

Advisory Opinions
The Dispatch
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
Mentioned books

Nov 30, 2023 • 1h 11min
Inconsistent and Repugnant
Supreme Court argument on double jeopardy law, dating site shoutout, mistrials vs. double jeopardy, federal rights vs. state interpretations, the coolest unused word, losing with valor at SCOTUS, Fifth Circuit and Rahimi case, AO's next guest

Nov 28, 2023 • 1h 13min
Story Time for Fed Court Nerds
Discussion includes lowdown of the Voting Rights Act, hacking minority districts, laws created by precedents versus statutes, undoing the Warren Court, section two rights in civil court, reporters not going to activists, Elon versus Media Matters, and humorous blind date anecdotes.

Nov 21, 2023 • 1h 20min
Hamburger Mary's Risqué Drag Show
In this podcast, Sarah and David discuss a First Amendment case involving risqué drag shows at a burger joint, challenges to Donald Trump's ballot access, and hunter harassment laws. They also touch on topics such as masked protesters, anti-Klan laws, and the challenges of finding a partner for marriage.

Nov 16, 2023 • 1h 1min
The New Supreme Court Ethics Code Is...Okay?
Topics include Bari Weiss' speech, new Supreme Court ethics code, Trump trademark case, limited public forum, reflections on advocacy, and distortion of truth in activism.

4 snips
Nov 14, 2023 • 44min
Bari Weiss: Fight, Fight Fight
Bari Weiss discusses the role of anti-Semitism, the war of ideas, the impact of postmodernism, measuring fairness, conspiracy theories, suspicion around success, decolonization, and examining the realities of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Nov 9, 2023 • 1h 7min
Solicitor General 9000
This podcast discusses two Supreme Court cert grants that involve gun-related issues. They also analyze op-eds by judges on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and a ban on bump stocks. The hosts explore book banning and the horseshoe theory, as well as analyze the oral arguments in the Rahimi case. They discuss the arguments on gun ownership restrictions and speculate on potential dissenting opinions. The podcast also touches on a challenging Supreme Court case and explores predictions on gun rights law.

Nov 2, 2023 • 1h 15min
Getting Blocked on Social Media
Supreme Court deliberates blocking on social media by state actors, First Amendment rights of government employees, challenges faced by conservative lawyers in the Trump administration, real estate commissions scandal, and Halloween candy discussion

Oct 31, 2023 • 53min
Due Processes vs. Defamation
The podcast discusses a lawsuit at Yale University, exploring due process protections and victim blaming. They also delve into the law of armed conflict and the Gaza invasion, the second amendment's 'well-regulated' clause, oral argument season at SCOTUS, and a lawsuit against Meta (formerly Facebook) and Instagram for misleading the public. The importance of cross-examination, fairness, and due process in addressing serious charges like sexual assault is also explored.

Oct 26, 2023 • 1h 11min
Mailbag: Majority Rule and Philosophy Majors
The hosts answer listeners' questions about approaching them in public, the role of intent in Supreme Court rulings, contradictions in conservative women, the value of pursuing a philosophy major, going to law school for a mid-career change, civil asset forfeiture, and the accuracy of legal shows.

Oct 24, 2023 • 1h 7min
Biden's Coercive Social Media Tactics
The podcast explores the Biden administration's coercive tactics with social media platforms and a Supreme Court case. They also discuss plea deals in a Georgia election fraud case, gender equality in judging, and a personal house-saving adventure.


