Boom! Lawyered
235 episodes - English - Latest episode: 15 days ago - ★★★★★ - 550 ratingsEvery week, Jessica Mason Pieklo and Imani Gandy take you on a wild ride through the latest legal battles in the fight for reproductive justice. On everything from abortion rights to trans discrimination to racial justice, Boom! Lawyered will help you get smart, stay mad, have fun, and fight back.
Produced by Rewire News Group.
Homepage Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Episodes
Midterm Results and the Voting Rights Battles That Will Follow
November 07, 2018 18:18 - 21 minutes - 19.9 MBThe midterms elections are (mostly) over. Now what? Jess and Imani sift through the results and lay out the high-stakes legal and political skirmishes that are likely to follow, especially regarding the right to vote.
Will Voter Suppression Swing the 2018 Midterms?
November 01, 2018 18:46 - 28 minutes - 26.6 MBVoter suppression in the 2018 midterms is real, and it's scary. In this episode of Boom! Lawyered, Imani and Jess explain the creative and alarming ways Republicans in three states are trying to prevent people from voting.
They're Coming for Birthright Citizenship
October 30, 2018 22:00 - 34 minutes - 31.7 MBPresident Trump claims he can end birthright citizenship with an executive order. Jess and Imani explain why that's simply not true—but how this move might be part of a scarier and potentially effective long-term strategy.
Trailer: Unladylike
October 30, 2018 21:57 - 2 minutes - 2.54 MBHere's a podcast we think you’ll love. It’s called Unladylike, and it’s all about gender rules and the folks who break them. They put together this trailer to tell you more about the show and how to listen. Check it out!
Meet the Official Who May Lead the Attack on Transgender Rights
October 22, 2018 22:15 - 21 minutes - 20.2 MBImani and Jess introduce you to Roger Severino. He runs the Office for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. He decorates his office with a Clarence Thomas bobblehead and a crucifix. And he’s the person likely to be driving the Trump Administration’s reported efforts to eliminate transgender
Kavanaugh Confirmed. Now What?
October 06, 2018 22:24 - 22 minutes - 21 MBWell, that happened. What does it mean and where do we go from here? Jess and Imani break it down. Also, be sure to check out Jessica's latest piece on the confirmation at Rewire.News. And donate to support our work at rewire.news/donation.
Ford Shines, Kavanaugh Whines
September 28, 2018 00:10 - 20 minutes - 19.1 MBImani and Jess break down an unforgettable day of testimony from Christine Blasey Ford and Judge Brett Kavanaugh.
Meet the Awful Person Who Could Take Over the Mueller Investigation
September 24, 2018 22:45 - 20 minutes - 19 MBSolicitor General Noel Francisco is well-positioned to take over supervision of special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian election interference should Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein resign or be fired. Everyone should be concerned about this line of succession.
The Kavanaugh Allegations
September 18, 2018 17:12 - 21 minutes - 20 MBImani and Jess discuss the attempted rape allegations against Brett Kavanaugh and whether they will meaningfully impact his nomination to the Supreme Court.
Kavanaugh Day 4: Witness
September 08, 2018 00:40 - 31 minutes - 28.5 MBOn the final day of the Bretty Kavanaugh confirmation hearings, Imani and Jess discuss the witnesses who spoke and what will happen next in the process.
Kavanaugh Day 3: Exposed
September 07, 2018 01:40 - 18 minutes - 17.1 MBJess and Imani explain the intrigue and events of day three of the Kavanaugh hearings.
Kavanaugh Day 2: Stolen Emails?
September 06, 2018 00:02 - 21 minutes - 19.7 MBImani and Jess recap the twists, turns, and gotchas of day two (which is still ongoing!) of the confirmation hearing for Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.
Kavanaugh Day 1: Changing the Rules
September 04, 2018 23:45 - 17 minutes - 16.1 MBImani and Jess recap and explain the most important takeaways—and most infuriating moments—from day one of the confirmation hearing for Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.
What Are Republicans Hiding in Kavanaugh's Documents?
August 23, 2018 10:05 - 30 minutes - 27.6 MBJess and Imani make sense of the Senate battle over the release of hundreds of thousands of documents related to Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. Why have the Democrats threatened to sue, and what might we learn from the mountain of files if they are all released? Find out on Boom! Lawyered.
Emergency Pod on Brett Kavanaugh Nomination
July 10, 2018 03:10 - 11 minutes - 10.5 MBTonight, President Donald Trump nominated Judge Brett Kavanaugh to replace retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy on the U.S. Supreme Court. On yet another emergency episode of Boom! Lawyered, Rewire.News legal eagles Imani Gandy and Jessica Mason Pieklo explore Kavanaugh’s history on the bench and what his confirmation could mean for the Court and our rights.
Who Can Stop Trump's Court Takeover?
July 05, 2018 14:07 - 35 minutes - 32.2 MBIn the final Boom! Lawyered episode of this Supreme Court term, Imani and Jess sift through the wreckage of the Court's decisions, explore how deep Trump's stacking of other federal courts goes, and discuss the end-game options for progressives who want to turn the tide.
Emergency Pod #2—Justice Kennedy Is Retiring
June 27, 2018 21:11 - 16 minutes - 14.8 MBBoom! Lawyered is back—again—to discuss the implications of Justice Anthony Kennedy's retirement announcement. WHAT A WEEK.
Emergency Pod on Muslim Ban and CPC Decisions
June 26, 2018 19:15 - 22 minutes - 20.8 MBToday, the Supreme Court gave a thumbs up to Donald Trump's Muslim ban and denied California's right to require factual disclosures by fake abortion clinics. Jess and Imani break down the key takeaways from a decision day that will live in infamy.
Pardon Me?
May 17, 2018 10:05 - 27 minutes - 24.9 MBCan Donald Trump pardon himself? What happens next if he tries? Whose fault is it that the pardon became so powerful? And how did the pardon even come to exist, anyway? Imani and Jess answer all of these questions and more on the latest episode of Boom! Lawyered.
Sonia Sotomayor Is an Absolute Boss
April 26, 2018 10:05 - 54 minutes - 50.1 MBWhen it comes to favorites on the Supreme Court, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg gets a lot of love. And it’s deserved! But in the latest episode of Boom! Lawyered, Rewire.News legal experts Jessica Mason Pieklo and Imani Gandy explain why someone else is deserving of the same (possibly even more?) love: Justice Sonia Sotomayor.
The DOJ Is Bullying ACLU Attorneys and It's a Big Deal
April 12, 2018 10:05 - 26 minutes - 24.1 MBImani and Jess confront an extraordinary overreach by the Department of Justice. After failing to prevent immigrant minor Jane Doe from obtaining an abortion to which she's legally entitled, the Department is now asking the Supreme Court to punish the ACLU attorneys who represent her. Why? Because they dared to do their job. Listen to learn what this might mean for those attorneys – and for all of us.
BREAKING: Today's SCOTUS Arguments in NIFLA v. Becerra
March 20, 2018 19:45 - 36 minutes - 33.6 MBJess was inside the courtroom this morning as the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in NIFLA v. Becerra, which will decide whether a clinic can be required to reveal whether they are a licensed reproductive health-care provider or an unlicensed fake clinic. She talks with Imani about the key arguments, memorable moments, and potential outcomes from the morning's events.
Does the First Amendment Allow CPCs to Lie to Pregnant People?
March 15, 2018 10:05 - 32 minutes - 30.2 MBWhen a pregnant person walks into a clinic, should that clinic be forced to reveal whether they are a licensed reproductive health care provider or an unlicensed fake clinic? Imani and Jess break down NIFLA v. Becerra, the Supreme Court case that's about to answer that question.
The Racist Ideology Neil Gorsuch Will Use to Break Unions
March 01, 2018 11:05 - 25 minutes - 23.2 MBImani and Jess discuss a Supreme Court case that could spell the end of public sector unions as we know them. Who is bringing this case and what do they hope to achieve? Which justice could be the one to swing the wrecking ball? And why do conservatives always talk about the "right to work" when trying to end unionization? Answers to those questions and more await you on Boom! Lawyered.
Pregnant and Going to the Doctor? You Might End Up in Jail
February 15, 2018 11:05 - 1 hour - 63.8 MBJess and Imani explain the laws and policies that pipeline pregnant people into the criminal justice system. Then they speak with the reproductive justice advocates at the SIA Legal Team about their important work on behalf of people who self-induce abortions.
Every Terrible Anti-Choice Bill Coming to a State Near You
February 01, 2018 11:05 - 34 minutes - 31.8 MBJess and Imani delve into the laundry list of state abortion restrictions already introduced in 2018. Spoiler alert: not only are anti-choice legislators drafting many different kinds of restrictions, they are also employing new legal strategies to try and undo Roe v. Wade one bad bill at a time. Recommended Reading: Rewire False Witnesses project Rewire Legislative Tracker Texas Used Junk Science to Restrict Abortion, by Kathryn Kolbert for Slate, January 2015
Hello! It's 2018 and Your Right to Vote Has Been Canceled
January 18, 2018 11:05 - 39 minutes - 36.4 MBJess and Imani explain which states are trying to prevent you from voting, why the Department of Justice went from helping to hurting, and how this all might play out in the courts in 2018. Recommended Reading: Supreme Court Lets Mississippi’s Anti-LGBTQ Law Stand—for Now, by Jessica Mason Pieklo for Rewire.News, January 2018 Boom! Lawyered: Standing Edition, by Imani Gandy for Rewire.News, August 2016 A Dead-Simple Algorithm Reveals the True Toll of Voter I.D. Laws, by Issie Lapowsky...
'The Handmaid’s Tale' Is Coming to Life
December 14, 2017 13:21 - 26 minutes - 24.1 MBIn this episode, Jess and Imani talk with Rewire's Jenn Stanley and Sofia Resnick about their new audio documentary, "Marching Toward Gilead: The Rise of American Theocracy." This two-part documentary dives deep on Operation Save America (OSA), an organization committed to a theocratic vision of America, and reveals the alarming ways OSA’s fundamentalist far-right ideology has wormed its way into state and federal government. Jess and Imani also unpack the key laws involved, including the F...
Bakers and Bare Breasts Will Determine the Limits of Free Speech
November 30, 2017 11:05 - 25 minutes - 23.2 MBJess and Imani discuss protected speech, expressive conduct, going topless as protest speech, and whether or not you can refuse to bake a cake for a same-sex couple and call it "free speech." They also explain the convoluted process by which cases make it to the U.S. Supreme Court and read the latest listener reviews. More from #TeamLegal at Rewire.news: Boom! Lawyered: Supreme Court Edition Justice Neil Gorsuch Has Already Changed the Supreme Court Forever
Eggs Are Not People and Your Sperm Is Not Sacred
November 16, 2017 11:05 - 24 minutes - 22.8 MBJess and Imani dive into the laws that define the concept of a person and how Congress and President Donald Trump are trying to sneak the anti-choice concept of "personhood" into everything from the Supreme Court to the latest tax legislation. Learn more at Rewire: Alabama Supreme Court Justices Make Case for Prosecuting Abortions Roe v. Wade and Fetal Personhood: Juridical Persons Are Not Natural Persons, And Why it Matters
Beckett Lansbury and Ally Sheedy on How to Be a Better Ally to Trans People
November 02, 2017 10:05 - 49 minutes - 45.8 MBJess and Imani are joined by Ally Sheedy and her son Beckett Lansbury, a Title IX activist who is also transgender. Beckett explains why asking someone for their pronouns is important, why he decided to be public about his journey, and what allies to trans people can do to make a difference. Ally discusses her experience as the parent of a child coming out as transgender and what scares her the most about life under the Trump administration.
How the 14th Amendment Protects Your Freedom to Get Laid
October 19, 2017 10:05 - 25 minutes - 23.7 MBJess and Imani discuss how a few key clauses in the Constitution are being deployed in new lawsuits to fend off the latest attacks on sexual rights and the Affordable Care Act's birth control benefit. Plus, Satanists fight for abortion rights in Missouri and Imani reads the latest listener reviews. Recommended Reading: The Establishment Clause: A Simpler Answer to the Contraception Question?, by Imani Gandy for Rewire, Jan 2014 Trump to Blow Up Obamacare’s Birth Control Benefit, by Christ...
The Government Can Make Me Say WHAT?
October 05, 2017 10:05 - 27 minutes - 25.2 MBWhether you're a doctor in a private room with a patient or a football player kneeling during the national anthem, legal precedents defining your speech rights are being debated and established all the way up to the Supreme Court. Boom! Lawyered will help you make sense of it all. Reading Companion: Boom! Lawyered: Levels of Judicial Scrutiny Edition, by Imani Gandy for Rewire, April 2016.
Four Ways Neil Gorsuch Could Ruin Your Life
September 21, 2017 10:05 - 21 minutes - 20.1 MBIn the inaugural episode of Boom! Lawyered, Jessica and Imani discuss the opening of the Supreme Court term and the big decisions on the horizon. With newly-added Justice Neil Gorsuch, the Court may be lurching back to the right on cases that address immigrant detention, President Trump's Muslim ban, Ohio voter roll purges, and whether or not evangelicals can refuse service to same sex couples. What does that mean for anyone who might be affected? Listen and find out. Resources: Boom! Lawy...
Coming 9/21: Boom! Lawyered
September 12, 2017 19:47 - 52 seconds - 1.1 MBComing on Thursday, 9/21: the premiere episode of Rewire Radio's new podcast, Boom! Lawyered. Every other week, Jess Pieklo and Imani Gandy deliver entertaining and helpful legal analysis for resistance-minded folks, including important justice issues coming up in the courts, how legal processes work, and what cases and their outcomes mean for all of us. Subscribe now!