Strict Scrutiny

Latest episodes

Showing 20 · updated from the feed

We Need To Talk About Judicial Review

#2 trending · Government

In the third installment of our Hot Supreme Court Reform September series, Leah sits down with Daphna Renan and Nikolas Bowie to discuss how judicial supremacy became the

Sep 17
51 min

BREAKING: SCOTUS Blocks Trump's Mail-In Ballot BS

#24 trending · Government

Kate, Leah and Melissa hop on to break down the Supreme Court’s decision to block the Trump administration’s Postal Service regulation announcing it would not deliver mai

Sep 15
32 min

How Trump is Using the IRS to Resegregate America

#21 trending · Government

Melissa is joined by guest co-host Rashad Robinson, political strategist, media advocate, and former president of Color Of Change, to run through last week’s legal news,

Sep 14
1 h 34 min

Still Counting: Trump vs. The BLUE WAVE: A Midterm Extravaganza

Nate Silver, Clare Malone, and Galen Druke discuss the most competitive Senate races heading into the midterms in this excerpt from their new podcast, Still Counting. To

Sep 11
22 min

We Need to Talk About Term Limits

In part two of our Hot Supreme Court Reform September series, Kate and the Brennan Center’s Alicia Bannon make the case for term limits for the Court. The idea has bipart

Sep 10
36 min

We Need To Talk About Court Expansion

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 out

Sep 3
44 min

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 find

Sep 1
34 min

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 furt

Aug 31
1 h 29 min

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 enfo

Aug 27
37 min

What Does Peak Fascism Look Like?

Huge news for lawyers: You can now listen to Strict Scrutiny for CLE credits in California, New York, Texas, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, Wa

Aug 24
1 h 52 min

All the President’s Henchmen

Huge news for lawyers: You can now listen to Strict Scrutiny for CLE credits in California, New York, Texas, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, Wa

Aug 17
1 h 36 min

Know Your Rights: Copwatching 101

In part one of our two-part Know Your Rights series, Leah speaks with Brooklyn Law School’s Jocelyn Simonson about copwatching. They cover what the law says about filming

Aug 13
38 min

Sometimes, These F*ckers Lose

Melissa and Justice Correspondent for The Nation Elie Mystal sift through the results of last week’s primaries, including good news from Missouri and Kansas, with a detou

Aug 10
1 h 31 min

Will Trump Succeed in Rigging the Midterms?

Huge news for lawyers: You can now listen to Strict Scrutiny for CLE credits in California, New York, Texas, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, Wa

Aug 3
1 h 31 min

Dude Process, Not Due Process

Huge news for lawyers: You can now listen to Strict Scrutiny for CLE! More info at crooked.com/strict_cle Friend of the Pod Emily Amick of Emily in Your Phone joins Leah

Jul 27
1 h 29 min

How Bad Is Trump's Attorney General Pick?

Kate brings you a triptych of legal happenings this week. First, the latest news with friend of the pod Katie Phang, including a look at Todd Blanche’s Senate confirmatio

Jul 20
1 h 26 min

Our Long Road Out of Autocracy

Kate is joined by returning guest and friend of the show, Kim Lane Scheppele, the Laurance S. Rockefeller Professor of Sociology and International Affairs at Princeton, a

Jul 13
1 h 27 min

Surveying the Wreckage of This Supreme Court Term

Melissa, Kate, and Leah take a look back on this Supreme Court term as a whole. The hypocrisy, the racism, the sheer stupidity... it's all here! Get tickets for STRICT S

Jul 6
1 h 32 min

SCOTUS Just Barely Preserves Birthright Citizenship

In their second emergency episode in two days, Leah, Melissa, and Kate break down the Court’s final day of the term and folks, it’s a doozy. We’ve got America’s preeminen

Jun 30
59 min

SCOTUS Kills Independent Agencies, Expands Presidential Power

In this emergency episode, Leah and Kate break down today’s incredibly consequential decisions in Trump v. Slaughter and Trump v. Cook, which followed the Project 2025 pl

Jun 29
53 min

Chart trend

Position in the Government chart (US), last 90 days.

#1#2#3JunJulAugSep

all-time peak

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days in the top 3 since Nov 2024

Chart positions

Where Strict Scrutiny ranks today in each Apple Podcasts chart (US, Sep 20, 2026).

#1 — Government US

What listeners say

A curated, balanced selection of Apple Podcasts reviews.

While I largely agree with the political ideology presented in Strict Scrutiny, the podcast frequently engages in personal attacks and exaggerated statements about those who do not agree. If you’re looking for a journalistic approach to legal news, this isn’t for you. If you’re looking for a hyper-partisan take - you found a good podcast. I would self-identify as a member of the DSA but the approach still bothers me.

TSMBergs · Aug 2026

I am so glad this podcast exists. It's killing a few birds with one stone (and now perhaps another with CLE). It is somehow informative beyond a superficial level, entertaining, and consoling. My only qualification is that I could do with less actual yelling at us from some guests (I won't mention gender here, but...). I like when the hosts vocalize our pain, but this does generally go straight into our ears. I tend to stop listening to those. Otherwise, thank you!

UWSdonna · Aug 2026

I never miss this podcast. These gals are so darn brilliant with such quick wits. Their personalities mesh well. SCOTUS is the biggest threat to democracy in my lifetime. Thanks for all you do to raise awareness!

Surgeon/Dog mom in Boulder · Jul 2026

Love the podcast. Never miss an episode. In connection with the recent Slaughter case, can you discuss why Article 1, Section 8, which contains a long list of powers held by Congress, is never cited much less argued as the source of Congress’ power to establish administrative agencies that are independent from the President (via, eg, removal for cause provisions). Section 8 lists specific powers to regulate commerce; coin money, regulate the value thereof, and foreign coin; establish the post office and post roads; promote science and the arts. These in addition to numerous powers to regulate the military, declare war, exercise exclusive jurisdiction over DC, and finally the “necessary and proper clause.” Why doesn’t this extensive list at least support equal voice held by Congress with the President over agencies like the SEC, FTC, FCC etc., much less support an argument that their express enumeration demonstrates that Congress holds greater power over these agencies than the President. Ignoring Article 1, Section 8 in a debate against the unitary executive theory has always puzzled me.

claudia116 · Jun 2026

The name of the podcast indicates that it’s a legal podcast and filled with critical thought. It’s neither. It’s almost entirely super biased editorializing with no intersection with the law. Sometimes I find it funny, though probably not in the way the hosts intend. It’s interspersed with awkward vulgarity and unsupported positions. If you want an insensible hyper liberal opinion echo chamber —then you’ll probably enjoy it. If you consider yourself moderate or liberal you probably won’t. In either case, if you’re coming for legal analysis or to challenge or expand your views on issues of law, you won’t find it here.

Nick Name Mitch · Dec 2024

I love this podcast almost all of the time. But y’all, it’s not 2018 anymore. We all know JVN is an abusive creator of hostile work environments. JVN does not deserve to be platformed, particularly by a group that cares so much for human rights. They actively violate the rights of others, and entertainment value cannot excuse this. I will return my rating to 5 stars when the hosts address this misstep and pledge not to platform JVN or ANYONE who abuses subordinates at work.

bluenightguitar · Jul 2024

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