

Boom! Lawyered
Rewire News Group's Jessica Mason Pieklo and Imani Gandy
Every week, Jessica Mason Pieklo and Imani Gandy take you on a wild ride through the latest legal battles in the fight for reproductive justice. On everything from abortion rights to trans discrimination to racial justice, Boom! Lawyered will help you get smart, stay mad, have fun, and fight back.
Produced by Rewire News Group.
Produced by Rewire News Group.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Sep 24, 2025 • 2min
Introducing Our New Show: “B*tch, Listen!” with Imani Gandy
Expert repro journalism that inspires

Sep 18, 2025 • 28min
We’re in the Deconstruction Era
Boom! Lawyered is back for its ninth season! In this episode, Imani and Jess explain why they believe we’re living through a “Deconstruction era”—think Reconstruction era, but in reverse—and what that means for our public institutions and the rule of law. Expert repro journalism that inspires Episodes like this take time, research, and a commitment to the truth. If Boom! Lawyered helps you understand what’s at stake in our courts, chip in to keep our fearless legal analysis alive. Become a supporter today.Imani is relaunching her column! AngryBlackLady Chronicles will drop in September 2025. Sign up for our newsletters here to read it first.

Aug 28, 2025 • 37min
Trump Hijacked the Courts: Here’s How to Fix It
In this episode of Boom! Lawyered Summer Session, Imani and Jess unpack the current landscape of the federal courts and what the conservative capture of the judiciary means for fighting President Donald Trump’s authoritarian agenda. They are joined by Alliance for Justice President Rachel Rossi, who highlights dangerous new Trump appointees and explains how progressives can win back the federal courts —yes, really. Expert repro journalism that inspires Episodes like this take time, research, and a commitment to the truth. If Boom! Lawyered helps you understand what’s at stake in our courts, chip in to keep our fearless legal analysis alive. Become a supporter today.Imani is relaunching her column! AngryBlackLady Chronicles will drop in September 2025. Sign up for our newsletters here to read it first.

Aug 21, 2025 • 25min
Why Conservatives Really Want to Defund Planned Parenthood
In this episode of Boom! Lawyered Summer Session, Imani and Jess dig into the Republican efforts to strip federal funding from Planned Parenthood clinics and explain how it fits with their larger attacks on health care and Medicaid. They are joined by Alexis McGill Johnson, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, who explains the day-to-day impact of these attacks and how to find joy in the fight ahead. Expert repro journalism that inspiresEpisodes like this take time, research, and a commitment to the truth. If Boom! Lawyered helps you understand what’s at stake in our courts, chip in to keep our fearless legal analysis alive. Become a supporter today.Imani is relaunching her column! AngryBlackLady Chronicles will drop in September 2025. Sign up for our newsletters here to read it first.

Aug 14, 2025 • 30min
The Unhinged Theory Behind Ending Birthright Citizenship and Creating Fetal ‘Personhood’
In this episode of Boom! Lawyered Summer Session, Imani and Jess dive into the attacks on birthright citizenship and unpack the absurd constitutional arguments conservatives are making to advance these attacks. They are joined by Lourdes Rivera, president of Pregnancy Justice, who connects birthright citizenship to the movement to establish legal personhood rights for fertilized eggs, zygotes, and fetuses. Rivera also explains how conservatives are misusing the 14th Amendment to lob political attacks on bodily autonomy. Episodes like this take time, research, and a commitment to the truth. If Boom! Lawyered helps you understand what’s at stake in our courts, chip in to keep our fearless legal analysis alive. Become a supporter today.Imani is relaunching her column! AngryBlackLady Chronicles will drop in September 2025. Sign up for our newsletters here to read it first.

Aug 7, 2025 • 36min
SCOTUS Blurs the Line Between Church and State
Boom! Lawyered Summer Session is back—and now we’re on video, too! In this season opener, University of Texas Law Professor Elizabeth Sepper joins Imani and Jess to unpack big changes in the relationship between religion and government ushered in by the Roberts Court. Episodes like this take time, research, and a commitment to the truth. If Boom! Lawyered helps you understand what’s at stake in our courts, chip in to keep our fearless legal analysis alive. Become a supporter today.Imani is relaunching her column! AngryBlackLady Chronicles will drop in September. Sign up for that newsletter here to read it first, and to get other expert repro journalism, too.Watch this episode on Youtube

Jul 3, 2025 • 33min
SCOTUS Season Ended. WTF Was That?
On June 27, the Supreme Court wrapped up its extraordinarily consequential, controversial, and, at times, surprising term. Imani and Jess break down the best and worst of the 2024-2025 opinions, and what it could mean for the future of the nation. All that and… alligators? Tune into the final episode of this season of Boom! Lawyered.Episodes like this take time, research, and a commitment to the truth. If Boom! Lawyered helps you understand what’s at stake in our courts, chip in to keep our fearless legal analysis alive. Become a supporter today.The Fallout is back and better than ever. In her revamped weekly column, Jess and other guest experts will explore the judges, court cases, legal news, and laws that affect your day-to-day life. Subscribe to the newsletter here.

Jun 26, 2025 • 27min
Supreme Court to Trans Kids: Sorry Not Sorry, But You're SOL
Chief Justice John Roberts contorted logic to find a path for Tennessee to enforce its anti-trans law, while Justice Amy Coney Barrett left breadcrumbs for conservatives to lodge future attacks on trans rights. In this week's episode, Imani and Jess break down this devastating decision and more.Episodes like this take time, research, and a commitment to the truth. If Boom! Lawyered helps you understand what’s at stake in our courts, chip in to keep our fearless legal analysis alive. Become a supporter today.The Fallout is back and better than ever. In her revamped weekly column, Jess and other guest experts will explore the judges, court cases, legal news, and laws that affect your day-to-day life. Subscribe to the newsletter here.

Jun 12, 2025 • 20min
Unpacking SCOTUS' 'Reverse Discrimination' Decision
Did the Supreme Court really make it easier for straight white folks to bring reverse discrimination claims? Kind of, yes. In this week's episode, Imani and Jess explain the Court's unanimous reverse discrimination decision, and why it matters that Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson wrote it.Episodes like this take time, research, and a commitment to the truth. If Boom! Lawyered helps you understand what’s at stake in our courts, chip in to keep our fearless legal analysis alive. Become a supporter today.The Fallout is back and better than ever. In her revamped weekly column, Jess and other guest experts will explore the judges, court cases, legal news, and laws that affect your day-to-day life. Subscribe to the newsletter here.

Jun 5, 2025 • 20min
Asked and Answered: The Sequel
Imani and Jess dive into listener questions with wit, covering everything from strict scrutiny to the implications of the latest Supreme Court decisions. They tackle the nuances of abortion laws in Missouri, revealing shifts in voter attitudes. The discussion also highlights the controversial 'big, beautiful bill' and the historical significance of Marbury v. Madison. Along the way, they humorously compare abortion rights to gun ownership, unraveling the complexities behind judicial review and executive power.


