Strict Scrutiny

By: Crooked Media
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  • Summary

  • Strict Scrutiny is a podcast about the United States Supreme Court and the legal culture that surrounds it. Hosted by three badass constitutional law professors-- Leah Litman, Kate Shaw, and Melissa Murray-- Strict Scrutiny provides in-depth, accessible, and irreverent analysis of the Supreme Court and its cases, culture, and personalities. Each week, Leah, Kate, and Melissa break down the latest headlines and biggest legal questions facing our country, emphasizing what it all means for our daily lives. Whether you’re a lawyer or law student, or you’re just here for the messy legal drama, Strict Scrutiny has you covered. New episodes out every Monday… plus bonuses whenever SCOTUS takes away another one of our rights.
    © Crooked Media. All Rights Reserved.
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Philosophy Political Science Politics & Government Social Sciences
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Episodes
  • What’s the Future of Planned Parenthood?

    What’s the Future of Planned Parenthood?
    Apr 7 2025
    Leah and Kate recap recent opinions and arguments from the Supreme Court, including cases about tax exemptions for religious organizations and the future of Planned Parenthood. Along the way they celebrate Susan Crawford’s election to the Wisconsin Supreme Court and Cory Booker’s 25-hour speech on the Senate floor, touch on potential legal challenges to Trump’s ruinous tariffs, and discuss the latest in the ongoing right-wing effort to challenge Allison Riggs’ election to the Supreme Court of North Carolina.Hosts’ favorite things this week:Kate: Unmarked Vans. Secret Lists. Public Denunciations. Our Police State Has Arrived, M. Gessen; Setting the Record Straight on the Anti-Trump Injunctions, Steve Vladek; The Battle for the Bros, Andrew Marantz; Museum of Now, This American Life; The Senate and the Edward Martin Nomination, Jack Goldsmith; Isola, Allegra Goodman; How the Trump Administration Learned to Obscure the Truth in Court, Leah LitmanLeah: Eternal Sunshine Deluxe: Brighter Days Ahead, Ariana Grande; Hate Won't Win: Find Your Power and Leave This Place Better Than You Found It, Mallory McMorrow; Why Trans People Must Prove a History of Discrimination Before the Supreme Court, Chase Strangio; Remarkable Things in the Government’s Alien Enemies Act Briefs to the Supreme Court, Marty LedermanVote for Less Radical in the Webby Awards here and here! Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025! 5/31 – Washington DC6/12 – NYC10/4 – ChicagoLearn more: http://crooked.com/eventsPre-order your copy of Leah's forthcoming book, Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes (out May 13th)Follow us on Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky
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    1 hr and 29 mins
  • Can Elon Musk Buy the Wisconsin Supreme Court Race? (With Jon Lovett)

    Can Elon Musk Buy the Wisconsin Supreme Court Race? (With Jon Lovett)
    Mar 31 2025

    Jon Lovett joins Leah and Melissa to talk about what’s at stake in this week’s Wisconsin Supreme Court election and what it was like campaigning for Susan Crawford in Madison and Milwaukee. Then, the ladies run through a busy week of argument recaps, opinions, and legal news, covering the relitigation of the Voting Rights Act, the sunsetting of the administrative state, and that text chain.

    Hosts’ favorite things this week:

    • Leah: After Dobbs, David Cohen & Carol Jaffe; Mayhem, Lady Gaga; Black Bag, Steven Soderbergh; Wrexford & Sloane mystery series by Andrea Penrose; Lawsuits by Wilmer & Jenner challenging wildly unconstitutional executive orders; Judge Howell’s order rejecting the request for her to recuse in the challenge to the EO targeting the Perkins Coie order
    • Melissa: Last week’s episode of Strict Scrutiny; A Season of Light, Julie Iromuanya; The Note, Alafair Burke; Yacht Rock: The Dockumentary (Max); Gwyneth and Meghan on Instagram; New Phone; Houthis? (Christian Schneider on X); Text STOP to opt out of war plans (Leta McCullough Seletsky on Bluesky)

    Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025!

    • 5/31 – Washington DC
    • 6/12 – NYC
    • 10/4 – Chicago

    Learn more: http://crooked.com/events

    Pre-order your copy of Leah's forthcoming book, Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes (out May 13th)

    Follow us on Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky
    Show more Show less
    1 hr and 34 mins
  • Deportations and the Death of Due Process

    Deportations and the Death of Due Process
    Mar 24 2025

    After a deep dive on the Trump administration’s horrifying misuse of the Alien Enemies Act to deport people from the US without due process, Kate and Leah preview upcoming SCOTUS cases about the Voting Rights Act and the Environmental Protection Agency. Along the way, they also touch on the Trump administration’s targeting of certain law firms and its continued attacks on DEI.

    Hosts’ favorite things this week:

    • Leah: Fight! Fight! Fight!, Rebecca Traister; AOC’s Bluesky feed during the CR debates/debacle; The Hidden Motive Behind Trump’s Attacks on Trans People, M. Gessen; This Election Will Be a Crucial Test of Musk’s Power, Kate Shaw; Trump Has Gone From Unconstitutional to Anti-Constitutional, Jamelle Bouie
    • Kate: The Feminist Law Professor Who Wants to Stop Arresting People for Domestic Violence, Sarah Lustbader; The Dangerous Document Behind Trump’s Campus Purges, Daphna Renan & Jesse Hoffnung-Garskof; The Cost of the Government’s Attack on Columbia, Christopher L. Eisgruber

    Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025!

    • 5/31 – Washington DC
    • 6/12 – NYC
    • 10/4 – Chicago

    Learn more: http://crooked.com/events

    Pre-order your copy of Leah's forthcoming book, Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes (out May 13th)

    Follow us on Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky
    Show more Show less
    1 hr and 25 mins

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Profile Image for cheyenne rose butcher

excellent!!!

Wonderfully detailed and appropriately frustrated. Extremely informative and cathartic listen, I highly recommend this podcast

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Profile Image for Amanda Moore

The legal eagles to listen go

it's been so great to have actual experts in the field break down the news about the court that I didn't even realize I needed to know. These scholarly sisters of Supreme Court stupidity cover court culture, ridiculous rulings, and circuit court craziness in eli5 ways so simple that even Kavanaugh could understand

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Sublime Ladies

Thank you for your love of constitutional law and for sharing it with us lay persons. You are sublime! Love the podcast!!!❤️

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Profile Image for proxy

Waaaay too many commercials!

What is the ratio of content to advertisements?! Content is good but constantly interrupted by very long and meandering ads.

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Profile Image for William Boyd

Excellant podcast.

This group is both entertaining and informative. I look forward to it on my commute every week.

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Profile Image for A. Trifiletti

Humor and learning

I've learned a lot about how the court functions, or is supposed to function, and laughed so much.

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Profile Image for bradley engeldinger

such a good episode

i love the Dobbs year recap with the guest stars, made my entire week

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Profile Image for Sauceress

Love these brainy badass ladies

Great insights, loads of sarcasm. I look forward to every episode. I used to follow the court on my own but without some legal background it could be really difficult to understand the whys of what's happening.

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Profile Image for Maurya Allen

Super Accessible for Non-Lawyers

As someone who works in government, but is not a lawyer or any kind of legal scholar, this is a great podcast to get a sense of what SCOTUS has done and what it means for the country. The presenters are very easy to listen to and do a great job explaining everything in an accessible way. Definitely getting caught up on back episodes and looking forward to new ones!

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Profile Image for Bailey Degregorio

Strict Scrutiny kicks major retrumplcan ass 👑🙏

this podcast is one word awesome im so happy to have found another pro democracy podcast i will be listening with joy thank you for all you do in the fight for our democratic democracy god bless i give it 10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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