Episodes 412
Avg. Duration 1h 6m
Activity Highly Active
Apple Rating 4.6 (5,628)
Since Jun 2019
Latest Episode Jun 2026

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Schedule
Weekly
Format
Episodic
Consistency
81%
Hosting
audioboom.com

About This Podcast

Strict Scrutiny is a podcast about the United States Supreme Court and the legal culture that surrounds it. Hosted by three badass constitutional law professors-- Leah Litman, Kate Shaw, and Melissa Murray-- Strict Scrutiny provides in-depth, accessible, and irreverent analysis of the Supreme Court and its cases, culture, and personalities. Each week, Leah, Kate, and Melissa break down the latest headlines and biggest legal questions facing our country, emphasizing what it all means for our daily lives. Whether you’re a lawyer or law student, or you’re just here for the messy legal drama, Strict Scrutiny has you covered. New episodes out every Monday… plus bonuses whenever SCOTUS takes away another one of our rights.

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Recent Episodes

S7E37 Affirmative Action for Mediocre Men

Jun 08, 2026 1h 24m

Leah and Melissa break down what may be a new low for the Court: granting Alabama’s request to reinstate racially discriminatory voting maps. Then, they turn to the big questions: how dead is Trump’s…

S7E36 Ballrooms, ‘Bama and (Very) Bad Behavior

Jun 01, 2026 1h 37m

Leah, Kate, and Melissa recap another busy week in legal news, covering the continued fallout from the Voting Rights Act case, Louisiana v. Callais, the ongoing saga of the DOJ’s insurrectionist…

S7E35 Trump's Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Grift

May 25, 2026 1h 34m

Kate, Melissa, and Leah try to wrap their heads around Trump’s nearly $2 billion DOJ slush fund, which they agree may be—despite extremely stiff competition—the biggest act of trolling and…

S7E34 How SCOTUS is Waging Electoral Warfare

May 18, 2026 1h 44m

Kate and Leah break down the Supreme Court’s extension of a stay allowing for continued mail-order access to mifepristone, from the Court’s unconscionable failure to meet its own arbitrary deadline…

S7E33 The Constitution (Melissa's Version)

May 11, 2026 1h 42m

Kate & Leah talk to Melissa about her new book, The U.S. Constitution: A Comprehensive and Annotated Guide for the Modern Reader, or, as we like to call it at Strict HQ, The Constitution…

S7E32 Supreme Court Declares Racism Over

May 04, 2026 1h 31m

The 5th Circuit gave us a doozy late on Friday night by tightening access to the abortion drug mifepristone—Leah and Melissa break it down. Then, the full crew dives deeper into the Court’s…

S7E31 BREAKING: SCOTUS Deals Another Blow to Multiracial Democracy

Apr 29, 2026 40m Bonus

Kate and Leah are joined by Democracy Docket’s Marc Elias to break down the Supreme Court’s shameful assault on multiracial democracy in its ruling on the Voting Rights Act case, Louisiana v.…

S7E30 How Low Can the DOJ Go?

Apr 27, 2026 1h 36m

From the DOJ’s targeting of the Southern Poverty Law Center for its anti-KKK work to Kash Patel’s outrageous lawsuit against The Atlantic for its reporting on his unfitness for office to the Fifth…

S7E29 SCOTUS Squabbles Go Public

Apr 20, 2026 1h 37m

Melissa, Kate, and Leah break down an absolute boatload of beefs: Trump vs. Pope Leo, Sonia Sotomayor vs. Coach Brett Kavanaugh, Clarence Thomas vs. progressives, and Ketanji Brown Jackson vs. the…

S7E28 War Crimes, Christian Nationalism, and the 25th Amendment

Apr 13, 2026 1h 18m

Even though the Supreme Court took a break from hearing oral arguments, there was still plenty of legal news breaking every day. Katie Phang joins Leah to recap that news, including Trump's threats…

S7E27 Birthright Citizenship + Bye-Bye, Pamela Jo Bondi

Apr 06, 2026 1h 25m

Last week saw oral arguments in the birthright citizenship case, Trump v. Barbara, and listeners, it finally happened: a legal argument so outlandish from the Trump administration that even this…

S7E26 SCOTUS Not Cool With Colorado Ban on Conversion Therapy

Mar 31, 2026 32m Bonus

Today the Supreme Court issued its opinion in Chiles v. Salazer, the case involving a Colorado ban on conversion therapy. Leah is joined by Shannon Minter, Legal Director at the National Center for…

S7E25 Will SCOTUS Join the GOP War on Mail-in Ballots?

Mar 30, 2026 1h 54m

Kate and guest co-host Ian Bassin of Protect Democracy kick off the show by covering the latest legal news, including developments at the Pentagon and Department of Justice, as well as Trump’s…

S7E24 Absentee Ballots, Asylum, and Too Many A**holes to Count

Mar 23, 2026 1h 18m

Leah, Kate, and Melissa preview this week’s arguments at the Court, including Watson v. Republican National Committee, a challenge over when election offices must receive absentee ballots in order…

S7E23 Make America Grift Again

Mar 16, 2026 1h 32m

Leah, Melissa and Kate go on Corruption Watch to catch up on all the sketchy things happening in the judicial and executive branches. Then, they cover some recent oral arguments and opinions from The…

S7E22 A Court of Drugs and Guns

Mar 09, 2026 1h 26m

Kate, Leah, and Melissa break down the oral arguments in United States v. Hemani, a Second Amendment case which challenges a law prohibiting “unlawful users” of controlled substances from possessing…

S7E21 The Conservative Push to Weaken Our Democracy

Mar 02, 2026 2h

International law expert Rebecca Ingber of Cardozo Law joins Leah at the top of the show to talk about the US and Israel's war on Iran. Then, Leah welcomes guest co-host Chris Geidner of Law Dork to…

S7E20 SCOTUS Again Takes on the 2nd Amendment—What Could Go Wrong?

Feb 23, 2026 1h 28m

Kate is joined by Friend of the Pod Steve Vladeck (One First) to break down last week’s legal news, including developments around noncompliance in the lower courts and SCOTUS ethics. Then, Leah and…

S7 BREAKING: SCOTUS Nixes Trump’s Tariffs

Feb 20, 2026 43m Bonus

In today’s much-anticipated ruling, the Supreme Court struck down Trump's tariffs. But how the opinion, dissent, and concurrences break down paints a much more complicated—and concerning—picture.…

S7E19 Is Sam Alito On His Way Out?

Feb 16, 2026 1h 26m

The legal news just kept coming this week, and Melissa, Leah, and Kate break it all down. Could Friend of the Pod Sam Alito be retiring? Possibly! Can Pete Hegseth retaliate against Senator and…

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does Strict Scrutiny have?

Strict Scrutiny has published 412 episodes since June 2019, covering topics in Government, News.

Is Strict Scrutiny still active?

Strict Scrutiny is currently highly active with new episodes weekly. Average episode length is 1h 6m.

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