Supreme Court Brief
- Episodes
- 44
- Released
- weekly
- Latest episode
- Nov 12, 2026
About the podcast
Go inside the latest SCOTUS cases! From cert to decision, Supreme Court reporter Jimmy Hoover breaks down the cases shaping business, policy, and precedent at the nation's highest court. Each week, he'll bring clarity to the Court's most consequential cases, as well as conduct interviews with expert guests on the biggest issues facing the Court today. A must-listen for litigators, firm leaders, firms with business before the Court, and anyone fascinated by the judiciary.
Episodes 44
Inside The Well-Oiled Machine That Preps SCOTUS Lawyers
On this week's episode, Debbie Shrager, director of the Supreme Court Institute at Georgetown Law, joins the program to discuss how she helps prepare lawyers for arguing at the Supreme Court. Plus, a look at …
Show notes
On this week's episode, Debbie Shrager, director of the Supreme Court Institute at Georgetown Law, joins the program to discuss how she helps prepare lawyers for arguing at the Supreme Court. Plus, a look at this week's hearing on the fate of civil rights suits against federal officers, and another win for the Trump administration on border security.
Host: Jimmy Hoover
Guest: Debbie Shrager
Producer: Charles Garnar
Supreme Court Considers 'Huge Expansion' Of Religious Rights Over Anti-Discrimination Law
On this week's episode, Georgetown law professor and former ACLU national legal director David Cole explains that Tuesday's Supreme Court showdown over Colorado's universal preschool program could usher in a …
Show notes
On this week's episode, Georgetown law professor and former ACLU national legal director David Cole explains that Tuesday's Supreme Court showdown over Colorado's universal preschool program could usher in a "huge expansion" of religious rights in the context of government-funded programs. Plus, host Jimmy Hoover takes a look at what the November midterms could mean for the future for two sitting conservative justices.
Host: Jimmy Hoover
Guest: David Cole
Producer: Charles Garnar
54 Years Of Arguing Before The Supreme Court
On this week's episode of Supreme Court Brief, Jimmy interviews University of Washington School of Law Professor Eric Schnapper, who will argue his latest Supreme Court case Monday, fifty-four years after his …
Show notes
On this week's episode of Supreme Court Brief, Jimmy interviews University of Washington School of Law Professor Eric Schnapper, who will argue his latest Supreme Court case Monday, fifty-four years after his debut at the high court in 1974 before Chief Justice Warren Burger and others. Schnapper describes how the court has changed over the years, and why he thinks the "bad old days" of statutory interpretation, in fact, get a bad rap from today's high court.
Host: Jimmy Hoover
Guest: Eric Schnapper
Producer: Charles Garnar
Supreme Court Will Review Ban On Home Liquor Stills
On this week's episode, Law.com reporters Jimmy Hoover and Alyssa Aquino break down the latest week in Supreme Court news, from an emergency order blocking Trump's gender-care ban for trans prisoners to the …
Show notes
On this week's episode, Law.com reporters Jimmy Hoover and Alyssa Aquino break down the latest week in Supreme Court news, from an emergency order blocking Trump's gender-care ban for trans prisoners to the latest cases added to this term's merits docket. Those include whether the 160-year-old federal ban on distilling spirits at home violates the Constitution.
Hosts: Jimmy Hover and Alysa Aquino
Producer: Charles Garnar
How The Supreme Court Preserves Authority By Not Using It
On this week's episode, Supreme Court reporter Jimmy Hoover interviews law professor Neil Siegel about his latest scholarship on how the Supreme Court practices judicial self-preservation to mitigate conflicts …
Show notes
On this week's episode, Supreme Court reporter Jimmy Hoover interviews law professor Neil Siegel about his latest scholarship on how the Supreme Court practices judicial self-preservation to mitigate conflicts with the Trump administration. Plus, Jimmy breaks down a new DOGE case set to be argued later this term, along with this week's hearings in cases about federal sentencing and online privacy.
Host: Jimmy Hoover
Guest: Neil Siegel
Producer: Charles Garnar
Supreme Court Grapples With Wave Of State Climate Suits
On the first day of the October 2026 term Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court confronted a wave of new state climate lawsuits against the fossil fuel industry. Law.com reporters Jimmy Hoover and Alyssa Aquino …
Show notes
On the first day of the October 2026 term Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court confronted a wave of new state climate lawsuits against the fossil fuel industry. Law.com reporters Jimmy Hoover and Alyssa Aquino discuss the justices' tough questions for energy giants Exxon Mobil and Suncor as they seek to end one such lawsuit from Boulder County, Colorado. Plus, recapping the latest headlines from Justice Samuel Alito's new book tour.
Hosts: Jimmy Hoover and Alyssa Aquino
Producer: Charles Garnar
Catch up on all the latest episodes of Supreme Court Brief at Law.com, Apple and Spotify.
A New Term Brings Cases On Climate, Guns And Voting
The start of the October 2026 term is almost here, bringing major cases on climate change lawsuits, the Second Amendment and voting rights. Listen as Supreme Court reporter Jimmy Hoover and co-host Alyssa …
Show notes
The start of the October 2026 term is almost here, bringing major cases on climate change lawsuits, the Second Amendment and voting rights. Listen as Supreme Court reporter Jimmy Hoover and co-host Alyssa Aquino break down the top issues to watch in this special preview episode of Supreme Court Brief. Hosts: Jimmy Hoover & Alyssa Aquino Producer: Charles GarnarEmergency Docket Heats Up With Election Disputes
This week on Supreme Court Brief, Jimmy recaps the latest developments on the Supreme Court's emergency docket concerning the November midterms. Plus, Supreme Court lawyer Dan Geyser joins the show to discuss …
Show notes
This week on Supreme Court Brief, Jimmy recaps the latest developments on the Supreme Court's emergency docket concerning the November midterms. Plus, Supreme Court lawyer Dan Geyser joins the show to discuss his new firm's SCOTUS practice and how to navigate the court's shrinking merits docket.
Host: Jimmy Hoover
Guest: Dan Geyser
Producer: Charles Garnar
Can AI Predict The Outcome Of Supreme Court Cases?
On this week's episode, Jimmy interviews University of Oklahoma Law Professor Hayley Stillwell about her recent experiments using various AI tools to try to predict the outcome of Supreme Court cases. While …
Show notes
On this week's episode, Jimmy interviews University of Oklahoma Law Professor Hayley Stillwell about her recent experiments using various AI tools to try to predict the outcome of Supreme Court cases. While broadly accurate, the tools often failed to anticipate areas of consensus among the court's nine members, she said. Also this week, Jimmy discusses the latest Supreme Court news about President Donald Trump's White House ballroom.
Host: Jimmy Hoover
Guest: Hayley Stillwell
Producer: Charles Garnar
Supreme Court Approval Plummets To Record Low After Rulings
Just one in three Americans approve of the job the Supreme Court is doing, the lowest figure on record. Gallup senior editor Jeff Jones joins Supreme Court Brief host Jimmy Hoover to discuss the group's latest …
Show notes
Just one in three Americans approve of the job the Supreme Court is doing, the lowest figure on record. Gallup senior editor Jeff Jones joins Supreme Court Brief host Jimmy Hoover to discuss the group's latest findings, and what's behind the court's sinking reputation.
Host: Jimmy Hoover
Guest: Jeff Jones
Producer: Charles Garnar
Trump Suffers Big Losses Even As Court Delivers Conservative Victories
On this episode of Supreme Court Brief, Jimmy Hoover interviews law professor Ilya Somin about his big takeaways from the October 2025 term, which served up several conservative wins across a range of areas …
Show notes
On this episode of Supreme Court Brief, Jimmy Hoover interviews law professor Ilya Somin about his big takeaways from the October 2025 term, which served up several conservative wins across a range of areas, even as the court distanced itself from some of President Donald Trump's more controversial policies.
Host: Jimmy Hoover
Guest: Ilya Somin
Producer: Charles Garnar
Supreme Court Brings An End To Human Rights Lawsuits Under Centuries-Old Law
interviews University of Chicago Law School Professor Curtis Bradley about the court's recent rulings in Cisco Systems v. Doe I and Exxon Mobil v. Corporacion Cimex. Bradley, a well-known international legal …
Show notes
interviews University of Chicago Law School Professor Curtis Bradley about the court's recent rulings in Cisco Systems v. Doe I and Exxon Mobil v. Corporacion Cimex. Bradley, a well-known international legal scholar, explains how the Cisco decision spells the end of lawsuits from foreign nationals brought under the centuries-old Alien Tort Statute over human rights abuses. He also breaks down the court's ruling in Exxon that the oil giant may may sue Cuban state oil entities over property allegedly stolen by the Castro regime following the revolution, holding they are not shielded by the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act. Host: Jimmy Hoover Guest: Curtis Bradley Producer: Charles GarnarSupreme Court Says Smoking Weed No Grounds For Gun Prosecution
This week on Supreme Court Brief, Jimmy breaks down Thursday's unanimous decision barring prosecutions of recreational marijuana users for gun possession—a major victory for weed and gun rights advocates alike …
Show notes
This week on Supreme Court Brief, Jimmy breaks down Thursday's unanimous decision barring prosecutions of recreational marijuana users for gun possession—a major victory for weed and gun rights advocates alike. Also this episode: Law.com litigation reporter Alyssa Aquino returns to the show to break down a recent ruling curbing suits from activist investors seeking more voting power at hedge funds. In other news this week, a look at Thursday's decision reining in appeal waivers for criminal sentences, which have become a standard part of plea agreements signed by criminal defendants. In an 8-1 decision, the court said that those waivers should be unenforceable if they would lead to a "miscarriage of justice" that brings the judiciary into "disrepute." Host: Jimmy Hoover Guest: Alyssa Aquino Producer: Charles GarnarKey SEC Tool Survives Supreme Court Review
This week, a breakdown of the Supreme Court's unanimous decision in Sripetch v. SEC, upholding the regulator's power to order disgorgement from fraudsters in insider trading and other complex fraud cases with …
Show notes
This week, a breakdown of the Supreme Court's unanimous decision in Sripetch v. SEC, upholding the regulator's power to order disgorgement from fraudsters in insider trading and other complex fraud cases with no easily identifiable victims. Jimmy interviews Law.com and New York Law Journal litigation reporter Alyssa Aquino about what this means for the SEC's enforcement powers going forward. Plus, a look at the FCC's pyrrhic victory over AT&T and Verizon over its in-house forfeiture orders, and why generic drugmakers came out on top in a patent ruling over so-called "skinny labels" for pharmaceuticals. Host: Jimmy Hoover Guest: Alyssa Aquino Producer: Charles GarnarAre Workers Having A Good Supreme Court Term?
On this week's episode of Supreme Court Brief, Jimmy speaks with Jennifer Bennett of Gupta Wessler on recent Supreme Court rulings in favor of workers, including her unanimous victory last week on behalf of a …
Show notes
On this week's episode of Supreme Court Brief, Jimmy speaks with Jennifer Bennett of Gupta Wessler on recent Supreme Court rulings in favor of workers, including her unanimous victory last week on behalf of a last-mile delivery driver in Colorado. Also, Jimmy breaks down the latest action from the justices affecting the midterm elections, and a recent ruling curbing the availability of "compassionate release" for federal prisoners.
Host: Jimmy Hoover
Guest: Jennifer Bennett
Producer: Charles Garnar
Cruise Lines In Deep Water Over Cuba Trips, Immigration Judges Lose Suit
On this episode of Supreme Court Brief, Jimmy updates listeners about a recent decision from the Supreme Court exposing four major cruise lines to $110 million judgments for docking at Havana during a thaw in …
Show notes
On this episode of Supreme Court Brief, Jimmy updates listeners about a recent decision from the Supreme Court exposing four major cruise lines to $110 million judgments for docking at Havana during a thaw in U.S.-Cuba relations. Plus, a look at the court's summary reversal ending a suit by immigration judges saying their free speech rights are being stifled by the federal government.
Host: Jimmy Hoover
Producer: Charles Garnar
Jeff Wall On Joining 'The Yankees' Of Appellate Bar, And Why Emergency Docket Is 'Here To Stay'
On this week's episode of Supreme Court Brief, Jimmy interviews Jeff Wall, who recently joined the law firm Gibson Dunn & Crutcher from Sullivan & Cromwell. Wall talks about his time in the U.S. solicitor …
Show notes
On this week's episode of Supreme Court Brief, Jimmy interviews Jeff Wall, who recently joined the law firm Gibson Dunn & Crutcher from Sullivan & Cromwell. Wall talks about his time in the U.S. solicitor general's office and what he hopes to accomplish at his new firm, which he described as the "Yankees" of appellate lawyering. Also this week: a look at a major new employment case at the Supreme Court next term focusing on whether college employees—from sports coaches to professors—may sue for sex discrimination under Title IX. Host: Jimmy Hoover Guest: Jeff Wall Producer: Charles GarnarSupreme Court Faces Last-Minute Midterm Battles
On this week's episode, Jimmy breaks down the latest election disputes to hit the Supreme Court's docket, including a last-ditch effort from Virginia Democrats to preserve the states new voter-approved map …
Show notes
On this week's episode, Jimmy breaks down the latest election disputes to hit the Supreme Court's docket, including a last-ditch effort from Virginia Democrats to preserve the states new voter-approved map giving them five additional House seats. Plus, Jimmy talks through the Supreme Court's two unanimous rulings Thursday morning.
Host: Jimmy Hoover
Producer: Charles Garnar
Alito, Jackson Spar As 'Emotions Bubble To Surface' Over Voting Rights
On this week's episode, Jimmy does a deep-dive on the Supreme Court's recent decision weakening the Voting Rights Act with UCLA Law Professor Rick Hasen, who explains why the case has left the justices' …
Show notes
On this week's episode, Jimmy does a deep-dive on the Supreme Court's recent decision weakening the Voting Rights Act with UCLA Law Professor Rick Hasen, who explains why the case has left the justices' emotions "bubbling up to the surface." That was most evident from an extraordinary clash between Justices Samuel Alito and Ketanji Brown Jackson. Plus, a look at the latest battle over the abortion drug mifepristone to land on the Supreme Court's shadow docket. Host: Jimmy Hoover Guest: Rick Hasen Producer: Charles GarnarJustices Deliver Blow To Minority Voting Representation
On this week's episode, Jimmy breaks down Wednesday's decision in Louisiana v. Callais delivering a major blow to Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. In an ideologically split-6-3 ruling, the court largely …
Show notes
On this week's episode, Jimmy breaks down Wednesday's decision in Louisiana v. Callais delivering a major blow to Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. In an ideologically split-6-3 ruling, the court largely prohibited states from intentionally boosting minority voting representation through the redistricting process. The decision led to a forceful dissent from liberal Justice Elena Kagan, who said the majority had set back a half-century of gains in minority representation in government. Also this week, Jimmy interviews Stanford Law Professor Orin Kerr about Monday's hearing in a cutting-edge Fourth Amendment case involving so-called "geofence warrants." Host: Jimmy Hoover Guest: Orin Kerr Producer: Charles GarnarFacing Leaks, Supreme Court Moves Forward With Arguments And New Cases
On this week's episode of Supreme Court Brief, host Jimmy Hoover touches on the recent leak of internal memos from a 2016 Supreme Court case, and previews an important First Amendment case set to be heard next …
Show notes
On this week's episode of Supreme Court Brief, host Jimmy Hoover touches on the recent leak of internal memos from a 2016 Supreme Court case, and previews an important First Amendment case set to be heard next term. This week's guest is Law.com and New York Law Journal reporter Alyssa Aquino, who joins the program to discuss Tuesday's Supreme Court hearing in a case over the SEC's power to order disgorgement from securities fraudsters.
Host: Jimmy Hoover
Guest: Alyssa Aquino
Producer: Charles Garnar
When Not On Bench, Justices Jet-Setting Around Globe
This week on Supreme Court Brief, host Jimmy Hoover interviews Gabe Roth, the head of the judicial watchdog group, Fix the Court. They discuss Roth's latest findings about the justices' overseas travel …
Show notes
This week on Supreme Court Brief, host Jimmy Hoover interviews Gabe Roth, the head of the judicial watchdog group, Fix the Court. They discuss Roth's latest findings about the justices' overseas travel activities from a Freedom of Information Act request to the U.S. State Department, documents his group had to sue to obtain. Also on this episode: the Supreme Court's move clearing the way for the dismissal of Trump ally Steve Bannon's criminal case. The court in an order on Monday, April 6, granted the Justice Department's request to throw out an appeals court ruling upholding Bannon's convictions for contempt of Congress. Bannon was prosecuted during the Biden administration after refusing to comply with subpoenas from the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol. The "MAGA" podcaster served a four month prison sentence following the convictions. Host: Jimmy Hoover Guest: Gabe Roth Producer: Charles GarnarWith Trump In Attendance, Justices Question Birthright Citizenship Restrictions
The Supreme Court heard oral arguments Wednesday on the constitutionality of President Donald Trump's efforts to restrict birthright citizenship, a hearing in which the president himself was in attendance …
Show notes
The Supreme Court heard oral arguments Wednesday on the constitutionality of President Donald Trump's efforts to restrict birthright citizenship, a hearing in which the president himself was in attendance. Joining host Jimmy Hoover to break down the arguments is former New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin, who led a challenge to Trump's executive order during his time as the state's top law enforcement official. Platkin explains why he thinks a majority of the court is poised to reject Trump's policy and clearly establish the citizenship of U.S. born children, regardless of their parents' immigration status. Host: Jimmy Hoover Guest: Matt Platkin Producer: Charles GarnarMail Voting, Asylum Claims And Big Win For Internet Providers
On this episode, Jimmy breaks down this week's oral arguments in major cases about the deadline for mail ballots, along with the ability of migrants to petition for asylum at the southern border. This week's …
Show notes
On this episode, Jimmy breaks down this week's oral arguments in major cases about the deadline for mail ballots, along with the ability of migrants to petition for asylum at the southern border. This week's guest is Saurabh Vishnubhakat, an intellectual property professor at Cardozo Law who joins Supreme Court Brief to discuss Wednesday's unanimous decision favoring internet service providers facing copyright lawsuits over user piracy.
Host: Jimmy Hoover
Guest: Saurabh Vishnubhakat
Producer: Charles Garnar
Supreme Court To Hear Major Case Over Mail Ballots
On this week's episode, a look at a major Supreme Court case set to be heard Monday that could upend mail ballot laws in over a dozen states. Host Jimmy Hoover interviews law professor Michael Morley of Florida …
Show notes
On this week's episode, a look at a major Supreme Court case set to be heard Monday that could upend mail ballot laws in over a dozen states. Host Jimmy Hoover interviews law professor Michael Morley of Florida State University's Election Law Center about the central issues in the case. Also this week, Jimmy breaks down the court's recent action in a pair of cases involving the Temporary Protected Status designation of Haiti and Syria. Plus, the latest rebuke from Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. of "dangerous" rhetoric attacking judges that he says "has to stop." Host: Jimmy Hoover Guest: Michael Morley Producer: Charles GarnarGuns, Weed And Ayahuasca: Supreme Court Hears Major Second Amendment Case
This week on Supreme Court Brief, host Jimmy Hoover interviews Second Amendment scholar Haley Proctor on Monday's hearing about the constitutionality of the federal gun ban for drug users. The hearing featured …
Show notes
This week on Supreme Court Brief, host Jimmy Hoover interviews Second Amendment scholar Haley Proctor on Monday's hearing about the constitutionality of the federal gun ban for drug users. The hearing featured colorful hypotheticals about ayahuasca users, weed gummies and the drinking habit of the nation's founders. Also this week, Jimmy breaks down a pair of 6-3 emergency docket orders that delivered conservative victories for the upcoming midterm elections, as well as religious parents protesting school gender policies.Host: Jimmy Hoover
Guest: Hayley Proctor
Producer: Charles Garnar
Trump Loses Big On Tariffs, But Vows To Fight On. What Now?
On this episode of Supreme Court Brief, Jimmy recaps an action-packed week at the court, highlighting a major new environmental case, a unanimous decision against an ICE contractor, and four justices' "night …
Show notes
On this episode of Supreme Court Brief, Jimmy recaps an action-packed week at the court, highlighting a major new environmental case, a unanimous decision against an ICE contractor, and four justices' "night out" at President Donald Trump's state of the union address.
Later on, Jimmy interviews Law.com and New York Law Journal litigation reporter Alyssa Aquino about what comes next after Friday's landmark decision striking down President Trump's tariffs.
Host: Jimmy Hoover
Guest: Alyssa Aquino
Producer: Charles Garnar
Can AI Give You A Seat Inside The Supreme Court?
On this episode, Jimmy interviews one of the creators of a new project that seeks to use artificial intelligence to create videos of the Supreme Court justices reading their opinions from the bench. The …
Show notes
On this episode, Jimmy interviews one of the creators of a new project that seeks to use artificial intelligence to create videos of the Supreme Court justices reading their opinions from the bench. The project, called "On The Docket," features strikingly lifelike visuals of AI-depicted readings of landmark Supreme Court opinions. Jimmy presses co-creator and law professor Timothy Johnson of the ethical implications of the computer-created videos, and whether it may "nudge" the Supreme Court to one day embrace cameras inside the courtroom.
Also this episode: a look at the Supreme Court's new automated recusal software, and why it has some court watchers criticizing Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito.
Host: Jimmy Hoover
Guest: Tim Johnson
Producer: Charles Garnar
The Elite Lawyers Dominating The Supreme Court's Docket
On this week's episode, Jimmy highlights new data revealing the incredible success that a small group of elite lawyers are having in taking their cases to the Supreme Court, and what it tells us about who gets …
Show notes
On this week's episode, Jimmy highlights new data revealing the incredible success that a small group of elite lawyers are having in taking their cases to the Supreme Court, and what it tells us about who gets to influence the direction of U.S. law. Law professors Tracey George, Mitu Gulati, and Albert Yoon join the program to discuss the findings of their recent paper, "The Inside Track."
Plus, a look at the Department of Justice's efforts to have the Supreme Court throw out the contempt-of-Congress convictions of MAGA influencer Steve Bannon in the "interests of justice."
Host: Jimmy Hoover
Guest: Tracey George, Mitu Gulati & Albert Yoon
Producer: Charles Garnar
Why A Recent MedMal Ruling Could Spell Bad News For The Media
On this episode of Supreme Court Brief, host Jimmy Hoover interviews defamation lawyer Travis Chance on why a recent medical malpractice ruling from the Supreme Court could make it harder for news organizations …
Show notes
On this episode of Supreme Court Brief, host Jimmy Hoover interviews defamation lawyer Travis Chance on why a recent medical malpractice ruling from the Supreme Court could make it harder for news organizations to defeat frivolous libel lawsuits.
Host: Jimmy Hoover
Guest: Travis Chance
Producer: Charles Garnar
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