The Counsel - podcast cover

The Counsel

CAFE
Join a team of experts — from former prosecutors to legal scholars — as they break down the complex legal issues shaping our country today. Twice a week, Elie Honig and other CAFE Contributors examine the intersecting worlds of law, politics, and current events. Twice a week, a CAFE contributor – Joyce Vance, Barbara McQuade, Asha Rangappa, Rachel Barkow, and Elie Honig – will examine the intersecting worlds of law, politics, and current events. New episodes out Wednesdays and Fridays. From CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network.

Episodes

Trump’s Puzzling Free Speech Proposals (with Lee Bollinger)

Two years ago, Donald Trump unveiled five free speech initiatives he aims to implement in his next presidency. Are they a bold defense of the First Amendment, or do they pose risks to the very freedoms they aim to protect? In the full episode, First Amendment lawyer and former president of Columbia University, Lee Bollinger, joins Elie Honig to examine the legal and constitutional implications of these proposals and what they mean for the future of free expression in America. In a free excerpt f...

Nov 22, 20246 minTranscript available on Metacast

Note from Elie 11/22: The Trump Hush Money Case Nears its Sorry End

Elie Honig is a former Assistant U.S. Attorney and co-chief of the organized crime unit at the Southern District of New York, where he prosecuted more than 100 mobsters, including members of La Cosa Nostra, and the Gambino and Genovese crime families. He went on to serve as Director of the Department of Law and Public Safety at New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice. He is currently Special Counsel at Lowenstein Sandler and a CNN legal analyst. For a transcript of Elie’s note and the full archi...

Nov 22, 202410 minTranscript available on Metacast

Note From Joyce 11/20: The Harsh Reality of Trump on Immigration

Joyce Vance, co-host of the CAFE Insider podcast, is a former U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama, a University of Alabama Law School professor, and an MSNBC legal analyst. For a transcript of Joyce’s note head to CAFE.com. To access the full archive of Contributor Notes and other exclusive content, become a CAFE Insider today at CAFE.com/insider. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nov 20, 20248 minTranscript available on Metacast

The OLC Memos & Presidential Immunity (with Trevor Morrison)

What’s going to happen to Jack Smith’s criminal cases against president-elect Donald Trump? In this excerpt of CAFE Insider, Elie Honig and Trevor Morrison explain why they agree with the Office of Legal Counsel’s 1973 and 2000 memos on presidential immunity. Trevor Morrison is a law professor and Dean Emeritus at New York University School of Law. In the full episode, Elie and Trevor look at the political context behind the policy and how it will affect Trump’s pending federal, state-level, and...

Nov 15, 20248 minTranscript available on Metacast

Note from Elie 11/15: Trump’s Nomination of Matt Gaetz Is a Sign of Dark Intentions

Elie Honig is a former Assistant U.S. Attorney and co-chief of the organized crime unit at the Southern District of New York, where he prosecuted more than 100 mobsters, including members of La Cosa Nostra, and the Gambino and Genovese crime families. He went on to serve as Director of the Department of Law and Public Safety at New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice. He is currently Special Counsel at Lowenstein Sandler and a CNN legal analyst. For a transcript of Elie’s note and the full archi...

Nov 14, 20247 minTranscript available on Metacast

Note From Barb 11/13: Unpardonable

Barb McQuade is the former U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan, a law professor at the University of Michigan, and a legal analyst for NBC News and MSNBC. For a transcript of Barb’s note and the full archive of contributor notes, head to CAFE.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nov 13, 20247 minTranscript available on Metacast

Note from Elie 11/08: Trump's Gamble Pays Off As Cases Fade Away

Elie Honig is a former Assistant U.S. Attorney and co-chief of the organized crime unit at the Southern District of New York, where he prosecuted more than 100 mobsters, including members of La Cosa Nostra, and the Gambino and Genovese crime families. He went on to serve as Director of the Department of Law and Public Safety at New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice. He is currently Special Counsel at Lowenstein Sandler and a CNN legal analyst. For a transcript of Elie’s note and the full archi...

Nov 08, 202410 minTranscript available on Metacast

Note from Rachel 11/5: Tough on Crime Politics is Alive and Well

Rachel Barkow is the Charles Seligson Professor of Law at NYU School of Law and the Faculty Director of the Zimroth Center on the Administration of Criminal Law at NYU. From 2013 to 2019, she served as a Member of the United States Sentencing Commission. From 2010 to 2020, she was a member of the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office Conviction Integrity Policy Advisory Panel and co-chaired Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s transition committee on police accountability in 2021. She is als...

Nov 05, 20249 minTranscript available on Metacast

Note from Elie 11/01: How Not to Contest the 2024 Election

Elie Honig is a former Assistant U.S. Attorney and co-chief of the organized crime unit at the Southern District of New York, where he prosecuted more than 100 mobsters, including members of La Cosa Nostra, and the Gambino and Genovese crime families. He went on to serve as Director of the Department of Law and Public Safety at New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice. He is currently Special Counsel at Lowenstein Sandler and a CNN legal analyst. For a transcript of Elie’s note and the full archi...

Nov 01, 20248 minTranscript available on Metacast

Note from Asha 10/30: When Murder Becomes a Foreign Policy Tool

Asha Rangappa is a Senior Lecturer at Yale University's Jackson Institute for Global Affairs. Before that, she served as a Special Agent in the New York Division of the FBI, specializing in counterintelligence investigations. She is also a legal and national security analyst at CNN and an editor of Just Security. For a transcript of Asha’s note and the full archive of contributor notes, head to CAFE.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Oct 30, 20249 minTranscript available on Metacast

Note from Elie 10/25: How the 2024 Election Will Reshape the Supreme Court

Elie Honig is a former Assistant U.S. Attorney and co-chief of the organized crime unit at the Southern District of New York, where he prosecuted more than 100 mobsters, including members of La Cosa Nostra, and the Gambino and Genovese crime families. He went on to serve as Director of the Department of Law and Public Safety at New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice. He is currently Special Counsel at Lowenstein Sandler and a CNN legal analyst. For a transcript of Elie’s note and the full archi...

Oct 25, 20249 minTranscript available on Metacast

Note From Joyce 10/23: Will My Vote Still Count?

Joyce Vance, co-host of the CAFE Insider podcast, is a former U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama, a University of Alabama Law School professor, and an MSNBC legal analyst. For a transcript of Joyce’s note head to CAFE.com. To access the full archive of Contributor Notes and other exclusive content, become a CAFE Insider today at CAFE.com/insider. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Oct 23, 20248 minTranscript available on Metacast

Note from Elie 10/18: Kamala Harris is, Indeed, a Cop

Elie Honig is a former Assistant U.S. Attorney and co-chief of the organized crime unit at the Southern District of New York, where he prosecuted more than 100 mobsters, including members of La Cosa Nostra, and the Gambino and Genovese crime families. He went on to serve as Director of the Department of Law and Public Safety at New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice. He is currently Special Counsel at Lowenstein Sandler and a CNN legal analyst. For a transcript of Elie’s note and the full archi...

Oct 18, 20248 minTranscript available on Metacast

Note From Barb 10/16: Disinformation at the Eye of the Storm

Barb McQuade is the former U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan, a law professor at the University of Michigan, and a legal analyst for NBC News and MSNBC. For a transcript of Barb’s note and the full archive of contributor notes, head to CAFE.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Oct 16, 20248 minTranscript available on Metacast

Note from Elie 10/11: Kathy Hochul’s Dilemma

Elie Honig is a former Assistant U.S. Attorney and co-chief of the organized crime unit at the Southern District of New York, where he prosecuted more than 100 mobsters, including members of La Cosa Nostra, and the Gambino and Genovese crime families. He went on to serve as Director of the Department of Law and Public Safety at New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice. He is currently Special Counsel at Lowenstein Sandler and a CNN legal analyst. For a transcript of Elie’s note and the full archi...

Oct 11, 20248 minTranscript available on Metacast

Note from Rachel 10/9: Wrongful Convictions and Capital Punishment

Rachel Barkow is the Charles Seligson Professor of Law at NYU School of Law and the Faculty Director of the Zimroth Center on the Administration of Criminal Law at NYU. From 2013 to 2019, she served as a Member of the United States Sentencing Commission. From 2010 to 2020, she was a member of the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office Conviction Integrity Policy Advisory Panel and co-chaired Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s transition committee on police accountability in 2021. She is als...

Oct 09, 202413 minTranscript available on Metacast

Note From Elie 10/03: Jack Smith’s October Cheap Shot

Elie Honig is a former Assistant U.S. Attorney and co-chief of the organized crime unit at the Southern District of New York, where he prosecuted more than 100 mobsters, including members of La Cosa Nostra, and the Gambino and Genovese crime families. He went on to serve as Director of the Department of Law and Public Safety at New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice. He is currently Special Counsel at Lowenstein Sandler and a CNN legal analyst. For a transcript of Elie’s note and the full archi...

Oct 03, 20248 minTranscript available on Metacast

Note from Asha 10/2: The Long Arc of Racial Violence

Asha Rangappa is a Senior Lecturer at Yale University's Jackson Institute for Global Affairs. Before that, she served as a Special Agent in the New York Division of the FBI, specializing in counterintelligence investigations. She is also a legal and national security analyst at CNN and an editor of Just Security. For a transcript of Asha’s note and the full archive of contributor notes, head to CAFE.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Oct 02, 20249 minTranscript available on Metacast

NYC Mayor Eric Adams Indicted (with Barb McQuade)

New York City Mayor Eric Adams was indicted Wednesday night by federal prosecutors. The bombshell charges include bribery, conspiracy, wire fraud, and soliciting illegal foreign campaign contributions. Elie Honig is joined by former U.S. Attorney Barb McQuade to break down the news. In this excerpt, they break down the strengths and weaknesses of the charges and Adams’s potential defenses. In the full episode, Elie and Barb discuss Barb’s experience prosecuting a corruption case against the form...

Sep 27, 202410 minTranscript available on Metacast

Note From Joyce 9/25: Donald Trump's Blame Game

Joyce Vance, co-host of the CAFE Insider podcast, is a former U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama, a University of Alabama Law School professor, and an MSNBC legal analyst. For a transcript of Joyce’s note head to CAFE.com. To access the full archive of Contributor Notes and other exclusive content, become a CAFE Insider today at CAFE.com/insider. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sep 25, 20246 minTranscript available on Metacast

Note from Elie 9/18: An SDNY Prosecutor’s Read on the Diddy Indictment

Elie Honig is a former Assistant U.S. Attorney and co-chief of the organized crime unit at the Southern District of New York, where he prosecuted more than 100 mobsters, including members of La Cosa Nostra, and the Gambino and Genovese crime families. He went on to serve as Director of the Department of Law and Public Safety at New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice. He is currently Special Counsel at Lowenstein Sandler and a CNN legal analyst. For a transcript of Elie’s note and the full archi...

Sep 18, 20249 minTranscript available on Metacast

Note from Barb 9/18: A Swift Way to Change the Conversation

Barb McQuade is the former U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan, a law professor at the University of Michigan, and a legal analyst for NBC News and MSNBC. For a transcript of Barb’s note and the full archive of contributor notes, head to CAFE.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sep 18, 20247 minTranscript available on Metacast

Note from Elie 9/13: Jack Smith’s Poison Pill

Elie Honig is a former Assistant U.S. Attorney and co-chief of the organized crime unit at the Southern District of New York, where he prosecuted more than 100 mobsters, including members of La Cosa Nostra, and the Gambino and Genovese crime families. He went on to serve as Director of the Department of Law and Public Safety at New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice. He is currently Special Counsel at Lowenstein Sandler and a CNN legal analyst. For a transcript of Elie’s note and the full archi...

Sep 13, 202411 minTranscript available on Metacast

Note from Rachel 9/11: Prudence over Politics

Rachel Barkow is the Charles Seligson Professor of Law at NYU School of Law and the Faculty Director of the Zimroth Center on the Administration of Criminal Law at NYU. From 2013 to 2019, she served as a Member of the United States Sentencing Commission. From 2010 to 2020, she was a member of the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office Conviction Integrity Policy Advisory Panel and co-chaired Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s transition committee on police accountability in 2021. She is als...

Sep 11, 20248 minTranscript available on Metacast

Note from Elie 9/6: Kamala Harris’s Secret Weapon

Elie Honig is a former Assistant U.S. Attorney and co-chief of the organized crime unit at the Southern District of New York, where he prosecuted more than 100 mobsters, including members of La Cosa Nostra, and the Gambino and Genovese crime families. He went on to serve as Director of the Department of Law and Public Safety at New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice. He is currently Special Counsel at Lowenstein Sandler and a CNN legal analyst. For a transcript of Elie’s note and the full archi...

Sep 06, 20248 minTranscript available on Metacast

Note from Asha 9/04: Not Everything is About Free Speech

Asha Rangappa is a Senior Lecturer at Yale University's Jackson Institute for Global Affairs. Before that, she served as a Special Agent in the New York Division of the FBI, specializing in counterintelligence investigations. She is also a legal and national security analyst at CNN and an editor of Just Security. For a transcript of Asha’s note and the full archive of contributor notes, head to CAFE.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sep 04, 20248 minTranscript available on Metacast

Note from Elie 8/30: The Final Days of Merrick Garland

Elie Honig is a former Assistant U.S. Attorney and co-chief of the organized crime unit at the Southern District of New York, where he prosecuted more than 100 mobsters, including members of La Cosa Nostra, and the Gambino and Genovese crime families. He went on to serve as Director of the Department of Law and Public Safety at New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice. He is currently Special Counsel at Lowenstein Sandler and a CNN legal analyst. For a transcript of Elie’s note and the full archi...

Aug 30, 202411 minTranscript available on Metacast

Note from Elie 8/23: How Donald Trump May Dodge Sentencing Before the Election, or Ever

Elie Honig is a former Assistant U.S. Attorney and co-chief of the organized crime unit at the Southern District of New York, where he prosecuted more than 100 mobsters, including members of La Cosa Nostra, and the Gambino and Genovese crime families. He went on to serve as Director of the Department of Law and Public Safety at New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice. He is currently Special Counsel at Lowenstein Sandler and a CNN legal analyst. For a transcript of Elie’s note and the full archi...

Aug 23, 202411 minTranscript available on Metacast

Note From Barb 8/21: The Couch Gag

Barb McQuade is the former U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan, a law professor at the University of Michigan, and a legal analyst for NBC News and MSNBC. For a transcript of Barb’s note and the full archive of contributor notes, head to CAFE.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Aug 21, 20247 minTranscript available on Metacast
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