Passing Judgment – Details, episodes & analysis

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Passing Judgment

Jessica Levinson

Arts

News

Frequency: 1 episode/5d. Total Eps: 329

Is the constitution in crisis? This podcast is for people who are curious about politics and the law and how the biggest political and legal issues of the moment affect you. Pull up a chair and join host Jessica Levinson, a professor at LMU’s Loyola Law School, and a rotating cast of experts. Jessica will be joined by journalists, politicians, political scientists, lawyers, and many others. Listen to Jessica and her guests for a wry, and sometimes irreverent take on the most pressing issues of our time. What are the laws of our democracy? How are they changing? And what does that mean for your daily life?

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🇺🇸 USA - arts
09/03/2025
#65
🇺🇸 USA - arts
08/03/2025
#46

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https://pinecast.com
84 shares
https://www.threads.net/@levinsonjessica
59 shares
https://www.citizensforethics.org/
2 shares

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RSS feed quality

Good

Score global : 79%

Publication history

Monthly episode publishing history over the past years.

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Latest published episodes

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Breaking Down Trump's Strategies: Economy, Tariffs, and Tensions with Ukraine with Joey Garrison

Season 5 · Episode 74

Wednesday, March 5, 2025 • Duration 32:56

In this episode of Passing Judgment, host Jessica Levinson is joined by Joey Garrison, USA Today's White House correspondent, to navigate the latest developments of the Trump administration. They discuss key topics such as executive orders, federal workforce cuts, tariffs, and the influence of Elon Musk's Doge efforts. Additionally, they explore the Democrats' strategic responses and the congressional dynamics surrounding President Trump's economic and foreign policies.

Here are three key takeaways you don't want to miss:

White House Changes and Cuts: The discussion begins with Joey Garrison outlining the sweeping changes made by the Trump administration, particularly through executive orders aimed at fulfilling promises to the MAGA base. A significant emphasis was on the creation of Doge, led by Elon Musk, which has been actively involved in restructuring federal departments and proposing workforce reductions.

Impact of Tariffs on the Economy: The tariffs imposed on neighboring Mexico and Canada, as well as increased tariffs on Chinese imports, formed another major topic. The discussion touched on the political and economic ramifications of these tariffs, including rising consumer prices, diminished consumer confidence, and negative polling for President Trump on economic management.

Foreign Policy – Ukraine and Russia: A significant portion of the episode covers the meeting between President Trump and Ukrainian President Zelensky, primarily concerning US-Ukraine relations and mineral agreements. The dispute and its implications for US support to Ukraine were discussed, with Trump administration's stance on withholding aid until diplomatic talks are pursued by Ukraine.

Follow Our Host:

@LevinsonJessica

@joeygarrison

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The Supreme Court's Role in Trump's Firing Case with Katie Buehler

Season 5 · Episode 73

Tuesday, February 25, 2025 • Duration 13:25

In this episode of Passing Judgment, we explore the Supreme Court’s decision to abstain from ruling on a Trump emergency appeal about firing Hampton Dellinger, head of the Office of Special Counsel. Jessica Levinson and Katie Buehler, Law360's Supreme Court reporter, analyze the nuances of presidential power and the debate over the constitutionality of restricting executive authority.

Here are three key takeaways you don't want to miss:

Supreme Court Decision on Trump Emergency Appeal: The episode discusses the Supreme Court's recent decision not to review an emergency appeal concerning the firing of Hampton Dellinger from his position as the head of the Office of Special Counsel. The court allowed the temporary restraining order, which pauses the firing, to run its course and expire.

Legal Arguments and Statute Constitutionality: The legal argument centers on whether President Trump had to provide a reason for Dellinger's firing, as required by federal law. Trump’s administration argues that the statute requiring a reason is unconstitutional and that the president should have the power to fire at will. This theme explores the larger question of presidential authority and statutory constraints.

Significant Supreme Court Cases: Katie Buehler highlights other significant Supreme Court cases beyond the Trump-related decision, including a case involving the Federal Communications Commission's authority and executive power, as well as cases on religious rights such as opting-out of LGBTQ-related education and funding for religious charter schools.

The Future of Voting Rights Under the Trump Administration with Sam Levine

Season 5 · Episode 64

Tuesday, December 17, 2024 • Duration 25:25

In this episode of Passing Judgment, Jessica sits down with Sam Levine from The Guardian to unpack the future of voting rights under the Trump administration. They explore the role of the Department of Justice, the impact of stalled federal legislation, and the current state of the Voting Rights Act. Sam also clarifies common misconceptions about election fraud and administration, highlighting what to watch for in the coming years.

Here are three key takeaways you don't want to miss:

1️⃣ Trump Administration and Voting Rights: Sam Levine outlines the anticipated approach of the Trump administration regarding voting rights, including the potential use of the Department of Justice (DOJ) to challenge election outcomes and influence election administration.

2️⃣ Role and Powers of the Department of Justice: The DOJ's role in enforcing federal laws, particularly civil rights and voting rights laws, is explained. Shifts in administration can significantly alter DOJ priorities.

3️⃣ Election Security and Misconceptions: The podcast addresses common misconceptions about voter fraud and the robustness of election systems. Sam Levine stresses the rarity of voter fraud and the extensive safeguards in place.

Follow Our Host and Guest:

@LevinsonJessica

Can the 14th Amendment be used to disqualify elected officials involved in Jan 6? (Guest - Noah Bookbinder)

Season 4 · Episode 185

Saturday, October 29, 2022 • Duration 01:05

Jessica speaks with Noah Bookbinder, the President and CEO of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW). CREW's mission statement outlines the organization's activities to "...use aggressive legal actions, in-depth investigations, and innovative policy and reform work" because "Americans deserve a government that is ethical, accountable, and open."

Noah and Jessica discuss efforts to use the 14th Amendment to disqualify lawmakers involved in the insurrection on January 6th, efforts to reform judicial ethics, and more.

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Donald Trump Is Subpoenaed and Deposed, Steve Bannon Is Sentenced

Season 4 · Episode 184

Saturday, October 22, 2022 • Duration 01:05

The former president had a no good, very bad legal week. The January 6th Committee served him with a subpoena. He was deposed in a defamation case brought by journalist E. Jean Carroll. And a federal judge found that it is more likely than not that Trump and one of his attorneys, John Eastman, engaged in a crime related to thwarting the peaceful transfer of power. Oh, and Steve Bannon was sentenced for contempt of Congress. Jessica breaks it all down in plain English.

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It is going to be another huge term for the Supreme Court. Here is why.

Season 4 · Episode 182

Sunday, October 16, 2022 • Duration 01:05

After an earth-shattering term that ended federal protection for abortion in the last term, the 6-3 Supreme Court GOP majority is flexing its power in the new 2022-2023 term. Jessica welcomes the PJP producer and co-host Joe Armstrong back to discuss upcoming cases about redistricting and voting rights, a 1st Amendment case that deals with Andy Warhol (you read that right), a pair of cases that address affirmative action, yet another religious rights and discrimination case, and a doozy of a case with colossal implications that deals with what what is referred to as the independent legislature doctrine. And there is a new justice on the bench, with Ketanji Brown Jackson displaying a keen legal mind in the first oral arguments of the new session.

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Why did prosecutors drop the murder charges against Adnan Syed?

Season 3 · Episode 181

Sunday, October 16, 2022 • Duration 01:05

Jessica gives a quick update on what happened this week when Baltimore prosecutors decided to drop all charges against Adnan Syed, who has spent the last two decades in prison after being convicted in 2000 of the murder of his ex-girlfriend, Hae Min Lee. Syed's story was brought to national attention in the "Serial" podcast and he has consistently claimed to be innocent of the crimes of first-degree murder, robbery, kidnapping and false imprisonment that landed him in jail.

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What is the latest in case of the classified docs found at Mar-a-Lago? (Guest: Jose Pagliery)

Season 3 · Episode 180

Sunday, October 9, 2022 • Duration 01:05

The Daily Beast's political investigations reporter Jose Pagliery joins Jessica to unravel the morass of legal maneuvers by Donald Trump's lawyers.

Will the Supreme Court Weaken Legal Protections Against Discrimination?

Season 3 · Episode 179

Friday, September 30, 2022 • Duration 01:05

The new Supreme Court term is about to begin and the court is set to hear a number of cases that address legal protections from discrimination. Two of the cases involve voting rights, two more involve affirmative action programs, and another centers on the matchup between free speech rights and freedom from discrimination. How will these cases impact American society? Will the now-entrenched 6-3 conservative majority on the court continue to attempt to push the country to the right?

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Trump’s Lawyers Are Busy These Days (Guest: Jan Wolfe of the Wall Street Journal)

Season 3 · Episode 178

Saturday, September 24, 2022 • Duration 01:05

Donald Trump's legal team got its special master to review classified documents discovered at Mar-a-Lago in August, but is the situation playing out like they intended? Reporter Jan Wolfe is the business legal affairs correspondent for The Wall Street Journal and he spends a lot of time sorting out questions like that one. He joins Jessica to discuss the multiple ever-developing investigations that seem to be changing by the minute into the former president's business empire and handling of sensitive documents.

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