Advisory Opinions
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.
Episodes
January 9, 2026 • 64 mins
Sarah Isgur and David French return for a bonus episode on the Minneapolis ICE shooting and explain the concept of Supremacy Clause immunity.
The Agenda:—Corrections from Thursday's episode—How to analyze police shootings—Federalism and the Supremacy Clause—Federal officer removal—Broader impacts of police violence—Bowe v. United States—Church autonomy and employment law
Advisory Opinions is a production of The Dispatch, a...
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January 8, 2026 • 57 mins
David French and Sarah Isgur discuss the legal arguments underpinning the arrest of Nicolás Maduro and dive into a legal challenge to mandatory diversity and inclusion training.
The Agenda:—Can we and should we arrest foreign leaders?—Official acts and sovereignty—Military response vs. legal prosecution—How real is international law?—Legal argument for regime change—Trump v. United States—Compelled speech in mandatory training—Q...
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January 6, 2026 • 58 mins
David French is joined by David Lat to explore the legality of the Trump administration's arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and President Trump's recent loss at the Supreme Court over his mobilization of the National Guard.
The Agenda:—Can we arrest foreign leaders?—Compliance with international law—The arrest of Manuel Antonio Noriega—Presidential authority and war powers—Trump v. Illinois—National Guard mobilizatio...
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December 25, 2025 • 63 mins
Sarah Isgur sits down for a live recording at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce with Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice Carlos G. Muñiz, Texas Supreme Court Justice Evan A. Young, and District of Columbia Court of Appeals Judge Joshua Deahl to talk legal philosophy, the state of civil justice, and the challenges that appellate justices face in an ever-more-litigious United States.
The Agenda:—Why state courts matter—Texas’ new Busines...
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December 23, 2025 • 65 mins
Sarah Isgur and David French discuss the resignation of Josh Blackman, former senior editor of the Heritage Guide to the Constitution, and the the entire Meese Center leaving with John Malcolm to join former Vice President Mike Pence's organization at Advancing American Freedom.
The Agenda:—Heritage blows up—Thunder Basin factors and the latest interim docket order—Shadow Docket Sunlight Act—Need greater clarity on Church Autonomy...
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December 18, 2025 • 60 mins
Sarah Isgur and David French discuss striking jurors on race, Constitution deep cuts on the domestic violence clause and bill of attainder clause, and abortion distortion.
The Agenda:—Transcript changes and the funniest Justice—Batson claims and cert grants—Trump v. Illinois and the domestic violence clause—Bill of attainder clause and abortion distortion—Ross Douthat's interesting interview over transgender rights—Aspiring lawyer...
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December 16, 2025 • 81 mins
As an early Christmas present for David French, Sarah Isgur invites professors Will Baude and Julian Davis Mortenson on the podcast to answer all questions about originalism. But first, should an IQ test determine whether someone will be sentenced to death?
The Agenda:—Listener emails—United States v. Ham—SCOTUS’ approach to executive power—Burkeanism and the administrative state—Debating the removal power—Judicial restraint and n...
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December 11, 2025 • 69 mins
Sarah Isgur and David French kick things off by revisiting the Slaughter case and responding to an insightful access-to-justice question from a listener. Then they break down the Supreme Court’s latest GVR on school vaccine mandates before diving into two fresh oral arguments: Olivier v. City of Brandon and NRSC v. FEC.
Plus, a brief return of grifter Sarah.
The Agenda:—A correction to our livestream—The Supreme Court argument th...
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December 8, 2025 • 72 mins
Following the Supreme Court arguments in Slaughter v. United States, Sarah Isgur and David French join legal scholar Adam White to break down a session that became a referendum on whether Congress can insulate modern independent agencies from presidential control.
SCOTUSblog’s Amy Howe also joins from the steps of the Supreme Court to relay her observations from inside the courtroom.Watch the livestream here.
Advisory Opinions is...
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December 4, 2025 • 74 mins
Sarah Isgur and David French answer the masses’ demands in this pre-argument, foundational episode, diving into new levels of legal nerdery as they preview the oral arguments in the obscure administrative and constitutional law battle better known as Trump v. Slaughter.
The Agenda:—Creating the modern administrative state—Striking the class of bureaucrats—‘But this wolf comes as a wolf’—Taft takes care of his bros—Military justice...
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December 2, 2025 • 72 mins
Sarah Isgur and David French break down Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s military orders on the suspected drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean.
The Agenda:—Breaking down Hegseth’s orders—Catch our live AO episode next Monday!—Bloomberg law’s documentary—A.J.T. v. Osseo Area Schools, Independent School District—Frivolous lawsuits—Sidelining Alina Habba—President Trump’s last criminal case dismissed—Catch up on our last podcast
...
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November 27, 2025 • 66 mins
Sarah Isgur invites Adam White, co-director of the Antonin Scalia Law School’s C. Boyden Gray Center for the Study of the Administrative State, to identify the major administrative law issues on the horizon in the next five to 10 years.
The Agenda:—The Roberts Court and the Trump Term—The legislative veto—Immigration and Naturalization Service v. Chadha—Decline of congressional power—Supreme Court reform and the future of judicial...
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November 25, 2025 • 73 mins
Sarah Isgur and David French provide an update on the Texas redistricting case and criminal charges against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, before moving on to recent grant, vacate, remand (GVR) orders.
The Agenda:—Grand jury indictment update—Texas redistricting—GVRs, confrontation clause, and party presentment—SCOTUS doesn't move to end birthright citizenship—Metering at the border—Ru...
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November 20, 2025 • 79 mins
Sarah Isgur and David French react to Judge Jerry Smith's unconventional dissent in the legal challenge against the Texas GOP redistricting effort.
Also: James Comey may catch a break after U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan's presentation before the grand jury exposed amateurish errors.
The Agenda:—Sudafed as an enemy—Judge Jerry Smith's dissent—Redistricting challenges in Texas—Comey's case and grand jury proceedings
Advisory Op...
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November 18, 2025 • 76 mins
What does a federal firearm prohibition and a hate crime have to do with the Commerce Clause? Sarah Isgur and David French look at the constitutionality of two cases and whether the Supreme Court will accept a challenge to the law.
Plus: Jonathan Karl, author of Retribution: Donald Trump and the Campaign That Changed America, joins the pod to discuss Donald Trump’s legal challenges during the 2024 campaign.
The Agenda:—Ken Burns’...
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November 13, 2025 • 67 mins
Sarah Isgur and David French do a deep dive into the nondelegation clause and the role of Congress in delegating authority.
The Agenda:—CLE credit now available in Texas for our tariffs livestream—Dave Portnoy and disturbing the peace charges—Nondelegation doctrine primer—The Case of Mr. Pheasant—What is structural constitutionalism?—Justice Gorsuch's legacy—Court to consider prison inmate’s religious liberty claims—Legal scenario...
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November 11, 2025 • 73 mins
Sarah Isgur and David French recap the Federalist Society's antisemitism panel at last week's National Lawyers Conference before interviewing Judge Jennifer Elrod about the judicial funding crisis.
The Agenda:—Court denies review on Obergefell—Contrasts between Tucker Carlson and the Federalist Society—Supreme Court sides with Trump administration on sex designations on passports—The president issued pardons for Rudy Giuliani, Jo...
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November 5, 2025 • 69 mins
Following the Supreme Court oral arguments in President Donald Trump’s tariff case, Learning Resources Inc. v. Trump, Sarah Isgur is joined by David French, David Lat, and Latham & Watkins LLP partner Roman Martinez to explain where the legal battle will go from here.
SCOTUSblog’s Amy Howe also joins from the steps of the Supreme Court to relay her observations from inside the courtroom.
Watch the livestream here.
Advisor...
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November 4, 2025 • 68 mins
Sarah Isgur and David French preview the biggest Supreme Court case of the term, Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump, which challenges President Donald Trump’s power to impose sweeping tariffs on virtually all goods imported into the United States.
For additional analysis, join the SCOTUSbloglive blog on November 5 at 10:00 a.m. ET.
The Agenda:—How to get CLE credit by listening to Advisory Opinions—Laying the groundwork for Trump'...
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October 30, 2025 • 60 mins
Sarah Isgur and David French walk listeners through the entire history of the Constitution, the Supreme Court, some of the biggest cases ... all prompted by one listener question. Plus: Grifter Sarah makes a reappearance.
The Agenda:—Understanding substantive due process—Supreme Court to consider whether to hear challenge to same-sex marriage on November 7—Dred Scott v. Sandford being the worst decision ever—Scaring our libertaria...
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