
Case in Point: The Legal Show on the Hottest Legal Cases in Politics and Culture
If the thought of a legal podcast makes you shy away and you’re tired of so-called “legal” experts talking in confusing legal jargon, you’ve come to the right place. The Heritage Foundation’s “Case in Point” talks about the hottest cases affecting politics, culture, and everyone’s daily lives in a way that lawyers and non-lawyers alike can understand.
Host Hans von Spakovsky may work in Washington, D.C., but he grew up in Huntsville, Alabama. He hasn’t lost touch with his roots and hasn’t been captured by the Beltway Insiders. He understands the heart and soul of America, the everyday fol
Latest episodes

Nov 26, 2020 • 32min
Religious Liberty v. COVID
This week the Court gave advocates a Thanksgiving break from oral arguments, but our favorite black-clad gang of nine gave us a few new cases. With Amy out this week, our colleague Zack Smith fills in to discuss those cases. GianCarlo interviews Professor Josh Blackman to discuss the status of religious-liberty challenges to COVID-19 restrictions, the confusion caused in the lower courts by the Chief's opinion in South Bay United Pentecostal Church, and what the Court is likely to do with the two new religious-liberty challenges now pending. Lastly, Zack tries to stump GianCarlo with Thanksgiving themed SCOTUS trivia.You can read Professor Blackman's two articles here and here.Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @scotus101 and send questions, comments, or ideas for future episodes to scotus101@heritage.org.Don't forget to leave a 5-star rating!Stay caffeinated and opinionated with a SCOTUS 101 mug. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nov 22, 2020 • 55min
To the Bench and Back Again
It was a quiet week for the Court, so your hosts take the time to highlight some of the most interesting cases that are waiting for the Court to take them up. Amy also discusses the one case that was picked, and GianCarlo interviews Professor Paul Cassell, a former federal judge and leading expert in the field of victims' rights. Lastly, GianCarlo tests Amy's architectural knowledge with trivia related to the Supreme Court building.Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @scotus101 and send questions, comments, or ideas for future episodes to scotus101@heritage.org.Don't forget to leave a 5-star rating!Stay caffeinated and opinionated with a SCOTUS 101 mug. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nov 13, 2020 • 46min
A Drink at the Judgment Bar
In this week's episode, your hosts are back in the studio to cover new cases, emergency election orders, and some of the term's biggest oral arguments. GianCarlo discusses the arguments in Brownback, and Amy walks us through the oral arguments in Texas v. California the most recent challenge to the Affordable Care Act. GianCarlo also interviews Professor John Yoo about his latest book: Defender in Chief: Donald Trump's Fight for Presidential Power. Lastly, Amy tries to stump GianCarlo with Veterans Day trivia, but he turns the table on her with some trivia of his own!You can find Professor Yoo's book here.Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @ scotus101 and send comments, questions, or ideas for future episodes to scotus101@heritage.org.Don't forget to leave a 5-star rating!Stay caffeinated and opinionated with a SCOTUS 101 mug:https://shop.heritage.org/products/scotus-101-mug. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nov 6, 2020 • 40min
Religious Liberty On The Docket
This week the news may be focused on the election, but the Supreme Court is carrying on with business as usual. Your hosts discuss oral arguments, focusing on Fulton v. Philadelphia, the Catholic adoption services case, and Jones v. Mississippi, the Eighth Amendment challenge to life sentences without parole for minors. Amy interviews Laura Wolk who is the first blind Supreme Court clerk, and GianCarlo pulls out all the stops with election-law trivia. Will Amy leave any hanging chads? Join us and find out!Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @ scotus101 and send comments, questions, or ideas for future episodes to scotus101@heritage.org.Don't forget to leave a 5-star rating!Stay caffeinated and opinionated with a SCOTUS 101 mug:https://shop.heritage.org/products/scotus-101-mug. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 29, 2020 • 36min
Justice Barrett Goes to Washington
This week Justice Amy Coney Barrett joined the Supreme Court as its 115th justice! Your hosts respond to some listener questions and explain why justices take two oaths, who administers them, and when and where those traditions were formed. Following up on her tribute to Justice Ginsburg from a previous episode, Amy explores what it means for a conservative woman to have a conservative role model on the court. The hosts replay an interview that Elizabeth Slattery conducted of then Judge Barrett, and lastly Amy tries to stump GianCarlo with trivia about swearing-in ceremonies.GianCarlo and John Malcolm recently wrote an article about Justice Barrett's confirmation, which you can find here.Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @ scotus101 and send comments, questions, or ideas for future episodes to scotus101@heritage.org.Don't forget to leave a 5-star rating!Stay caffeinated and opinionated with a SCOTUS 101 mug:https://shop.heritage.org/products/scotus-101-mug. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 23, 2020 • 39min
Shortlists, Snubs, and Also-Rans
This week your hosts provide an update on Judge Amy Coney Barrett's confirmation process and discuss several interesting new cases the Court took up this week. Amy interviews Professors Hannah Brenner Johnson and Renee Knake Jefferson about their book “Shortlisted: Women in the Shadows of the Supreme Court.” Lastly Amy shines in trivia about famous lawyers who could have, would have, or should have been on the Supreme Court.Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @ scotus101 and send comments, questions, or ideas for future episodes to scotus101@heritage.org. Don't forget to leave a 5-star rating!Stay caffeinated and opinionated with a SCOTUS 101 mug:https://shop.heritage.org/products/scotus-101-mug. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 16, 2020 • 46min
Confirm Me If You Can
In this episode Amy and GianCarlo introduce Judge Amy Coney Barrett and cover all the most interesting and exciting parts of her confirmation hearing. They also discuss two cases argued before the Court this week: Torres v. Madrid, and U.S. v. Briggs. GianCarlo interviews Ilya Shapiro about his new book, Supreme Disorder: Judicial Nominations and the Politics of America's Highest Court. And lastly, Amy does a pretty good job of stumping GianCarlo with court-packing trivia! If you'd like to read Ilya's new book--and we highly recommend it--you can find it here.Here's Amy's article on Judge Barrett's Second Amendment writings.Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @ scotus101 and send comments, questions, or ideas for futureepisodes to scotus101@heritage.org. Don't forget to leave a 5-star rating!Stay caffeinated and opinionated with a SCOTUS 101 mug:https://shop.heritage.org/products/scotus-101-mug. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 9, 2020 • 50min
The Court [and the Show] Must Go On
A new term begins! Amy and GianCarlo launch the new season with a tribute to the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. GianCarlo previews some of the biggest legal issues facing the Court this term, and Amy discusses this week's oral arguments. The duo also interview their colleague, Thomas Jipping, who is an expert on the confirmation process, and the three of them look at the road ahead of SCOTUS nominee, Judge Amy Coney Barrett. Last up, GianCarlo tries to stump Amy with confirmation-related trivia.If you'd like to hear more about the biggest cases of this term, you may enjoy watching The Heritage Foundation's preview of the term with The Honorable Paul Clement, and Eric Citron available here: https://www.heritage.org/courts/event/virtual-event-supreme-court-preview-the-2020-2021-term.Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @ scotus101 and send comments, questions, or ideas for futureepisodes to scotus101@heritage.org. Don't forget to leave a 5-star rating!Stay caffeinated and opinionated with a SCOTUS 101 mug:https://shop.heritage.org/products/scotus-101-mug. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jul 9, 2020 • 48min
The Grand Finale
The term has ended with a bang! In this final episode of the season, GianCarlo and Amy discuss the blockbuster cases handed down this week, which addressed whether the President must release his tax returns, whether nearly half of Oklahoma is, in fact, an Indian reservation, whether the Little Sisters have to provide contraceptives in violation of their religious beliefs, and more. Amy interviews our dear friend and colleague, Paul J. Larkin, Jr., and he talks about his career, his mentors, and how he prepared for SCOTUS oral arguments.Here's Amy's article about the Little Sisters' case: https://www.dailysignal.com/2020/07/08/little-sisters-of-poor-win-big-at-supreme-court-but-the-fight-isnt-over/Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @ scotus101 and send comments, questions, or ideas for futureepisodes to scotus101@heritage.org. Don't forget to leave a 5-star rating!Stay caffeinated and opinionated with a SCOTUS 101 mug:https://shop.heritage.org/products/scotus-101-mug. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jul 2, 2020 • 44min
Chief Justice Roberts Moves the Strike Zone
In this episode, GianCarlo and Amy unpack the five big opinions issued this week, which involve religious liberty, abortion, separation of powers, corporate free-speech rights, and cutting edge trademark law. GianCarlo interviews Judge Daniel Bress of the Ninth Circuit who shares stories about clerking for Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson III and Justice Scalia. And lastly, Amy grills GianCarlo with religious-liberty trivia.Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @ scotus101 and send comments, questions, or ideas for futureepisodes to scotus101@heritage.org. Don't forget to leave a 5-star rating!Stay caffeinated and opinionated with a SCOTUS 101 mug:https://shop.heritage.org/products/scotus-101-mug. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.