On The Issues With Michele Goodwin

Content warning: this episode contains discussions of sexual assault. In July, the Justice Department released a controversial report about Jeffrey Epstein. Now with the release of over 23,000 files associated with Epstein, questions are being raised about the scope and scale of this sex trafficking ring and its connections to power. The House Oversight Committee has yet to hear testimony from Epstein survivors, despite urging by Rep. Ayanna Presley and others. In this episode, Dr. Goodwin is joined by journalist Moira Donegan to discuss the implications of the files, and what needs to be done in order for his victims to receive justice.This episode is part of our ongoing series on the Epstein Files. We unpack the record, combing through the various emails, speaking with reporters, and ask the fundamental question: what will it take for men in power to treat women and girls with dignity and respect? Joining us to discuss these important issues is a very special guest: Moira Donegan: Moira Donegan: Moira Donegan is a feminist writer and opinion columnist with the Guardian U.S., as well as a writer in residence for the Clayman Institute for Gender Research at Stanford University.Check out this episode’s landing page at MsMagazine.com for a full transcript, links to articles referenced in this episode, further reading and ways to take action.Support the show

Content warning: this episode contains discussions of sexual assault. Over the past several months, the Epstein files have been extensively covered by the media. But too often,  the voices of actual survivors are missing. In this episode, we’re filling that gap and shifting the focus to where it belongs: to the survivors and what justice means to them. Dr. Michele Goodwin is joined by Jessica Michaels, a sexual assault awareness advocate and Epstein survivor. Dr. Goodwin speaks with Jess about her experience as a survivor of sexual assault, her work as an advocate, and what she wants the public to know about sexual violence as news about Epstein and his connections to powerful men and women continues to come to light.This episode is part of our ongoing series on the Epstein Files. We unpack the record, combing through the various emails, speaking with reporters, and ask the fundamental question: what will it take for men in power to treat women and girls with dignity and respect? Joining us to discuss these important issues is a very special guest: Jess Michaels: Jess Michaels is a dance industry professional with 30 years experience as a performer, educator, and entrepreneur. She is also a 1991 survivor of sexual assault by Jeffrey Epstein and childhood sexual abuse. She is the founder of 3Joannes Sexual Assault First Aid, teaching people to “know what to do when someone says ME TOO." Through her work, Jess equips communities with the tools to minimize the devastating long-term effects of sexual violence.Check out this episode’s landing page at MsMagazine.com for a full transcript, links to articles referenced in this episode, further reading and ways to take action.Support the show

As we mark Domestic Violence Awareness month this October, we know there’s a long way to go when it comes to addressing the domestic violence crisis in our country. From pandemic-era spikes in violence to the Trump administration’s recent budget cuts and their impact on support for women and girls experiencing domestic violence, how are advocates and policy experts addressing the ongoing crisis? Helping us to sort out these questions and set the record straight are our very special guests, Lauren Schuster: Lauren Schuster is the VP of Government Affairs at Urban Resource Institute. Schuster joined Urban Resource Institute after serving as Chief of Staff to Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal (D/WF-Manhattan) for more than 11 years. Before that, she worked at the New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG) in a variety of roles of increasing responsibility, including Staff Attorney, Environmental Campaign Coordinator and Voting Empowerment Project Coordinator. She received her Juris Doctorate from St. John’s University School of Law and graduated from New York University’s College of the Arts and Sciences, with a BA in political science.Chris Negri: Chris Negri is the Associate Director of Public Policy at the California Partnership to End Domestic Violence. At the Partnership, he works on funding and on an array of other issues, from tech to child welfare, representing the interests of more than 100 domestic violence agencies and the survivors they serve. Prior to joining the Partnership, Chris served as Program Director at Equality California Institute. Chris holds a BA in History from UC Riverside, an MA in Special Education from Loyola Marymount, and an MPP from the University of Southern California. Check out this episode’s landing page at MsMagazine.com for a full transcript, links to articles referenced in this episode, further reading and ways to take action.Support the show

As the Supreme Court opens a new term this week, we take a step back to ask: What did the last term tell us about this Court? About its values, its power, and its vision for American democracy?Because make no mistake: Every decision, every ruling, every case the Court chooses to hear—or not to hear—signals something about who we are becoming as a nation.In this Ms. Studios special, we bring you our 2024-2025 Supreme Court Review: a conversation recorded at Georgetown Law this summer, moderated by myself and featuring some of the sharpest legal minds in the country: Erwin Chemerinsky, Sherrilyn Ifill, Jamelle Bouie, Moira Donegan, Chris Geidner, and Mark Joseph Stern.Together, we reflect on the major rulings, the missed opportunities, and the throughlines that defined the Court in 2024 and 2025—from the reshaping of executive power to the quiet dismantling of long-standing civil rights protections.This episode is a recording of a panel that took place at Georgetown Law School on July 2, 2025. Joining us to discuss these issues are our very important guests:Dean Erwin Chemerinsky, Dean and Jesse H. Choper Distinguished Professor of Law, UC Berkeley School of LawProfessor Sherrilyn A. Ifill, 14th Amendment Center for Law & Democracy Founding Director and Vernon Jordan Distinguished Professor in Civil Rights, Howard University School of LawJamelle Antoine Bouie, Opinion Columnist, The New York TimesMoira Donegan, Opinion Columnist, The Guardian USChris Geidner, Former Legal Editor, Buzzfeed, Publisher; Editor Law DorkMark Joseph Stern, Senior Writer, Slate MagazineCheck out this episode’s landing page at MsMagazine.com for a full transcript, links to articles referenced in this episode, further reading and ways to take action.Support the show

This last Supreme Court term was harrowing—from momentous merits decisions about the First Amendment, parental rights, trans rights and more, to the stream of shocking “shadow docket” decisions and its enabling of many of the Trump administration’s executive actions. What does the 2025-2026 term have in store for our nation? What do we think will advance through the Court? What do we think will come up, when it comes to the shadow docket? And perhaps most importantly, how will the Court choose to mediate the Trump administration’s continued onslaught of executive actions?Helping us to sort out these questions and set the record straight is our very special guest, Steve Vladeck: Steve Vladeck is a professor of law at the Georgetown University Law Center, and a nationally recognized expert on the federal courts; the Supreme Court; national security law; and military justice. Vladeck is CNN’s Supreme Court analyst and editor and author of “One First,” a popular weekly newsletter about the Supreme Court. He is author of the New York Times-bestselling book, The Shadow Docket: How the Supreme Court Uses Stealth Rulings to Amass Power and Undermine the Republic.Check out this episode’s landing page at MsMagazine.com for a full transcript, links to articles referenced in this episode, further reading and ways to take action.Support the show

In this episode, at a time where unprecedented news stories break every day, we’re re-elevating the Jeffrey Epstein files. As victims continue to come forward, and new evidence continues to emerge, the questions and demands for justice grow louder. What can we learn from the information that has been released? What will it take for the full files to be released? And how will Trump respond? Joining us to discuss these issues is a very special guest:  George Conway: George Conway is the President of The Society for the Rule of Law, an organization of conservative and libertarian lawyers devoted to the protection of constitutional government in the United States. He is also the co-host of The Bulwark's popular podcast, George Conway Explain It All, with Sarah Longwell. Check out this episode’s landing page at MsMagazine.com for a full transcript, links to articles referenced in this episode, further reading and ways to take action.Support the show

As families prepare to send their kids back to school this year, some parents must face a new worry: will their children make it home safely, or will they be there to greet them, at the end of the day? Trump’s immigration crackdown is taking a toll on families across America, particularly under new guidance that allows ICE to arrest people in places where they were formerly prohibited from doing so—like schools, healthcare facilities, and places of worship. How will this impact students and families across the nation—and what can we do to fight back?Helping us to sort out these questions and set the record straight is our very special guest, Kevin R. Johnson: Kevin R. Johnson is the former dean and a Professor of Law at UC Davis.  He is also Professor of Chicana/o Studies and Director of the Aoki Center for Critical Race and Nation Studies at UC Davis. He has published extensively on immigration law and civil rights. He is the author of How Did You Get to Be Mexican? A White/Brown Man's Search for Identity (1999) and Immigration Law and the US-Mexico Border (2011). Johnson blogs regularly on immigration law and policy developments at ImmigrationProf, and is quoted regularly by the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and other local, state, national and international news outlets. Check out this episode’s landing page at MsMagazine.com for a full transcript, links to articles referenced in this episode, further reading and ways to take action.Support the show

In this episode, host Michele Goodwin speaks directly to students, young scholars, and the next generation of leaders, and of course, the people who love them.  As she remarks, they are coming of age in a world that is complicated, challenging, and often unfair. This talk is about standing up when it's easier to look away, holding your ground when the crowd moves in a different direction, and acting with empathy and accountability in a world that often forgets what those values actually mean. This episode is a rebroadcast of a keynote Michele Goodwin delivered at the Law and Society Association's graduate student Early Career Workshop in 2025.Check out this episode’s landing page at MsMagazine.com for a full transcript, links to articles referenced in this episode, further reading and ways to take action.Support the show

Trump has been in office for 200 days. In those 200 days, important institutions core to democracy have been dismantled. The rule of law has been challenged in countless ways—increasingly violent ICE raids and disappearances, dismantling of important agencies, canceling of funding for public broadcasts, significant rollbacks of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI)  initiatives, draconian cuts to healthcare and social services, executive orders singling out queer and trans people, and much more.But we’ve also seen a coordinated effort to resist him, with millions across the country taking to the streets again and again to protest on behalf of the rights of their neighbors, their families, and themselves. Attorneys and advocates are also stepping up, demanding courts to defend our rights. Two hundred days in, what have we learned—and what’s  the playbook for the next four years?Helping us to sort out these questions and set the record straight is our very special guest, Skye Perryman: Skye L. Perryman is President and CEO of Democracy Forward, a nonpartisan, national legal organization that promotes democracy and progress through litigation, regulatory engagement, policy education, and research. She previously served as Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Check out this episode’s landing page at MsMagazine.com for a full transcript, links to articles referenced in this episode, further reading and ways to take action.Support the show

Not even a year into the second Trump administration, it’s clear that people are struggling for hope. But there’s hope to be found in so many places, including in the wisdom of the women who took on Trump—and won. E. Jean Carroll and her lawyer Roberta “Robbie” Kaplan made headlines in 2023 and 2024 for winning a significant legal battle against Trump, with a jury finding him guilty of sexual abuse and defamation, and awarding Carroll $5 and then later an $83.3 million verdict. What can we learn from E. Jean Carroll’s case to fuel our fight forward?Helping us to sort out these questions and set the record straight are our very special guests, E. Jean Carroll: E. Jean Carroll is an American journalist and author. In 2023, she won a legal battle against Donald Trump after a jury found him liable for sexual abuse and defamation. Her latest book, Not My Type: One Woman Against a President, was released in June of 2025. Roberta Kaplan: Roberta “Robbie” Kaplan is a renowned civil litigator and trial lawyer. On behalf of her client, E. Jean Carroll, she became the only lawyer to have taken the deposition of President Donald J. Trump twice, and to have obtained two separate unanimous jury verdicts against him of $5 and later $83.3 million. She is the author of the book Then Comes Marriage: United States v. Windsor and the Defeat of DOMA. Check out this episode’s landing page at MsMagazine.com for a full transcript, links to articles referenced in this episode, further reading and ways to take action.Support the show