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Strict Scrutiny

Strict Scrutiny

By: Crooked Media
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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. Philosophy Political Science Politics & Government Social Sciences
Episodes
  • Can Trump Sue His Way Out of the Epstein Mess?
    Jul 28 2025

    Kate and Leah break down the week’s legal happenings, including Trump’s flailing efforts to manage the Epstein fallout, the latest abomination from the shadow docket, and the legal quagmire surrounding Trump lackey Alina Habba’s appointment as U.S. Attorney for New Jersey. Then, they speak with law professors—and former clerks for David Souter—Allison Orr Larsen and Erin Delaney about the late justice’s legacy.

    Hosts’ and guests’ favorite things:

    • Kate: The Power Broker, Robert Caro; Will to Resist: What Dartmouth Teaches Harvard About Protecting American Freedom, Bruce Swartz (Just Security)
    • Leah: The Palace of Rogues Series, Julie Anne Long
    • Allison: Tucci in Italy (National Geographic); Marjorie, Taylor Swift
    • Erin: How to Hide an Empire; A History of the Greater United States, Daniel Immerwahr

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

    • 10/4 – Chicago

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

    Order your copy of Leah's book, Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes

    Follow us on Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky

    Show more Show less
    1 hr and 32 mins
  • SCOTUS Enables Government Destruction
    Jul 21 2025

    Melissa and Kate run through the latest legal news, including the Court greenlighting the dismantling of the Department of Education. Then, they speak with NYU law professor Rachel Barkow about her book, Justice Abandoned: How the Supreme Court Ignored the Constitution and Enabled Mass Incarceration.

    Hosts’ favorite things:

    • Kate: Legalistic Noncompliance, Leah Litman and Dan Deacon (University of Michigan); Trump’s Plans to Put Emil Bove on the Supreme Court, Jeffrey Toobin (NYT); Bonus 167: The Case for Not Writing, Steve Vladeck (One First)
    • Melissa: Wedding People by Alison Espach; What Reading 5,000 Pages About a Single Family Taught Me About America, Carlos Lozada (NYT); The Kent Family Chronicles, John Jakes; Emily in Paris walking tour

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

    • 10/4 – Chicago

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

    Order your copy of Leah's book, Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes

    Get tickets to CROOKED CON November 6-7 in Washington, D.C at crookedcon.com

    Follow us on Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky

    Show more Show less
    1 hr and 30 mins
  • Hunger Games for Legal Hackery
    Jul 14 2025

    Katie Phang, independent journalist and trial lawyer, joins Leah to run through the week’s legal news–and there’s a lot of it! They unpack, as KBJ puts it, “this Court’s demonstrated enthusiasm for greenlighting this President’s legally dubious actions in an emergency posture” and break down the latest thirstiness from the judges angling to be Trump’s next SCOTUS pick. Then, all three hosts are joined by Strict Scrutiny’s official roadie, Chris Hayes, to talk about his book, The Sirens' Call: How Attention Became the World's Most Endangered Resource.

    Hosts’ and Guests’ Favorite Things:

    • Chris: What we won on Election Day, Zohran Mamdani
    • Kate: Mamdani, Trump and the End of the Old Politics, Ezra Klein & Chris Hayes (NYT); Moral Ambition: Stop Wasting Your Talent and Start Making a Difference, Rutger Bregman
    • Melissa: Dirty Dancing; Ruin Their Crops on the Ground: The Politics of Food in the United States, from the Trail of Tears to School Lunch & Skimmed: Breastfeeding, Race, and Injustice, Andrea Freeman
    • Leah: Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil, V.E. Schwab; Bone Valley: A True Story of Injustice and Redemption in the Heart of Florida, Gilbert King; Beyonce’s Cowboy Carter tour
    • Katie: A Lawsuit against Alligator Alcatraz! (Katie’s Substack)

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

    • 10/4 – Chicago

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

    Order your copy of Leah's book, Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes

    Get tickets to CROOKED CON November 6-7 in Washington, D.C at crookedcon.com

    Follow us on Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky

    Show more Show less
    1 hr and 39 mins
All stars
Most relevant  
Wonderfully detailed and appropriately frustrated. Extremely informative and cathartic listen, I highly recommend this podcast

excellent!!!

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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

The legal eagles to listen go

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

Sublime Ladies

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

Waaaay too many commercials!

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

Excellant podcast.

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

Humor and learning

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

such a good episode

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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.

Love these brainy badass ladies

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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!

Super Accessible for Non-Lawyers

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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 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Strict Scrutiny kicks major retrumplcan ass 👑🙏

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