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 Tues 2/18 - Trump Wants to Fire Independent Agency Heads and Pick a Lousy US Attorney, Overtime Lawsuit against Reed Smith and Bridge Loans for Tax Abatements on Office Conversions
This Day in Legal History: First Formal Anti-slavery Resolution in American History On February 18, 1688, a group of Quakers in Germantown, Pennsylvania…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Fri 2/14 - AGs Defend DEI, Judges Weigh Limits on Musk Infiltration, Court Restores Foreign Aid Funds and SCOTUSBlog Goldstein Released Again
This Day in Legal History: Bell and Gray File Patents On February 14, 1876, both Alexander Graham Bell and Elisha Gray filed patent applications for the…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Thurs 2/13 - Lawsuit Over Further Trump Admin Independent Agency Meddling, a MA Court's Move to Curb Judge Shopping and the Rising Environmental Cost of Bitcoin
This Day in Legal History: Judiciary Act of 1801 On February 13, 1801, the U.S. Congress passed the Judiciary Act of 1801, a controversial law that reshaped…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Weds 2/12 - DOJ Scales Back Anti-corruption Enforcement, Antitrust Nominee Faces Tough Confirmation, SCOTUSBlog Co-founder Fights for Release and NJ Senior Property Tax Relief
This Day in Legal History: Milošević Stands Trial On February 12, 2002, the trial of former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milošević began at the International…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Tues 2/11 - CFPB Shutdown by President Musk, Legal Battles over Doge Access to Federal Data and Growing Concerns about Conflicts of Interest
This Day in Legal History: Birth of Edison On February 11, 1847, Thomas Edison was born, eventually becoming one of the most prolific inventors in history…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Mon 2/10 - President Musk's DOGE Blocked from Treasury, DOJ Shifts to Immigration (and away from terrorism), Trump's Federal Worker Buyout and CFPB Shuttered
This Day in Legal History: 25th Amendment to the US Constitution On February 10, 1967, the 25th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified, establishing…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Fri 2/7 - DOJ Hiring Freeze, Memo Raises Concerns about DOJ Independence, Lawsuit over USAID Cuts and Last Minute Merger Filings Under Old Rule
This Day in Legal History: 11th Amendment Ratified On February 7, 1795, the 11th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified, restricting federal judicial…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Thurs 2/6 - Bondi DOJ Shake-up, Google Scrapping DEI Hiring, Musk's Federal Buyout Plan, Bondi's Crackdown on Dissenting DOJ
This Day in Legal History: Permanent Court of Arbitration Established On February 6, 1900, the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) was officially established…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Weds 2/5 - Bondi Confirmed, Federal Worker Union Sues Over Resignation Plan, Farmers Fight PFAS Contamination in NM
This Day in Legal History: Switch in Time that Saved Nine On February 5, 1937, President Franklin D. Roosevelt proposed a controversial plan to expand the U.S…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Tues 2/3 - Trump Eyes Alien Enemies Act, Prosecutor Warns Those that Obstruct Musk, a $754m Legal Fee and Federal Funding Cuts Paused
This Day in Legal History: George Washington Unanimously Elected On February 4, 1789, George Washington was unanimously elected as the first President of the…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Mon 2/3 - Musk Makes a Mess of Treasury Payments, a New Conservative Law Firm Tied to Musk Launches, Google's App Store Appeal and McDonald's Settles a Scholarship Lawsuit
This Day in Legal History: Chief Justice Taft Resigns On February 3, 1930, Chief Justice William Howard Taft resigned from the U.S. Supreme Court due to…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Fri 1/31 - Fox Rothschild Blocks Deepseek, A Court Ruling Allowing Handgun Sales to those under 21, Trump FCC Telecom Rollback and DEI Lawsuit at Chicago Bally's
This Day in Legal History: 13th Amendment Passed On January 31, 1865, the U.S. Congress passed the 13th Amendment, formally abolishing slavery in the United…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Thurs 1/30 - Trump Forced to Reverse Ill-conceived Federal Aid Freeze, Firings at the EEOC and NLRB Challenged
This Day in Legal History: Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution On January 30, several U.S. states recognize Fred Korematsu Day of Civil…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Weds 1/29 - Trump Gunks up the Gears of Government, Menendez's Sentencing, DOJ Firings and Reassignments and State Digital Advertising Taxes
This Day in Legal History: Sweden Bans Aerosols On January 29, 1978, Sweden made history by becoming the first nation to ban aerosol sprays, citing concerns…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Tues 1/28 - Transgender Inmate Sues Over Discriminatory Trump Executive Order, Novo Nordisk Caps Insulin Prices and Trump's Hiring Freeze Hits Law Students
This Day in Legal History: Harlan F. Stone Appears Before Senate Judiciary Committee On January 28, 1925, Harlan Fiske Stone became the first U.S. Supreme…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Mon 1/27 - Musk's $1m Giveaway 'Not a Lottery,' Indian Media Copyright Battle with OpenAI, PFAS in Cosmetics and Cadwalader Crushed 2024
This Day in Legal History: Paris Peace Accords On January 27, 1973, the Paris Peace Accords were signed, formally ending direct U.S. military involvement in…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Friday 1/24 - Trump's Birthright Citizenship Abomination Blocked, SCOTUS Green Lights CTA and Trump's "Crypto Reforms"
This Day in Legal History: Brushaber v. Union Pacific Railroad Co. On January 24, 1916, the United States Supreme Court issued a pivotal decision in Brushaber…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Thurs 1/23 - Trump's Energy Emergency Order, Cornell's Lawsuit Over Wi-Fi 5 and 6, Bob Menendez Loses Bid for New Trial and the Need for Sales Tax Simplification
This Day in Legal History: Poll Tax Abolished On January 23, 1964, the 24th Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified, marking a pivotal moment…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Weds 1/22 - Lawsuits Challenge Trumps Bogus Birthright Citizenship Order, His Meaningless TikTok Ban Delay, His Rollback of DEI Rules and Religious Affiliation Tax Exemptions
This Day in Legal History: Cuba Suspended from OAS On January 22, 1962, the Organization of American States (OAS) took the historic step of suspending Cuba…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Tues 1/21 - Trump Creates DOGE and Immediately gets Sued, Biden Pardons and James McHenry as Acting AG
This Day in Legal History: King Louis XVI Executed On January 21, 1793, King Louis XVI of France was executed by guillotine in Paris after being convicted of…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Fri 1/17 - 500 Episodes! Bondi Invested in Truth Social, Democratic AGs Poised to Fight Trump, Judge Newman Saga Continues and TikTok Ban on Hold?
This Day in Legal History: Gary Gilmore Executed On January 17, 1977, Gary Gilmore was executed by firing squad in Utah, becoming the first person to be put to…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Thurs 1/16 - CA Wildfire Lawsuits Against Utilities, Pam Bondi's AG Nomination, DOJ Independence, and Retirement Account Tax Advocates Should Lay Low
This Day in Legal History: Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act On January 16, 1883, the U.S. Congress enacted the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act, a landmark…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Weds 1/15 - Lemley Out for Meta, SEC Suing Elon Musk, Bondi Senate Hearing for Attorney General
This Day in Legal History: MLK Born On January 15, 1929, Martin Luther King Jr., one of the most influential figures in American history, was born in Atlanta…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Tues 1/13 - Aileen Cannon Blocks Release of Complete Trump DOJ Report, TX Suing Allstate Over Driver Data and NY's $15 Broadband Law
This Day in Legal History: Treaty of Paris On January 14, 1784, the Continental Congress ratified the Treaty of Paris, formally concluding the American…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Mon 1/13 - SCOTUS TikTok Ban Hearing, Jack Smith Resigns DOJ, Apple $1.8b UK Suit and Medicare Drug Price Negotiations
This Day in Legal History: Wilder Elected First Black Governor On January 13, 1990, Lawrence Douglas Wilder made history by becoming the first African American…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Fri 1/10 - Trump Sentencing in Hush Money Case Goes On, House Sanctions ICC, Giuliani Continues to Put Foot in Mouth
This Day in Legal History: Standard Oil Rising On January 10, 1870, John D. Rockefeller and his partners incorporated the Standard Oil Company, marking a…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Thurs 1/9 - DOJ Withholds Smith Trump Report, Trump Appeals to SCOTUS for Hush Money Case, Tech-Law Firm Merger and a Tax Proposal for Oil Wells
This Day in Legal History: Birth of Nixon On January 9, 1913, Richard Milhous Nixon was born in Yorba Linda, California, a man destined to leave a complicated…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Weds 1/8 - CFPB vs. Experian, TikTok at SCOTUS, Alaska Lawsuit on Arctic Drilling and Column Tuesday on Pittsburg 'Jock Tax'
This Day in Legal History: District of Columbia Suffrage Act On this day in legal history, January 8, 1867, the U.S. Congress overrode President Andrew…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Tues 1/7 - Trump's Failed Bid to Delay Sentencing, US Steel Sues Over Blocked Merger with Nippon, Congress Peacefully Certifies Trump's Victory
This Day in Legal History: US Recognizes Castro Government On January 7, 1959, the United States formally recognized the new Cuban government led by Fidel…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Mon 1/6 - SCOTUS Could Hinder Trump Admin, Biden's Offshore Drilling Ban, TikTok's Legal Fight Continues and Venu Sports' Ongoing Antitrust Battle
This Day in Legal History: Charles I Placed on Trial On January 6, 1649, the English Parliament took a momentous step by voting to place King Charles I on…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Fri 1/3 - Biden Tries to Make Offshore Drilling Bans Permanent, Tesla Shareholders Appeal Musk Pay Deal, '25 SCOTUS Labor Cases and Thomas Ethics Inquiry DOA
This Day in Legal History: Cicero is Born On January 3, 106 BC, Marcus Tullius Cicero, one of ancient Rome's most influential lawyers, orators, and statesmen…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for 1/2 - Law School Trends in '25, 9/11 Plea Deals at Gitmo, Backlash to DEI Reshapes Corporate Programs, Column on DGE and the IRS
This Day in Legal History: Palmer Raids On January 2, 1920, Attorney General Mitchell Palmer orchestrated a sweeping crackdown on suspected radicals in what…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Mon 12/30 - Fox Corp's Defamation Lawsuit, Trump Loses Again to E. Jean Carroll, Oil Industry Climate Liability and Law Firm Mergers in '25
This Day in Legal History: First Year with No Lynchings On December 30, 1952, the Tuskegee Institute released a landmark report marking the first recorded year…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Fri 12/27 - Corporate Transparency Act Halted Again, Judge Newman Transparency Battle and BioNTech COVID Vaccine Royalty Settlement
This Day in Legal History: Law of Burgos On December 27, 1512, the Spanish Crown enacted the Laws of Burgos, marking one of the earliest attempts in European…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Mon 12/23 - Shutdown Averted, Giuliani Legal Battle, Google Antitrust Proposal, Illinois Swipe Fee Laws and Mangione's Terrorism Charges
This Day in Legal History: Terry Nichols Convicted On December 23, 1997, Terry Nichols was convicted of conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction and…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Fri 12/20 - Starbucks Five-Day Strike Looms, GOP Divisions and US Funding, Lawsuit Alleges US Neglect of Palestinian Americans in Gaza
This Day in Legal History: Georgia Bans Lynching On December 20, 1893, Georgia enacted the nation’s first anti-lynching law, making lynching a felony…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Thurs 12/19 - Mangione Extradition Hearing, DOJ Lawsuit Against CVS Over Opioids, Trump and Musk Threaten Shutdown and IRS Rule Delays for RMDs
This Day in Legal History: A Christmas Carol is Published On December 19, 1843, Charles Dickens published A Christmas Carol, a novella that became one of the…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Weds 12/18 - Ponsor's Ethical Breach, Musk's Opposition to GOP Funding Plans, More TikTok Legal Challenges and Blue Stage AGs to Leverage Loper Bright
This Day in Legal History: Korematsu Decision On December 18, 1944, the U.S. Supreme Court delivered its controversial decision in Korematsu v. United States…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Tues 12/17 - Musk Pay Ruling Hits Legal Fees, TikTok Fights US Ban at SCOTUS, Trump Loses Hush Money Appeal, Judge Ho Sucks up to Trump and an Expanded CTC
This Day in Legal History: First Impeachment Trial in Senate On December 17, 1798, the United States Senate convened its first impeachment trial in history…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News Mon 12/16 - ABC Settles with Sexual Abuser Trump, Judge Wynn Rescinds Retirement, Sen. Wyden Proposed Bill to Secure US Telecom
This Day in Legal History: Boston Tea Party On this day in 1773, a turning point in American colonial history unfolded in Boston Harbor: the Boston Tea Party…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Fri 12/13 - RFK Jr. Loves Polio, Trump Probes Stir Fear at DOJ, ByteDance Whistleblower Misconduct and SEC Reopens Neuralink Investigation
This Day in Legal History: Woodrow Wilson Arrives in France On December 13, 1918, President Woodrow Wilson arrived in France to negotiate the terms of peace to…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Thurs 12/12 - Biden Admin Pushes SCOTUS to Avoid Climate Cases, 5th Circuit NASDAQ Diversity Rule Case, and DOJ's Stance on TikTok Ban
This Day in Legal History: Joseph H. Rainey Sworn in to U.S. House of Representatives On December 12, 1870, Joseph H. Rainey was sworn in as the first Black…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Weds 12/11 - Kroger-Albertsons Merger, Biden Threatens Veto of JUDGES Act, Woody Allen's Chef Sues and The Onion's Bid for Infowars Thrown Out
This Day in Legal History: Bernie Madoff Arrested On December 11, 2008, financier Bernard L. Madoff was arrested by federal authorities for orchestrating one…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Tues 12/10 - Trump's DOJ to Target DEI, Infowars BK Battle, Murder Charge Against CEO Killer and Texas Tax Reform Necessary
This Day in Legal History: Wyoming Territory Suffrage On December 10, 1869, the Wyoming Territory made history by enacting the first law in the United States…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Mon 12/9 - Infowars Social Media Accounts, TikTok's Bid to Block a Ban, and Google Sues the CFPB
This Day in Legal History: Florida Recount Stayed On December 9, 2000, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a 5-4 decision to stay the recount of presidential…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Fri 12/6 - SCOTUS Debates IRS Sovereign Immunity, OpenAI Seeks to Consolidate Copyright Suits, A Split on Adding Judgeships and Trump's Latest Bozo
This Day in Legal History: 13th Amendment Ratified On December 6, 1865, the United States formally abolished slavery with the ratification of the 13th…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Thurs 12/5 - SCOTUS Considers Trans Care Bans, Challenges to EPA Emissions Standards, DOJ Finds Memphis Police Discrimination and Law Firms Look to 2025
This Day in Legal History: Pope Innocent VIII Launches Witch Hunt On December 5, 1484, Pope Innocent VIII issued the papal bull Summis desiderantes affectibus…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Weds 12/4 - Hunter Tax Case Dismissed, Coinbase CEO Warns Law Firms Over Hires, TX Court Blocks Corporate Transparency Act and Transgender Rights Before SCOTUS
This Day in Legal History: Alcohol Control Administration Created On December 4, 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt established the Federal Alcohol Control…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Tues 12/3 - McConnell Whines, Musk Doesn't Get Paid, Newsom's Anti-Trump Policy War Chest and Looming Social Security Insolvency
This Day in Legal History: Teddy Roosevelt, Trust Buster On December 3, 1901, President Theodore Roosevelt delivered his first State of the Union address…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Mon 12/2 - Trump's Latest Bozo Pick, Biden’s pardon of Hunter, SCOTUS to Review Vape Denials, JPMorgan and Tesla’s Settlement
This Day in Legal History: John Brown Hanged On December 2, 1859, John Brown, a fervent abolitionist, was executed by hanging after being convicted of treason…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Weds 11/27 - NLRB Leadership Reshuffles, Judges Push for More Judgeships, DOJ Lawyers Move to Private Sector and Bitcoin's Climate Toll
This Day in Legal History: Nixon Signs the EPAA On November 27, 1973, President Richard Nixon signed the Emergency Petroleum Allocation Act (EPAA) into law…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Tues 11/26 - Biden Wishes to Expand Medicare for Weight-loss Drugs, Trump's Cybersecurity Challenges, Disney $43m Pay Equity Settlement, Legality of Military Deportation Plans
This Day in Legal History: Squeaky Fromme Convicted On this day in 1975, Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme, a devoted follower of cult leader Charles Manson, was found…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Mon 11/25 - Trump Wants Cases Dropped, Google's Antitrust Trial, Chavez-DeRemer for DOL and RFK Jr. Tea Leaf Reading
This Day in Legal History: President Johnson Impeachment Inquiry On November 25, 1867, the U.S. Congress took a historic step by convening a commission to…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Fri 11/22 - Gaetz Bails Citing "Distractions," Trump's Musk-led Panel Targets Federal Rules, EU Regulators Drop Probe of Apple, Biden's District Judge Deal
This Day in Legal History: Max Headroom Incident On November 22, 1987, a bizarre and illegal hijacking of television signals in Chicago made history as the…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Thurs 11/21 - Big Law Tepid Bonus Season, US Charges Against Billionaire Adani, DOJ Actions Against Google and CFPB Rules for Digital Wallets
This Day in Legal History: Gong Lum v. Rice On November 21, 1927, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its decision in Gong Lum v. Rice, a landmark case concerning…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Weds 11/20 - Trump Doubles Down on Problematic Gaetz, Antitrust Battles at Google and Apple, Alex Jones Sues Sandy Hook Families and Bill Hwang Sentencing
This Day in Legal History: US DOJ Files Suit Against AT&T On November 20, 1974, the United States Department of Justice initiated one of the most significant…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Tues 11/19 - Big Law Lobbying Gains, CA Attorney Discipline Expungement Plan, Infowars Contests The Onion Winning Bid and Amazon/SpaceX NLRB Appeals
This Day in Legal History: Jay Treaty Signed On November 19, 1794, the United States and Great Britain signed the Jay Treaty, formally titled the “Treaty of…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Mon 11/18 - Trump Hush Money, USPTO Vidal to Winston & Strawn, Spirit Airlines Bankruptcy and 501(c)(4) Dark Money Reform
This Day in Legal History: Goodridge v. Department of Health On November 18, 2003, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court issued a historic decision in…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Fri 11/15 - More Trump Bozo Picks, Palm Springs' Reparations Package, a Court Ruling on Bullying and Political Beliefs and the Elimination of the EV Tax Credit
This Day in Legal History: Articles of Confederation Adopted On November 15, 1777, the Continental Congress formally adopted the Articles of Confederation…
Minimum CompetenceLegal News for Thurs 11/14 - Gaetz for AG (LOL), Menendez Trial Error, Wang's Fraud Detection Tool, NY Ivory Law and Law Firm Revenue
This Day in Legal History: Guiteau Stands Trial for Assassination On November 14, 1881, Charles Guiteau stood trial for assassinating President James A…