

Law Talk With Epstein, Yoo & Cooke
The Civitas Institute at the University of Texas at Austin
A lively (and often funny) look at legislation and constitutional jurisprudence by preeminent law professors Richard Epstein and John Yoo. The show is hosted by Charles C. W. Cooke.Law Talk is a podcast of the Civitas Institute at the University of Texas at Austin.
Episodes
Mentioned books

14 snips
Mar 29, 2024 • 58min
Trump Trials and Tribulations
Discussions on Trump's legal trials, chances of fair trial in NYC, and windfall from Truth Social going public. Predictions on Eastman's law license, Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity, and climate change case. Reflecting on Truth Social investment, $175 million bond in fraud case, and legal ethics in post-election investigations. Debates on climate change misrepresentation case, petroleum product implications, and federal regulation complexities.

15 snips
Mar 1, 2024 • 59min
Social Media, IVF, Trump, and the Politics of Disgorgement
Law Talk delves into the hot topics of social media regulation, IVF laws, Trump's legal woes, and the Supreme Court's involvement. Get ready for a lively discussion on free speech rights, predictions on government rulings, ethical dilemmas in the IVF case, and the legal immunity battle involving Trump.

6 snips
Jan 26, 2024 • 1h 10min
West Coast, Best Coast
Trump's legal troubles, Biden's executive power controversy, Supreme Court case on administrative state, half-million dollar signing bonuses for former Supreme Court clerks, and an In-N-Out update from John

24 snips
Dec 1, 2023 • 51min
All Enemies, Foreign and Domestic
In this episode, the professors discuss the legacy of Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, tensions in Gaza, Trump's legal drama, and the implications of Second Amendment rights in gun control cases. They also banter about Thanksgiving dinner items and debate the least valuable dish on the Thanksgiving table.

22 snips
Oct 19, 2023 • 1h 4min
The Law of War
Professors discuss the war in Gaza, free speech on university campuses, democracy promotion in illiberal countries, disqualification clause for the 4th Amendment, American currency bills, and the debate over ethics codes for the Supreme Court.

28 snips
Sep 22, 2023 • 1h 11min
Question Time!
Professors Epstein and Yoo answer listener questions, exploring the possibility of a president serving from prison, the state of abortion law post-Dobbs case, the influence of writing skills on Supreme Court justices, the impact of Trump on the Supreme Court, and the importance of Gias's Institutes in understanding Roman law.

8 snips
Aug 16, 2023 • 1h 7min
Indictments: Infinity War
Professors Richard Epstein and John Yoo discuss the legal controversies surrounding Donald Trump and Joe Biden. They delve into the cases facing Trump in Georgia, Florida, D.C., and Manhattan, as well as the elusive case of Hunter Biden. They analyze the misapplications of forgery and impersonation charges, debate indicting a former president, and raise concerns about the integrity of Hunter Biden's plea bargain. The professors also explore the legal challenges and vulnerabilities of Trump and Biden for the 2024 election.

10 snips
Jun 30, 2023 • 1h 3min
SCOTUS Wrap-up 2023
The Supreme Court ended its most recent term with a bang, and that’s also how Professors Richard Epstein and John Yoo are starting this review of the biggest decisions. There’s a split in the faculty lounge over the wisdom of the Court’s affirmative action ruling and we’ll let you decide who gets the better of the argument. Then we move on to the Court’s smackdown of the Biden Administration’s student loan relief plan and the latest in a long string of cases regarding how and whether free speech rights apply in an anti-discrimination context (yes, it’s Colorado … again). Finally, because we don’t want you to think Law Talk has lost its edge we tee up the most important legal question of 2023: Can a bear violate your Fourth Amendment rights?

7 snips
May 18, 2023 • 1h 2min
The Peruvian Robes
It’s graduation season in the faculty lounge, but Professors Richard Epstein and John Yoo are still hard at work. In this month’s installment: What does the Durham report say about the future of the FBI? Should Daniel Penny stand trial for the headlock that ended Jordan Neely’s life? What explains the bizarre alliances behind the Supreme Court’s decision to let California control how the nation’s pigs are raised? And can Baltimore really sue automakers for making cars too easy to steal? Plus Epstein visits South America, Yoo ruins a graduation ceremony, and Senik gracelessly declines into middle age.

Apr 20, 2023 • 1h 9min
The Fertile Octogenarian
We’re breaking out birthday candles as one of the professors celebrates a milestone birthday. Once the festivities (which somehow devolve into a conversation about medical innovation) conclude, Professors Epstein and Yoo are on to the topics at hand: Was Fox News right to settle with Dominion? Does America need tougher defamation laws? Is Clarence Thomas’s relationship with Harlan Crow a troubling indiscretion on behalf of a Supreme Court justice or a case of activist journalism run amok? What will happen with the controversial rulings about abortion drugs? And did Disney outsmart Ron DeSantis — and why does the answer to that question involve King Charles? All that and more in a jam-packed hour in the faculty lounge.