Advisory Opinions is a legal podcast by The Dispatch. Hosts David French and Sarah Isgur meet twice a week to talk about the law, the courts, their collision with politics, and why it all matters.
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Insular Cases | Interview: Chief Judge Jeff Sutton and Neil Weare
Thursday, September 10, 2026 ⢠Duration 01:11:53
Sarah Isgur and David French discuss Supreme Court updates on two cases: preferred advertising rates for political committees and Missouriâs 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.Â
The Agenda:
âPolitical campaigns and discounted ad rates
âChaos in the Missouri congressional map
âOur first Olympian guest
âBackground on insular cases
âTrump v. Barbara
Order Sarahâs 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 Dispatchâs offeringsâincluding access to all of our articles, members-only newsletters, and bonus podcast episodesâclick here. If youâd like to remove all ads from your podcast experience, consider becoming a premium Dispatch member by clicking here.
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SCOTUS Majority Rules White House Ballroom Is A Go
Thursday, September 3, 2026 ⢠Duration 01:07:59
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 justiceâs 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.Â
The Agenda:
âGoodbye East Wing
âLujan v. Defenders of Wildlife
âWill Baude on esthetic injuries
âShould the justices release their papers sooner?
âShould this actually be happening
âSouth Carolinaâs voting law is unconstitutional
âUpdate on Vacancies Reform Act
Show Notes:
âDavid Latâs Substack
Order Sarahâs 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 Dispatchâs offeringsâincluding access to all of our articles, members-only newsletters, and bonus podcast episodesâclick here. If youâd like to remove all ads from your podcast experience, consider becoming a premium Dispatch member by clicking here.
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Has the First Amendment Ever Been More Relevant?
Tuesday, September 1, 2026 ⢠Duration 01:13:56
Sarah Isgur and David French pick through a trail mix of topics for this weekâs episode. âThe 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 âSarah got it wrong.âÂ
The Agenda:
âSarah got it wrooooooong
âBreaking news and the mail-in ballot decision
âPentagon leaks and the Washington Post
âFIREâs win and student visas
âFelons can vote in Minnesota
âTrans athletes and pink bracelets
âJames OâKeefe and pretty interns
âPredicting 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 Dispatchâs offeringsâincluding access to all of our articles, members-only newsletters, and bonus podcast episodesâclick here. If youâd like to remove all ads from your podcast experience, consider becoming a premium Dispatch member by clicking here.
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How to Fix Congress | Interview: Rep. Jake Auchincloss
Thursday, August 27, 2026 ⢠Duration 01:07:16
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 Robertâs signature and fake arresting teenagers.Â
The Agenda:
âBad criming
âEven if a judge is in judges robes, theyâre not always a judge
âAll the headlines are wrong (except ours)
âWho wrote the Per Curiam?Â
âReforms to the Supreme Court
âAre your kids violent?
Order Sarahâs 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 Dispatchâs offeringsâincluding access to all of our articles, members-only newsletters, and bonus podcast episodesâclick here. If youâd like to remove all ads from your podcast experience, consider becoming a premium Dispatch member by clicking here.
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Civility vs. Collegiality | Interview: Judges Tom Griffith and David Tatel
Tuesday, August 25, 2026 ⢠Duration 01:16:55
Sarah Isgur and David French invite âformer D.C. Circuit judges Tom Griffith and David Tatel to discuss relationships, judicial independence, and what it means to be a âformerâ judge. But first, bar complaints and the White House ballroom injunction.Â
The Agenda:
ââ The worst of the worst, District Judge editionâ
âSomeone file a bar complaint!
ââ Weâre the least surprised when the White House injunction came downâ
âDisagreeing respectfullyÂ
âWhatâs next for judges after they retire?
âBreaking news
Order Sarahâs bookâ here.â
Advisory Opinions is a production of â The Dispatchâ , a digital media company covering politics, policy, and culture from a non-partisan, conservative perspective. To access all of The Dispatchâs offeringsâincluding access to all of our articles, members-only newsletters, and bonus podcast episodesââ click hereâ . If youâd like to remove all ads from your podcast experience, consider becoming a premium Dispatch member â by clicking hereâ .
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Letâs Pretend Weâre Justices | Interview: Chris Scalia
Thursday, August 20, 2026 ⢠Duration 01:07:37
David French and Sarah Isgur steelman Justice John Paul Stevens and Justice Stephen Breyersâs dissents in the Heller case through a one-act play produced by ChatGPT. The two also invite Chris Scalia to play the majority opinion writer (and his late father) Justice Antonin Scalia.Â
The Agenda:
âOne act, three justices
âWhat AI got right and wrong
âJustice Breyer, fully vindicated
âShul is Yiddish and Friends of the Earth is SCOTUS precedent
Show Notes:
âOriginalism and Stare Decisis
Order Sarahâs 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 Dispatchâs offeringsâincluding access to all of our articles, members-only newsletters, and bonus podcast episodesâclick here. If youâd like to remove all ads from your podcast experience, consider becoming a premium Dispatch member by clicking here.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Trumpâs Ballroom Blitz
Tuesday, August 18, 2026 ⢠Duration 01:10:30
Sarah Isgur and David French return, but with a little bit of a switcheroo as David takes the hostâs chair. They discuss President Donald Trumpâs appeal to the Supreme Court on the construction of a White House ballroom, a religious liberty case about permits and prayer services, and a bit of reality TV litigation.Â
The Agenda:
âWe can all laugh about this one day
âPierre Charles LâEnfant for some reason?
âPresident Trumpâs ballroom appeal
âGrand v. City of University Heights
âThis is not a populist podcast
âThe trashy stuffÂ
Show Notes:
âHulk Hogan v. GawkerâMarquette Law School Poll finds national approval of the Supreme Court at 47 percent; itâs been below 50 percent since November 2025
Order Sarahâs 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 Dispatchâs offeringsâincluding access to all of our articles, members-only newsletters, and bonus podcast episodesâclick here. If youâd like to remove all ads from your podcast experience, consider becoming a premium Dispatch member by clicking here.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This Is Not A Vibes-Only Podcast
Thursday, August 13, 2026 ⢠Duration 01:15:33
David Lat and Zachary Shemtob return as guest hosts and are joined by Adam Feldman, author of the blog Empirical SCOTUS and the Substack Legalytics, to discuss âan update on birthright citizenship, some new polling about SCOTUS, âand Luigi Mangione, who will soon be tried for the murder of UnitedHealthcare executive Brian Thompson.Â
The Agenda:
âWhere in the world are Sarah and David?
âThe Delusions of John Roberts
âIs Chief Justice Roberts moderating from the front?
âEarly and late Scalia
âChallenge brought to Trumpâs new birthright citizenship order
âPreviewing the November cases
âSt. Mary Catholic Parish v. Roy (25-581)
âNielsen v. Watanabe (25-417)
âAre Republicans falling out of love with the Supreme Court?
âOverruling the 3-3-3 court hypothesisÂ
âSCOTUS shortlist
âMangione plea discussion expected in federal case Friday
Order Sarahâs 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 Dispatchâs offeringsâincluding access to all of our articles, members-only newsletters, and bonus podcast episodesâclick here. If youâd like to remove all ads from your podcast experience, consider becoming a premium Dispatch member by clicking here.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
SCOTUSâs October Preview
Tuesday, August 11, 2026 ⢠Duration 01:15:28
David Lat takes over the hostâs chair and is joined by Zachary Shemtob, executive editor of SCOTUSblog, and Amy Howe, co-founder of SCOTUSblog, to discuss Justice Samuel Alitoâs retirement plans (not yet), President Donald Trumpâs new executive order targeting birthright citizenship, and hot cases in the upcoming October term.Â
The Agenda:
âSarah Isgurâs rebuttal
âJustice Alitoâs back! (He never left)
âEnding birth tourism
âOvercooking the Federal Reserve firing
âSuncor Energy Inc. v. County Commissioners of BoulderÂ
âPreviewing SCOTUSâs October term
âBallroom blitz
âNo drag hamburgers for these kids!
Show Notes:
âBirthright Citizenship, Redux
Order Sarahâs 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 Dispatchâs offeringsâincluding access to all of our articles, members-only newsletters, and bonus podcast episodesâclick here. If youâd like to remove all ads from your podcast experience, consider becoming a premium Dispatch member by clicking here.
âTrump signs new birthright citizenship order, ballroom dispute likely headed to Supreme Court
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Fauci Pleads the Fifth | Interview: Elie Honig
Thursday, August 6, 2026 ⢠Duration 01:11:45
Sarah Isgur and David French are joined by CNN senior legal analyst Elie Honig to discuss âAnthony Fauciâs invocation of the Fifth Amendment. Is it okay? Is it not okay? How does this relate to the pardon power? Then itâs on to a constitutional game show where âeach member of this three-person team picks two constitutional amendments they would magically ratify and one amendment they would veto.Â
The Agenda:
âAnthony Fauci can take the Fifth
âDid Fauci even have such a right?
âWiping your phone is an obstruction of justice
âAmending the Constitution!
âImpeachment reform, resizing Congress, and emergency powers
âPresidential eligibility, redefining Article II, and repealing the 17th Amendment
âWe will see a 28th Amendment
Show Notes:
âElie Honig: When You Come at the King
âHow to Investigate a President (with Elie Honig) - CAFE
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