early draft. Chaos ensued. On this extra, members-only episode of Amicus, Dahlia Lithwick is joined by Mark Joseph Stern to try to get our arms around a day of big news, including the “now you see it, now you don’t” abortion news at the highest court in the land. This is part of Opinionpalooza, Slate’s coverage of the major decisions from the Supreme Court this June. We kicked things off this year by explaining How Originalism Ate the Law. The best way to support our work is by joining Slate Plus. (If you are already a member, consider a donation or merch!)This episode is member-exclusive. Listen to it now by subscribing to Slate Plus. By joining, not only will you unlock exclusive SCOTUS analysis and weekly extended episodes of Amicus, but you’ll also access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Or, visit slate.com/amicusplus to get access wherever you listen. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 22, 2024 • 53min
Rahimi and The Roberts Court’s All New, Also Old, Second Amendment Doctrine
The podcast discusses the Supreme Court's decision on domestic abusers possessing firearms, the evolution of Second Amendment doctrine, the impact on marriage equality, and the legal battle on spousal immigration rights.

Jun 15, 2024 • 47min
Opinionpalooza: SCOTUS Says Yes to Bump Stocks, No to Gun Safety Regulation
The podcast discusses the Supreme Court's decision to strike down the bump stock ban, Justice Thomas' controversial interpretation of gun regulations, and the implications for future gun safety measures. The conversation delves into the history of bump stocks, the influence of gun rights groups, and the need for continued advocacy for sensible gun regulations.

Jun 13, 2024 • 7min
Opinionpalooza: Don’t Call the Mifepristone Case a Win (Preview)
What do you call a case where there’s no standing and yet the lawsuit is still standing? FDA v Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine AKA the mifepristone case, AKA the case that tried to raise a zombie law from the dead, and will now continue to roam the lower courts in search of a national abortion ban. While the Comstock Act was not mentioned in the US Supreme Court’s unanimous decision to maintain the legal status quo on abortion pills, the overton window just got wedged open a little wider.In this Opinionpalooza extra episode of Amicus, Dahlia Lithwick and Mark Joseph Stern discuss SCOTUS’ abortion pill decision in depth and explore the consequences of a case that was doomed to fail before even this Supreme Court, but is also doomed to return to haunt us.This is part of Opinionpalooza, Slate’s coverage of the major decisions from the Supreme Court this June. We kicked things off this year by explaining How Originalism Ate the Law. The best way to support our work is by joining Slate Plus. (If you are already a member, consider a donation or merch!)This episode is member-exclusive. Listen to it now by subscribing to Slate Plus. By joining, not only will you unlock exclusive SCOTUS analysis and weekly extended episodes of Amicus, but you’ll also access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Or, visit slate.com/amicusplus to get access wherever you listen. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

14 snips
Jun 8, 2024 • 54min
The Supreme Court’s Appeal to Heaven
Journalist and author Katherine Stewart discusses the rise of Christian Nationalism in the US with Dahlia Lithwick and Rachel Laser. They explore extremist ideologies in the highest court, legal shifts enabling right-wing agenda, and the impact of religious beliefs on laws like Project 2025.

Jun 1, 2024 • 46min
Will the Supreme Court Step Into Trump’s Hush Money Conviction?
Exploring the implications of Trump's hush money conviction, potential appeal, Supreme Court intervention, and the role of a gag order. Guest Ryan Goodman provides expert analysis on the legal proceedings and political ramifications.

May 31, 2024 • 5min
Opinionpalooza: The Court of King Alito
Business as usual at the Supreme Court is the institutional response to the unusual business of Justice Samuel Alito’s letter writing about his flag-flying wife. In this bonus episode for Slate Plus members, Dahlia Lithwick and Mark Joseph Stern knit together the yarns of jurisprudence with injudicious symbolic support for insurrection and christian nationalism - so you don’t get lost in this tangle. As the justices hand down cases and turn down congressional requests for recusal, Dahlia and Mark trace the link between bending the facts and discarding the record to suit Justice Alito’s narrative in his opinions, in his non application of the ethics code, and in his lack of humility in the flag fiasco.This episode is member-exclusive. Listen to it now by subscribing to Slate Plus. By joining, not only will you unlock exclusive SCOTUS analysis and weekly extended episodes of Amicus, but you’ll also access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Or, visit slate.com/amicusplus to get access wherever you listen. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 31, 2024 • 23min
SPECIAL: Trump Guilty on All 34 Counts
Jeremy Stahl from Slate discusses former President Trump's historic guilty verdict on 34 felony counts in his hush money trial, explaining the jury's decision, what comes next, and the likelihood of Trump going to jail. The podcast explores the impact of the verdict on accountability, the rule of law, and the upcoming election.

May 25, 2024 • 47min
Opinionpalooza: A Bad June Rising At SCOTUS
Dahlia Lithwick dives into Supreme Court controversies with experts, unraveling decisions like Justice Alito's flag incident and gerrymandering cases. They discuss rushed judgments, lack of transparency, and Chief Justice Roberts' impact, shedding light on the court's turbulent term.


