Advisory Opinions

The Dispatch

  • 56 minutes 51 seconds
    Mail-In Ballot Deadlines Challenged in Court

    Sarah Isgur and David French discuss two Supreme Court oral arguments: one on Mississippi accepting ballots five days after Election Day, one on turning away asylum seekers before they reach the border.

    The Agenda:
    Watson v. Republican National Committee (election law)
    –The incentives won’t change when people vote
    Sarah’s least favorite oral argument
    Zorn v. Linton

    Order Sarah’s book here.

    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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    26 March 2026, 7:00 am
  • 1 hour 9 minutes
    You Can’t Preach Jesus Here | Interview: Judge Rebecca Taibleson

    Judge Rebecca Taibleson of the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals joins Sarah Isgur and David French for a conversation about her path to the federal bench. But first, the Supreme Court's unanimous Olivier v. City of Brandon decision on free speech zones, the viral Afroman jury verdict, and the Pentagon Press policy ruling.
    The Agenda:
    Olivier v. City of Brandon, Mississippi
    Afroman and the Streisand Effect
    U.S. judge rules against Pentagon press restrictions
    –Cauliflower and Mark Twain
    –Interview with Judge Rebecca Taibleson
    Order Sarah’s book here.
    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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    24 March 2026, 7:00 am
  • 1 hour 16 minutes
    Will Temporary Protected Status for Immigrants End?

    Live at the University of Pennsylvania's Carey Law School, Sarah and David are joined by Third Circuit Judge Stephanos Bibas to break down the Supreme Court's temporary protected status cases. They also debate whether a federal "defender general" would level the playing field and play a round of Marvel "What if?" with landmark Supreme Court moments.

    Order Sarah’s book here.

    The Agenda:
    –We await Gov. Chris Christie's return
    TPS Cases: Cert Before Judgment for Haiti and Syria Nationals
    Defender General: A New Office for Federal Public Defenders
    –Black Robe Syndrome
    –What If? Supreme Court alternative universes

    Show Notes:
    –"The Defender General" by Daniel Epps and William Ortman


    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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    19 March 2026, 7:00 am
  • 1 hour 8 minutes
    Judge Gets Vulgar in Transgender Spa Case

    Sarah Isgur and David French dive into two Ninth Circuit opinions: one involving an anti-discrimination law in Washington, another related to a first-grade girl being punished for giving her classmate a drawing inspired by what her teacher read in class.

    The Agenda:
    –Is the Fifth Circuit still the most conservative court?
    Judge VanDyke’s swinging opinion
    –What is this case even about?
    Adrian Vermeule weighs in
    –Don’t sic a kid’s drawing
    First-graders have free speech rights

    Order Sarah’s book here.

    Show Notes:
    The Postmodern Jurisprudence of Lawrence VanDyke

    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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    17 March 2026, 7:00 am
  • 54 minutes 43 seconds
    Supreme Court Justices Spar Publicly

    David French and Sarah Isgur break down new polling showing historic lows in trust for the Supreme Court, debate whether a public disagreement between Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Ketanji Brown Jackson helps or hurts the institution, and dive into oral arguments on property seizures and witness testimony rights.

    Show Notes
    –Hometown Program last call
    Supreme Court polling and public trust
    Justices Jackson and Kavanaugh clash
    –Trump vs. Supreme Court
    Takings Case: property seizure over $2,000 debt
    –Appellate moments: Lisa Blatt and more

    Order Sarah’s book here.

    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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    12 March 2026, 7:00 am
  • 1 hour 5 minutes
    What Are the Liberties Not in the Constitution?

    Welcome to the SCOTUSblog/Advisory Opinions Extended Universe, featuring hosts from "Amarica's Constitution" (Akhil Amar and Andy Lipka) and "Divided Argument" (Will Baude and Dan Epps).

    On today's episode, the group discusses substantive due process in the context of Mirabelli v. Bonta, a California law that prevented teachers from sharing information with parents about their children's gender transitions at school.

    The Agenda:
    Mirabelli v. Bonta
    –What is Substantive Due Process?
    –Conservative Legal Movement & Substantive Due Process
    –Reconciling Dobbs, Retti, and Mirabelli
    –The Emergency/Interim Docket Debate

    Show Notes:
    The emergency docket’s critics have it backwards

    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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    10 March 2026, 7:00 am
  • 1 hour 6 minutes
    Can Marijuana Users Be Barred from Owning Guns?

    Sarah Isgur and David French break down United States v. Hemani, a Second Amendment case involving an alleged user of a controlled substance in possession of a gun. They then discuss two interim docket decisions, one on elections and congressional districts, and one on parental rights and substantive due process.
    The Agenda:
    Guns and drug use
    –Downtown Bonkers Town
    Interim Docket: California Parental Rights
    New York Redistricting Emergency Stay
    –War powers resolution debate
    Show Notes:
    United States v. Hemani, Animated Explainer | SCOTUSblog + Briefly

    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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    5 March 2026, 8:00 am
  • 1 hour 29 minutes
    Trump Bypasses Congress on Iran

    Sarah Isgur and David French debate whether President Donald Trump's military action against Iran requires congressional authorization, explore the constitutional limits of presidential power, and argue over which version of James Madison deserves our respect.

    The Agenda:
    –Housekeeping: corrections, good causes, and collaborations
    –Legalities of interventions in Iran
    –Abrielle skips school to talk about the Hometown Program
    –Sarah loses it on James Madison

    Show Notes:
    Smith v. Goguen
    United States v. Hemani, Animated Explainer | SCOTUSblog + Briefly
    War and Peace Cannot Be Left to One Man — Especially Not This Man

    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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    3 March 2026, 8:00 am
  • 1 hour 4 minutes
    The Immunity Episode

    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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    26 February 2026, 8:00 am
  • 1 hour 14 minutes
    What’s Next After Friday’s Tariff Decision?

    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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    24 February 2026, 8:00 am
  • 47 minutes 59 seconds
    Supreme Court Strikes Down Trump Tariffs

    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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    21 February 2026, 2:22 am
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