For more than 50 years, any discussion of criminal defense attorneys, legal academics, and civil libertarians - as well as staunch advocates for Israel -  included Professor Alan Dershowitz.  Today he joins “Amarica’s Constitution” for a far-ranging conversation.  Torture warrants, Trump’s misdeeds, the life of a principled advocate and his family, censorship in social media, campus speech, the Israeli Supreme Court - all fall under his gaze, and our scrutiny.  We also discuss Prof. Dershowitz’s new book, “The Case Against The New Censorship.”

Our series on civil liberties, including especially the First Amendment and free speech, continues with perhaps its greatest advocate before the Supreme Court, Floyd Abrams.  It’s natural to assume that Floyd would be an absolutist on such bedrocks as the case New York Times v. Sullivan - especially since he has represented The NY Times for years.  But no, surprisingly, he expresses, to Akhil and Andy, certain abridgments of this case that he might consider if he were, say, on the bench.  This and so much more, as a momentous career is celebrated and revealed, from one’s duty to one’s client to what it’s like to appear before the Supreme Court.

In the wake of the publication of The Words That Made Us, Akhil comes full circle, as his first book was The Bill of Rights.  To complete that circle, Professor Nadine Strossen, the youngest person and first woman to lead the ACLU as its president (for 17 years!) joins Akhil and Andy for a discussion that ranges from the current Supreme Court case on cheerleaders’ (and all other students’) rights to the famous Tinker case; from Citizens United to The Godfather.  And just what is wrong with The Sopranos?

As Akhil and Andy celebrate the publication this week of The Words That Made Us, Akhil tells a story from the book - the crazy election of 1800 and its just-barely-peaceful transfer of power.  And what is John Marshall up to?  He’s everywhere:  Secretary of State and Chief Justice at once, a pseudonymous scheming columnist, and in the end, the man with the Bible in his hand to swear in the eventual winner:  his cousin.

The Biden Commission is in the news, with a mandate to produce ideas on judicial reform, especially at the Supreme Court level.  It just so happens that Akhil has been writing about this for almost 20 years, and has fully formed ideas.  How many ways would these changes make the Court better?  We’ll count.  Of course, the historical and constitutional background will also be explored and explained.

In the wake of the imminent release of The Words That Made Us, Akhil takes us to the end of the story - or was it?  The deaths of America’s founders were all memorable in ways that reflected the character of each.  This can’t be a coincidence, he maintains, and if it wasn’t, then what was it?  The founders managed to leave their mark on the stage as they left it, and in so doing, and in some sense, they didn’t leave.

10 years after Professor Amar wrote, with Gary Hart, on how the Senate can put an end to the filibuster, it remains (mostly) in place.  Akhil and Andy take you through the long history of this notorious practice, from the pre-Constitutional theories and practices, through the many misdeeds of the post-Civil War and 20th century periods, to today where the filibuster looms large but also is threatened with extinction.  Professor John Fabian Witt joins the conversation with unique insights into the origins of the “modern” filibuster, how it was employed to thwart anti-lynching as well as major civil rights legislation. What is now rule 22 (“catch-22”) is not so entrenched, not so consistent with the Senate’s mission, as many have thought.  Thanks again to EverScholar (everscholar.org) for sponsoring “Amarica’s Constitution.”

Akhil and Andy welcome “the greatest reporter of all time” - Bob Woodward - to Amarica’s Constitution.  Fresh off his 19th book and 14th number one best-seller, “Rage” - having reported on nine presidents - a discussion of the Presidency would seem to be in order.  Anecdotes and insights flow, and Akhil even gets in some queries on the Supreme Court.  Remember Butterfield and the tapes?  Here's a revelation about Woodward's own records.

"Amarica's Constitution" welcomes our guest, Professor Michael Gerhardt, who pulls himself away from his work as Congress' go-to expert on the impeachment to share a postmortem with us from the inside.   He should know - he was retained by the presiding officer, Senator Leahy, as counsel for the impeachment.  His new book, "Lincoln's Mentors," is out, and we can't ever resist a Lincoln discussion.  Andy and Akhil  have been teasing about EverScholar - today they let us know what all the fuss is about; see for yourself at everscholar.org. 

Andrew Jackson takes the stage in this, the fourth of four sets of readings from Akhil’s forthcoming (May) book, “The Words That Made Us.”  Jackson’s complex makeup, combining qualities from Washington and Jefferson, is revealed, and his status as America’s first truly Western president is explained, as is the shadow that his utter failure on slavery casts. Still, his championing of Union is one of the great Constitutional episodes of the early Republic, and Akhil gives a vivid description of this, the Nullification Crisis.  Somehow this leads to the insight that The Crown is like The Godfather.  Go figure. The podcast is sponsored by EverScholar (everscholar.org), where a few spots remain for an amazing, immersive learning experience in Greece this August.