Between President Donald Trump’s executive order targeting Perkins Coie and interim D.C. U.S. Attorney Ed Martin sending letters to Georgetown Law, it has been quite the week for weaponized government. Sarah Isgur and David French dive into these two headliners, as well as a First Amendment debate involving green card holders. The Agenda: —More Sarah lore: Combative hula-hooping —Perkins Coie and President Trump's executive orders —FIRE's response to the Trump administration's threat to deport a...
Mar 11, 2025•1 hr 19 min•Transcript available on Metacast David Stras, appeals judge for the 8th Circuit, joins Sarah Isgur and David French at the University of Chicago Law School to discuss complexities of case selection in the Supreme Court, the quality and clarity of judicial opinions, and disagreements with Justice Clarence Thomas. The Agenda: —Recent SCOTUS cases —Supreme Court denies Trump request —SCOTUS kicks bias response teams —Judge Stras' background from Holocaust survivor grandparents —Decline in Supreme Court cases —Cert pool theory —Pro...
Mar 06, 2025•1 hr 10 min•Transcript available on Metacast Sarah Isgur invites former Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and special counsel Robert Hur to discuss the significance of special counsels, including the appointment process involved and the public’s perception of their independence and accountability. The Agenda: —Historical context of special counsels —Evolution of special counsel regulations —The personal impact —Role of predication —Public confidence —Q&A! Advisory Opinions is a production of The Dispatch, a digital media company cover...
Mar 04, 2025•1 hr 10 min•Transcript available on Metacast David French is off doing David French things, so Sarah Isgur takes over the podcast and invites Judge Charles Eskridge of the Southern District of Texas and Judge Brantley Starr of the Northern District of Texas to discuss all things Texas—and the powers of the executive branch. The Agenda: —What’s exciting about Locke? —Here comes the Old Whig —King of England vs. the American president —Appeal to heaven —Second terms are bad news —The shallow state —Departmentalism and lawsuits Show Notes: —O...
Feb 27, 2025•1 hr 16 min•Transcript available on Metacast Sarah Isgur and David French chased down a handful of authors over the weekend at the National Constitution Center for hallway interviews about life, liberty, and ... witches. The Agenda: —Jeff Rosen teaches us about happiness —Virtue vs. pleasure —Salem witch trials! —Nobody burns, they hang —What does it mean to be a lawyer? —Living beyond the billable hour Advisory Opinions is a production of The Dispatch, a digital media company covering politics, policy, and culture from a non-partisan, con...
Feb 25, 2025•1 hr 23 min•Transcript available on Metacast David Lat joins Sarah Isgur and David French to analyze what’s behind the Department of Justice’s motion to dismiss the case agains New York City Mayor Eric Adams. The Agenda: —Friends get benefits in the Trump admin —Attorneys operating under a dual sovereignty —How good of a narc can you be? —Listener questions! —How Rome falls —Retribution —Grading the judiciary Show Notes: —Will Chamberlain's tweet —Denise Cheung resigns —AO's emergency-ish episode on Sassoon Advisory Opinions is a productio...
Feb 20, 2025•1 hr 11 min•Transcript available on Metacast In an emergency-ish episode, Sarah Isgur and David French go over the timeline of the Thursday Afternoon Massacre and its immediate fallout. What does the past week portend for President Donald Trump’s Department of Justice? The Agenda: —Danielle Sassoon’s letter and future —Worst possible way to do a not-insane thing —The state of the DOJ —Trump’s Napoleon tweet —How much power does Elon Musk actually have? Show Notes: -Nick Catoggio on Danielle Sassoon Advisory Opinions is a production of The ...
Feb 17, 2025•1 hr 5 min•Transcript available on Metacast Is President Donald Trump breaking the Justice Department or simply reshaping its priorities? As federal prosecutors resign, Sarah Isgur and David French debate whether we’re looking at another Saturday Night Massacre—and whether that’s how the justice system should work. The Agenda: —What is (and isn’t) lawless? —More on the independence on federal agencies —One magnificent speech away —Justice Brett Kavanaugh on fiduciary discretion —“F— cheerleading” Advisory Opinions is a production of The D...
Feb 14, 2025•59 min•Transcript available on Metacast Sarah Isgur and David French steal away to sunny Stanford University to talk shop with law students and bask in a friendlier climate. The Agenda: —Casual antisemitism at Cooper Union? —How to handle disagreement at elite schools —Gender identifiers for government employees —Bad injunction takes —Rejecting the president’s understanding of the Constitution —Q&A Advisory Opinions is a production of The Dispatch, a digital media company covering politics, policy, and culture from a non-partisan, con...
Feb 11, 2025•1 hr 11 min•Transcript available on Metacast Sarah Isgur and David French discuss our two favorite topics: God and guns. Can you sue your church, and do young adults have the right to bear arms? ’Merica! The Agenda: —Corrections! On USAID comments. —It is still illegal to murder FBI agents —SCOTUS chooses to stay out of religious cases —You can't sue for your tithes —Young adults have a right to guns —Bruhimi —Civic vs. individual rights Show Notes: —Tess Bridgeman's article on firings —Hosanna-Tabor case —Jack Goldsmith and Bob Bauer's ar...
Feb 06, 2025•1 hr 2 min•Transcript available on Metacast Sarah Isgur and David French are joined by Erin Hawley, senior counsel to the appellate team at the Alliance Defending Freedom, to discuss the latest, er, kerfuffle that sent federal employees scrambling. Who is in control of executive agencies? The Agenda: —Tariffs, funding freeze, and firings —Congress has the power to collect —Trump’s workaround —Barrett vs. Gorsuchian doctrines —Elon Musk’s power grab —Where does the fire-at-will power end for the president? —The Founders say we’re all untru...
Feb 04, 2025•1 hr 21 min•Transcript available on Metacast With Donald Trump’s second term in full swing, Harvard Law Professor Jack Goldsmith joins Sarah Isgur and David French to discuss the unitary executive theory. Also: We need to discuss law reviews. The Agenda: —Unitary executive theory —President Trump’s sledgehammer —Congressional oversight no more? —The Take Care clause —Interstate tariff prohibitions —Student-led law reviews: good or bad? —Expert explains cowrie shells Show Notes: —Trump v. United States —South Dakota v. Wayfair —Professor Er...
Jan 30, 2025•1 hr 1 min•Transcript available on Metacast Sarah Isgur and David French discuss a case before the Supreme Court that challenges the Moment of Threat Doctrine. They predict concurrences all the way down. The Agenda: —Are police reasonable in high-stress situations? —The youngins’ are advocating —Dicta and slut puppies —OPM, Oh No —Justice Jackson’s fashion choices Advisory Opinions is a production of The Dispatch, a digital media company covering politics, policy, and culture from a non-partisan, conservative perspective. To access all of...
Jan 28, 2025•1 hr 1 min•Transcript available on Metacast Sarah Isgur and David French discuss the encroaching powers of the executive branch and what it means for the balance of government. The Agenda: —Teaching sex in elementary school —It really is those darn phones! —WTF David —Trump takes office —DOGE violating FACA —Trump's executive orders —Vivek’s out of DOGE —Biden pardons criminals, some really not good ones —What is the American dream? Show Notes: —United States v. Wong Kim Ark Advisory Opinions is a production of The Dispatch, a digital med...
Jan 23, 2025•2 hr 32 min•Transcript available on Metacast David French makes his long-awaited return to Catholic University of America after thatincident for a live Advisory Opinions taping with Sarah Isgur and two special guests: Joel Alicea, director of the Center for the Constitution and the Catholic Intellectual Tradition, and Trevor McFadden, a district court judge for the U.S. District Court for D.C. The Agenda: —A Jewish joke then a Catholic joke ... —Constitutional law is now mandatory? —Breaking down the originalist court —Learning corpus ling...
Jan 21, 2025•1 hr 3 min•Transcript available on Metacast David French and Sarah Isgur come at you on this Friday evening to enumerate the absurdities of the TikTok ban-or-sale discourse following the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the law, a plangent (and perhaps futile) homage to Congress actually doing its job. Plus: Biden “ratifies” the Equal Rights Amendment and Sarah loses it. Advisory Opinions is a production of The Dispatch, a digital media company covering politics, policy, and culture from a non-partisan, conservative perspective. To acce...
Jan 17, 2025•1 hr 2 min•Transcript available on Metacast Is limiting access to porn a free speech violation? Sarah Isgur and David French discuss that question following oral arguments in Free Speech Coalition, Inc. v. Paxton. The Agenda: —Best argument of the term —Does context protect a lie? —Burden of proof in age verification laws —Project Veritas and press freedom —Breaking down the Laken Riley Act Advisory Opinions is a production of The Dispatch, a digital media company covering politics, policy, and culture from a non-partisan, conservative pe...
Jan 16, 2025•58 min•Transcript available on Metacast Sarah Isgur and David French record live at George Washington University covering the Alito-Trump phone call and new challenges to explicit content age-verification laws. The Agenda: —Justice Alito's phone call with Trump —False statements case —Challenges to Texas' age-verification law —Constitutionality of ID laws —Title IX and Chevron —Questions from GWU students Advisory Opinions is a production of The Dispatch, a digital media company covering politics, policy, and culture from a non-partis...
Jan 14, 2025•1 hr 10 min•Transcript available on Metacast In a special emergency recording, Sarah Isgur and David French react to today’s oral argument in TikTok v. Garland. The Agenda: —Tiers of scrutiny —What is TikTok? —Content creators’ First Amendment rights —The data sharing argument —Can SCOTUS punt to Trump? —Cases of the new Cold War Show Notes: —How TikTok Reads Your Mind Advisory Opinions is a production of The Dispatch, a digital media company covering politics, policy, and culture from a non-partisan, conservative perspective. To access al...
Jan 10, 2025•53 min•Transcript available on Metacast Today’s podcast is all about the antis: anti-SLAPP, anti-masking, anti-indoctrination, anti-retaliation, and anti-corruption. But before all that, Sarah Isgur and David French kick things off with the latest news on President Donald Trump’s sentencing in his New York criminal trial. The Agenda: —Does Donald Trump have citizen-plus status? —David is somewhat of a SLAPP expert —Does Arkansas care for LEARNS? —Is face-masking protected? —Free Speech timeline —Campaign finance changes in Oxnard —Cyb...
Jan 09, 2025•58 min•Transcript available on Metacast Sarah Isgur and David French discuss the anticipated TikTok oral argument taking place this Friday. Are we in content-neutral law land or are we veering off into strict-scrutiny world? And yes, there will be an emergency episode following the argument. The Agenda: —TikTok's pro-China algorithm —Mitch says no to TikTok —Donald Trump, FARA, and the First Amendment —Justice Roberts' Year-End Report —Sixth Circuit strikes down net neutrality —Goodbye, Fani —It's impropriety —Morgan Wallen can keep h...
Jan 07, 2025•1 hr 13 min•Transcript available on Metacast Have you done your assigned reading? Because Sarah Isgur and David French are joined by Judges Charles Eskridge and Brantley Starr to take us to law school. Specifically, a class on the origins of the federal constitution. The Agenda: —Why it matters —The Founders’ Constitution —The Magna Carta and English Bill of Rights —The origins of “rights” —Positive vs. negative rights —The legacy of “witch hunts” —The anti-federalists —The argument against a Bill of Rights —Civic engagement Show Notes (as...
Dec 24, 2024•2 hr 33 min•Transcript available on Metacast The Agenda: —Christmas is canceled for the legal teams working on the TikTok case —Why in the world did Yashar Ali get the Federalist Society leak? —Justice Jackson and 'Juliet' drama —ERA DOA —It's an ethics violation to question the ethics of a Supreme Court Justice Show Notes (assigned reading for next episode): —Origins Part 1 —Origins Part 2 —Origins Part 7 Advisory Opinions is a production of The Dispatch, a digital media company covering politics, policy, and culture from a non-partisan, ...
Dec 19, 2024•1 hr 23 min•Transcript available on Metacast Everything’s bigger in Texas, including court disagreements. Sarah Isgur and David French discuss Fifth Circuit drama with an eye toward a Ken Paxton lawsuit. The Agenda: —Taxes, the First Amendment, and Catholics —SCOTUS takes a gamble with seating —Ken Paxton's abortion lawsuit —Diversity quotas and the SEC —En banc-ers —Donny gets $15 million —Senior status … sike! —Bring back booze anniversary Advisory Opinions is a production of The Dispatch, a digital media company covering politics, polic...
Dec 17, 2024•1 hr 20 min•Transcript available on Metacast This jam-packed episode features Sarah Isgur and David French dissecting the latest Supreme Court opinions, judicial retirement rumors, and the evolving era of marijuana banking. Plus: Did we push David to his limits? The Agenda: —Retirement rumors —Revoking visas and sham marriages —Parental rights in schools —The spirit of Aloha stands —Dismissing Nvidia —Marijuana banking —Corrections! Two of them! —U.S. v. Approximately Two Dogs —Motion to determine lunch spot Advisory Opinions is a producti...
Dec 12, 2024•1 hr 20 min•Transcript available on Metacast Sarah and David are joined by Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti to break down United States v. Skrmetti and what it might mean for the future of gender-transition treatment for minors. The Agenda: —How Skrmetti became an AG —United States v. Skrmetti —The Cass Review —The Gorsuch silence —The Equal Protection Clause’s scope —TikTok ban —The flagship debate Show Notes: —Vanderbilt professor’s amicus brief Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Dec 10, 2024•1 hr 21 min•Transcript available on Metacast Sarah and David break down the recent case before the Supreme Court regarding flavored vapes before finally getting to that “invasion”question and what it means for birthright citizenship. The Agenda: —“Government gangsters” —Pardon of Hunter Biden —Hunter is “rewriting history” —Narcing on your youth pastor —FDA vs. flavored vapes —Invasion at the southern border? —Birthright citizenship Show Notes: —Fifth Circuit on the FCC Advisory Opinions is a production of The Dispatch, a digital media com...
Dec 05, 2024•1 hr 13 min•Transcript available on Metacast Sarah Isgur and David French discuss President Joe Biden’s decision to pardon his son Hunter, dive into President-elect Donald Trump’s plan to appoint Kash Patel to lead the FBI, and explore whether there’s a meaningful difference between anti-Zionism and antisemitism. The Agenda: —Friend of the ’cast —Biden pardons Hunter —Amend the Constitution! —Joe Biden ain’t nice —What to do about Chris Wray —Sarah is George Will —Is Kash Patel insignificant? —Next topic, Jews! —SCOTUS in favor of vaping —...
Dec 03, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Transcript available on Metacast Can Elon Musk colonize Mars? Or, even more challenging, can he take down the administrative state? Sarah and David take a look at his roadmap for the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and debate the likelihood of regulatory reform. The Agenda: —Legal questions for the Trump 2.0 administration —Will DOGE work? —Unitary executive magic wands —Honoring James Garfield’s memory —Challenging birthright citizenship —Stepchild of the First Amendment: Commercial speech —Marihuana case —Gravity i...
Nov 26, 2024•1 hr 15 min•Transcript available on Metacast Sarah and David respond to off-the-wall comments and the controversy surrounding Matt Gaetz’s appointment, insights from the Federalist Society convention, and the dynamics of Supreme Court nominations. The Agenda: —Can we all chill? —Likely Trump picks for SCOTUS vacancies —Reverse engineering use of force —There are only two genders? —Sorry, no 10 Commandments in schools —CEQ lacks statutory authority (this is a big deal) —Austin school district gets sued Learn more about Burford Capital here:...
Nov 19, 2024•1 hr 14 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
