Broken Law

On the last day of Pride Month, the U.S. Supreme Court opened the door for businesses to discriminate against LGBTQ+ folks. Christopher Wright Durocher speaks with Professor  Elizabeth Sepper about  303 Creative v. Elenis , the impact of the decision for LGBTQ+ rights, and what it could mean for non-discrimination protections more broadly.  Join the Progressive Legal Movement Today:   ACSLaw.org T...

The U.S. Supreme Court's conservative supermajority has banned affirmative action in higher education. On this BONUS episode, Taonga Leslie speaks with Bethany Li, Brianna McBride, and David Lewis, leaders in the battle to expand access to opportunity in higher education. They discuss the recent SCOTUS decisions and delve into what comes next and how we maintain hope in the fight for a more e...

We cover a buffet of Supreme Court cases on this episode. Christopher Wright Durocher speaks with Professor  Alexis J. Hoag-Fordjour about an array of criminal  legal cases decided this term and the Court's persistent indifference to potential innocence. He later speaks with Lindsay Langholz about the Court's decision in Moore v. Harper, regarding the so-called independent state legislat...

This week, Lindsay Langholz speaks with Professor Wenona T. Singel to debrief the Supreme Court's decision in Haaland v. Brackeen about the constitutionality of the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA), long considered the "gold standard" of child welfare policies. The episode delves into the statute's history, the details of the case, and the sweeping impact of the Supreme Court up...

Two episodes in one! This week, Jeanne Hruska speaks with Barbara McQuade about the federal indictment and arraignment of former President Trump. Additionally, Lindsay Langholz speaks with Jonathan Diaz to debrief the Supreme Court's decision in  Allen v. Milligan  and how it relates to  Shelby County v. Holder  and the status of the Voting Rights Act.  Join the Progressive Legal Movement Tod...

In its recent decision in  Glacier Northwest, Inc v. Teamsters , the U.S. Supreme Court favored employers over workers. Elizabeth Binczik speaks with Professor Charlotte Garden about the resulting impact on labor law and whether the decision will deter some unions from exercising the right to strike.   Join the Progressive Legal Movement Today:   ACSLaw.org Today's   Host: Elizabeth Binczik,...

The U.S. Supreme Court struck a devastating blow to the Clean Water Act in its recent decision in  Sackett v. EPA .  Elizabeth  Binczik  speaks with  Patrice Simms and Sam Sankar from EarthJustice about the  nonsensical  decision and its potentially catastrophic impact on environmental protection going forward. Join the Progressive Legal Movement Today:   ACSLaw.org Today's   Host: Elizabeth...

Recorded live at our 2023 ACS National Convention, Jeanne Hruska speaks first with TN State Rep. Justin J. Pearson about his and Rep. Justin Jones' expulsion from the TN state legislature and how we mobilize to advance the promise of democracy. She then speaks with Donald Sherman (CREW) and Mark Joseph Stern (Slate) about the biggest legal developments thus far in 2023 and what to expect in t...

As our country races towards a financial cliff known as the debt limit, there is growing talk of President Biden invoking the 14th Amendment to defy the debt limit statute and continue to pay our nation's bills. Garrett Epps and Peter Shane join Jeanne Hruska to discuss the 14th Amendment and what could be the least worst option for the country.  Join the Progressive Legal Movement Today:   A...

Bradley Whitford (West Wing, The Handmaid's Tale, Get Out) stops by Broken Law to discuss his political activism, the state of our democracy, and why courts matter.  Join the Progressive Legal Movement Today:   ACSLaw.org Today's   Host: Jeanne Hruska, ACS Sr. Advisor for Communications and Strategy Guest:  Bradley Whitford, Actor and Political Activist Visit the Podcast Website:   Broke...

“Any story of the Supreme Court that doesn’t include the shadow docket is a story that’s looking at an increasingly skewed and incomplete portion of the Court’s work," writes Professor Stephen Vladeck in his new book, "The Shadow Docket." Jeanne Hruska speaks with Professor Vladeck about his book, the Supreme Court's increasing use of the shadow docket, and what it means for th...

In less than two months, ChatGPT, an AI chatbot, has gained over 100 million users – outpacing TikTok in its rate of growth. In addition to their novelty, ChatGPT and AI tools like it raise numerous concerns about data privacy, intellectual property, ethics, and more. Jeanne Hruska speaks with Professor James Grimmelmann about these challenges and whether lawmakers are prepared to address them. Jo...

On our 100th episode, Russ Feingold speaks with Joan Biskupic, CNN Senior Supreme Court Analyst, about her new book, “Nine Black Robes,” which details how the Supreme Court came to be dominated by the conservative supermajority that it is today, with a close examination of the Trump administration’s handling of judicial vacancies. Join the Progressive Legal Movement Today:   ACSLaw.org Today'...

In the past couple of weeks, there has been a flurry of judicial activity over Mifepristone, one of the two drugs most often used in medication abortion and that was approved by the FDA over 20 years ago. On this episode, Jenny Ma returns to Broken Law to speak with Lindsay Langholz about the absurdity of the argument being made against Mifepristone, how it has played out in the courts thus far, a...

Recent media reporting has uncovered just how widespread the use of child labor is in the United States. Rather than rush in to strengthen child labor laws and enforcement, some states are actually moving to make it easier for employers to hire children. Beth Binczik speaks with Terri Gerstein about why child labor is on the rise and what needs to happen to protect minors and workers' rights....

The Florida state government has enacted multiple laws in recent years that censor what can and cannot be taught and discussed in the classroom. Taonga Leslie speaks with Kenneth Nunn about the experience of teaching about race in Florida. They discuss the consequences for teachers, students, and society when critical discussions of race are censored, strategies for countering such censorship, and...

This year alone, hundreds of bills have been introduced in state legislatures aimed at erasing trans people from public life. Christopher Wright Durocher speaks with  Alejandra Caraballo and Mary Kelly Persyn about this "legislative  terror campaign," the devastating consequences of it, and how the legal community can fight in solidarity with the trans community in support of trans right...

The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) was first introduced in 1923. 100 years later, with 38 states having ratified it, should it be considered the 28th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution? Lindsay Langholz speaks with Kathleen Sullivan about the status of the ERA and why the ERA is more important than ever.  Join the Progressive Legal Movement Today: ACSLaw.org Today's Host: Lindsay Langholz, Sr D...

We've hosted several episodes about Dobbs and its aftermath. On this episode, Lindsay Langholz is joined by Khiara M. Bridges for a broader conversation about forced birth in America and what it means for pregnant people, families, and the law when forced birth becomes a banality. Join the Progressive Legal Movement Today: ACSLaw.org Today's Host: Lindsay Langholz, Sr Director of Policy...

As we await the fate of the Biden administration's student loan forgiveness program before the Supreme Court, we take a look at the evolving use and existence of executive power. How powerful should the executive branch be? How would we go about reducing executive power? Jeanne Hruska speaks with Peter M. Shane about the evolution of executive power, with a close look at the last 40 years.  J...

The U.S. Supreme Court recently heard oral arguments in two lawsuits related to the Biden administration's student loan forgiveness program. Beth  Binczik  and Luke  Herrine (Alabama Law)  dissect all the talk about whether any of the plaintiffs had standing, the merits of the cases, and what the Biden administration could do if the Court thwarts the program.  Join the Progressive Legal Movem...

There are nine judges in our federal judiciary who are not bound by a code of ethics, and they just so happen to be the nine most powerful judges in the country.  Jeanne Hruska speaks with Mark Joseph Stern (Slate) and Chris Kang (Demand Justice) about the U.S. Supreme Court's "just trust us" approach to ethics, the problems this continues to create, and what a code of ethics for ou...

This week, Lindsay Langholz speaks with Jessica  Mason Pieklo  from Rewire News Group to pull the curtain back on the anti-abortion movement. They discuss the  pending lawsuit  in  federal district court that could  result in abortion pills being banned, the concerted effort to target hormonal birth control, and much more . Join the Progressive Legal Movement Today: ACSLaw.org Today's Host: L...

Passed in the infancy of the world wide web,  Section 230 of the 1996 Communications Decency Act has  been called the “26 words that created the internet.” On February 21, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in  Gonzalez v. Google,  t he Court's first case about Section 230 and the immunity it confers on providers of interactive computer services. Christopher Wright Durocher speak...

If you are charged with a crime, you have a right to counsel. But what about a right to counsel if you are at risk of being evicted or losing custody of your children? How might a right to counsel in those situations close what is known as the “justice gap”? Jeanne Hruska speaks with Yael Cannon (Georgetown Law School) and John Pollock (Public Justice Center) to answer these questions and to explo...