Advisory Opinions

Latest Episodes:

Can Churches Commit Fraud? Feb 06, 2025

Show notes

Sarah Isgur and David French discuss our two favorite topics: God and guns. Can you sue your church, and do young adults have the right to bear arms? ’Merica!

The Agenda:

—Corrections! On USAID comments.

—It is still illegal to murder FBI agents

—SCOTUS chooses to stay out of religious cases

—You can't sue for your tithes

—Young adults have a right to guns

—Bruhimi

—Civic vs. individual rights

Show Notes:

—Tess Bridgeman's article on firings

—Hosanna-Tabor case

—Jack Goldsmith and Bob Bauer's article on the power of the executive

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 Sarah’s Collision newsletter, weekly livestreams, and other members-only content—click here.

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You’re Fired Feb 04, 2025

Show notes

Sarah Isgur and David French are joined by Erin Hawley, senior counsel to the appellate team at the Alliance Defending Freedom, to discuss the latest, er, kerfuffle that sent federal employees scrambling. Who is in control of executive agencies?

The Agenda:

—Tariffs, funding freeze, and firings

—Congress has the power to collect

—Trump’s workaround

—Barrett vs. Gorsuchian doctrines

—Elon Musk’s power grab

—Where does the fire-at-will power end for the president?

—The Founders say we’re all untrustworthy

Show Notes:

—Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s 2013 D.C. Circuit decision

—Humphrey’s Excecutor

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The Great and Powerful President Jan 30, 2025

Show notes

With Donald Trump’s second term in full swing, Harvard Law Professor Jack Goldsmith joins Sarah Isgur and David French to discuss the unitary executive theory. Also: We need to discuss law reviews.

The Agenda:

—Unitary executive theory

—President Trump’s sledgehammer

—Congressional oversight no more?

—The Take Care clause

—Interstate tariff prohibitions

—Student-led law reviews: good or bad?

—Expert explains cowrie shells

Show Notes:

—Trump v. United States

—South Dakota v. Wayfair

—Professor Eric Rakowski's profile

—Tuesday's Advisory Opinions episode

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Officer-Created Danger Jan 28, 2025

Show notes

Sarah Isgur and David French discuss a case before the Supreme Court that challenges the Moment of Threat Doctrine. They predict concurrences all the way down.

The Agenda:

—Are police reasonable in high-stress situations?

—The youngins’ are advocating

—Dicta and slut puppies

—OPM, Oh No

—Justice Jackson’s fashion choices

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Trump's Executive Orders Jan 23, 2025

Show notes

Sarah Isgur and David French discuss the encroaching powers of the executive branch and what it means for the balance of government.

The Agenda:

—Teaching sex in elementary school

—It really is those darn phones!

—WTF David

—Trump takes office

—DOGE violating FACA

—Trump's executive orders

—Vivek’s out of DOGE

—Biden pardons criminals, some really not good ones

—What is the American dream?

Show Notes:

—United States v. Wong Kim Ark

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Law Schools vs. Conservative Scholars Jan 21, 2025

Show notes

David French makes his long-awaited return to Catholic University of America after thatincident for a live Advisory Opinions taping with Sarah Isgur and two special guests: Joel Alicea, director of the Center for the Constitution and the Catholic Intellectual Tradition, and Trevor McFadden, a district court judge for the U.S. District Court for D.C.

The Agenda:

—A Jewish joke then a Catholic joke ...

—Constitutional law is now mandatory?

—Breaking down the originalist court

—Learning corpus linguistics

—Law school incentives and Top 14 schools

—Satan v. United States? David?

—Can anyone explain transactional law?

—Q&A

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TikTok Decision Emergency Pod Jan 17, 2025

Show notes

David French and Sarah Isgur come at you on this Friday evening to enumerate the absurdities of the TikTok ban-or-sale discourse following the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the law, a plangent (and perhaps futile) homage to Congress actually doing its job.

Plus: Biden “ratifies” the Equal Rights Amendment and Sarah loses it.

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On Porn and Paxton Jan 16, 2025

Show notes

Is limiting access to porn a free speech violation? Sarah Isgur and David French discuss that question following oral arguments in Free Speech Coalition, Inc. v. Paxton.

The Agenda:

—Best argument of the term

—Does context protect a lie?

—Burden of proof in age verification laws

—Project Veritas and press freedom

—Breaking down the Laken Riley Act

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Trump Sentencing at the Supreme Court: Live at GWU Jan 14, 2025

Show notes

Sarah Isgur and David French record live at George Washington University covering the Alito-Trump phone call and new challenges to explicit content age-verification laws.

The Agenda:

—Justice Alito's phone call with Trump

—False statements case

—Challenges to Texas' age-verification law

—Constitutionality of ID laws

—Title IX and Chevron

—Questions from GWU students

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What's Next for TikTok? Jan 10, 2025

Show notes

In a special emergency recording, Sarah Isgur and David French react to today’s oral argument in TikTok v. Garland.

The Agenda: