Democracy Dies at SCOTUS

Dahlia sits down with three fellow SCOTUS-watchers — Kenji Yoshino, Mark Joseph Stern, and Christian Turner — to reflect on the just-completed term and how it will go down in history. Transcripts of Amicus are available to Slate Plus members. Consider signing up today! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today here.Amicus is sponsored by The Great Courses, offering engaging audio video lectures like “The Great Debate: Advocates and Opponents of the American Constitution." Get up to get up to 80 percent off the original price when you visit thegreatcourses.com/amicus. We’re also sponsored by FreshBooks, the super-simple invoicing solution made to help lawyers, consultants and freelancers get organized, save time and get paid faster. For your free 30-day trial, go to FreshBooks.com/Amicus.
Podcast production by Tony Field. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

4 Juli 201543min

With the ink barely dry on two momentous Supreme Court decisions affecting marriage equality and health care, Dahlia discusses the history, high points, and likely impact of those decisions with Walter Dellinger, professor of law at Duke University, a Slate contributor, and the former head of the Office of Legal Counsel from 1993 to 1996.     First, Dahlia and Walter reflect on Friday's 5-4 decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, which ruled that same-sex marriage bans are unconstitutional. Next, they talk about Thursday's 6-3 decision in King v. Burwell, which supported the Affordable Care Act's subsidies for poor and middle class people.    Please let us know what you think of our podcast – and your ideas for our shows during the summer recess. Our email is amicus@slate.com.   Amicus is sponsored by The Great Courses, offering engaging audio video lectures like “The Great Debate: Advocates and Opponents of the American Constitution." Get up to get up to 80 percent off the original price when you visit thegreatcourses.com/amicus.    Transcripts of Amicus are available to Slate Plus members. Consider signing up today at slate.com/podcastplus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today here. (Note: After a new episode is posted, its transcript may take several days to appear on our show page.)   Podcast production by Joel Meyer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

27 Juni 201531min

Dahlia is joined by The Atlantic’s Garrett Epps to parse the latest batch of 5-4 decisions from SCOTUS. They included rulings on immigration, free speech, and the death penalty, and involved some strange alliances among the Justices. *************************Want a transcript of this week’s episode? They’re all available to members of Slate Plus. Consider signing up today -- members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today here.Amicus is sponsored by The Great Courses, offering engaging audio video lectures like “The Great Debate: Advocates and Opponents of the American Constitution." Get up to get up to 80 percent off the original price when you visit thegreatcourses.com/amicus. We’re also sponsored by FreshBooks, the super-simple invoicing solution made to help lawyers, consultants and freelancers get organized, save time and get paid faster. For your free 30-day trial, go to FreshBooks.com/Amicus. This week’s excerpt from the Supreme Court’s public sessions were provided by Oyez, a free law project at the Chicago-Kent College of Law, part of the Illinois Institute of Technology.
Podcast production by Tony Field. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

20 Juni 201541min

This week, Dahlia speaks with a former clerk to Justice Clarence Thomas about the strong stances that Thomas has been taking recently. And she asks what’s at stake in a big challenge to “One Person One Vote” that SCOTUS will take up next term. Please let us know what you think of Amicus. Our email is amicus@slate.com.Subscribe to our podcast here.Want a transcript of this week’s episode? They’re all available to members of Slate Plus. Consider signing up today -- members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial here.Our sponsor this week is The Great Courses, offering audio video lectures like "The First Amendment and You: What Everyone Should Know." Get up to get up to 80 percent off the original price when you visit . We’re also sponsored by FreshBooks. For your free 30-day trial, go to , and use the promo code Amicus. This week’s excerpts from the Supreme Court’s public sessions were provided by Oyez, a free law project at the Chicago-Kent College of Law, part of the Illinois Institute of Technology. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

13 Juni 201542min

On today’s episode, Dahlia takes stock of the big whammy decisions just around the corner at the Supreme Court, and considers a few of the major abortion cases that could be following shortly on their heels.Please let us know what you think of Amicus, our legal affairs podcast. Our email is amicus@slate.com. This week’s episode was sponsored by The Great Courses. Get up to 80% off the original price of their eight most popular courses when you visit thegreatcourses.com/amicus. Subscribe to our podcast here.Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

30 Maj 201531min

This week we learned that Natalie Portman will play a young Ruth Bader Ginsburg in a new film about the Supreme Court Justice. On this episode, Dahlia and her guests consider the recent explosion of Court-related dramatizations on the stage and screen. Please let us know what you think of Amicus, our legal affairs podcast. Our email is amicus@slate.com.Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at .   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

16 Maj 201539min

This week, we take you inside the courtroom for the recent gay marriage case at the Supreme Court. Dahlia listens to highlights of oral arguments with Douglas Hallward-Driemeier, one of the lawyers who represented same-sex couples in the historic case. Please let us know what you think of Amicus, our legal affairs podcast. Our email is amicus@slate.com. Our archives, which include discussions of other big cases recently decided by the Court, can be found at slate.com/amicus. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/podcastplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

2 Maj 201537min

In anticipation of big decisions on marriage equality and Obamacare, many are talking about the balance of political power on the Supreme Court. Dahlia Lithwick speaks with two court watchers about the extent to which the Justices are political actors. Please let us know what you think of Amicus, our legal affairs podcast. Our email is amicus@slate.com.Subscribe to our podcast here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/slates-amicus-dahlia-lithwick/id928790786?mt=2#Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at [http://slate.me/1ENza1a].     Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

18 Apr 201530min