Advisory Opinions

David French interviews “Grifter Sarah” Isgur as the midterm elections conclude, before they dive into new revelations in the Alaska Senate race and discuss an update in the California noncitizen voters lawsuit.

The Agenda:

–It’s not a wave, it’s a tide

–Does Haley Stevens’ endorsement matter?

–St. Mary Catholic Parish v. Roy

–The Dan Sullivans of Alaska

–California noncitizen voting lawsuit

–Trump’s golf course update

Show Notes:

–We’re hiring! Apply here.

–Come see us in Austin! Or come see us in Houston!

–Student sponsorship sign-ups

–New York Times/Siena poll

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 The Dispatch’s offerings—including access to all of our articles, members-only newsletters, and bonus podcast episodes—click here. If you’d like to remove all ads from your podcast experience, consider becoming a premium Dispatch member by clicking here.

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Sarah Isgur and David French zoom in on the cases prosecutors have brought against political enemies of the Trump administration. Then, they review the latest news from Judge Ana Reyes’ court in the battle over a Washington, D.C., golf course before tackling the administration’s sue-and-settle case in Texas.

–We’re hiring! Apply here.

–Come see us in Austin! Or come see us in Houston!

–The retribution bucket

–Another criminal case against Comey

–Indicting Cassidy Hutchinson

– The you-should-be-worried-about-your-credibility-in-front-of-the-court bucket

–Trump’s sue-and-settle playbook steals from the Obama administration

–Drama at Weil Gotshal

–Listener questions

Show Notes:

–The Trump DOJ’s Latest Absurd Charge Against Comey

–DOJ’s Third Effort to Get Comey Is Another Loser

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 The Dispatch’s offerings—including access to all of our articles, members-only newsletters, and bonus podcast episodes—click here. If you’d like to remove all ads from your podcast experience, consider becoming a premium Dispatch member by clicking here.

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Sarah Isgur and David French discuss election-related legal woes from New Hampshire to Alaska, election lawsuits and where they’re headed, plus a little takedown of forum shopping.

The Agenda:

–Two Dan Sullivans

–New Hampshire’s student ID laws and why the media got it wrong

–Sarah votes in Texas

–Holy Trinity Ukrainian Catholic Church v. Township of Collier

–Harsh opinions and hallucinating decisions

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 The Dispatch’s offerings—including access to all of our articles, members-only newsletters, and bonus podcast episodes—click here. If you’d like to remove all ads from your podcast experience, consider becoming a premium Dispatch member by clicking here.

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Sarah Isgur and David French go through a few orders from the Supreme Court (including one that’ll have our libertarian friends jumping from the second-story window), a CNN article on Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, and two dueling en banc decisions from the 3rd Circuit.

–⁠Trigger warning for the libertarians⁠

–⁠Prisons must continue providing gender-affirming care⁠

–⁠Four justices recuse themselves from copyright case⁠

–Dueling Second Amendment en banc decisions from the 3rd Circuit

–⁠Why Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson goes it alone⁠

–⁠Sen. Elissa Slotkin’s prosecution backlash⁠

–Prosecuting the Trump administration

Show notes:

–⁠Where the Supreme Court favors Trump on the emergency docket – and where it doesn’t⁠

–⁠Adam Liptak’s piece for the New York Times⁠

–⁠United States v. Bost ⁠

–⁠Williams v. Attorney General⁠

–⁠Jack Goldsmith’s piece on Sen. Elissa Slotkin⁠

Order Sarah’s book ⁠here.⁠

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 The Dispatch’s offerings—including access to all of our articles, members-only newsletters, and bonus podcast episodes—⁠click here⁠. If you’d like to remove all ads from your podcast experience, consider becoming a premium Dispatch member ⁠by clicking here⁠.

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Sarah Isgur and David French discuss the legal battle between the Trump administration and the East Potomac Golf Course, a certiorari grant on race-neutral admissions, and another on distilling booze at home. Finally, David asks Sarah about the Department of Justice’s hiring standards.

The Agenda:

–⁠Trump’s legal battle is par for the course⁠

–⁠Supreme Court agrees to consider federal ban on home distilleries⁠

–⁠Justices take up case on race and school admissions⁠

–⁠Double-jeapordy objections⁠

–⁠Florida’s social media law⁠

–⁠Who’s qualified at the DOJ?⁠

–Listener question on child sexual abuse material and the First Amendment

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 The Dispatch’s offerings—including access to all of our articles, members-only newsletters, and bonus podcast episodes—⁠click here⁠. If you’d like to remove all ads from your podcast experience, consider becoming a premium Dispatch member ⁠by clicking here⁠.

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Sarah Isgur and David French are joined by Vince Chhabria, a judge for the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, and Stanford professor Nora Engstrom to discuss the incredibly high number of motions granted to seal documents and the line between secrecy and protecting the public interest. They also discuss three new cases that SCOTUS added to its oral argument docket and Big Law red flags.

The Agenda:

–Shout out to our Antarctica fans

–Does FOIA apply to DOGE?

–Cooking up material support for terrorism

–Why sealed filings should be rare

–Welcome to Big Law, son

Order Sarah’s book here.

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 The Dispatch’s offerings—including access to all of our articles, members-only newsletters, and bonus podcast episodes—click here. If you’d like to remove all ads from your podcast experience, consider becoming a premium Dispatch member by clicking here.

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Sarah Isgur and David French discuss what’s on the Supreme Court’s docket, debate whether anonymous speech is protected by the First Amendment, and undergo a grim historical review of the death penalty after the Pentagon’s announcement that an execution will be livestreamed.

The Agenda:

–Columbus Day discourse

–Video rental records and boring 1980s movies

–Suing Hillary Clinton

–Disputes over political ad rates

–Is spending money speech?

–The problem with disclosure laws

–A gruesome history of the death penalty

Show Notes:

– Americans for Prosperity v. Bonta

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Sarah Isgur and David French discuss the surprisingly complicated Suncor SCOTUS oral argument, Justice Samuel Alito and his AI usage, and circuit cases on child sex abuse material, vaccine exemptions, and racial harassment.

The Agenda:

–Suncor Energy Inc. v. County Commissioners of Boulder County

–An appropriate use of AI by Justice Alito?

–“I don’t think Justice Alito has DraftKings on his phone.”

–Justice Barrett, zombie slayer

–Will Ashcroft v. Free Speech Coalition ever get overturned?

–Legal traps, religious exemptions, and COVID vaccines

–The DEI-training era reaches the courts

Show Notes:

–Sherif Girgis’ Advisory Opinions episode

–Jack Goldsmith’s piece in The Atlantic

Order Sarah’s book here.

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 The Dispatch’s offerings—including access to all of our articles, members-only newsletters, and bonus podcast episodes—click here. If you’d like to remove all ads from your podcast experience, consider becoming a premium Dispatch member by clicking here.

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The new Supreme Court term has officially started, Sarah Isgur has returned from Down Under, and Sherif Girgis is taking a job at Harvard Law School. The vibes on today’s podcast are immaculate as Sarah and David discuss the long conference before Girgis joins them to discuss Justice Samuel Alito’s new book and his recusal from the biggest case of the term.

The Agenda:

–42 pages of cert denials

–Long conference overview

–So Ordered: An Originalist's View of the Constitution, the Court, and Our Country

–Justice Alito’s op-ed in the Wall Street Journal

–The off-ramps of originalism

–Behind the scenes in Alito’s chambers

Show notes:

–Justice Alito’s CBS News interview with Jan Crawford

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 The Dispatch’s offerings—including access to all of our articles, members-only newsletters, and bonus podcast episodes—click here. If you’d like to remove all ads from your podcast experience, consider becoming a premium Dispatch member by clicking here.

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Elie Honig, CNN’s chief legal analyst, joins David French fresh off jury duty to discuss his piece for New York Magazine on how worried we should be about election challenges ahead of the midterms. The two also discuss the Supreme Court’s 6-3 decision on third-country removals, do some level-setting on the civil lawsuit against Cornell University over an alleged gang rape, and participate in a Star Wars SCOTUS draft.

The Agenda:

–Jury duty hangover

–Immigrants ask Supreme Court to leave ruling in place preventing Trump administration from deporting them to third-party countries

–The Supreme Court Won’t Be Trump’s Election-Theft Lackey

–Jane Doe v. Cornell

–We’re having a draft!

Order Sarah’s book here.

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 The Dispatch’s offerings—including access to all of our articles, members-only newsletters, and bonus podcast episodes—click here. If you’d like to remove all ads from your podcast experience, consider becoming a premium Dispatch member by clicking here.

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David French talks to CNN’s chief legal analyst, Elie Honig, at a time when CNN is in the news following President Donald Trump’s ban of the cable network from the White House. Honig takes us through CNN’s lawsuit seeking to regain access and the First Amendment argument media outlets are making. The two also discuss the Supreme Court’s ruling on the Missouri redistricting case, and Sarah Isgur makes a provocative argument that may trigger any true crime fans.

The Agenda:

–The third time is not the charm in Missouri redistricting map case

–Can the White House ban the press?

–True Crime entertainment is bad

–Thank you, SNL

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 The Dispatch’s offerings—including access to all of our articles, members-only newsletters, and bonus podcast episodes—click here. If you’d like to remove all ads from your podcast experience, consider becoming a premium Dispatch member by clicking here.

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Sarah Isgur and David French discuss the Missouri redistricting case now that the 8th Circuit has weighed in. Let’s stipulate that everything is a mess. Then, the two go through a few listener mailbag questions, including controversial school murals, marijuana law, and court packing.

The Agenda:

–SCOTUSblog coverage on the redistricting case

–India’s Supreme Court, standing doctrine, and stagnation

–The Rohrabacher–Farr Amendment and David being wrong

–Sarah’s favorite sentence and Judge Jeff Sutton

–Rage bait: Congress is maybe not the problem

–How many justices is too many?

Order Sarah’s book here.

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 The Dispatch’s offerings—including access to all of our articles, members-only newsletters, and bonus podcast episodes—click here. If you’d like to remove all ads from your podcast experience, consider becoming a premium Dispatch member by clicking here.

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Sarah Isgur and David French discuss the upcoming “long conference” that marks the unofficial start to the new Supreme Court term, a prosecutor being referred to the Department of Justice for obstruction of justice, and a review of several circuit-court cases, including breaches of contract between marijuana-related businesses. Crime versus commerce reaches the courts.

The Agenda:

–⁠Hello Justice John Marshall⁠

–⁠What is vulgar student speech? ⁠

–“There are only two genders” and race-neutral criteria

–⁠Prosecutor referred to the DOJ⁠

–⁠Hash-ing out business⁠

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 The Dispatch’s offerings—including access to all of our articles, members-only newsletters, and bonus podcast episodes—⁠click here⁠. If you’d like to remove all ads from your podcast experience, consider becoming a premium Dispatch member ⁠by clicking here⁠.

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From the SCOTUSblog Summit, Sarah Isgur, David French, and Amy Howe discuss the cases scheduled thus far for the Supreme Court’s upcoming term. The three discuss the most consequential case for the Trump administration, David throws in a Star Wars reference (at the behest of Sarah!), and Amy answers the most important case question correctly.

The Agenda:

–Decision handed down in Trump’s mail voting case

–What case got dropped this term

–The most important case this term

–Climate change on trial?

–Religious liberty and rolling our eyes at Colorado

–Is Trump going to win this one?

–What’s still to come

Order Sarah’s book here.

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 The Dispatch’s offerings—including access to all of our articles, members-only newsletters, and bonus podcast episodes—click here. If you’d like to remove all ads from your podcast experience, consider becoming a premium Dispatch member by clicking here.

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Sarah Isgur and David French debate David’s latest New York Times column on the Missouri Supreme Court blocking a congressional map. Then, the two review two law articles: Andy Smarick of the Manhattan Institute’s elegantly simple piece on unenumerated rights, and University of Virginia law professor Caleb Nelson’s amazing yet horrifying publication on the unitary executive.

The Agenda:

–Paying tribute to the victims and those who sacrificed their lives on 9/11

–The redistricting fight that favors Democrats in Missouri

–Andy Smarick: “How Judicial ‘History and Tradition’ Went Wrong”

–Caleb Nelson’s article on the unitary executive

–Is a teacher’s pride flag personal effects?

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 The Dispatch’s offerings—including access to all of our articles, members-only newsletters, and bonus podcast episodes—click here. If you’d like to remove all ads from your podcast experience, consider becoming a premium Dispatch member by clicking here.

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Sarah Isgur and David French discuss Supreme Court updates on two cases: preferred advertising rates for political committees and Missouri’s congressional districts. Then, Judge Jeff Sutton, chief judge of the 6th Circuit and No. 1 AO judicial crush, and Neil Weare, co-director of Right to Democracy, join to discuss insular cases and where birthright citizenship stands after Trump v. Barbara.

The Agenda:

–Political campaigns and discounted ad rates

–Chaos in the Missouri congressional map

–Our first Olympian guest

–Background on insular cases

–Trump v. Barbara

Order Sarah’s book here.

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 The Dispatch’s offerings—including access to all of our articles, members-only newsletters, and bonus podcast episodes—click here. If you’d like to remove all ads from your podcast experience, consider becoming a premium Dispatch member by clicking here.

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Sarah Isgur and David French discuss the 5-4 ballroom interim docket decision with Chief Justice John Roberts leading the dissenters, the New York Times with a piece on releasing the justice’s papers sooner rather than later, and a piece by Josh Morrow on AI in circuit decisions. And speaking of circuit decisions, Sarah and David discuss a few, including the Vacancies Reform Act and the 26th Amendment.

The Agenda:

–Goodbye East Wing

–Lujan v. Defenders of Wildlife

–Will Baude on esthetic injuries

–Should the justices release their papers sooner?

–Should this actually be happening

–South Carolina’s voting law is unconstitutional

–Update on Vacancies Reform Act

Show Notes:

–David Lat’s Substack

Order Sarah’s bookhere.

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 The Dispatch’s offerings—including access to all of our articles, members-only newsletters, and bonus podcast episodes—click here. If you’d like to remove all ads from your podcast experience, consider becoming a premium Dispatch member by clicking here.

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Sarah Isgur and David French pick through a trail mix of topics for this week’s episode. The two discuss bracelet-wearing parents at a soccer game, student visas being revoked over bad speech, and classified information being printed. But they kick it off with a big “Sarah got it wrong.”

The Agenda:

–Sarah got it wrooooooong

–Breaking news and the mail-in ballot decision

–Pentagon leaks and the Washington Post

–FIRE’s win and student visas

–Felons can vote in Minnesota

–Trans athletes and pink bracelets

–James O’Keefe and pretty interns

–Predicting SCOTUS cases

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 The Dispatch’s offerings—including access to all of our articles, members-only newsletters, and bonus podcast episodes—click here. If you’d like to remove all ads from your podcast experience, consider becoming a premium Dispatch member by clicking here.

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Sarah Isgur and David French invite real life Rep. Jake Auchincloss of Massachusetts to discuss how to reform Congress, explain multi-member districting, and wtalk about hether the Supreme Court needs more justices. But first, forging Justice John Robert’s signature and fake arresting teenagers.

The Agenda:

–Bad criming

–Even if a judge is in judges robes, they’re not always a judge

–All the headlines are wrong (except ours)

–Who wrote the Per Curiam?

–Reforms to the Supreme Court

–Are your kids violent?

Order Sarah’s bookhere.

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 The Dispatch’s offerings—including access to all of our articles, members-only newsletters, and bonus podcast episodes—click here. If you’d like to remove all ads from your podcast experience, consider becoming a premium Dispatch member by clicking here.

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Sarah Isgur and David French invite former D.C. Circuit judges Tom Griffith and David Tatel to discuss relationships, judicial independence, and what it means to be a “former” judge. But first, bar complaints and the White House ballroom injunction.

The Agenda:

–⁠The worst of the worst, District Judge edition⁠

–Someone file a bar complaint!

–⁠We’re the least surprised when the White House injunction came down⁠

–Disagreeing respectfully

–What’s next for judges after they retire?

–Breaking news

Order Sarah’s book⁠ here.⁠

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 The Dispatch’s offerings—including access to all of our articles, members-only newsletters, and bonus podcast episodes—⁠click here⁠. If you’d like to remove all ads from your podcast experience, consider becoming a premium Dispatch member ⁠by clicking here⁠.

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