Advisory Opinions

Latest Episodes:

Analyzing ICE Shootings Jan 27, 2026

Show notes

Sarah Isgur and David French discuss the differences between the fatal shootings of Renée Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis and invite Orin Kerr, professor of law at Stanford Law School, to talk about judicial and administrative warrants.

The Agenda:
–Comparing the two ICE shootings
–Supremacy Clause and federal cases
–Fourth Amendment rights
–Racial gerrymandering in Texas
–Answering our favorite listener’s question

Show Notes:
–Supremacy Clause Immunity, Explained

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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Is Lisa Cooked? Jan 22, 2026

Show notes

Sarah Isgur and David French break down Paul Clement’s “thousand duck-sized horses” argument before the Supreme Court in the Trump administration’s case over the firing of Lisa Cook, and what it means for for-cause removal at the Federal Reserve.
The Agenda:
–Paul Clement the GOAT
–Prediction: Lisa Cook will stay
–The conservatism of the Supreme Court and MAGA’s legal movement
–Going “full Taft”
–Tropic Thunder detour, for some reason
–Gun and property rights in Hawaii
–When to Martinize someone
-Don Lemon’s Theology of the Protest
–It’s not “Letter from a Birmingham Starbucks”
–The best fan mail we’ve ever received

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Vampire Rules and The Satanic Temple Jan 20, 2026

Show notes

Sarah Isgur and David French explain the latest developments in Lisa Cook's case challenging her firing from the Federal Reserve’s Board of Governors and a challenge to Hawaii's "vampire rules" regarding concealed carry.

The Agenda:
—Lisa Cook Federal Reserve case
—Hawaii's "vampire rules"
—Geofence warrants and Fourth Amendment
—True Threats Doctrine
—Commerce Clause and federal power
—Satanic Temple and abortion rights

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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Must and May Jan 15, 2026

Show notes

Sarah Isgur and David French discuss lengthy, consolidated Supreme Court arguments from Idaho and West Virginia over state laws banning transgender athletes.

The Agenda:
–Supreme Court appears likely to uphold transgender athlete bans
–Court finds police properly entered man's home despite absense of warrant
–SCOTUS allows challenge to mail-in ballots
–Lindsay Halligan’s ‘gross abuse of power’?
–Should judges pack heat?
–Sarah Isgur’s fire tweet

Show Notes:
–Trump Is 'Chest-Beating' Over a Retreat

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The Conservative Warren Court of Today Jan 13, 2026

Show notes

Harvard law professor Richard Re discusses the evolution of the Supreme Court from the Warren court to the present day, highlighting the historical context of the court's decisions, the role of swing justices, and the current dynamics of originalism and textualism in judicial interpretation.The Agenda:
—What is the conservative Warren court?
—Reversal in power dynamics
—The swing justice era
—The Roberts court has the lowest rate of overturning precedents
—Common good constitutionalism reflects a generational pivot in legal thought
—Textualism is now seen as the generally accepted mode of interpretation
—Deference’s varied meaningsShow Notes:
—Richard Re: To a Conservative Warren Court
—Oral argument live blog for Tuesday, January 13
—Justices Alito and Thomas dissent in the Parents Protecting Our Children case
—Did Justice Kagan debilitate the administrative state?
—Not Enough Respect for the Judiciary—Or Too Much?
—Supreme Court Increasingly Favors the Rich, Economists Say
—Does the Supreme Court Favor the Rich?
—Has the Supreme Court Helped Save Democracy?

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Supremacy Clause Immunity, Explained Jan 10, 2026

Show notes

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 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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Prosecuting Foreign Leaders Jan 08, 2026

Show notes

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
—Qualified immunity

Show Notes:
—Jack Goldsmith on Venezuela
—Steve Vladeck on Venezuela
—Trump v. Illinois
—David Lat's top 10 stories of 2025

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The Legality of U.S. Operations in Venezuela Jan 06, 2026

Show notes

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 mobilization
—The Court's relationship with Trump
—Top legal stories of the year

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Merry Christmas to the State Courts Dec 25, 2025

Show notes

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 Business Courts, explained
—How judges are selected in Florida
—Florida’s rulemaking power over civil procedure
—Why D.C. doesn’t have a “Supreme Court”
—Why state constitutions change so often
—Are judges using AI?
—Judicial elections and accountability

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The Right-Wing Shake-Up Dec 23, 2025

Show notes

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 doctrine
—Are parodies of land acknowledgements free speech?
—Listener questions and fruit of the poisonous tree doctrines

Show Notes:
—Smith v. Allwright
—SCOTUSblog's Interim Docket Blog

The Remnant 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 Jonah’s G-File newsletters—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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