logo
episode-header-image
Sep 3
44m 34s

We Need To Talk About Court Expansion

Strict Scrutiny
About this episode

How do you solve a problem like SCOTUS? Kate kicks off our Hot Supreme Court Reform September series with the New York Times’ Jamelle Bouie. They dig into the ins and outs of expanding the Court: what the process could look like, the argument for making the entire federal judiciary bigger, and how to avoid an FDR-style fail.

Take the Strict Scrutiny survey.
New Strict merch available here.
You can now listen to Strict Scrutiny for CLE credits in California, New York, Texas, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, Washington, and Oregon! More info at crooked.com/strict_cle

Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE on November 6th in Washington, DC: Crookedcon.com

Buy Melissa’s book, The U.S. Constitution: A Comprehensive and Annotated Guide for the Modern Reader

Buy Leah’s book, Lawless, now out in paperback

Follow us on Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky

For a transcript of an episode of Strict Scrutiny please email transcripts@crooked.com

Up next
Sep 1
SCOTUS Greenlights Trump's Ballroom
In this bonus episode, Leah and Melissa break down the Supreme Court’s decision to let Trump move forward with plans for a White House ballroom, despite lower courts finding that the project cannot proceed without congressional authorization and appropriated funds. They also disc ... Show More
34m 24s
Aug 31
Is SCOTUS Letting Trump Meddle in the Midterms?
Kate and Leah break down last week's atrocious shadow docket order on the President's wildly illegal executive order concerning elections and absentee ballots, which furthers the administration's effort to, as Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson warns, "foment chaos ahead of the Novemb ... Show More
1h 29m
Aug 27
Know Your Rights: Do You Have to Talk to Cops?
In the second episode of our Know Your Rights series, Leah and Melissa sit down with NYU Law’s Daniel Harawa to break down what you do—and don't—have to say when law enforcement stops you. They cover the difference between being seized and a consensual encounter, and the crucial ... Show More
37m 16s
Recommended Episodes
Nov 2021
Guns on the Subway and Vigilantes in Texas
Dahlia Lithwick is joined by Elizabeth Wydra, President of the Constitutional Accountability Center, a think tank, law firm, and action center dedicated to the project of using the original text, purpose and history of the Constitution to achieve progressive outcomes. Together, t ... Show More
1h 1m
May 2021
Timcast IRL #279 - Chauvin Lawyer Files To OVERTURN Trial Due To Juror Lying w/Kim Klacik
Tim, Ian, and Lydia join former congressional candidate and leader of the Red Renaissance PAC Kimberly Klacik to discuss Chauvin's attempt to get a fair trial, the unjust freedom of Portland rioters, the Louisville diner who took the law into his own hands when BLM interrupted hi ... Show More
2h 4m
Jun 2024
Trumped Up Charges *TEASER*
The ladies discuss the Trump verdict, Seinfeld's retvrn, and Fauci's Covid testimony. 
5m 1s
Jun 2024
Flags, Free Trips & Secret Recordings: The Cases, Trials & Tribulation of SCOTUS
Late spring/early summer is always a busy time for the Supreme Court, but this year, it’s not just the controversial decisions that are making news. The justices themselves have been in headlines — for all the wrong reasons. Kara and an expert panel discuss the ethical lapses, re ... Show More
56m 35s
Nov 2021
Everybody Wants to Be Scalia
Dahlia Lithwick is joined by leading environmental lawyer and Harvard professor Richard Lazarus , author of The Rule of Five: Climate History at the Supreme Court, to discuss cases currently flying under many court-watchers’ radar, which could have a huge impact on our ability to ... Show More
57m 17s
Feb 2025
Even More News: It's Constitutional Crisis Time, Baby!
Hi. Katy, Cody, and Jonathan are here to break down the showdown between the Trump administration's wildly illegal actions and the federal judges telling them to please stop it. Plus, they analyze Elon Musk's bizarre appearance in the Oval Office. And the measles guy just got con ... Show More
54m 55s
Jul 2022
What the hell is up with SCOTUS?
Dara Lind is joined by Vox senior correspondent Ian Millhiser (@imillhiser) to discuss the major decisions handed down by the Supreme Court this term. They talk about the Court’s emphasis on historical narrative, its move away from settled legal doctrine, and the politicization o ... Show More
1h 2m