Shows / Minimum Competence
Minimum Competence
Minimum Competence is your daily companion for legal news, designed to bring you up to speed on the day’s major legal stories during your commute home. Each episode is short, clear, and informative—just enough to make you minimally competent on the key developments in law, policy, and regulation. Whether you’re a lawyer, law student, journalist, or just legal-curious, you’ll get a smart summary without the fluff. A full transcript of each episode is available via the companion newsletter at…
Episodes
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Fri 10/31 - ICE Massive IRS Data Request, DOJ Prosecutors Can't Call 1/6 a Riot, Cuts to DOJ Civil Rights Office and Sanctions Against Hagens Berman
This Day in Legal History: Nevada Admitted as 36th State On October 31, 1864, Nevada was officially admitted as the 36th state of the United States, a move…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Thurs 10/30 - Trump's Alaska Projects Spark Ire, ex-Morgan Stanley Advisers Sue DOL, Lilly's Zepbound Walmart-bound, and Digital Services Tax Wars
This Day in Legal History: October Manifesto On October 30, 1905, Tsar Nicholas II of Russia issued the October Manifesto in response to mounting unrest and…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Weds 10/29 - Argentina's $16B Appeal, Judge Ousts Acting USA in CA, Cameo Sues OpenAI and TX Sues to Link Tylenol to Autism
This Day in Legal History: Black Tuesday On October 29, 1929, the United States experienced one of the most catastrophic financial events in its history—Black…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Tues 10/28 - Data Centers Strain the Grid, TX Booming Business Court, Federal Workers Union Pressures Democrats and Italy's Flat Tax Unraveling
This Day in Legal History: Volstead Act On October 28, 1919, the Volstead Act was passed by the U.S. Congress over President Woodrow Wilson’s veto, laying the…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Mon 10/27 - Tax Lawyer/Hot Dog Vendor, Trump Crypto Friendly CFTC Head, and Exxon Sues California
This Day in Legal History: Copyright Act of 1976 On October 27, 1978, key provisions of the Copyright Act of 1976 officially took effect, modernizing U.S…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Fri 10/24 - Judges Admit to AI Use, Lawsuit to Force House Swearing-in, and NY AG James Expected to Plead Not Guilty
This Day in Legal History: Nixon Vetoes War Powers Resolution On October 24, 1973, President Richard Nixon vetoed the War Powers Resolution (H.J. Res. 542), a…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Thurs 10/23 - Record Lobbying Under Trump, Special Counsel Nominee Withdraws after Nazi Texts, Fight Over Citgo Auction
This Day in Legal History: PATRIOT Act Introduced On October 23, 2001, just six weeks after the September 11 terrorist attacks, the United States House of…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Weds 10/22 - Trump Wants $230M from the DOJ, AZ Sues Over Congress Swear-in Delay, Apple App Store Fight Continues and SEC Chief Sidesteps APA
This Day in Legal History: US Naval Blockade of Cuba On October 22, 1962, President John F. Kennedy delivered a televised address announcing that the United…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Tues 10/20 - Trump's Kill-Don't-Capture "Drug" "War," Pharma Tariff Panic, Trevon Milton Returns and NJ Gov. Race Features Broken Tax Politics
This Day in Legal History: Abrams v. United States Argued On October 21, 1919, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in Abrams v. United States, a seminal…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Mon 10/20 - Trump Commutes Santos Sentence, Prime Rate-Fixing WSJ Rate Lawsuit, Key Patent Procedural Ruling in Delaware
This Day in Legal History: Saturday Night Massacre On October 20, 1973, a pivotal event in American legal and political history unfolded: the “Saturday Night…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Fri 10/17 - Bolton Indicted Under Espionage Act, Chamber of Commerce Sues over $100k H-1B Fee, NJ Suit Against Sig Sauer
This Day in Legal History: Al Capone Convicted On October 17, 1931, notorious gangster Al Capone was convicted of tax evasion in federal court, marking a…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Thurs 10/16 - Judge Blocks Federal Layoffs, Surge in Law School Apps, Troop Pay Move Likely Illegal, and Norway's Smart EV Policy Move
This Day in Legal History: Nuremberg Executions On October 16, 1946, ten prominent Nazi war criminals were executed by hanging in the aftermath of the landmark…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Weds 10/15 - SCOTUS Takes Up Voting Rights Act Case, Musk $56b Pay, Owens Kept Out of Australia and FEMA Funding Fights
This Day in Legal History: Clayton Antitrust Act Passed On October 15, 1914, Congress passed the Clayton Antitrust Act, a landmark piece of legislation aimed…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Tues 10/14 - UK Diesel Emissions Lawsuit, Visa-Mastercard Settlement, Sanctions for AI-Using Lawyers and Tax Sales vs. Takings
This Day in Legal History: John Marshall Harlan Dies On October 14, 1911, Supreme Court Justice John Marshall Harlan I died, closing the chapter on one of the…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Mon 10/13 - CA Bans Fee Sharing with Non Attorney Firms, Trump's Nat Guard Bid in Chicago Blocked, NE Courts Trump Battleground
This Day in Legal History: Supreme Court Denies Cert for Rosenbergs On October 13, 1952, the United States Supreme Court declined to hear the appeal of Julius…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Fri 10/9 - Letitia James Indicted, Judge Blocks Guard Deployment in Chicago, Mascott and NLRB Picks Confirmed
This Day in Legal History: Spiro Agnew Resigns On October 10, 1973, Vice President Spiro T. Agnew resigned from office after pleading nolo contendere (no…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Thurs 10/9 - Comey Pleads Not Guilty, Trump Wants Critics Jailed, Musk Settles Twitter Exec Suit and an Arrest in Pacific Palisades Fire
This Day in Legal History: Martial Law Post-Great Chicago Fire On October 9, 1871, in the immediate aftermath of the Great Chicago Fire, the city’s mayor…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Weds 10/8 - Comey's Indictment, Shutdown Layoffs Challenged, and Turkey's $100m Settlement Offer
This Day in Legal History: Bruno Hauptmann Indicted On October 8, 1934, Bruno Richard Hauptmann was indicted for the murder of 20-month-old Charles Lindbergh…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Tues 10/7 - IL Sues to Block Trump Nat'l Guard Deployment to Chicago, NATCA Urges Controllers Work, and MN Corporate Franchise Tax Shift
This Day in Legal History: SCOTUS Moves to First Street On October 7, 1935, the U.S. Supreme Court officially began hearing cases in its permanent home on…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Mon 10/6 - SCOTUS Term Opens with Major Trump Cases, Judge Blocks National Guard Deployments, Lawsuit over Trump's $100k H-1B Fee
This Day in Legal History: Anita Hill On October 6, 1991, Anita Hill, a law professor at the University of Oklahoma, accused Supreme Court nominee Clarence…
Minimum CompetenceMaxMin - The 2025 Government Shutdown
What’s a Government Shutdown and Why Are We In One? A government shutdown happens when Congress fails to pass annual spending bills or a stopgap continuing…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Fri 10/3 - Apple Removes ICEBlock, OpenAI Fires Back at xAI and Musk, and Judge Recuses Himself from Trump National Guard Case
This Day in Legal History: O.J. “Not Guilty” On October 3, 1995, a Los Angeles jury returned one of the most controversial and widely watched criminal verdicts…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Thurs 10/2 - AG James Sues DHS and Noem, Apple and OpenAI Push Back Against Musk and Prince Harry Privacy Suit
This Day in Legal History: Earl Warren Appointed On October 2, 1953, President Dwight D. Eisenhower appointed Earl Warren as the 14th Chief Justice of the…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Weds 10/1 - TX Redistricting Trial, Federal Shutdown Showdown, Judge Blocks NV Acting USA and Uber Escapes Liability in Bellwether Case
This Day in Legal History: First Governmental Recognition of Same-sex Relationships On October 1, 1989, Denmark became the first country in the world to…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Tues 9/30 - Trump Abandons War on Drugs, Deploys Troops to Portland Oregon, and Implications of Anker's Tariff Investigation
This Day in Legal History: Woodrow Wilson Supports Women’s Suffrage On September 30, 1918, President Woodrow Wilson took the unprecedented step of addressing…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Mon 9/29 - SCOTUS Lets Trump Gut Foreign Aid, TX Moves to Drop ABA, Trump's Formal Bid to End Birthright Citizenship
This Day in Legal History: John André Convicted On September 29, 1780, Major John André of the British Army was convicted by a Continental Army court martial…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Fri 9/26 - Spurious Charges against Comey, $1.5b Anthropic Deal, and Defense of Accused Charlie Kirk Murderer
This Day in Legal History: John Jay Commissioned On September 26, 1789, John Jay was commissioned as the first Chief Justice of the United States, marking a…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Thurs 9/25 - Apple and US Bank Out from under CFPB, DOJ Probe into Letitia James, Boston Wrongful Arrest Settlement and AZ Criminal Law Licensing Plan Shot Down
This Day in Legal History: Sandra Day O’Connor Sworn in to SCOTUS On September 25, 1981, Sandra Day O’Connor was sworn in as the first woman to serve on the…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Weds 9/24 - Ed Martin Patent Probe, Court Blocks Trump Ideological Grant Conditions, Surge in Law School Enrollment
This Day in Legal History: Judiciary Act of 1789 On September 24, 1789, Congress passed the Judiciary Act of 1789, formally titled An Act to Establish the…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Tues 9/23 - TikTok Divestment Deal Deets, US Law Firms Pull from Beijing, New Lawsuit Against Zillow and Sensible Sales Tax by Use
This Day in Legal History: Little Rock Nine On September 23, 1957, nine African American students, later known as the Little Rock Nine, were barred from…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Mon 9/22 - Trump Makes Personal Attorney USA, Google Antitrust Trial, Fight Over Mangione Death Penalty and Offshore Wind Court Battle
This Day in Legal History: Eight Executed for Witchcraft in Massachusetts On September 22, 1692, eight individuals—six women and two men—were executed for…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Fri 9/19 - NIOSH Gutted, Trump Economic Agenda in SCOTUS Hands, ICE Terrorizes DC and Senate Confirms USPTO Head
This Day in Legal History: Lord Haw-Haw Sentenced On September 19, 1945, William Joyce—infamously known as “Lord Haw-Haw”—was sentenced to death by a British…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Thurs 9/18 - Disney and Amazon Lawsuits, $1.7B GloriFi Claim, Khalil Fights Deportation and Court Blocks HHS Cuts
This Day in Legal History: Fugitive Slave Act On September 18, 1850, President Millard Fillmore signed the Fugitive Slave Act into law, intensifying the…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Weds 9/17 - KPMG Audits Fall Short, Tesla Crash Settlement, State Terrorism Charges Dropped in Mangione Case and Law Firms Suing Trump Despite Deals
This Day in Legal History: Treaty of Fort Pitt On September 17, 1778, the Treaty of Fort Pitt—also known as the Treaty of Fort Pitt or the Delaware Treaty—was…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Tues 9/15 - Maurene Comey's Fight, Musk Settles X Trademark Dispute, Google Lawyers Want $85m in Fees and Norway's Wealth Tax Referendum
This Day in Legal History: Final Draft of the US Constitution Engrossed On September 16, 1787, the final draft of the United States Constitution was signed by…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Mon 9/15 - Big Law Firing over Kirk Criticism, Deportation Block for Minors, Mass Federal Firings Ruled Illegal and UC Berkeley Hands Over Details on Scores
This Day in Legal History: Nuremberg Laws Enacted On this day in legal history, September 15, 1935, Nazi Germany enacted the Nuremberg Laws, codifying one of…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Fri 9/12 - Senate Rule Changes, Block on Trump's Head Start Gutting, DOJ Lawsuit against Uber
This Day in Legal History: SCOTUS Rejects Challenge to Brown On September 12, 1958, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a unanimous decision in Cooper v. Aaron…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Thurs 9/11 - Trump Golf Course Assassin Trial Begins, Lawsuit Over Federal Firings, Ongoing Fed Removal Fight and Ruling on NJ Gun Laws
This Day in Legal History: Certiorari Granted in Windsor On September 11, 2012, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a petition for certiorari in United States…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Weds 9/10 - Fed Independence Safe (For Now), Trump's Tariffs in Place (For Now), CA Social Media Law and Blocked DOJ Subpoena Harassing Trans Youth
This Day in Legal History: Sewing Machine Patent On this day in legal history, September 10, 1846, Elias Howe was granted U.S. Patent No. 3640 for his…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Tues 9/9 - Trump Carroll Verdict Upheld, SCOTUS Rubber Stamps Immigration Raids, FL Judicial Pick, TaxProf Blog RIP and Taylor Swift Tax
This Day in Legal History: A. Lincoln Admitted to Bar On September 9, 1836, Abraham Lincoln was licensed to practice law by the Illinois Supreme Court, setting…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Mon 9/8 - Mangione Claims Jury Bias, Abrego Deportation to Eswatini, FTC Noncompete Rule Dropped and Trump Plans Backup Tariff Plans
This Day in Legal History: Ford Grants Nixon Pardon On September 8, 1974, President Gerald R. Ford granted a full and unconditional pardon to former President…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Fri 9/5 - ACB Denies Constitutional Crisis, DOJ DC Hypocrisy, Trump's Troop Use Unpaused, and Google's $425m Privacy Verdict
This Day in Legal History: First Continental Congress On September 5, 1774, the First Continental Congress convened in Philadelphia, marking a critical early…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Thurs 9/4 - Trump Tariffs to SCOTUS, Harvard $2.2b Grant Reinstatement, Newsmax vs. Fox
This Day in Legal History: Little Rock Nine On September 4, 1957, a constitutional crisis unfolded in Little Rock, Arkansas, when Governor Orval Faubus ordered…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Weds 9/3 - Trump Appeals Tariff Strike-down, Google Spared Antitrust Worsts, Alien Enemies Act Blocked, Machine Guns Stay Banned, and he CTC Gap
This Day in Legal History: Frederick Douglass Escapes Slavery On this day in legal history, September 3, 1838, Frederick Douglass escaped from slavery, setting…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Tues 9/2 - ChatGPT Beats Legal AI Tech, Congress Battles over IRS Budget, Judge Blocks Deportation and Court Rules Against Trump Tariffs
This Day in Legal History: George Wallace Calls out the Alabama National Guard On September 2, 1963, Alabama Governor George Wallace once again attempted to…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Fri 8/29 - Lisa Cook Sues, Bar Exam Score Surge, Rising Law Firm Rates and UPenn Prof Suit Dismissed
This Day in Legal History: John Locke Born On August 29, 1632, John Locke was born in Wrington, England. A foundational figure in political philosophy, Locke’s…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Thurs 8/28 - Delayed Episode (with apologies)
This Day in Legal History: Alabama Ten commandments Monument On August 28, 2003, the Supreme Court of Alabama removed a 5,280-pound granite monument of the Ten…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Weds 8/27 - Lisa Cook Retains Lawyer, Trump Fights to Halt Foreign Aid, Anthropic Settles Copyright Case and OpenAI Sued over Suicide
This Day in Legal History: Constitutional Convention–Article III On August 27, 1787, the delegates to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia turned…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Tues 8/26 - More Trump Power Grabs, Medicaid Funding Fight in Maine, Judicial Cybersecurity and Utah Town Faces 225% Property Tax Hike
This Day in Legal History: Nineteenth Amendment Certified On this day in legal history, August 26, 1920, the Nineteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Mon 8/25 - Intel Deal With Trump, Re-arrest of Kilmar Abrego, Sanctuary Cities Win in Court and a Patent Fight over Apple Watch
This Day in Legal History: Organic Act Establishes the National Park Service On August 25, 1916, President Woodrow Wilson signed the Organic Act, formally…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Fri 8/22 - Alligator Alcatraz Halted, Redistricting Wars in CA and TX, Alina Habba Blocked
This Day in Legal History: Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act On August 22, 1996, President Bill Clinton signed the Personal…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Thurs 8/21 - DOJ Gender Care Probe of CHOP, Epic v. Apple Legal Privilege Fight, TPS Ruling, Musk Lottery Lawsuit and R&D Tax Breaks in Policy Context
This Day in Legal History: ABA Formed On August 21, 1878, 75 lawyers convened in Saratoga Springs, New York, and formally established the American Bar…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Weds 8/20 - CA Redistricting Fight, Musk NLRB Win, NV Business Court, and Test of Musk's Advice of Counsel Defense
This Day in Legal History: Economic Opportunity Act On August 20, 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Economic Opportunity Act into law, marking a…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Tues 8/19 - FBI Arrests for the Gram, New FBI Co-Leadership, ABA Curriculum Changes, SEC Whistleblower Claims, and Louisiana Tax Rebate Fiasco
This Day in Legal History: Salem Witchcraft Executions On August 19, 1692, five individuals—George Burroughs, John Proctor, George Jacobs Sr., John Willard…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Mon 8/18 - SCOTUS Ed. Dept. Showdown, Jackson Hole Up in the Air, Wegovy for Liver Disease and Norton Rose's Tech Disaster
This Day in Legal History: Nineteenth Amendment Ratified On August 18, 1920, the Nineteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified, guaranteeing women…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Fri 8/15 - Russian Hackers Breach Federal Courts, Trial Over Trump Troop Deployment on US Streets, Legal Jobs Up Broadly, SCOTUS Declines to Pause Social Media Age Checks
This Day in Legal History: Starve or Sell On August 15, 1876, the United States Congress passed a coercive measure aimed at forcing the Sioux Nation to…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Thurs 8/14 - Alex Jones' Infowars Receivership, Trump's Aid Freeze and Pro-Antitrust Moves, Rumble Lawsuit Dismissal, and a Ruling on Birth Control Coverage
This Day in Legal History: Social Security Act On August 14, 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act into law, establishing the…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Weds 8/13 - ABA Cowardice, AT&T Settlement, UCLA Regains Frozen Funds and Court Upholds Arkansas Trans Youth Care Ban
This Day in Legal History: East German Border Sealed On August 13, 1961, the East German government abruptly sealed the border between East and West Berlin…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Tues 8/12 - SCOTUSblog Goldstein Update, ABA and Trump, $1b Law Firm Merger, CBO Uninsured Forecast Under OBBBA, and DC $4.4b Stadium
This Day in Legal History: Japanese PM Convicted of Accepting Bribes On August 12, 1983, former Japanese Prime Minister Tanaka Kakuei was convicted of…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Mon 8/11 - New FERC Head, Landmark National Guard Trial in CA, Law Firm Q2 Gains, and EPA Ending Union Contract
This Day in Legal History: First SCOTUS Decision On August 11, 1792, the United States Supreme Court issued its first reported decision in Georgia v…