
Boom! Lawyered
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.
Latest episodes

Jan 12, 2024 • 34min
Back in 'Lawyers for Fetuses' Territory
Get ready for an intense season of abortion rights battles at the Supreme Court. Explore the impact of the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act and the fight over abortion care after the Dobbs decision. Dive into the ongoing legal battle over Idaho's abortion ban and speculate on the Supreme Court's intentions. Discover the upcoming abortion cases and the potential impact of the national election on abortion rights.

Dec 22, 2023 • 1min
Happy Holidays From Jess and Imani
We'll be back on January 5, 2024. Rewire News Group is a nonprofit media organization, which means Boom! Lawyered is only made possible with the support of listeners like you! If you can, please join our team by donating here.And sign up forThe Fallout, a weekly newsletter written by Jess that’s exclusively dedicated to covering every aspect of this unprecedented moment.

Dec 15, 2023 • 40min
Making Sense of Texas' BS: It's Special Guest Andrea Grimes!
Reproductive rights journalist Andrea Grimes joins the hosts to discuss the confusing mess of Texas' abortion landscape. They address misconceptions, highlight the importance of informed activism, and discuss the potential consequences of political statements. They also emphasize the significance of abortion discourse and feeling connected to the community.

Dec 1, 2023 • 26min
The Major Trans Rights Case SCOTUS Could Hear Next Year
You'll likely be hearing a lot more about L.W. v. Skrmetti, a trans rights case that the ACLU has requested the Supreme Court takes up.Jess and Imani get into the nuts and bolts of the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals decision that allowed Tennessee's gender-affirming ban targeting trans kids to take effect, breaking previous federal court consensus that these bans are unconstitutional. Led by Judge Jeffrey Sutton, a George W. Bush appointee, it was the first decision to let a gender-affirming ban take effect, which has led to a domino effect on other similar bans in the country.Rewire News Group is a nonprofit media organization, which means Boom! Lawyered is only made possible with the support of listeners like you! If you can, please join our team by donating here.And sign up for The Fallout, a weekly newsletter written by Jess that’s exclusively dedicated to covering every aspect of this unprecedented moment.

Nov 24, 2023 • 59sec
Special Holiday Message From Imani and Jess!
Jess and Imani will be back the next week for the final three episodes of 2023.Rewire News Group is a nonprofit media organization, which means Boom! Lawyered is only made possible with the support of listeners like you! If you can, please join our team by donating here.And sign up forThe Fallout, a weekly newsletter written by Jess that’s exclusively dedicated to covering every aspect of this unprecedented moment.

Nov 17, 2023 • 21min
The Originalist Case for Arming Domestic Abusers
Meet Zackey Rahimi, someone who apparently has never met a situation he didn’t try to shoot his way out of, including family, random drivers, and Whataburger.Jess and Imani are back to break down last week's Supreme Court oral arguments in his case, United States v. Rahimi, which boils down to originalism on steroids. As Jess says Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar's oral arguments showed, "If you believe in originalism like, really believe in it with your whole chest, then you also really believe in Christian patriarchy that includes men having dominion over women and children the same way that God has dominion over his creations. That's how you enshrine that kind of dominionist religious belief into legal code. That idea of dominion as a philosophy is the basis of property law—and now it might become the basis of Second Amendment law."Rewire News Group is a nonprofit media organization, which means Boom! Lawyered is only made possible with the support of listeners like you! If you can, please join our team by donating here.

Oct 27, 2023 • 30min
This Case Could End Teens' Birth Control Access
U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, a Trump judge, ruled that teens cannot get birth control from federally funded health centers without their parents' consent. Jess and Imani discuss the case, its potential implications, and the attacks on birth control by conservatives. They also express concerns about the involvement of a person associated with a hate group and the dangers of misinformation. Overall, a compelling discussion on the diminishing accessibility of privacy rights and the importance of reproductive healthcare.

Oct 20, 2023 • 31min
Mootness Might Save Civil Rights Testing
This week, Imani and Jess dive into civil procedure (sorry Jess) as they discuss whether the Supreme Court will kick a case that could interfere with enforcement of the Americans with Disabilities Act. They explain what civil rights testers do, what case mootness is, and why the Court should—and probably will—decline to rule in Acheson Hotels v. Laufer on standing.Rewire News Group is a nonprofit media organization, which means Boom! Lawyered is only made possible with the support of listeners like you! If you can, please join our team by donating here.And sign up for The Fallout, a weekly newsletter written by Jess that’s exclusively dedicated to covering every aspect of this unprecedented moment.

Oct 13, 2023 • 22min
Who Gets to Be a Person?
Imani and Jess are back to chat about the conservative assault on trans folks’ personhood. They get into the slew of attacks the community has faced this year alone, and Imani makes the case for equal rights protections for trans people. It's all part of our latest special issue, They the People.Mentioned in this episode:Here’s One Thing the Constitution Could Do to Protect Trans PeopleIt’s the Alliance Defending Freedom’s Supreme CourtRewire News Group is a nonprofit media organization, which means Boom! Lawyered is only made possible with the support of listeners like you! If you can, please join our team by donating here.And sign up for The Fallout, a weekly newsletter written by Jess that’s exclusively dedicated to covering every aspect of this unprecedented moment.

Oct 6, 2023 • 1min
Jess and Imani Will Return Next Week—Live!
In the meantime, catch up with our latest special issue, "They the People," all about trans rights.Rewire News Group is a nonprofit media organization, which means Boom! Lawyered is only made possible with the support of listeners like you! If you can, please join our team by donating here.And sign up for The Fallout, a weekly newsletter written by Jess that’s exclusively dedicated to covering every aspect of this unprecedented moment.