Shows / Advisory Opinions
Advisory Opinions
Advisory Opinions is a legal podcast by The Dispatch. Hosts David French and Sarah Isgur meet twice a week to talk about the law, the courts, their collision with politics, and why it all matters.
Episodes
- Advisory Opinions
When Flag Burning Becomes a Crime | Interview: Sanford and Cynthia Levinson
Sarah Isgur and David French talk about flag burning and protected free speech in the wake of President Donald Trump’s executive order on the same subject…
- Advisory Opinions
Political Retribution? | Interview: Saikrishna Prakash
Sarah Isgur and David French analyze the legalities of the FBI’s raid on former National Security Adviser John Bolton’s home. Then, an interview with…
- Advisory Opinions
Are Age Verification Laws Constitutional?
Sarah Isgur and David French analyze Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s concurrence in the NetChoice v. Mississippi case and whether or not states can enforce…
- Advisory Opinions
Federalizing D.C. | Live From the Alaska Federal Bar Association
Sarah Isgur and David French break down President Donald Trump’s far-reaching use of executive powers—from calling in the National Guard at home to pushing the…
- Advisory Opinions
Hookers and Kushners | Interview: Chris Christie
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie joins Sarah Isgur and David French to give advice to all young attorneys and aspiring legal professionals. Plus: some war…
- Advisory Opinions
Abraham Lincoln, Originalist | Interview: Akhil Amar
Akhil Amar, Sterling Professor of law and political science at Yale, joins Sarah and David for a deep dive into the constitutional battles and amendments that…
- Advisory Opinions
Drive-By Rulings | Interview: J. Joel Alicea
J. Joel Alicea, professor at Catholic University's Columbus School of Law, joins Sarah Isgur and David French to discuss race-conscious redistricting. Then…
- Advisory Opinions
Getting Into Law School | Interview: Miriam Ingber and Kristi Jobson
Sarah Isgur and David French are joined by Miriam Ingber, associate dean of admissions & financial aid at Yale Law School, and Kristi Jobson, dean of…
- Advisory Opinions
Guns, Gays, and Birthright Citizenship
Sarah Isgur and David French break down a few 9th Circuit cases, including one on gender ideology and free speech rights. Plus, a super sexy snippet on state…
- Advisory Opinions
Will Ghislaine Maxwell Split the Circuits?
Sarah Isgur and David French discuss how Jeffrey Epstein’s ex-girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell, is attempting to get out of jail on a technicality. Could a deal…
- Advisory Opinions
Separation Anxiety: Courts and Congress
Sarah Isgur and David French discuss Alina Habba’s removal as U.S. attorney pick and the one consistent position of the Trump administration: We get to do what…
- Advisory Opinions
Signing Away Constitutionality
Sarah Isgur and David French discuss the use of autopens as a permission structure and David’s Very Big Problems with technology and the pardon power. —What is…
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An Inconsequential Term?
Sarah Isgur, David French, and Kannon Shanmugam again reunite for the annual Paul, Weiss summer associate live recording. The three discuss Justice Ketanji…
- Advisory Opinions
Educating the Youth
Sarah Isgur and David French, live from the FIRE Student Network Summer Conference, discuss free speech in non-profits and schools before Sarah takes listeners…
- Advisory Opinions
Blockbuster Cases
Sarah Isgur returns to her home state of Texas to join a panel of leading constitutional scholars for a deep dive into the most significant Supreme Court…
- Advisory Opinions
State Power vs. Parental Rights
Could a parental consent law finally be headed to the Supreme Court? Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas recently declined to take up a case—but their…
- Advisory Opinions
SCOTUS 2025 Term Debrief
Pardon our legal nerd-out as Sarah Isgur, David French, Amy Howe, David Lat, and Zachary Shemtob—our dream team of SCOTUSBloggers and Advisory Opinions…
- Advisory Opinions
Justice Kagan’s Supreme Court
Sarah Isgur and David French break down the biggest takeaways from the Supreme Court’s latest term using SCOTUSblog’s stat pack as their guide. They also…
- Advisory Opinions
SCOTUS Sides with Trump
Divided Argument hosts Daniel Epps and William Baude join Sarah Isgur to unpack the Supreme Court’s decision (ahem, non-decision) on birthright citizenship…
- Advisory Opinions
Ruling Against Planned Parenthood
Sarah Isgur and David French face the muddiness of a case on moving criminal aliens to South Sudan, the messiness of death penalty cases, and the potential…
- Advisory Opinions
Hubris in Legal Movements
Sarah Isgur and David French cover two less-exhilarating Supreme Court decisions (faxes, anyone?) and re-visit the Skrmetti decision. It’s four decisions from…
- Advisory Opinions
Skrmetti and Certiorari
Sarah Isgur and David French break down the Supreme Court’s 6-3 decision to uphold Tennessee’s law that bans transgender medical intervention for minors. It’s…
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Unprovoked War
Sarah Isgur and David French break down Israel’s latest strikes on Iran and the legal questions surrounding them. Was it a justifiable preemptive move, a murky…
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Right To Sue the Feds
Sarah Isgur and David French check the temperature on Thursday’s Supreme Court hand downs (cold term, anyone?), diving into a case where federal agents raided…
- Advisory Opinions
Liberal Justices, Conservative Outcomes
Sarah Isgur and David French break down the legal merits of the Trump administration’s mobilization of the National Guard and the latest opinions from the…
- Advisory Opinions
Abundance Judges
Sarah Isgur and David French discuss the hottest case on everyone’s lips—Seven County Infrastructure Coalition v. Eagle County—and how buzz around Abundance…
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Tariff-ic Meltdowns
Sarah Isgur and David French discuss the legal back and forth regarding President Donald Trump’s tariffs before turning to his attacks on the Federalist…
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Dead Man Walking Precedent
Sarah Isgur and David French explain the Supreme Court opinion in Trump v. Wilcox on presidential removal limits. Plus: an update on the religious charter…
- Advisory Opinions
You’re Wrong About Originalism
Sarah Isgur and David French are joined by William Baude, professor at the University of Chicago Law School, to discuss the scandalizing origins of…
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A Charge on Gettysburg
Sarah Isgur and David French invite Judge Kevin Newsom of the 11th Circuit to discuss his time clerking for Justice David Souter and the strong humility that…
- Advisory Opinions
LIVE: SCOTUS Hears Birthright Citizenship Case
In a special live Advisory Opinions x SCOTUSblog crossover event, Sarah Isgur was joined by David French, David Lat, Zachary Shemtob, and Amy Howe (live from…
- Advisory Opinions
The Clash of Culture and Employment Rights
Sarah Isgur and David French are coming to you from Gettsyburg with two free speech cases. Is posting aborted fetuses a religious practice? The Agenda: —Join…
- Advisory Opinions
Actual Animus
David French returns from his other job to discuss President Trump’s transgender military policy with Sarah Isgur. Does the Supreme Court hate transgender…
- Advisory Opinions
Right-on-Right Violence
The Advisory Opinions extended universe kicks off as SCOTUSblog's Amy Howe and David Lat join Sarah Isgur to discuss the St. Isidore of Seville religious…
- Advisory Opinions
Are Religious Charter Schools Legal?
Sarah Isgur and David French explain the upcoming Supreme Court decision regarding the public chartering of religious schools and how it might implicate the…
- Advisory Opinions
The Arrest of Judge Hannah Dugan
Sarah Isgur and David French are joined by Amy Howe and David Lat, of The Dispatch’s extended legal universe, to debate whether the Supreme Court should be…
- Advisory Opinions
SCOTUSblog, Welcome to The Dispatch
Amy Howe, the voice of SCOTUSblog, joins Sarah Isgur and David French to discuss the news of The Dispatch’s acquisition of SCOTUSblog. Also: What's the equity…
- Advisory Opinions
Judge v. (Unethical) Lawyer
Sarah Isgur and David French react to Donald Trump’s latest legal battles and talk to friend of the pod Judge Amul Thapar about his new wellness Substack. \The…
- Advisory Opinions
The Collision Is Coming
Sarah Isgur and David French discuss the ongoing saga of Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s illegal deportation and what’s next for the man currently in a notorious El…
- Advisory Opinions
The Rights of Deportees
Sarah Isgur and David French examine detainees’ rights and habeas corpus before reacting to the Season 3 finale of White Lotus. The Agenda: —Gitmo: Hamdi and…
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🚨 Trump (Kind Of) Wins On Alien Enemies Act
Sarah Isgur and David French review the Supreme Court’s emergency decision on the Trump administration’s use of the Alien Enemies Act. The Agenda: —Due process…
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Justice Barrett's RICO Revolution
Sarah Isgur and David French explain how the tariff power may make its way to the Supreme Court as a “major question” and debate the ethics of arguing in front…
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Evangelizing vs. Proselytizing
Sarah Isgur and David French discuss Wisconsin's unemployment tax case, which touches on the intersection of religious liberty and legal standards. When is an…
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Aliens and Enemies
Sarah Isgur and David French review the Trump administration’s latest executive order targeting law firms, the legal challenge against the White House’s…
- Advisory Opinions
Second Amendment v. Ghost Gun Ban
Sarah Isgur and David French discuss the Supreme Court’s ruling to uphold the the ban on ghost guns. Is it really about the Second Amendment? Sarah and David…
- Advisory Opinions
Betrayal of the Law Firms
Sarah Isgur and David French give us an update on the Paul Weiss legal drama and the frontal attacks on the law firm from the Trump administration. Plus, video…
- Advisory Opinions
Do You Have ‘Parental Rights’?
Sarah Isgur and David French discuss Chief Justice John Roberts’ recent rebuke of President Donald Trump and the proper way to criticize a court’s opinion. The…
- Advisory Opinions
Is Trump Going to War Against the Rule of Law?
In this less-than-cheerful episode, Sarah Isgur and David French discuss threats to the judiciary external and internal, exploring the Trump administration’s…
- Advisory Opinions
Humphrey’s Executor
Live from the University of Michigan, Sarah Isgur and David French are joined by law professors Josh Chafetz, Aaron Nielson, Jennifer Mascott, and other…
- Advisory Opinions
Can Trump Deport Hamas-Supporting Students?
Between President Donald Trump’s executive order targeting Perkins Coie and interim D.C. U.S. Attorney Ed Martin sending letters to Georgetown Law, it has been…
- Advisory Opinions
The $2 Billion Dollar Case
David Stras, appeals judge for the 8th Circuit, joins Sarah Isgur and David French at the University of Chicago Law School to discuss complexities of case…
- Advisory Opinions
Rod Rosenstein and Robert Hur Talk Special Counsels
Sarah Isgur invites former Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and special counsel Robert Hur to discuss the significance of special counsels, including the…
- Advisory Opinions
Origins: From Kings to Executives
David French is off doing David French things, so Sarah Isgur takes over the podcast and invites Judge Charles Eskridge of the Southern District of Texas and…
- Advisory Opinions
The Hallway Interviews
Sarah Isgur and David French chased down a handful of authors over the weekend at the National Constitution Center for hallway interviews about life, liberty…
- Advisory Opinions
Friends With DOJ Benefits
David Lat joins Sarah Isgur and David French to analyze what’s behind the Department of Justice’s motion to dismiss the case agains New York City Mayor Eric…
- Advisory Opinions
Are Trump's Friends Above the Law?
In an emergency-ish episode, Sarah Isgur and David French go over the timeline of the Thursday Afternoon Massacre and its immediate fallout. What does the past…
- Advisory Opinions
Lawless or Just Unwise?
Is President Donald Trump breaking the Justice Department or simply reshaping its priorities? As federal prosecutors resign, Sarah Isgur and David French…
- Advisory Opinions
Hiding in the Proverbial Attic
Sarah Isgur and David French steal away to sunny Stanford University to talk shop with law students and bask in a friendlier climate. The Agenda: —Casual…
- Advisory Opinions
Can Churches Commit Fraud?
Sarah Isgur and David French discuss our two favorite topics: God and guns. Can you sue your church, and do young adults have the right to bear arms? ’Merica!…
- Advisory Opinions
You’re Fired
Sarah Isgur and David French are joined by Erin Hawley, senior counsel to the appellate team at the Alliance Defending Freedom, to discuss the latest, er…