Broken Law
Ever feel like the law is stacked against you? It probably is. Broken Law speaks truth to power in discussing how our laws and legal system serve the few at the expense of the many. This is where law meets real life. Hosted by the staff of the American Constitution Society, we reckon with the origins of our legal system, interview people on the frontlines of the progressive legal movement, and chat about necessary legal reforms to restore our democratic legitimacy and improve the lives of all people.
Episodes
181 episodes
Episode 180: The Voting Rights Act at 60
Sixty years ago, Lyndon B. Johnson signed into law one of the most transformative bills in United States history - the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Michael Li joins Lindsay Langholz to take stock of the VRA's impact on American democracy, t...
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Episode 180
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45:44
Episode 179: "Active Participants in Our Own Liberation"
ACS recently completed our 2025 National Convention Series, taking a deep dive into states' responses to the pressing issues of immigration, democracy and voting, economic and racial justice, and transgender rights. This week, we bring you brie...
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Episode 179
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26:03
Episode 178: 'Irreparable Harm': A Supreme Court Term Review
The Supreme Court recently wrapped up its 2024-2025 term and the ACS Policy and Program team is here to break down the headline cases, those that may have slipped under your radar, and several that came and went via the shadow docket....
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Episode 178
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1:09:52
Episode 177: The Legal System's Role in Political Violence
The country has recently experienced a series of escalating instances of political violence, perpetrated by individuals as well as state actors wielding governmental power. Christopher Wright Durocher is joined by Lindsay Langholz to disc...
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Episode 177
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56:33
Episode 176: Checks and Balances Upside Down
In these first months of his second term, President Trump has fired or attempted to fire thousands upon thousands of federal workers. Notable among those affected by this unprecedented flexing of executive authority are leaders of indepen...
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Episode 176
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52:12
Episode 175: Defending Academic Freedom
In recent weeks, the Trump Administration has escalated intimidation efforts against Harvard University and other private colleges, by canceling billions in federal funding and threatening to revoke tax-exempt status unless the schools make maj...
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Episode 175
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1:01:53
Episode 174: The New Civil War Over Reproduction
Far from satisfied with Dobbs, the antiabortion movement is energized and taking aim at their next objective - fetal personhood. Mary Ziegler, author of Personhood: The New Civil War over Reproduction, joins Lindsay Langholz to d...
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Episode 174
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32:16
Episode 173: The First 100 Days
President Trump's first 100 days of his second term have been unlike any other in the modern American presidency. The ACS Programs Team joins to discuss the major actions taken by the Administration in its opening weeks, shine a light on ...
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Episode 173
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1:03:23
Episode 172: A "Bloodless Coup" Underway in North Carolina
Over five months after voters cast their ballots to elect a North Carolina Supreme Court Justice, the election remains uncertified. The losing candidate has taken to the courts in an attempt to change the rules of the contest long after E...
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Episode 172
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36:22
Episode 171: Taking DOGE to Court
There have been over 100 lawsuits challenging many of the early actions of the second Trump Administration. Kate Huddleston joins Lindsay Langholz to discuss the details of one, Campaign Legal Center's recently filed lawsuit challenging t...
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Episode 171
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27:41
Episode 170: Public Policy and Religious Exemptions Collide Again, and Again, at SCOTUS
The Court is entering its final stretch of oral arguments for the 2024-2025 term and they will be hearing four important cases with significant First Amendment implications, particularly when it comes to the separation of church and state. ...
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Episode 170
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48:39
Episode 169: We Are in a Constitutional Crisis
More than 950 law scholars from around the country have signed on to a bipartisan letter decrying President Trump’s slew of illegal executive orders and actions. Christopher Wright Durocher talks with principal author and coordinator of the let...
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Episode 169
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38:38
Episode 168: Confronting the War on Immigrants
Perhaps more than any other issue, harsh immigration enforcement has defined President Trump’s political career. Since returning to office, the President has moved to end birthright citizenship, authorized ICE to raid schools and churches, and ...
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Episode 168
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41:51
Episode 167: TikTok, Adult Content, and the First Amendment's Big Month at the Court
The Supreme Court recently heard two cases that could have significant implications for the way we live our lives online. Gautam Hans joins Lindsay Langholz to reflect on the arguments made to the Court, how to interpret the TikTok v. Gar...
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Episode 167
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42:52
Episode 166: What's Next for DEI?
From the first Trump Administration's executive order restricting equity and inclusion discussions across the federal government to the Supreme Court's decision in Students for Fair Admissions, the last few years have seen significant ...
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Episode 166
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38:53
Episode 165: Judging the Failure of Constitutional Theory
What is constitutional theory and do judges actually need one? Mark Tushnet joins Christopher Wright Durocher to discuss his new book, Who Am I to Judge? Judicial Craft Versus Constitutional Theory, and how reasoned judgment can lead t...
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Episode 165
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40:36
Episode 164: Holiday Reading Wishlist
If you are doing some last minute holiday shopping or resolving to read more books in 2025, we have got you covered. Lindsay Langholz and Christopher Wright Durocher share what books are on their wishlist this holiday season, and Valerie ...
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Episode 164
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33:41
Episode 163: Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes: How Trump Will Move To Roll Back Protections Under Federal Law
Bethany Davis Noll, Executive Director of The State Energy & Environmental Impact Center, joins Valerie Nannery to talk about how a second Trump Administration will move to roll back federal regulations, how he harnessed previously low-prof...
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Episode 163
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50:56
Episode 162: The Threat of a National Abortion Ban in All but Name
How might a Trump administration effectively ban abortion without actually signing a national abortion ban into law? Abortion advocates are sounding the alarm over a 1873 law known as the Comstock Act. Lindsay Langholz joins Christo...
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Episode 162
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31:18
Episode 161: Can’t Stop. Won’t Stop. Judicial Confirmations Post-Election
The 2024 presidential election is behind us. Now, the second Trump administration looks poised to pick up where the first left off in its effort to reshape the federal judiciary in the conservative legal movement’s image. ACS President and form...
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Episode 161
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21:49
Episode 160: What to Expect When You're Expecting Election Results
In the days after Election Day 2020, mis- and disinformation over how votes are counted, verified, and results certified fueled political violence and the birth of the Big Lie. Ahead of Election Day 2024, Jonathan Diaz joins Lindsay Langh...
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Episode 160
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41:22
Episode 159: The Relationship Between Guns and Democracy
From the January 6th attack on the Capitol to recent assassination attempts on former President Donald Trump, political violence and intimidation pose a growing threat to our democracy. Taonga Leslie brings an excerpt from a recent ACS program ...
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Episode 159
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58:28
Episode 158: The Start of a New SCOTUS Term and the End of the 2024 Election
In this supersized episode, Christopher Wright Durocher joins Lindsay Langholz to discuss what to expect from the imminent start to the 2024-2025 Supreme Court Term. Then, Sylvia Albert and Eyricka Geneus of Common Cause join Ashley Erick...
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Episode 158
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1:04:10
Episode 157: The Case for Court Reform
The Roberts Court has spent years ignoring precedent, norms, and judicial restraint in pursuit of concentrated power. Chris Kang joins Taonga Leslie to discuss the problems this power grab has caused and many of the reform proposals currently o...
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Episode 157
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39:35
Episode 156: Protecting Workers on Labor Day and Every Day
This Labor Day Weekend marks the unofficial end to an historically hot summer. Terri Gerstein returns to Broken Law to talk with Valerie Nannery about legal protections for workers -- including from record heats but also from non-compete ...
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Episode 156
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57:51
