Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts

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Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts

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A show about the law and the nine Supreme Court justices who interpret it for the rest of America. Want more Amicus? Join Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes with exclusive legal analysis. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the Amicus show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/amicusplus to get access wherever you listen.

  1. 1 DAY AGO

    SCOTUS Is About to Suffer Buyers Remorse, Again

    Our eyes this week were trained on the arguments over birthright citizenship at the Supreme Court on Thursday. While Solicitor General John Sauer advanced wild arguments on behalf of the Trump administration, four of the justices (hint: the women) seemed extremely suspicious of his motives. The five men? Not so much. Slate senior writer Mark Joseph Stern joins Dahlia Lithwick to break down Trump v. CASA Inc. and the growing  divide on the court between those who trust this president and those who don’t. Although Thursday’s arguments touched on fundamental rights, SCOTUS made the strange choice to largely avoid the constitutional question and focus on a different one: Whether district courts have the power to issue “universal” injunctions that apply nationwide, as multiple courts did in order to protect birthright citizenship from the president. Judges have issued an unprecedented number of these orders against the Trump administration—in response to Trump’s unprecedented barrage of lawless executive orders. Some conservative justices seem perturbed by the explosion of universal injunctions. But it became clear on Thursday that this is the worst case for the court to use to rein them in.  Want more Amicus? Join Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes with exclusive legal analysis. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the Amicus show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/amicusplus to get access wherever you listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 3m
  2. Bonus: The Week of Sweet and Bitter

    11 MAY · BONUS • SLATE PLUS ONLY

    Bonus: The Week of Sweet and Bitter

    In this week’s bonus episode exclusively for Slate Plus members, the news comes in good and bad waves. Slate’s Mark Joseph Stern and Dahlia Lithwick remember former Supreme Court justice David Souter who died this week at the age of 85. They talk about the demise of “Eagle” Ed Martin’s bid to be the US Attorney for the District of Columbia, and Justice Allison Riggs’ court victory allowing her to keep her seat at the North Carolina Supreme Court, as well as the dangerous precedent set by the legal fight over her reelection. Finally they discuss Trump’s transgender military ban, and Justice Sotomayor’s charge to lawyers to stand up and fight. This episode is member-exclusive. Listen to it now by subscribing to Slate Plus. By joining, not only will you unlock weekly bonus episodes of Amicus—you’ll also access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the Amicus show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/amicusplus to get access wherever you listen.

    30 min

  3. 10 MAY

    SCOTUS, Meet The Broligarchs

    After Silicon Valley’s yeet to the right after Donald Trump was elected in 2016, and the DOGE-ification of the federal government (read: chaos and abuse as the driving ethos of HR), it felt like high time to delve into the evolving relationship between tech billionaires like Elon Musk and Peter Thiel and the U.S. government. Their influence has massive implications for core constitutional issues such as mass surveillance, privacy, and deregulation. Kara Swisher joins Dahlia Lithwick on this week’s Amicus to highlight the dangers of tech giants' encroachment on government oversight and the implications of AI and cryptocurrency.  This week’s episode concludes with a heartfelt tribute to Justice David Souter who died on Thursday. Dahlia and former Souter Clerk Mary-Rose Papandrea reflect on the late Justice’s humility, judicial philosophy, and the profound loss felt by his former clerks and the legal community. Want more Amicus? Join Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes with exclusive legal analysis. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the Amicus show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/amicusplus to get access wherever you listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 8m
  4. BONUS: Ooooo-klahoma, Where the Separation of Church and State Dies

    4 MAY · BONUS • SLATE PLUS ONLY

    BONUS: Ooooo-klahoma, Where the Separation of Church and State Dies

    On this week’s Slate Plus-only episode, Dahlia Lithwick and Mark Joseph Stern review the jaw-dropping arguments from SCOTUS this week that could effectively legalize public funding for religious education. They also talk about Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson’s statements defending district court judges, and what they mean as the Trump administration keeps attacking these legal professionals by name. This episode is member-exclusive. Listen to it now by subscribing to Slate Plus. By joining, not only will you unlock weekly bonus episodes of Amicus—you’ll also access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the Amicus show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/amicusplus to get access wherever you listen.

    27 min

  5. 3 MAY

    The Un-American Project

    Whether it’s attempting to overturn birthright citizenship, effectively stripping citizenship from American children, or claiming Alien Enemy Act war powers under an imaginary invasion, Trump’s anti-immigrant moves are outlandishly unconstitutional. They are also being met with significant pushback from judges, even conservative ones. On this week’s Amicus, Dahlia Lithwick is joined by Slate senior writer Mark Joseph Stern who explains the landmark ruling from a Trump-appointed judge in the southern district of Texas that declared the administration's use of the Alien Enemies Act is unlawful. Next, Amanda Frost, University of Virginia law professor and author of  You Are Not American: Citizenship Stripping from Dred Scott to the Dreamers, joins Dahlia to explain what Birthright Citizenship really means, and all the ways Trump is working to redefine what it means to be an American, including stripping citizenship from children and denaturalizing adults.  Want more Amicus? Join Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes with exclusive legal analysis. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the Amicus show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/amicusplus to get access wherever you listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 21m
  6. Bonus: Justice Alito Failed the Book Report(

    27 APR · BONUS • SLATE PLUS ONLY

    Bonus: Justice Alito Failed the Book Report(

    In this week’s Slate Plus members-only episode, Mark Joseph Stern joins Dahlia Lithwick to break down oral arguments in Mahmoud v. Taylor, a case that will have huge implications for how (and if!) public schools can talk about LGBTQ+ people. They also discuss Democratic lawmakers pushing back against the big law firms who have bent the knee to the Trump administration. Some now argue these firms may in fact be in violation of the law by agreeing to help Trump.

    21 min

  7. 26 APR

    The Anti-Trump Cases That Have Changed The Game

    As we approach President Trump’s 100th day in office (this time around) this Wednesday, Dahlia Lithwick checks in with one of the key architects of the litigation strategy that is successfully confounding the administration’s most exorbitant executive overreach. After almost 140 executive orders and scores of associated lawsuits, it’s hard to keep track of the state of play. But Skye Perryman of Democracy Forward is on hand to help us think through the main strands of anti-authoritarian litigation, and to explore how some recent wins in court against Trump 2.0 are upending the administration’s attempt to style itself as an all-powerful unitary authority. Next, Slate senior writer Mark Joseph Stern joins to discuss the Supreme Court's recent actions, including a significant order halting deportations to El Salvador, reflecting a growing judicial resistance to the administration's overreach and a confusing claim that Presidents work for . . . their lawyers? Want more Amicus? Join Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes with exclusive legal analysis. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the Amicus show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/amicusplus to get access wherever you listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 15m
  8. Bonus: SCOTUS Wants You To Stop Oppressing Conservatives with Your Big Gay Energy

    20 APR · BONUS • SLATE PLUS ONLY

    Bonus: SCOTUS Wants You To Stop Oppressing Conservatives with Your Big Gay Energy

    This week, Leah Litman joins Mark Joseph Stern in the Amicus Plus Smokeless Cigar Bar (™). They discuss upcoming key Supreme Court cases centered on religious freedom and LGBTQ+ rights. First, they tackle Mahmoud v. Taylor, where Muslim and Christian parents are challenging a public school’s inclusive reading lists, arguing it violates their religious rights. The case lacks concrete evidence on the policy's implementation, but the Supreme Court decided to take it up anyway, signaling some of the conservative justices may be in the mood for some good old speculation, or harm-guessing. Next, they discuss Oklahoma Statewide Charter School Board v. Drummond, which could compel the state to fund a religious charter school. All of this is very familiar to Litman, who explores SCOTUS’ solicitude for the tender emotions of conservative Christians who feel as though the existence of LGBTQ people is an act of oppression toward conservative Christians in her new book, Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes, This episode is member-exclusive. Listen to it now by subscribing to Slate Plus. By joining, not only will you unlock weekly bonus episodes of Amicus—you’ll also access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the Amicus show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/amicusplus to get access wherever you listen.

    16 min
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About

A show about the law and the nine Supreme Court justices who interpret it for the rest of America. Want more Amicus? Join Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes with exclusive legal analysis. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the Amicus show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/amicusplus to get access wherever you listen.

Information

  • Channel
    Slate Podcasts
  • Creator
    Slate Podcasts
  • Years Active
    2014 - 2025
  • Episodes
    467
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2018 The Slate Group
  • Show Website
    Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts
  • Provider

    The Slate Group LLC has identified itself as a trader for this podcast and confirmed that this product or service complies with European Union law. Address 15 Metrotech Ctr Fl 8 Brooklyn New York 11201-3826 United States Phone Number +1 4022502924 Email [email protected]

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