Sarah Isgur and David French dive deep into the world of immunities, examining recent Supreme Court decisions and their implications. They discuss State of the Union attendance patterns, analyze a postal service immunity case that split along unexpected ideological lines, and explore the contrasting jurisprudential approaches of Justices Gorsuch and Kavanaugh across different administrations.

The Agenda:
—State of the Union attendance
—Postal service immunity
—Executive power dynamics between Gorsuch and Kavanaugh
—NRA v. Vullo and qualified immunity
—Q&A from Florida State University

Show Notes:
—Postal Service v. Konan
—The GEO Group, Inc. v. Menocal

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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Sarah Isgur and David French record live at Florida State University and further examine the Supreme Court’s major tariff decision, examining Justice Kagan’s consistency argument, debating the Major Questions Doctrine with Justice Gorsuch’s concurrence, and analyzing Justice Kavanaugh’s dissent on executive power in foreign affairs.

The Agenda
–Analyzing Kagan’s argument
–Deep dive into statutory interpretation approaches
–Footnote battles (fun!) and methodological disagreements
–Executive power and Kavanaugh’s track record
–Special deference in foreign policy context
–Balance of payments vs. trade deficits
–Should justices attend Trump’s State of the Union address after his attacks?

Show Notes:
–Emergency AO following Tariffs decision
–Fifth Circuit 10 Commandments Case
–The Insignificance of Judicial Opinions

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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In this emergency episode, Sarah Isgur and David French break down the Supreme Court’s historic 6-3 decision striking down President Donald Trump’s tariff authority under IEEPA.

The Agenda:
– The 6-3 decision
–Chief Justice Roberts’ straightforward opinion
–Major questions doctrine explained
–The Festivus Concurrence begins
–The refund mess
–Why this is the most important case

Show Notes:
–Quick Thoughts on the Tariff Decision
–Supreme Court strikes down tariffs

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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Sarah Isgur and David French are in Dallas, Texas, at Southern Methodist University’s Dedman School of Law to discuss Justice Samuel Alito’s potential next moves, the alternative to federalism, and attorney-client privilege in AI.

The Agenda:
–Justice Alito’s book release has raised eyebrows
–Judge Amul Thapar, fitness influencer
–A question from the best history teacher ever
–Can the courts subpoena my AI activity?
–David French v. AI
–Boneless chicken wings vs. chicken nuggets
–Questions from the audience!

Show Notes:
–The Plan for a Radically Different Supreme Court Is Here
–In a First, Court Finds Using AI Tools Ends Attorney-Client Privilege

Pre-order Sarah’s book: Last Branch Standing: A Potentially Surprising, Occasionally Witty Journey Inside Today's Supreme Court

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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Sarah Isgur and David French discuss another set of Trump administration indictments rejected by a grand jury, the memo from Chief Judge Jeffrey Sutton of the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals dismissing the complaint against U.S. District Judge James Boasberg, and finally, Grifter Sarah comes out to play in the Texas Senate race.
The Agenda:
–The DOJ’s dropping success rate with cases
–David goes meta
–Are AUSA positions worth it?
–DOJ misconduct complaint against federal judge dismissed
–Congrats to the AO newlyweds!
–Listener questions
–The polls are all over the place for the Texas Senate primaries

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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Hot takes from James Comey, the 5th Circuit weighs in on habeas corpus petitions, and does being a lawyer suck? Sarah Isgur and David French weigh in.

Note: SCOTUSblog is hiring. Find more details and apply at this link, or send a cover letter and resume to [email protected].

The Agenda:
–Introducing the Interim Relief Docket Stat Pack
–Where are all the U.S. attorneys?
–Supreme Court allows California to use congressional map benefitting Democrats
–Trump administration games immigration issue via Fifth Circuit
–James Comey and Jack Goldsmith defend the courts

Show Notes
–February 1, 2026—On the Rule of Law - James Comey
–Fifth Circuit Sides With Trump on Immigrant Detention 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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Sarah Isgur and David French investigate the case of Don Lemon and the church disruptors. Plus: Trump sues Trump and two circuit court split decisions.

The Agenda:
–Chess, the musical
—What are these clerks going on about?
—Trump v. IRS
—The issue of selective admissions policies
—Compelled speech and pronouns in school
–Taking bets on the tariffs decision

Note: SCOTUSblog is hiring. Find more details and apply at this link, or send a cover letter and resume to [email protected].

Show Notes:
–I wrote a book in support of nationalizing elections. Trump changed my mind.

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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Sarah Isgur and David French are hosted by the Rockefeller Center for Public Policy and Social Sciences at Dartmouth to discuss the United States at 250 and where the Supreme Court stands today.
Pre-order Sarah’s book: Last Branch Standing: A Potentially Surprising, Occasionally Witty Journey Inside Today's Supreme Court
The Agenda:
—The Swing Justice era of the court is the exception
—Thank you Justice Kagan for free tampons
—Legal societies: students vs. professors
—Fringe theories and Unitary Executive Power
—Trigger words for David French: "coequal branches of government"
—Laws of war and Greenland
—Process girl in an outcome world
—Audience questions

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Sarah Isgur and David French explore the intricate legal landscape surrounding the TikTok deal and its compliance with the ban or sale law. Then, they delve into the Federal Tort Claims Act, and review a few circuit court cases.

The Agenda:
–TikTok sale is complete
–First Amendment and content moderation
–Federal Tort Claims Act overview
–Meth and the Second Amendment
–Where can I bring my gun in Maryland?
–Advice for aspiring lawyers

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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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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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

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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