Boom! Lawyered (Rewire News Group's Jessica Mason Pieklo and Imani Gandy)

Imani and Jess debunk the latest frontier in junk science: "abortion reversal." As more states pass laws forcing doctors to promote this myth, the courts continue to step in and block them. But if more people don't recognize the bad-faith claims underlying "abortion reversal," that could change—and sooner than we might think.

It's day one of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson's confirmation hearing, yet conservatives aren't over the Brett Kavanaugh hearings—which occurred in 2018. We also got peek into all the bad-faith nonsense that they'll bring over the next two days of questioning (we're looking at you, Sens. Josh Hawley and Marsha Blackburn).

Rewire News Group is a nonprofit media organization, which means that Boom! Lawyered—especially emergency episodes like this one—is only made possible by the support of listeners like you! If you can, please join our team by donating here.

And sign up for The Fallout, a weekly newsletter written by Jess that’s exclusively dedicated to covering every aspect of this unprecedented moment.

The Supreme Court announced today it would be taking up a case that could completely upend abortion rights.

Back in 2018, Mississippi passed a law that banned abortion at 15 weeks. It was struck down at the district level. Then the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, a notoriously conservative appeals court, struck it down, citing the clear precedent of Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey. And if the Supreme Court agreed that this was obviously unconstitutional, they could have easily just refused to take the case.

But they finally took the case.

On this emergency episode of Boom! Lawyered, Jess and Imani explore what today's news portends for abortion in America and when we can expect this all to come to a head. They are also joined by special guest Hillary Schneller, the lead attorney on the case from the Center for Reproductive Rights, who explains how this case could determine the extent of the government's ability to mess with our fundamental rights.

Jess and Imani recorded this special episode of Boom! Lawyered in front of a live audience over the weekend at the Summit for Religious Freedom. Tune in for their expert analysis on the mifepristone lawsuit.

Rewire News Group is a nonprofit media organization, which means that Boom! Lawyered is only made possible by the support of listeners like you! If you can, please join our team by donating here.

And sign up for The Fallout, a weekly newsletter written by Jess that’s exclusively dedicated to covering every aspect of this unprecedented moment.
 

The coronavirus crisis has forced the U.S. Supreme Court to hit pause. What will happen to cases that have been argued, like June Medical Services v. Russo? What will happen to other important cases yet to be argued? And how concerned should we be for Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg? Imani and Jess discuss these questions and more on the latest episode of Boom! Lawyered.

If you'd like to support our show, please donate here!

There's only one abortion clinic left in Kentucky, and by law its doctors must place ultrasound images in the patient’s view and read a state-mandated script. Recently, the ACLU filed a petition on behalf of the clinic asking the Supreme Court to step in. Imani and Jess explain the forced ultrasound law, its harms, and how the Roberts Court could protect—or devastate—the free speech rights of providers if they take the case.

Jess 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 Christine Grimaldi & Jessica Mason Pieklo for Rewire, May 2017

The filibuster was created by accident. Now, it's one of the most controversial and crucial components of our clunky mess of a government. But is it a good thing or a bad thing? On this episode of Boom! Lawyered, Jessica Mason Pieklo and Imani Gandy dig into whether the filibuster helps or hurts progressives in the long run, how to work around it, and whether those workarounds offer any path to stronger abortion protections.

If you'd like to support Boom! Lawyered, please do so at https://rewirenewsgroup.com/boomgive.

Imani 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

Jess and Imani answer listener questions across a range of important issues. Where can we find hope for the future of reproductive rights? How soon will people feel the impact of so many recent ultra-conservative judges appointed to the lower courts? And what beverage pairs well with a delicious criminal indictment?

The impeachment trial was going so well! Alas, the Democrats managed to tie themselves into knots and fumble away the narrative. But all is not lost, thanks to a creative lawsuit that invokes the Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871. Meanwhile, the Biden administration took some bold steps to rescue the Affordable Care Act from a Supreme Court disaster while 30 (!) states are gearing up to attack abortion rights and trans kids. So it's all a bit of a roller-coaster. On this episode of Boom! Lawyered, Imani Gandy and Jessica Mason Pieklo will help you try and hang on.

If you enjoy Boom! Lawyered, please consider supporting us at https://rewirenewsgroup.com/boomgive! As a nonprofit, we rely on your donations to keep the content flowing.

Today, 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.

Jess 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.

Friday morning, the Supreme Court announced it was taking June Medical Services v. Gee. In this emergency episode of Boom! Lawyered, Jessica Mason Pieklo and Imani Gandy discuss why this is a direct threat to reproductive rights and the value of legal precedent.

For more, please read:

Supreme Court Takes First Abortion Rights Case With Kavanaugh on the Bench

Boom! Lawyered: Standing Edition

Coming 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!

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was confirmed and sworn in as the secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. And almost immediately, Trump fired off another executive order establishing a “Make America Great Again” commission. The group, made up of leadership from multiple federal agencies, was tasked with making healthy food more affordable and fighting chronic disease. Sounds reasonable, right?

Wrong.

This week, Jess and Imani dig into the biggest changes that could be worming their way into U.S. public health infrastructure with Kennedy at the helm. The duo break down how Trump and Kennedy’s early actions could mark a dark shift towards state institutionalization of people who don’t bend to its will, and what it could mean for the millions of Americans already struggling to access care. 

Rewire News Group is a nonprofit media organization, which means that episodes like this one are only made possible with the support of listeners like you! If you can, please join our team by donating here.

And sign up for The Fallout, a weekly newsletter written by Jess that’s exclusively dedicated to covering every aspect of this unprecedented moment.

Join co-hosts Jessica Mason Pieklo and Imani Gandy in a special reaction episode of Boom! Lawyered as they discuss the main takeaways from the day three of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson's confirmation hearing: Republicans are willing to pander to the lowest of the lows, and they're coming for all of our rights. 

It's pretty dark. But Jess and Imani are following the lead of  Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) and celebrating joy in this historic nomination.

This episode was recorded prior to more info being released on the rest of the confirmation process. Senate Judiciary Chair Dick Durbin (D-IL) has said he wants the full Senate vote to occur before the chamber breaks. Here’s how the schedule is expected to play out:

• March 28 — Senate Judiciary Committee will consider her nomination
• April 4 — The committee will vote to send Jackson’s nomination to the full Senate
• April 8 — Senate breaks

Rewire News Group is a nonprofit media organization, which means that Boom! Lawyered—especially rapid reaction episodes like this one—is only made possible by the support of listeners like you! If you can, please join our team by donating here.

And sign up for The Fallout, a weekly newsletter written by Jess that’s exclusively dedicated to covering every aspect of this unprecedented moment.

You'll likely be hearing a lot more about L.W. v. Skrmetti, a trans rights case that the ACLU has requested the Supreme Court takes up.

Jess and Imani get into the nuts and bolts of the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals decision that allowed Tennessee's gender-affirming ban targeting trans kids to take effect, breaking previous federal court consensus that these bans are unconstitutional. Led by Judge Jeffrey Sutton, a George W. Bush appointee, it was the first decision to let a gender-affirming ban take effect, which has led to a domino effect on other similar bans in the country.

Rewire News Group is a nonprofit media organization, which means Boom! Lawyered is only made possible with the support of listeners like you! If you can, please join our team by donating here.

And sign up for The Fallout, a weekly newsletter written by Jess that’s exclusively dedicated to covering every aspect of this unprecedented moment.

Smell that? It’s the stink of the Supreme Court’s corruption creeping closer. Before the Court’s next term begins Monday, Imani and Jess preview some of the upcoming cases it’s set or likely to decide, including lawsuits over access to mifepristone, racist gerrymandering, and insurance coverage for gender-affirming care. 

Rewire News Group is a nonprofit media organization, which means Boom! Lawyered is only made possible with the support of listeners like you! If you can, please join our team by donating here.

And sign up for The Fallout, a weekly newsletter written by Jess that’s exclusively dedicated to covering every aspect of this unprecedented moment.

Here’s a fun thing that wasn't on our 2021 bingo card: multiple abortion rights challenges at the Supreme Court. But that happened thanks to Texas!

The Supreme Court decided on Friday to hear two challenges to Texas SB 8, which restricts most abortions in the state after six weeks and puts a bounty in place for anyone who reports someone who helps someone else get an abortion. And they’re hearing the case on November 1—a week from today—like some "gut abortion" telethon.

Hosts Jessica Mason Pieklo and Imani Gandy make sense of what has arguably been the most chaotic week in abortion jurisprudence in a while.

Articles mentioned in the episode:

• Greek Life Is Even More of a Public Health Threat During COVID-19
• When a Miscarriage Becomes a Jail Sentence

Rewire News Group is a nonprofit media organization, which means that Boom! Lawyered is only made possible by the support of listeners like you! If you can, please join our team by donating here: https://rewirenewsgroup.com/donate.

And sign up for The Fallout, a new weekly newsletter written by Jess that’s exclusively dedicated to covering every aspect of this unprecedented moment. https://rewirenewsgroup.com/subscribe.

Two years ago today, Politico published the bombshell leak heard around the world—Justice Samuel Alito's 98-page majority draft opinion overturning Roe v. Wade.

In this flashback episode, Jess and Imani react the following afternoon to the absolute sucker punch.

For more coverage of the leaked opinion, check out our next episode, "Processing the Fallout of the Supreme Court Leak."

Rewire News Group is a nonprofit media organization, which means that Boom! Lawyered—especially emergency episodes like this one—is only made possible by the support of listeners like you! If you can, please join our team by donating here.

And sign up for The Fallout, a weekly newsletter written by Jess that’s exclusively dedicated to covering every aspect of this unprecedented moment.

The future of abortion is medication abortion. Anti-abortion activists know this. That's why they're coming after abortion pills—and  fighting hard to get it banned nationwide.

In a new episode of Boom! Lawyered, Jess and Imani dive into Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. FDA, the case before a Trump judge that could ban mifepristone, one of the two pills used in medication abortions.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Abortion Gets Porked

Rewire News Group is a nonprofit media organization, which means that Boom! Lawyered is only made possible by the support of listeners like you! If you can, please join our team by donating here.

And sign up for The Fallout, a weekly newsletter written by Jess that’s exclusively dedicated to covering every aspect of this unprecedented moment.

Today, the Supreme Court declined an appeal challenging a Kentucky law that forces doctors to show and describe ultrasound images before performing an abortion—even if patients avert their eyes or ask the doctor to stop. In this emergency episode, Jess and Imani explain what this means for the First Amendment and abortion rights in Kentucky and around the country.

We have some big news for Boom! Lawyered subscribers: Jess and Imani are launching a second podcast series on February 25th!  It's not available yet, but we wanted to give our listeners a special preview...

The new show is called We'll Hear Arguments, and it explores the dramatic, inspiring, and infuriating arguments of Roe v. Wade from 1971 and 1972.

This journey into the past is extremely relevant to the present as the Supreme Court prepares to take its first crack at decimating Roe in March. So we hope you’ll join us for our five-part series when it launches.

Stay tuned for links to the new feed and more! And don’t worry, B!L will still be going strong as we cover current news and events around the courts and our rights, as well.

What was it like getting ready for the biggest abortion case in decades?

Jenny Ma, a senior staff attorney at the Center for Reproductive Rights who was at the Supreme Court joins hosts Jessica Mason Pieklo and Imani Gandy for a behind-the-scenes perspective on everything Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization.

Rewire News Group is a nonprofit media organization, which means that Boom! Lawyered is only made possible by the support of listeners like you! If you can, please join our team by donating at https://rewirenewsgroup.com/donate.

And sign up for The Fallout, a weekly newsletter written by Jess that’s exclusively dedicated to covering every aspect of this unprecedented moment: https://rewirenewsgroup.com/subscribe.

We have a treat this week—more attorneys! Law professor David S. Cohen and sociologist Carole Joffe join the pod to talk about their newest book, 'After Dobbs.'

They chat with Jess and Imani about the legal battle over abortion pills, the Comstock Act, the importance of abortion care advocates, and what’s next in the abortion fight.

Rewire News Group is a nonprofit media organization, which means that episodes like this one are only made possible with the support of listeners like you! If you can, please join our team by donating here.

And sign up for The Fallout, a weekly newsletter written by Jess that’s exclusively dedicated to covering every aspect of this unprecedented moment.

Jessica Mason Pieklo and Imani Gandy recap the second day of Amy Coney Barrett's Supreme Court confirmation process.

On Tuesday, she refused to answer a lot of questions but still managed to make some pretty wild statements on health care, the LGBTQ community, and more. How did senators respond to them? And is any kind of meaningful opposition strategy emerging from the Democrats? Find out all of that and more!

If you'd like to support Boom! Lawyered, please do so here.

In the meantime, catch up with our latest special issue, "They the People," all about trans rights.

Rewire News Group is a nonprofit media organization, which means Boom! Lawyered is only made possible with the support of listeners like you! If you can, please join our team by donating here.

And sign up for The Fallout, a weekly newsletter written by Jess that’s exclusively dedicated to covering every aspect of this unprecedented moment.

The Department of Labor has proposed a rule that could gut civil rights protections for the employees of more than 42,000 businesses that hold a federal contract. Imani and Jess explain the rule, its impact, and why former Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia might roll over in his grave if he knew his son could be tasked with enforcing it. 

Anyone can comment on this law here.

In this week's episode of Boom! Lawyered, co-hosts Jessica Mason Pieklo and Imani Gandy break down the Court's decision to let Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron reanimate the fight to enforce a state law banning the most common form of later abortion.

And while this case is about abortion on the surface, it's also about all that's lurking underneath—political power, ambition, and how conservative lawmakers use abortion as currency to spend in their own political careers—in the quest to upend democracy.

Rewire News Group is a nonprofit media organization, which means that Boom! Lawyered—especially emergency episodes like this one—is only made possible by the support of listeners like you! If you can, please join our team by donating here.

And sign up for The Fallout, a weekly newsletter written by Jess that’s exclusively dedicated to covering every aspect of this unprecedented moment.

Mentioned in the episode:

• Texas SB 8's Effects on the Ground
• How Texas Became Ground Zero in the Abortion Wars
• Abortion Was the Obvious Play to Turn Texas Red. How Did Democrats Miss It?

Have you ever wondered what would happen if someone tried to perform an abortion while committing arson or burglary? Ohio lawmakers have, and they've proposed a massive new ban to deal with that hypothetical—and a whole lot more. Jess and Imani break down a 723-page bill that will leave your jaw on the floor.

Can pro-natalists go touch some grass? 

A trio of conservative attorneys general filed a complaint in federal court claiming the availability of mifepristone, one of two drugs used in medication abortions in the United States, creates a “sovereign injury” to the states themselves. They argue that mifepristone lowers teen birth rates in violation of the states’ “population interests.”

Jess and Imani get into why this argument is essentially constitutionally-mandated eugenics and how it could expand state police power. We could be entering an entirely new era of constitutional law.

Rewire News Group is a nonprofit media organization, which means that episodes like this one are only made possible with the support of listeners like you! If you can, please join our team by donating here.

And sign up for The Fallout, a weekly newsletter written by Jess that’s exclusively dedicated to covering every aspect of this unprecedented moment.

Amy Coney Barrett was confirmed to the Supreme Court on Monday evening. Imani Gandy and Jessica Mason Pieklo use her first day on the job to take stock of her wildly inappropriate appearance with Trump last night during her swearing-in ceremony, the effectiveness (or lack thereof?) of Senate opposition, and how the mainstream media handled itself during this unprecedented power-grab.

Rewire News Group has been covering Barrett's nomination and confirmation every step of the way. Check out our full coverage here.

And if you'd like to support Boom! Lawyered, please do so at https://rewirenewsgroup.com/boomgive.

Buckle up—we're taking you to Texas this week.

Hosts Jessica Mason Pieklo and Imani Gandy unpack the current state of abortion access in Texas (we’re using the word “access” loosely here.) 

They break down what the courts have done over the last few months as cases challenging the law have ping-ponged between the federal district and circuit courts and the Supreme Court. The TL;DR: It's not great! 

Mentioned in the episode:

• Rewire News Group's virtual, subscriber-only event hosted by Jess
• In Utah Jails, a Rare Reproductive Rights Bright Spot Emerges
• These 5 Cases Could Finish Off Abortion Rights for Good

Starting October 25, episodes of Boom! Lawyered will be released Monday afternoon.

Rewire News Group is a nonprofit media organization, which means that Boom! Lawyered is only made possible by the support of listeners like you! If you can, please join our team by donating here: https://rewirenewsgroup.com/donate.

And sign up for The Fallout, a new weekly newsletter written by Jess that’s exclusively dedicated to covering every aspect of this unprecedented moment. https://rewirenewsgroup.com/subscribe.

Boom! Lawyered is approaching 1 million downloads, and Jess and Imani have something special planned for loyal subscribers and listeners like you! Keep tuning in this month and be sure you're following us on Twitter.

Connecticut just passed the most progressive and pro-abortion law on the books right now—and it's a shining example of what states can do if they care about abortion access.

In this new episode of Boom! Lawyered, co-hosts Jessica Mason Pieklo and Imani Gandy take a look into a post-Roe world—mostly bad, some definitely good. If (and when) Roe v. Wade falls nationwide, there will be vast abortion deserts in the country—states where abortion is entirely illegal or inaccessible to the point of nonexistence. This means that providers and patients will need to rely on traveling to other states to provide or access care.

It's basically up to progressive lawmakers to safeguard access—like what Connecticut is doing in sticking its neck out and transforming the state into a haven for access.

Rewire News Group is a nonprofit media organization, which means that Boom! Lawyered is only made possible by the support of listeners like you! If you can, please join our team by donating here.

And sign up for The Fallout, a weekly newsletter written by Jess that’s exclusively dedicated to covering every aspect of this unprecedented moment.

Articles mentioned in this episode:

• Harassment at Abortion Clinics Is Already Bad. It’s Worse When You’re Black.

The next major Supreme Court fight over nationwide abortion access since the overturn of Roe v. Wade is coming up. Oral arguments in FDA v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine, regarding mifepristone access, one of two drugs used in medication abortion, is set for March 26, and the justices could potentially set access back decades.

In this flashback episode, Jess and Imani discuss how anti-choice activists are using scare tactics—and language like “chemical abortion”—to stigmatize mifepristone. Decades of research and data show mifepristone is safe and effective.

Rewire News Groupis a nonprofit media organization, which means Boom! Lawyered is only made possible with the support of listeners like you! If you can, please join our team by donating here.

And sign up forThe Fallout, a weekly newsletter written by Jess that’s exclusively dedicated to covering every aspect of this unprecedented moment.

Last week, the Supreme Court completed its business for this term. And by "its business" we mean "gutting the meager remaining protections for voting rights in the United States." Other highlights of their closing act include the Affordable Cart Act living to fight another day, some subtle groundwork being laid for legal religious discrimination, and a disappointing number of justices (ZERO) announcing their retirement.

On the last Boom! Lawyered before our own summer break, Jess and Imani break down the final crush of news from the Court and give the latest update on Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization. Barring any major breaking news, Boom! Lawyered will be back in September. If you want more Jess and Imani in the meantime, follow their Rewire News Group adventures on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook!

Rewire News Group is a nonprofit media organization, which means that Boom! Lawyered is only made possible by the support of listeners like you! If you can, please join our team by donating here.

President Joe Biden has a chance to make good on his campaign promise to nominate the first Black woman to the Supreme Court—and it should be happening fairly soon!

In this week's episode of Boom! Lawyered, co-hosts Jessica Mason Pieklo and Imani Gandy break down the top names floating around to replace Justice Stephen Breyer on the bench: D.C. Circuit Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, California Supreme Court Justice Leondra Kruger (Jess' pick!), and South Carolina District Judge J. Michelle Childs.

With this nomination and impending confirmation fight, Biden has a lot to make up for—he egregiously mishandled the Clarence Thomas confirmation hearings three decades ago when he chaired the Senate Judiciary Committee and oversaw the proceedings.

Rewire News Group is a nonprofit media organization, which means that Boom! Lawyered—especially emergency episodes like this one—is only made possible by the support of listeners like you! If you can, please join our team by donating here.

And sign up for The Fallout, a weekly newsletter written by Jess that’s exclusively dedicated to covering every aspect of this unprecedented moment.

Articles mentioned in the episode:

• When It Comes to Black Women, Biden Has a Chance to Make It Right
• I Had Two Abortions. They’ve Undoubtedly Made Me a Better Mother.
• Why More of Us Should Embrace the Word Slut

Conservative lawmakers are passing total and near-total abortion bans with the explicit hope that they will be used to overturn Roe v. Wade. But how would that work, exactly? Imani and Jess explain the arguments that would fuel a legal challenge to Roe and how a bad decision could then be used to attack state laws protecting abortion rights.

Download Imani's highlighted copy of the Roe v. Wade decision. To see the highlights, use Adobe Acrobat on a computer or a PDF app on your phone.

Pace yourself this Supreme Court season, folks, as we head into oral arguments for two major abortion rights cases before the term ends.  First up on Tuesday is FDA v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine, which will decide the fate of mifepristone, one of two drugs used in medication abortions.

Not only could a ruling before the end of the Court term wipe out access, conservatives are using the case to resurrect the Comstock Act to eventually outlaw "obscene" things like contraception in the United States.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Why Is Everybody Talking About the Comstock Act?

Rewire News Groupis a nonprofit media organization, which means Boom! Lawyered is only made possible with the support of listeners like you! If you can, please join our team by donating here.

And sign up forThe Fallout, a weekly newsletter written by Jess that’s exclusively dedicated to covering every aspect of this unprecedented moment.

The Senate voted 53-47 this afternoon to confirm Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court! "Aye" votes came from Republican Sens. Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, and Mitt Romney to confirm Jackson, who's the first Black woman, and first public defender, to join the nation's highest court.

In this rapid reaction episode of Boom! Lawyered, co-hosts Jessica Mason Pieklo and Imani Gandy celebrate this historic moment and look ahead to upcoming cases that Justice Jackson will hear next term.

Rewire News Group is a nonprofit media organization, which means that Boom! Lawyered—especially rapid reaction episodes like this one—is only made possible by the support of listeners like you! If you can, please join our team by donating here.

And sign up for The Fallout, a weekly newsletter written by Jess that’s exclusively dedicated to covering every aspect of this unprecedented moment.

The Biden administration's final Title IX rule, which bans sex discrimination in schools that get federal funding, took effect last week. Except, that is, in the more than two dozen states where conservative attorneys general filed lawsuits to block the rule from taking effect.

Chris Geidner joins Imani and Jess this week to parse through the legalese and where it leaves LGBTQ+ students as the school year nears.

Rewire News Group is a nonprofit media organization, which means that episodes like this one is only made possible with the support of listeners like you! If you can, please join our team by donating here.

And sign up for The Fallout, a weekly newsletter written by Jess that’s exclusively dedicated to covering every aspect of this unprecedented moment.

This week, Jess and Imani join Lizz Winstead and Moji Alawode-El of Feminist Buzzkills live from The Black Cat in Washington, D.C. for a rowdy takedown of the latest abortion case to reach the Supreme Court, the election results in Wisconsin, and more.

Rewire News Group is a nonprofit media organization, which means that episodes like this one are only made possible with the support of listeners like you! If you can, please join our team by donating here.

And sign up for The Fallout, a weekly newsletter written by Jess that’s exclusively dedicated to covering every aspect of this unprecedented moment.

On Wednesday, the Supreme Court heard arguments in a case involving a former high school student who posted a photo of herself and a friend on Snapchat with their middle fingers raised. The caption read, “fuck school fuck softball fuck cheer fuck everything.” Have you fainted in outrage yet?

Brandi Levy was a freshman at a Pennsylvania high school when she tried out for the varsity cheerleading team. She didn’t make it, and ended up on the JV squad. She probably wasn't happy about that and posted the Snapchat in question. The cheerleading coaches caught wind of it and suspended her from cheerleading for a year.

In response, Levy's father filed a lawsuit with the help of the ACLU, alleging that the school had violated his daughter’s First Amendment rights. And now this case may decide some major questions about the rights of minors like:

• What free speech rights do students have outside of school?
• Can their free speech rights be abridged 24 hours a day, 365 days a year?
• What counts as private versus public speech in the era of social media?

On this episode of Boom! Lawyered, Jess and Imani wade into all of this and more. Gooooo team!

President 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.

Last week, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that policies targeting transgender people are sex-based discrimination that must meet heightened scrutiny to be constitutional. This is a big deal! Imani and Jess evaluate this important—but qualified—win for transgender rights and what it means for those rights in the future.

The Supreme Court is set to hear oral arguments in United States v. Skrmetti, a case that could determine trans minors’ right to gender-affirming care, in December. It’s coming on the heels of Donald Trump’s successful election campaign, which he closed by attacking Democrats left and right on trans rights.

This week, Jess and Imani walk through what to expect from this case—and it’s not looking great. We’re expecting junk science, moral cowardice, and an “assurance” that this is about returning the issue to the states. 

Sound familiar?

Rewire News Group is a nonprofit media organization, which means that episodes like this one are only made possible with the support of listeners like you! If you can, please join our team by donating here.

And sign up for The Fallout, a weekly newsletter written by Jess that’s exclusively dedicated to covering every aspect of this unprecedented moment.

Jess and Imani get into the heart of the New York Times' bombshell reporting over the weekend that alleges Justice Samuel Alito leaked a 2014 opinion on a big contraception case. So, just how corrupt is Alito, and can anything be done about it?

As Jess says, "The allegations in the New York Times piece are absolutely extraordinary. They totally paint this picture of Sam Alito and Clarence Thomas as ... just straight-up partisan operatives ... helping the Court craft policy."

Rewire News Group is a nonprofit media organization, which means that Boom! Lawyered–especially rapid reaction episodes like this are only made possible by the support of listeners like you! If you can, please join our team by donating here.

And sign up for The Fallout, a weekly newsletter written by Jess that’s exclusively dedicated to covering every aspect of this unprecedented moment.

Editor's note: This episode was recorded on April 16, 2025.

The Trump administration’s lawlessness is hard to exaggerate—and especially so in the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who the White House admitted was mistakenly deported to a detention center in El Salvador. And even though the Supreme Court ordered the administration to “facilitate” Abrego Garcia’s return to the United States, Trump and his cronies are doubling down.

The White House is completely disregarding due process—and it’s a threat to all of us.

This week, Jess and Imani get into Abrego Garcia’s nightmarish case, El Salvador and the U.S. government volleying blame on each other to avoid his rightful return, and President Donald Trump’s apparent desire to “deport” American citizens to a foreign detention center.

Rewire News Group is a nonprofit media organization, which means that episodes like this one are only made possible with the support of listeners like you! If you can, please join our team by donating here.

And sign up for The Fallout, a weekly newsletter written by Jess that’s exclusively dedicated to covering every aspect of this unprecedented moment.

The Supreme Court handed down two big decisions today. First, the Court rejected an attempt by conservative attorneys general to declare the Affordable Care Act as unconstitutional. But don't get too comfortable, law nerds. There's more to this decision than meets the eye.

Then the Court declared that the city of Philadelphia must contract with a foster care agency that refuses to certify same-sex couples. What's even more shocking is that Justice Elena Kagan signed on. And so did Justice Stephen Breyer. And so did Justice Sonia Sotomayor!

What gives? How can all of Court's liberal justices have signed onto this requirement to certify an agency that discriminates? Well, on this rapid reaction episode of Boom! Lawyered, Jess and Imani have some answers. And what those answers say about the state of case law protecting so-called "religious freedom" is as fascinating as it is alarming.

Boom! Lawyered is a part of Rewire News Group, a nonprofit media organization. That means we rely on supporters like you to help make our show possible. And right now, we're running an amazing campaign—if you donate here today, a generous supporter will match your gift!

It's June, which means only one thing: Sweaty SCOTUS Season is here. All month long, we'll be waiting on the Supreme Court justices to release their decisions on cases heard this term.

In a new episode of Boom! Lawyered, Jess and Imani take a closer look at the four cases we'll be keeping an eye on—and yes, will have live rapid reaction episodes once those decisions drop. Be sure to follow us on Twitter for breaking news updates and on YouTube to get notified when we go live.

Rewire News Groupis a nonprofit media organization, which means that Boom! Lawyered is only made possible by the support of listeners like you! If you can, please join our team by donating here.

And sign up forThe Fallout, a weekly newsletter written by Jess that’s exclusively dedicated to covering every aspect of this unprecedented moment.

Jess and Imani are all over National Pork Producers Council v. Ross, the Supreme Court case about pork production and regulation in California—but  really, it's low-key a case about abortion rights. Yes, pork rights are abortion rights.

To understand the interconnectedness, you'll need to know about the commerce clause and the dormant commerce clause. This is a one meaty episode you won't want to miss.

Rewire News Group is a nonprofit media organization, which means that Boom! Lawyered is only made possible by the support of listeners like you! If you can, please join our team by donating here.

And sign up for The Fallout, a weekly newsletter written by Jess that’s exclusively dedicated to covering every aspect of this unprecedented moment.

As Boom! Lawyered returns for its fifth season, #TeamLegal has come to the inexorable conclusion that it's time to expand the courts. But is there a non-messy way to do that? How much math has to be involved? And what can be done about the conservative radicalization of the lower courts? Jessica Mason Pieklo and Imani Gandy dive into all of that and more.

If you'd like to support Boom! Lawyered, please visit: https://rewirenewsgroup.com/boomgive

Get comfy—grab your law-nerd hats and a pillow to rage scream into, and join us for the season premiere episode of Boom! Lawyered.

Jess and Imani return to the mics for:

• The latest in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization
• What’s next with Texas SB 8, the near-total abortion ban that went into effect in September via the Court’s shadow docket ruling
• Some special shoutouts to the advocates on the ground doing the work. (More on this with Jess at a special Zoom event on Tuesday!

Articles mentioned in the podcast: 

https://rewirenewsgroup.com/ablc/2021/09/30/panty-grab-how-evangelicals-are-rewriting-sexual-privacy-rights/ 
https://rewirenewsgroup.com/ablc/2021/09/20/the-forgotten-story-of-how-voting-rights-drive-abortion-access/

Rewire News Group is a nonprofit media organization, which means that Boom! Lawyered is only made possible by the support of listeners like you! If you can, please join our team by donating here: https://rewirenewsgroup.com/donate

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Can 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.

Imani 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.

Jess and Imani explain three of the most alarming pieces of legislation introduced anywhere in the United States:

-The voter suppression legislation in Georgia, which might be even more outrageous than most folks realize.

-A new abortion ban in Texas, which goes even farther than your typical effort to criminalize health care.

-The anti-trans bill in Arkansas, which is poised to take effect despite a veto from Governor Asa Hutchinson.

Can somebody stop this ride? We'd like to get out now.

Boom! Lawyered is made by Rewire News Group, a nonprofit media org. That means your support plays a huge role in making the show possible. If you can, please donate at https://rewirenewsgroup/boomgive

It's official. With the confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court today, conservatives now have a 6-3 majority and a death-grip on the institution and the law. But as grim as things seem, all is not lost. On this special episode of Boom! Lawyered, Jessica Mason Pieklo and Imani Gandy explain how Barrett's appointment will impact our rights immediately and what progressives can do to fight back.

If you'd like to support Boom! Lawyered, please visit: https://rewirenewsgroup.com/boomgive

You asked, we answered! On a special Q&A episode of Boom! Lawyered, Jess and Imani answer listener questions. They cover everything from what could happen if fetal “personhood” becomes enshrined into law to whether abortion bans allow states to assert dominion over people’s bodies.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Juridical Persons Are Not Natural Persons, And Why it Matters
• Why Being Born Kind Of Matters

Rewire News Group is a nonprofit media organization, which means that episodes like this one are only made possible with the support of listeners like you! If you can, please join our team by donating here.

And sign up for The Fallout, a weekly newsletter written by Jess that’s exclusively dedicated to covering every aspect of this unprecedented moment.

It's our first live!

In this rapid reaction episode, Jess and Imani break down all the shenanigans that were afoot at the Supreme Court today as the justices heard oral arguments in what could end race-based affirmative action as we know it in higher ed admissions.

You can also watch the video playback of the live episode here.

Rewire News Group is a nonprofit media organization, which means that Boom! Lawyered–especially rapid reaction episodes like this one—one are only made possible by the support of listeners like you! If you can, please join our team by donating here.

And sign up for The Fallout, a weekly newsletter written by Jess that’s exclusively dedicated to covering every aspect of this unprecedented moment.

Jess is out for this episode, so Boom! Lawyered welcomes back special guest and friend of the pod Elie Mystal, the Nation's justice correspondent. It's a supersized episode about expanding the Supreme Court, abortion, judges, and just about everything else about the law that you need to know—with a healthy dose of laughter.

Rewire News Group is a nonprofit media organization, which means that Boom! Lawyered–especially rapid reaction episodes like this one—one are only made possible by the support of listeners like you! If you can, please join our team by donating here.

And sign up for The Fallout, a weekly newsletter written by Jess that’s exclusively dedicated to covering every aspect of this unprecedented moment.

This week, a federal court blocked Missouri’s multi-week gestational ban. But did you know that another restriction banning abortions based on the race, sex, or Down syndrome diagnosis of a fetus was allowed to take effect? Jess and Imani explain the faulty logic of these bans and how this decision paves the way for more trouble down the road.

Read more from Jess here.

Julie Rikelman of the Center for Reproductive Rights did the unthinkable in 2020: As the lead attorney representing June Medical in June Medical Services v. Russo, she convinced Chief Justice John Roberts to sign onto a decision protecting abortion rights! She joins Jessica Mason Pieklo and Imani Gandy to discuss what it's like to argue before the Supreme Court, to try and get some sleep the night before, and to call your client to deliver news of the win.

If you'd like to support Boom! Lawyered, please do so at https://rewire.news/boomgive or text "BOOMGIVE" to 44-321. Your support makes this show possible!

Fact #1: Everyone agrees—Mississippi’s lawyers included—that no fetus is viable at 15 weeks.

Fact #2: Mississippi passed an abortion ban that takes effect at 15 weeks.

Fact #3: Pre-viability abortion bans have been ruled unconstitutional.

Combined, these three facts mean that courts should have no trouble striking down Mississippi's ban. And yet! Arguments over that ban have made it all the way to the Supreme Court, where justices have conferenced on whether to hear the case almost twenty times. What gives?

On this episode of Boom! Lawyered, Imani and Jess try to get inside the heads of the justices to make sense of what's going on—and whether all of their indecision could be resolved with the right self-care routine.

In this episode of Boom! Lawyered, co-hosts Jessica Mason Pieklo and Imani Gandy discuss the surveillance state that conservative lawmakers are creating. It's real. It's not just the bounty hunter laws where neighbors are rewarded for snitching on each other. They're also getting nurses to snitch on patients. It's using the criminal justice system to police pregnancy—and it's going to get worse.

Mentioned in this episode:

• A Gathering Storm

Rewire News Group is a nonprofit media organization, which means that Boom! Lawyered is only made possible by the support of listeners like you! If you can, please join our team by donating here.

And sign up for The Fallout, a weekly newsletter written by Jess that’s exclusively dedicated to covering every aspect of this unprecedented moment.

Anti-choice politicians are pushing a new legislative strategy to demonize their opponents and confuse the public: so-called Born Alive bills. In this episode of Boom! Lawyered, Imani and Jess dissect the myths propping up this strategy and give you all the tools you need to combat anti-choice lies about later abortion.

A 12-year-old trans kid wants to run on her school's cross-country and track teams, but the state of West Virginia doesn't want to allow it. This anti-trans case, West Virginia v. BPJ, is on emergency application at the Supreme Court, which means—the shadow docket. Ugh.

In a new episode of Boom! Lawyered, Jess and Imani discuss how the conservative movement is taking draconian measures on a made-up cultural war surrounding trans kids in sports.

Be sure to stay til the end of the episode for a special Boom! Lawyered announcement.

Correction: This podcast misstates the last name of a 12-year-old at the center of West Virginia v. BPJ. Her name is Becky Pepper-Jackson. (We’re sorry, Ms. Pepper-Jackson.)

Rewire News Group is a nonprofit media organization, which means that Boom! Lawyered is only made possible by the support of listeners like you! If you can, please join our team by donating here.

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This week, Imani and Jess dive into civil procedure (sorry Jess) as they discuss whether the Supreme Court will kick a case that could interfere with enforcement of the Americans with Disabilities Act. They explain what civil rights testers do, what case mootness is, and why the Court should—and probably will—decline to rule in Acheson Hotels v. Laufer on standing.

Rewire News Group is a nonprofit media organization, which means Boom! Lawyered is only made possible with the support of listeners like you! If you can, please join our team by donating here.

And sign up for The Fallout, a weekly newsletter written by Jess that’s exclusively dedicated to covering every aspect of this unprecedented moment.

The Fifth Circuit has teed up a big test for Chief Justice John Roberts in a case out of Louisiana that involves hospital admitting privilege requirements for abortion providers. If Roberts respects precedent as much as he says he does, the law should be dead in the water. But is it?

Imani and Jess are being upfront—and admitting they got something wrong. It’s about the 2020 Supreme Court decision in Bostock v. Clayton County, in which the justices held that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act protects trans and gay employees at the workplace.

Upon reflection, it turns out that the Bostock opinion is one giant goose egg—and Justice Neil Gorsuch is to blame. As Jess says in the episode, "He managed to write the decision and tailor it so narrowly that it left open room for future conservative fuckery."

That moment has arrived.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Thanks a Lot, Justice Kennedy. How Screwed Are We Now?
• Idaho Conservatives Want to Ban Drag Performances

Rewire News Group is a nonprofit media organization, which means that Boom! Lawyered is only made possible by the support of listeners like you! If you can, please join our team by donating here.

And sign up for The Fallout, a weekly newsletter written by Jess that’s exclusively dedicated to covering every aspect of this unprecedented moment.

Imani and Jess are back to chat about the conservative assault on trans folks’ personhood. They get into the slew of attacks the community has faced this year alone, and Imani makes the case for equal rights protections for trans people. It's all part of our latest special issue, They the People.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Here’s One Thing the Constitution Could Do to Protect Trans People
• It’s the Alliance Defending Freedom’s Supreme Court

Rewire News Group is a nonprofit media organization, which means Boom! Lawyered is only made possible with the support of listeners like you! If you can, please join our team by donating here.

And sign up for The Fallout, a weekly newsletter written by Jess that’s exclusively dedicated to covering every aspect of this unprecedented moment.

Abortion, and dildos, and porn, oh my! 

No but actually, there’s a dusty old law on the books that could unravel reproductive health access for years to come—the Comstock Act. And it’s just waiting for someone like the recently-confirmed U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi to enforce it. 

On today’s episode of Boom! Lawyered, Imani and Jess revisit how the Trump administration could effectively ban abortion without input from Congress—all thanks to the 19th century anti-obscenity law. The pair break down how Comstock became a strong tool for the anti-choice movement and how aggressive enforcement by Attorney General Pam Bondi could upend access to contraception and even dildos.

Rewire News Group is a nonprofit media organization, which means that episodes like this one are only made possible with the support of listeners like you! If you can, please join our team by donating here.

And sign up for The Fallout, a weekly newsletter written by Jess that’s exclusively dedicated to covering every aspect of this unprecedented moment.

There's no sugarcoating it, folks: We're in the bad place.

In this emergency episode of Boom! Lawyered, co-hosts Jessica Mason Pieklo and Imani Gandy bring you everything you need to know after Politico published a draft majority opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organizationthat fully reverses Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey. After the recording of this episode, Chief Justice John Roberts released a statement that verified the authenticity of the opinion.

It's full chaos, and there's no one like Jess and Imani to help you understand what it all means and where we go from here.

Rewire News Group is a nonprofit media organization, which means that Boom! Lawyered—especially emergency episodes like this one—is only made possible by the support of listeners like you! If you can, please join our team by donating here.

And sign up for The Fallout, a weekly newsletter written by Jess that’s exclusively dedicated to covering every aspect of this unprecedented moment.

Federalist Society heavyweight Leonard Leo is one of the primary architects of the conservative takeover of the federal courts. Now, he's got a new dark money project that could cement that takeover for a generation or more. Imani and Jess explain Leo's new plan and just how scary things could get if it works.

Just when you thought lawmakers couldn't stoop any lower to attack trans kids, Texas state senators took it to a new level with the introduction of a bill that would prohibit parents from "administering or supplying, or consenting to or assisting in the administering or supplying of puberty suppression prescription drug or cross-sex hormone to a child, other than an intersex child, for the purpose of gender transitioning or gender reassignment." And if parents don't comply, the state could take their child. Seriously!

This follows on the heels of other anti-trans bills in Arkansas and North Carolina. Fortunately, Jess and Imani are here to explain everything you need to know about what's happening and what can be done about it.

Boom! Lawyered is created by Rewire News Group. We're a nonprofit media outlet, and that means your contributions are essential to funding our work. So if you enjoy Boom! Lawyered, please consider donating here: https://rewirenewsgroup.com/boomgive

Believe it or not, the U.S. Supreme Court is still hearing cases on the birth control benefit! Jess and Imani hop on the mics after Wednesday's arguments to break down everything you need to know, including:

• The highlights and lowlights from the arguments
• The future of contraceptive coverage
• Whether Brett Kavanaugh horribly embarrassed himself
• The justices' ongoing battle with the mute button
• And more!

Support Boom! Lawyered at https://rewire.news/boomgive.

With the election less than a week away, abortion rights and democracy are both on the line—and that’s no coincidence.

Andrea Grimes, journalist and vice president of research at Reproaction, joins Jess and Imani this week to talk about the importance of opposition research into anti-abortion activists, how the anti-abortion and anti-democracy movements work hand-in-hand, and why there’s no shortage of work for the pro-abortion movement. Plus, the trio chats about Grimes’ new media venture—the feminist blog The Flytrap—and why collective media could be the future of journalism.

Rewire News Group is a nonprofit media organization, which means that episodes like this one are only made possible with the support of listeners like you! If you can, please join our team by donating here.

And sign up for The Fallout, a weekly newsletter written by Jess that’s exclusively dedicated to covering every aspect of this unprecedented moment.

On March 4th, the Supreme Court will hear the first major abortion rights case since Brett Kavanaugh joined the bench. Jess and Imani preview what's at stake and explain the sleeper issue that could upend abortion rights law as we know it.

Well… Donald Trump is back for a second term. We hate it here!

This week, Jess and Imani go through what reproductive health-care hellscape we can expect from the next Trump administration: legally establishing fetal “personhood,” federal surveillance of pregnant people, and banning abortion pills—all eventually leading to a national abortion ban. 

We’re preparing for a parade of horribles. 

You’ve heard us say it before, and you’ll certainly hear us say it again: The only way out is through. And we’re going to get through this together.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Project 2025 Is Worse Than You Think

Rewire News Group is a nonprofit media organization, which means that episodes like this one are only made possible with the support of listeners like you! If you can, please join our team by donating here.

And sign up for The Fallout, a weekly newsletter written by Jess that’s exclusively dedicated to covering every aspect of this unprecedented moment.

Today, the Supreme Court heard arguments in Fulton v. City of Philadelphia—a key case in the conservative strategy to dismantle laws that protect LGBTQ people. At the core of the case is a chilling question: Under the guise of "religious freedom," does the Constitution mandate government discrimination? On this episode of Boom! Lawyered, Imani Gandy and Jessica Mason Pieklo break down the arguments and what they portend for the future of LGBTQ rights in the United States.

If you'd like to support Boom! Lawyered, please do so at https://rewirenewsgroup.com/boomgive.

It's no secret that Imani and Jess are as close as they are smart. But what secrets have they kept from each other? And what secrets have they kept from us? All is revealed on this special episode of Boom! Lawyered.

Jess and Imani explain the intrigue and events of day three of the Kavanaugh hearings.

How can Vice President Kamala Harris go beyond “restore Roe" messaging during her presidential run? What are the odds that a state like Michigan, where voters enshrined abortion rights into the state constitution, could have that overturned in a second Donald Trump presidency?

Join Jess and Imani this week as they respond to these questions and more—submitted by you, our listeners. And stay tuned for the return of Boom! Lawyered's regular season in the fall to usher in what promises to be another unpredictable Supreme Court term.

Rewire News Group is a nonprofit media organization, which means that episodes like this one is only made possible with the support of listeners like you! If you can, please join our team by donating here.

And sign up for The Fallout, a weekly newsletter written by Jess that’s exclusively dedicated to covering every aspect of this unprecedented moment.

In 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. 

Shameless Tennessee lawmakers are trying to redefine fetal viability in a way that makes no medical sense and is designed as a direct attack on Roe v. Wade. Jess and Imani explain what makes this bill a dangerous escalation in the decades-long crusade to overturn Roe.

Boom! Lawyered is back—again—to discuss the implications of Justice Anthony Kennedy's retirement announcement. WHAT A WEEK.

Abortion. Voting. Trans rights. Clean water. The Wisconsin Supreme Court race had all the rights on the line. And who showed up big at the polls? Gen Z.

For the first time in 15 years, liberals won the Wisconsin Supreme Court race—and they won big.

In a new episode of Boom! Lawyered, Jess and Imani find a moment of joy to offer their analysis on a race that had a lot on the line, like the state's pre-Civil War abortion ban.

Mentioned in this episode:

• It's Time to Stop Talking About Whether Margaret Sanger Was Racist

Rewire News Group is a nonprofit media organization, which means that Boom! Lawyered is only made possible by the support of listeners like you! If you can, please join our team by donating here.

And sign up for The Fallout, a weekly newsletter written by Jess that’s exclusively dedicated to covering every aspect of this unprecedented moment.

RIP, Justice Ginsburg. Nothing will be the same.

The demise of the constitutional right to privacy, conservatives' attacks on birth control, and Jess and Imani's ol' pal U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk. What do these things all have in common?

The case Deanda v. Becerra—about whether teens can get birth control from federally funded health centers without their parents' consent. Kacsmaryk, a Trump judge, has ruled that teens can't despite Title X regulations saying they can.

Jess and Imani get into why the case is such a big deal, what might happen if the case reaches the Supreme Court, and more.

Rewire News Group is a nonprofit media organization, which means Boom! Lawyered is only made possible with the support of listeners like you! If you can, please join our team by donating here.

And sign up for The Fallout, a weekly newsletter written by Jess that’s exclusively dedicated to covering every aspect of this unprecedented moment.

Welcome to the re-release of We’ll Hear Arguments, a mini-series from the Boom! Lawyered team that dives into the dramatic arguments of the most important Supreme Court cases in history.  

You see, our greatest courtroom dramas aren’t streaming on Netflix or Hulu or even HBOMax! They happened in the hallowed halls of the U.S. Supreme Court. And We’ll Hear Arguments breaks down all the juiciest, most consequential, and most batshit moments.

This series launched as a separate podcast series in early 2020. But now that Boom! Lawyered has grown so much as a community, we thought it made sense to unite the shows into one giant, unstoppable podcast feed. We’ll add an episode each day from January 4 through January 9.

So which case did we tackle Here at Rewire News Group, we like to think of ourselves as your one stop shop for all things abortion. So, naturally, our first season of We’ll Hear Arguments is a tribute to the case that started it all. Maybe you’ve heard of it? That’s right folks—we’re talking about Roe v. Wade.

Episode 1, aptly titled “Being Born Kind of Matters” kicks off with a rousing discussion about the fight at the heart of Roe: a Texas law prohibiting abortion. And if you’re like, hey that sounds… familiar, well, that’s probably because in the 30 plus years since Roe was decided, conservatives have tried to pass countless new laws that do exactly that. At the heart of this case was the matter of personhood—another issue that continues to rear its ugly head (a head that weirdly looks a lot like Amy Coney Barrett these days, but we digress.) 

Jess sits down with Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum to discuss the challenges facing progressive attorneys general in the era of Trump and how they are fighting back against his administration.

Junk science is everywhere surrounding the big medication abortion case the Supreme Court will hear in late March, FDA v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine. The junk science is so improper, in fact, that the academic publishers who published studies that were cited by the plaintiffs—and the lower court judge who ruled on it, Matthew Kacsmaryk—retracted them.

As Imani says in this week's episode, the Supreme Court may very well rely on a bunch of bozos when it decides to maintain the restrictions on access to abortion that were imposed by Kacsmaryk and the Fifth Circuit. So if the evidence upon which that decision was based is garbage, the Court should rule in favor of the FDA. Right?

Rewire News Group is a nonprofit media organization, which means Boom! Lawyered is only made possible with the support of listeners like you! If you can, please join our team by donating here.

And sign up for The Fallout, a weekly newsletter written by Jess that’s exclusively dedicated to covering every aspect of this unprecedented moment.

Imani and Jess break down an unforgettable day of testimony from Christine Blasey Ford and Judge Brett Kavanaugh. 

Boom! Lawyered is back for a summer session with four episodes before fall—and first up is Lizz Winstead, the founder of Abortion Access Front and co-creator of the Daily Show.

It's a smorgasbord of all things reproductive rights, including serious things like expanding the courts and abortion access and not-so-serious things like a debate between "Anthony Comstock" and Minnesota Sen. Tina Smith that Winstead will moderate in the fall, and starting a band called Mife and Misotones.

Rewire News Group is a nonprofit media organization, which means that rapid reaction episodes like this one is only made possible with the support of listeners like you! If you can, please join our team by donating here.

And sign up for The Fallout, a weekly newsletter written by Jess that’s exclusively dedicated to covering every aspect of this unprecedented moment.

The near-total ban on abortion recently passed in Georgia contrasts sharply with the landmark decision in Kansas that declared abortion a natural right. Jess and Imani explore which of those paths other states are likely to follow and the main reason there's still hope for abortion rights in America.

Jess and Imani are talking about Idaho—again!

Now that the state has made its argument that people who visit emergency rooms at Medicare-funded hospitals needing an abortion can go pound sand, it's arguing before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals that anyone who “recruits, harbors, or transports” a minor within Idaho for the purposes of “procuring an abortion” out of state can be criminalized as an abortion trafficker.

As Jess says, Matsumoto v. Labrador isn't about "abortion trafficking"—whatever that means—it's about criminalizing direct aid to folks who need abortions and forcing parental involvement in minors' reproductive health-care decisions despite contrary Supreme Court precedent.

Mentioned in this episode:

• A Federal Court Finally Connects the Dots Between TRAP Laws and Stigma

Rewire News Group is a nonprofit media organization, which means that episodes like this one is only made possible with the support of listeners like you! If you can, please join our team by donating here.

And sign up for The Fallout, a weekly newsletter written by Jess that’s exclusively dedicated to covering every aspect of this unprecedented moment.

In a new episode of Boom! Lawyered, it's Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson's first official week on the Supreme Court. And it was a big one! Jess and Imani get into the important voting rights case the justices heard and how Jackson is already making her mark on the bench.

Rewire News Group is a nonprofit media organization, which means that Boom! Lawyered is only made possible by the support of listeners like you! If you can, please join our team by donating here.

And sign up for The Fallout, a weekly newsletter written by Jess that’s exclusively dedicated to covering every aspect of this unprecedented moment.

You know that scene from The Office where Michael Scott is just shouting “It's happening, it's happening!” That's what's going on right now after news broke that Justice Stephen Breyer plans on retiring.

Let’s say that again: Justice Stephen Breyer is retiring.

In this emergency episode of Boom! Lawyered co-hosts Jessica Mason Pieklo and Imani Gandy break down what a Breyer retirement and vacancy on the bench means. With the Supreme Court scheduled to release opinions on Monday, Jess predicts we may see some smoke, some fire: "You know what it's like when you're done with something—you're done."

Rewire News Group is a nonprofit media organization, which means that Boom! Lawyered—especially emergency episodes like this one—is only made possible by the support of listeners like you! If you can, please join our team by donating here.

And sign up for The Fallout, a weekly newsletter written by Jess that’s exclusively dedicated to covering every aspect of this unprecedented moment.

Project 2025, the 2024 election’s big bad wolf, is coming for reproductive justice. The Heritage Foundation’s policy prescription for a second Donald Trump administration would turn the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA) on its head and explicitly allow anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination.

This week, Jess and Imani dive into the Project 2025 policy positions that pose the biggest threat to reproductive health care. From disavowing abortion to its “life agenda,” the parade of horribles would, if implemented, entrench the country further into Christofascism. 

Mentioned in this episode:

• National Women’s Law Center Project 2025 report

Rewire News Group is a nonprofit media organization, which means that episodes like this one are only made possible with the support of listeners like you! If you can, please join our team by donating here.

And sign up for The Fallout, a weekly newsletter written by Jess that’s exclusively dedicated to covering every aspect of this unprecedented moment.