Advisory Opinions

Mar 06 2025 517 ep. 71 mins 5.4k
Advisory Opinions Podcast artwork

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.

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The $2 Billion Dollar Case

Mar 06 2025 70 mins  
David Stras, appeals judge for the 8th Circuit, joins Sarah Isgur and David French at the University of Chicago Law School to discuss complexities of case selection in the Supreme Court, the quality and clarity of judicial opinions, and disagreements with Justice Clarence Thomas. The Agenda: —Recent SCOTUS cases —Supreme Court denies Trump request —SCOTUS kicks bias response

Rod Rosenstein and Robert Hur Talk Special Counsels

Mar 04 2025 69 mins  
Sarah Isgur invites former Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and special counsel Robert Hur to discuss the significance of special counsels, including the appointment process involved and the public’s perception of their independence and accountability. The Agenda: —Historical context of special counsels —Evolution of special counsel regulations —The personal impact �

Origins: From Kings to Executives

Feb 27 2025 75 mins  
David French is off doing David French things, so Sarah Isgur takes over the podcast and invites Judge Charles Eskridge of the Southern District of Texas and Judge Brantley Starr of the Northern District of Texas to discuss all things Texas—and the powers of the executive branch. The Agenda: —What’s exciting about Locke? —Here comes the Old Whig —King of England vs. the A

The Hallway Interviews

Feb 25 2025 82 mins  
Sarah Isgur and David French chased down a handful of authors over the weekend at the National Constitution Center for hallway interviews about life, liberty, and ... witches. The Agenda: —Jeff Rosen teaches us about happiness —Virtue vs. pleasure —Salem witch trials! —Nobody burns, they hang —What does it mean to be a lawyer? —Living beyond the billable hour Advisory O

Friends With DOJ Benefits

Feb 20 2025 70 mins  
David Lat joins Sarah Isgur and David French to analyze what’s behind the Department of Justice’s motion to dismiss the case agains New York City Mayor Eric Adams. The Agenda: —Friends get benefits in the Trump admin —Attorneys operating under a dual sovereignty —How good of a narc can you be? —Listener questions! —How Rome falls —Retribution —Grading the judiciar

Are Trump's Friends Above the Law?

Feb 17 2025 64 mins  
In an emergency-ish episode, Sarah Isgur and David French go over the timeline of the Thursday Afternoon Massacre and its immediate fallout. What does the past week portend for President Donald Trump’s Department of Justice? The Agenda: —Danielle Sassoon’s letter and future —Worst possible way to do a not-insane thing —The state of the DOJ —Trump’s Napoleon tweet —H

Lawless or Just Unwise?

Feb 14 2025 59 mins  
Is President Donald Trump breaking the Justice Department or simply reshaping its priorities? As federal prosecutors resign, Sarah Isgur and David French debate whether we’re looking at another Saturday Night Massacre—and whether that’s how the justice system should work. The Agenda: —What is (and isn’t) lawless? —More on the independence on federal agencies —One magn

Hiding in the Proverbial Attic

Feb 11 2025 71 mins  
Sarah Isgur and David French steal away to sunny Stanford University to talk shop with law students and bask in a friendlier climate. The Agenda: —Casual antisemitism at Cooper Union? —How to handle disagreement at elite schools —Gender identifiers for government employees —Bad injunction takes —Rejecting the president’s understanding of the Constitution —Q&A Advisory

Can Churches Commit Fraud?

Feb 06 2025 61 mins  
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 �

You’re Fired

Feb 04 2025 81 mins  
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