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 8/8 - Trump Birthright EO Injunction, SCOTUS Raid Bid, Milbank Summer Bonus, Fed Swipe Fee Rule, and Apple Sued Over Apple Pay
This Day in Legal History: Expansion of US House of Representatives On August 8, 1911, President William Howard Taft signed into law a measure that permanently…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Thurs 8/7 - SEC Gag Rule Endures, Stanford Student Paper Free Speech Suit, Revived Drug Discounts and a Class Action Against Pepsi
This Day in Legal History: Gulf of Tonkin Resolution On August 7, 1964, the U.S. Congress passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, dramatically reshaping the…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Weds 8/6 - Maxwell Fights Grand Jury File Release, Judge Blocks BRIC Cuts, Tesla Robotaxi Suit and RFK Jr. Guts Vaccine Projects
This Day in Legal History: Voting Rights Act On August 6, 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act into law, marking a pivotal moment in…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Tues 8/5 - Duane Morris Income Partner Pay Suit, DOJ Grand Jury on Obama-era Intel, Nunes Loses, Judicial AI Errors and FLOSS Nonprofits
This Day in Legal History: Reagan Fires Air Traffic Controllers On August 5, 1981, President Ronald Reagan followed through on a warning to striking air…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Fri 8/1 - Threats Against Judges, US Funding Deportations from Costa Rica, and an Appeals Court Weighs in on Trump's "Emergency" Tariff Powers
This Day in Legal History: Switzerland’s Federal Charter On August 1, 1291, the seeds of what would become modern Switzerland were planted with the signing of…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Thurs 7/31 - Trump Pumps Crypto, Public Defender Funding Cuts, Uber Liability Question and Eric Tung's Sexist Comments
This Day in Legal History: Patent Office Opened On this day in legal history, July 31, 1790, the United States issued its first patent under the newly created…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Weds 7/30 - Bove Confirmed, Trump Crypto Policy Report Incoming, Epstein Transcript Requests and $42m Talc Verdict Against J&J
This Day in Legal History: Medicare and Medicaid Signed into Being On July 30, 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Social Security Amendments of 1965…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Tues 7/29 - Maxwell SCOTUS Appeal, Trump Lawsuit Against WSJ, Judge Boasberg Attacks, Judge Newman Suspended, and State Tax Policy Post-OBBBA
This Day in Legal History: Eisenhower Signs Act Creating NASA On July 29, 1958, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the National Aeronautics and Space Act…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Mon 7/28 - A&0 Shearman Delays Starts, Section 230 Shields Social Media, Trump's Birthright Order Blocked and CA Retreats from $15 Broadband Bill
This Day in Legal History: Fourteenth Amendment Ratified On July 28, 1868, the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution was officially adopted…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Fri 7/25 - Ghislaine Wants SCOTUS Help, NIH Grant Cuts and a Proxy Advisor Lawsuit in TX
This Day in Legal History: National Security Act of 1947 On this day in legal history, July 25, 1947, Congress passed the National Security Act of 1947…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Thurs 7/24 - SCOTUS Backs Trump on Indie Agency Removals, Fed Judge Retracts Flawed Pharma Ruling, Columbia Yields to Trump and Macrons Sue Candace Owens
This Day in Legal History: Apollo 11 On July 24, 1969, the Apollo 11 mission concluded when astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins safely…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Weds 7/23 - Trump NCUA Firings Illegal, Big Cocoa vs. Child Labor Suits, NJ Detention Ban, 32 Year Old Mail Fraud Case and Data Centers as Modern Pyramids
This Day in Legal History: Grant Dies On July 23, 1885, Ulysses S. Grant—former president and Union general—died of throat cancer at age 63. While honored as a…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Tues 7/22 - Trump WSJ Suit has Procedural Issues, DOJ Appeal in Jenner & Block Case, Breonna Taylor Case Sentencing, and Church Political Speech
This Day in Legal History: Jane Matilda Bolin Appointed to Bench On this day in 1939, Jane Matilda Bolin shattered a historic barrier when she was appointed by…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Mon 7/21 - Harvard Sues Trump Over Retaliatory Research Fund Pause, Court Blocks ICC-Related Sanctions, and Myth of the Millionaire Tax Flight
This Day in Legal History: Liberation of Guam On July 21, 1944, U.S. forces began the liberation of Guam, a pivotal campaign in the Pacific Theater during…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Fri 7/18 - Trump's Unconstitutional Birthright Citizenship Order Under Fire, Epstein Grand Jury Records Forthcoming and Union Rights for Federal Workers
This Day in Legal History: Narcotic Control Act On July 18, 1956, the Narcotic Control Act was signed into law, marking a significant escalation in the United…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Thurs 7/17 - TPS for Venezuelans, Maurene Comey Fired from DOJ, FEMA Grant Cuts Challenged in Court and More US Citizens Jailed in Immigration Raids
This Day in Legal History: Second Confiscation Act On July 17, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Second Confiscation Act into law, dramatically…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Weds 7/16 - $8b Meta Trial, Abrego's Immigration Case, Milbank Defends NJ Cities in Immigration Cases and Tax Policy as Liberal Arts
This Day in Legal History: Residence Act On July 16, 1790, the U.S. Congress passed the Residence Act, establishing the District of Columbia as the permanent…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Tues 7/15 - SCOTUS Gives DOE Gutting the Go-Ahead, Germany US Drone Strike Liability Ruling, Afghan TPS Relief and Why Fixing Section 174 is a Reset not a Victory
This Day in Legal History: “A Friend of the Constitution” On July 15, 1819, Chief Justice John Marshall took the unusual step of anonymously defending one of…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Mon 7/14 - CA Cracks Down on Montana LLCs, Mass DOJ Exodus, Zuck to Trial
This Day in Legal History: Sedition Act Passed On this day in legal history, July 14, 1798, the United States Congress passed the Sedition Act, one of the most…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Fri 7/11 - Court Action on Trump EO, Mass Federal Layoffs Planned, $20m Claim by Mahmoud Khalil
This Day in Legal History: Richard and Mildred Loving Arrested On this day in legal history, July 11, 1958, Richard and Mildred Loving were arrested in Central…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Thurs 7/10 - Battle over Birthright Citizenship, Harvard Accreditation Attack, USDA DEI Rollback and Federal Lawsuit Against CA Egg Laws
This Day in Legal History: Second Bank of the United States Vetoed On July 10, 1832, President Andrew Jackson vetoed legislation that would have renewed the…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Weds 7/9 - Charles Oakley vs. MSG, Texas vs. ABA, California vs. 23andMe and IRS Retreats on Church Political Speech
This Day in Legal History: 14th Amendment Ratified On July 9, 1868, the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified—one of the most sweeping and…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Tues 7/8 - Lawsuit Against RFK and HHS Over Vaccine Schedule, Trump Targets Hondurans and Nicaraguans, and Maryland's Troubled New Tech Tax
This Day in Legal History: Vermont Abolishes Slavery for Men On July 8, 1777, the Vermont Republic adopted a constitution that became the first in what would…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Mon 7/7 - Trump Deportation Full Trial, Apple EU Antitrust Appeal, Looming Trump Cuts to Legal Aid for Domestic Violence Survivors
This Day in Legal History: Newlands Resolution On July 7, 1898, President William McKinley signed the Newlands Resolution, formally annexing the Hawaiian…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Thurs 7/3 - Roberts Reasserts Control at SCOTUS, RFK HHS Overhaul, Trump Asylum Ban and CPSC Firings
This Day in Legal History: George Carlin’s Seven Dirty Words On July 3, 1978, the United States Supreme Court issued a landmark First Amendment decision in FCC…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Weds 7/2 - TPS Win for Haitians, Penn's Shameful Capitulation on Human Rights, A Ruling that Federal Judges are Public Officials and Gutting Grad Student Loans
This Day in Legal History: Night of the Long Knives Ends On July 2, 1934, the Night of the Long Knives officially ended, marking one of the most chilling…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Tues 7/1 - SCOTUS Defangs EPA, Trump's Ongoing Birthright Citizenship Debacle, Trump vs. Perkins Coie, and Data Center Tax Breaks
This Day in Legal History: Abraham Lincoln Passes First Income Tax On July 1, 1862, amid the mounting costs of the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln signed…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Mon 6/30 - Global M&A Up, SCOTUS Win for Trump Might be Limited, GOP Tax Bill Tensions and Wall Street Chasing CA Wildfire Profits
This Day in Legal History: 26th Amendment On June 30, 1971, the Twenty-sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified, lowering the voting age…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Fri 6/27 - Justice Kennedy Warns Democracy at Risk, Ripple's Failed Settlement, SCOTUS on Birthright Citizenship Kinda and Revenge Tax + Pro Codes Act, Both Bad
This Day in Legal History: Federal Housing Administration On June 27, 1934, the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) was created through the National Housing…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Thurs 6/26 - Judge Blocks Trump's Job Corps Shuttering, Meta Wins AI Copyright Case not on Merits, and IRS Strained but Successful 2025 Filing Season
This Day in Legal History: United States v. Virginia On this day in legal history, June 26, 1996, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its landmark decision in United…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Weds 6/25 - Obergefell Challenge Attempt, Fair Use Win for Anthropic in AI Training and Bail Hearing for Kilmar Garcia
This Day in Legal History: Alien Act On June 25, 1798, the United States Congress passed the Alien Act, one of the four laws collectively known as the Alien…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Tues 6/24 - Trump Deportation Policy Win, Harvard Visa Loss, Powell's Secure Fed Seat and Litigation Finance Tax is Nonsense
This Day in Legal History: Military Selective Service Act On June 24, 1948, President Harry S. Truman signed the Military Selective Service Act into law…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Mon 6/23 - Kilmar Garcia Released, Student Loan Caps to Hurt Law School Diversity and Access and a VMT in Illinois
This Day in Legal History: Taft-Hartley Act On June 23, 1947, the Labor-Management Relations Act—better known as the Taft-Hartley Act—became law after Congress…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Fri 6/20 - EU Leniency for Apple and Meta, Trump's Hold on National Guard Reinforced, TACOs on TikTok Ban
This Day in Legal History: Atkins v. Virginia On June 20, 2002, the U.S. Supreme Court delivered a landmark ruling in Atkins v. Virginia, holding that the…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Thurs 6/19 - Lawsuits Against Law Reviews, FTC Ad Rules, Abortion Privacy Rollback, Challenges to Trump Attempt to Tie State Transit Funding to Immigration Compliance
This Day in Legal History: Juneteenth On this day in legal history, June 19, 1865, Union Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, and issued…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Weds 6/18 - Passport Restrictions Halted, Tariffs Challenged at SCOTUS, Cuts to University Research Blocked and SCOTUS Curtails Rights for Transgender Minors
This Day in Legal History: Georgia v. McCollum On June 18, 1992, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a landmark decision in Georgia v. McCollum, 505 U.S. 42 (1992)…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Tues 6/17 - ABA Sues Trump, DOJ Restructuring, NCAA $2.3b Settlement Raises NIL and Antitrust Issues, and Tax Amnesty in Illinois
This Day in Legal History: Abington School District v. Schempp On this day in legal history, June 17, 1963, the U.S. Supreme Court decided Abington School…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Mon 6/16 - Trump Mass Deportation Attempt, Senate $3T Tax Bill Sans SALT Solution, Harvard Legal Battle to Protect International Students
This Day in Legal History: Glass-Steagall Signed On June 16, 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Banking Act of 1933 into law—a pivotal piece of…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Fri 6/13 - Tesla Sues Over Trade Secret Robot Hands, Trump's Guard Deployment Upheld by Court for Now, SCOTUS Fast Tracks Controversial Policies
This Day in Legal History: Miranda v. Arizona On June 13, 1966, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its landmark decision in Miranda v. Arizona, fundamentally…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Thurs 6/12 - Khalil's Detention, Marines in L.A. Protests, NCAA Title IX Appeal and Trump Wants Hush Money Case Before SCOTUS
This Day in Legal History: Loving v. Virginia On June 12, 1967, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its landmark decision in Loving v. Virginia, striking down state…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Weds 6/11 - Trump Tariffs Remain Temporarily, DOJ Firings of Folks that Made Trump Mad, and French Tesla Owners Sue Musk Over Nazi Salute etc.
This Day in Legal History: People v. Ruggles and the Transposition of a “Common Law Crime” On June 11, 1811, the New York Supreme Court of Judicature decided…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Tues 6/10 - Google Antitrust Fight in Mexico, Loopholes in Texas Housing "Reform," and the IRS Eyes Using AI to Flag Returns
This Day in Legal History: Colegrove v. Green On June 10, 1946, the U.S. Supreme Court decided Colegrove v. Green, upholding an Illinois congressional…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Mon 6/9 - Getty vs. Stability AI, Notable Paul Weiss Exodus, $2.8b NCAA Player Settlement
This Day in Legal History: “Have You No Sense of Decency, Sir?” On June 9, 1954, one of the most pivotal moments in American legal and political history…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Fri 6/6 - SEC Lawsuit Dismissed, OpenAI Appeals NYT Case Data Retention, Trump Pushes to Defund Legal Aid for Poor Americans, and Direct File on GitHub
This Day in Legal History: SEC Established On this day in legal history, June 6, 1934, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) was…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Thurs 6/4 - SAP SCOTUS Antitrust Bid, Trump FEC Lawsuit Win, ICE Plans to DNA Test Migrants
This Day in Legal History: Henderson v. United States Decided On June 5, 1950, the United States Supreme Court issued its decision in Henderson v. United…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Weds 6/4 - Tom Girardi Sentenced, 9th Circuit Hears Birthright Citizenship Attack, RFK Jr. and Musk Sued, and White House vs. GAO on Spending
This Day in Legal History: 19th Amendment Passed in Senate On June 4, 1919, the U.S. Congress passed the 19th Amendment, marking a turning point in American…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Tues 6/3 - SCOTUS Declines Magazine Ban Challenges, Lawsuits Alleges Class Action Administration Kickbacks and a 100% tax on Homes in Spain
This Day in Legal History: National Defense Act On June 3, 1916, President Woodrow Wilson signed the National Defense Act into law, marking a major shift in…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Mon 6/2 - Trump Wins, Loses at SCOTUS, Google Appeals Antitrust Decision and PBS Sues over Defunding
This Day in Legal History: Timothy McVeigh Convicted On June 2, 1997, Timothy McVeigh was convicted by a federal jury for his role in the deadliest act of…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Fri 5/30 - Google Search Antitrust Showdown, Trump's Goofy Tariffs Revived, His Attempt at Weakening Courts, and Boeing's Deal to Duck 737 MAX Trial
This Day in Legal History: Trump Guilty on All Counts On this day in legal history, May 30, 2024, President Donald J. Trump was convicted on all 34 felony…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Thurs 5/28 - Trump Pumps Crypto in 401(k)s, Freeze on Student Visa Apps and SCOTUS Ethics Questioned over Mass Recusals in Penguin RandomHouse Case
This Day in Legal History: The Killing of Maximum John On May 29, 1979, U.S. District Judge John H. Wood Jr. was assassinated outside his home in San Antonio…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Weds 5/28 - Musk Challenged at DOGE, Another Court Loss for Trump, and a Win for NYC's Congestion Pricing
This Day in Legal History: Frederic William Maitland Born On this day in legal history, May 28, 1850, Frederic William Maitland was born in London. Maitland…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Tues 5/26 - SCOTUS Pauses DOGE Record Demand, Judge Orders Trump Admin to Bring Back Asylum Seeker, and Death of the Penny Sales Tax Effects
This Day in Legal History: Schecter Poultry Corp Decided On May 27, 1935, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a landmark decision in A.L.A. Schechter Poultry Corp…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Fri 5/23 - Ukraine-US Mineral Deal Deep Dive, Trump's Blocked Fed Layoffs and SCOTUS Rule that Preserves Federal Reserve Independence
This Day in Legal History: Same-Sex Marriage Legalized in Ireland On May 23, 2015, Ireland became the first country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Thurs 5/22 - PowerSchool Hacker Plea, Judge Rejects Vanguard Settlement, Trump Admin Fights DOGE Transparency at SCOTUS
This Day in Legal History: Abraham Lincoln, Inventor On May 22, 1849, Abraham Lincoln was awarded U.S. Patent No. 6,469 for an invention designed to lift boats…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Weds 5/21 - State AGs Sue Trump Over Tariffs, DOJ Probe into Cuomo, Judge Tosses Treasury's Case Against IRS Worker Union
This Day in Legal History: House of Representatives Passes 19th Amendment On this day in legal history, May 21, 1919, the U.S. House of Representatives passed…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Tues 5/20 - State AGs as AI Policymakers, Trump v. Letitia James, Trump Cutting off Investments in Red States
This Day in Legal History: Blue Jeans Patented On May 20, 1873, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office granted Patent No. 139,121 to Jacob Davis and Levi Strauss…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Mon 5/19 - SCOTUS Halts Trump Deportations under AEA, Looming Ruling on Religious Rights, Court Curbs Federal Unions and "Best Auctioneer in the Ozarks"
This Day in Legal History: Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo Ratified On May 19, 1848, Mexico formally ratified the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, officially bringing…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Fri 5/16 - Intel Fights EU Fine, Trump Tests Humphrey's Executor, SEC Staff Cuts Risk Harms and Meta Challenges FTC Monopoly Case
This Day in Legal History: SCOTUS Upholds CFPB Funding Structure On May 16, 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court delivered a major ruling in Consumer Financial…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Thurs 5/15 - EPA Rolls Back PFAS Rules, RFK Jr. Swims in Filth and Defends HHS Layoffs Amid Measles Outbreaks, and More Companies Eye "Dexit"
This Day in Legal History: Standard Oil Breaks Up On May 15, 1911, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a landmark decision in Standard Oil Co. of New Jersey v…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Weds 5/14 - Section 199A Tax Breaks for Rich, Harvard Federal Funding Fight, New Sentence for Menendez Bros and WI Judge Indicted
This Day in Legal History: Arrival of Constitutional Delegates On May 14, 1787, delegates from several states began arriving in Philadelphia for what would…