Citizen's Guide to the Supreme Court

02/07/2025

The Supreme Court's term is over so it's time to panic. This week's episode covers Trump v. CASA, which doesn't really talk about birthright citizenship, but maybe does something even worse. This episode also covers Skrmetti v. US, which is maybe not as bad as it could have been. It's a mixed bag, folks. Law starts at (07:14).

20/04/2025

This week's question asks the age old question of whether we are dealing with a Constitutional Crisis, or run-of-the-mill incompetency. Brett and Nazim discuss the cases of Noam v. Garcia and Trump v. JGG to determine the scope of both Supreme Court orders and how to view the President's actions in light of the Constitution. It's a fun episode! Very unlikely to increase your anxiety! Law starts at (05:25). http://citizensguidetothesupremecourt.libsyn.com/the-foothills-of-mt-doomsday?tdest_id=537876

07/04/2025

Brett and Nazim return to cover three Con Law cases. The first, Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton, asks whether mandatory government ID verifications for adult websites violates the First Amendment. The second, Skrmetti v. US, discusses the application Equal Protection Standard for LGBT discrimination. The final case, Catholic Charities Bureau v. Wisconsin Labor and Industry Review Board, asks whether an entity owned by the Catholic Church which performs secular benefits is exempt from employment taxes. The law starts at (05:41).

19/02/2025

An insightful look into why, in the long term, the courts may be necessary to safeguard democracy. Questions about the courts' drive to do so will be discussed on our episodes.

Other countries have demonstrated three possible paths—not all of which lead to good endings.

21/01/2025

This week's episode covers the Supreme Court's decision in TikTok v. Garland, a great example of how the Federal government passing laws can end up as the Federal Government's own worst nightmare. Nazim has returned, so enjoy commentary on snow days, getting old, and legos. Law still starts from the beginning. http://citizensguidetothesupremecourt.libsyn.com/government-efficiency-run-amok?tdest_id=537876

13/01/2025

This week's episode, which covers the oral argument in Tik Tok v. Garland, is just Brett and no Nazim. We ask that you see past this fatal flaw and still enjoy discussion on why Tik Tok may not be a First Amendment case, what kind of First Amendment case it could be, and whether it would fail a strict scrutiny analysis. Law starts from the beginning. http://citizensguidetothesupremecourt.libsyn.com/tik-tok-v-garland-oral-argument?tdest_id=537876

12/11/2024

So you've won/lost the 2024 Presidential election, what comes next? Brett and Nazim take some time to vet out what the 2024 election means for the President, the Supreme Court and Administrative Agencies. Sprinkle in a touch of doom, and just a hint of gloom, and you've got a winning podcast episode. Law starts from the beginning, with a healthy tangent in the middle about Nazim dressed in a hot-dog man costume. http://citizensguidetothesupremecourt.libsyn.com/the-2024-presidential-election?tdest_id=537876

07/11/2024

We are soliciting legal questions related to the election for a mailbag podcast episode. Please add to the comments. We will also discuss why Nazim is wearing this hotdog man costume.

24/07/2024

This week's episode discusses Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo, in which the Supreme Court overruled the Chevron doctrine, but not before discussing the potential success of lawsuits challenging the change in the Democratic candidate for President, and later discussing the many mysteries of the open ocean. It's an action-packed episode, folks. Law starts from the beginning. http://citizensguidetothesupremecourt.libsyn.com/the-rise-and-fall-of-chevron?tdest_id=537876

02/07/2024

This week's episode covers Trump v. U.S., which deals with the Court's new test for Presidential Immunity, how that test applies to former President Donald Trump, and whether Brett can talk Nazim off a ledge over the whole thing. Law starts from the beginning. http://citizensguidetothesupremecourt.libsyn.com/trump-immunity-decision?tdest_id=537876

25/06/2024

This week's episode covers two criminal cases with bickering concurrences. Rahimi v. U.S., holding that the Second Amendment does not invalidate a law disarming someone subject to a domestic violence restraining order, shows that a lot can happen in two summers, while Smith v. Arizona, holding that an expert witness cannot testify about a report the expert did not prepare, shows that twenty years is still not enough time to decide what testimonial means. Law starts at (02:22). http://citizensguidetothesupremecourt.libsyn.com/50-shades-of-originalism?tdest_id=537876

17/06/2024

This week's episode covers the cases of FDA v. Doctor's for Hippocratic Medicine and Cargill v. Garland, which deal with big legal issues in small legal ways. The podcast starts by also discussing Big Sam Alito's recently foibles with judicial ethics and ends with a discussion on dance recital season. The law basically starts from the beginning if you'll indulge a small anecdote.