Broken Law

Hosted by American Constitution Society

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203

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Jun 2026

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About the show

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.

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June 9, 2026Episode 2021 hr 20 min

Episode 202: SCOTUS Term Refresher

In the final weeks of the 2025-2026 term, the Supreme Court will issue over two dozen decisions in key cases. Before this final stretch, we return to ACS's Supreme Court Preview event to refresh our collective memories on those cases still outstanding and as an opportunity to reflect on what the term has yielded thus far.Join the Progressive Legal Movement Today: ACSLaw.orgHost: Valerie Nannery, Senior Director of Policy and ProgramGuest: Mark Joseph Stern, Senior Writer, Slate MagazineGuest: Carlos A. Ball, Distinguished Professor of Law and Judge Frederick Lacey Scholar, Rutgers Law SchoolGuest: Alexis Hoag-Fordjour, David Dinkins '56 Professor of Law and Co-Director of the Center for Criminal Justice, Brooklyn Law SchoolGuest: Pamela S. Karlan, Kenneth and Harle Montgomery Professor of Public Interest Law and Co-Director of the Supreme Court Litigation Clinic, Stanford Law SchoolGuest: Shoba Sivaprasad Wadhia, Samuel Weiss Faculty Scholar, Director of the Center for Immigrants' Rights Clinic, and Clinical Professor of Law, Penn State Dickinson LawLink: ACS National Supreme Court Preview 2025-2026Link: Supreme Court Term in Review, Georgetown Law on July 1Visit the Podcast Website: Broken Law PodcastEmail the Show: Podcast@ACSLaw.orgFollow ACS on Social Media: Facebook | Instagram | Bluesky | LinkedIn | YouTube-----------------Broken Law: About the law, who it serves, and who it doesn’t.-----------------Production House: Flint Stone MediaCopyright of American Constitution Society 2025.

May 26, 2026Episode 20128 min

Episode 201: Corruption of and Through the Pardon Power

Recent reporting suggests the President is flirting with issuing more blanket pardons for political allies and those willing to court his favor. Liz Oyer joins Lindsay Langholz to discuss how the president's pardon power has been used (and abused) in recent years and to understand just how far outside the norms we have strayed.Join the Progressive Legal Movement Today: ACSLaw.orgHost: Lindsay Langholz, Vice President of Policy and ProgramGuest: Liz Oyer of Lawyer Oyer, Former United States Pardon AttorneyLink: Justice Dept. Sets Up $1.8 Billion Fund That Could Funnel Money to Trump Allies, by Glenn Thrush, Andrew Duehren, & Alan FeuerLink: Trump Promises Mass Pardons to Staff Before Leaving Office, by Josh DawseyLink: Lawyer OyerLink: Register Here for ACS's 2026 National Convention Visit the Podcast Website: Broken Law PodcastEmail the Show: Podcast@ACSLaw.orgFollow ACS on Social Media: Facebook | Instagram | Bluesky | LinkedIn | YouTube-----------------Broken Law: About the law, who it serves, and who it doesn’t.-----------------Production House: Flint Stone MediaCopyright of American Constitution Society 2025.

May 12, 2026Episode 20039 min

Episode 200: Never Give Up

It has been a tough few weeks for democracy. The US Supreme Court's recent demolition of what remained of the Voting Rights Act, the Virginia Supreme Court's decision to trump the express will of Virginia voters to redraw congressional lines, and southern state legislatures racing to the bottom to strip Black voters of political power have weighed heavily on us all. For our 200th episode, Joyce Vance joins Valerie Nannery to discuss her book, Giving Up Is Unforgivable: A Manual for Keeping a Democracy, and what it will take from all of us to save our democracy.Join the Progressive Legal Movement Today: ACSLaw.orgHost: Valerie Nannery, Senior Director of Policy and ProgramGuest: Joyce Vance, Distinguished Professor of the Practice of Law, The University of Alabama School of Law; ACS Board MemberLink: Giving Up is Unforgivable: A Manual for Keeping a Democracy, by Joyce VanceLink: Civil Discourse with Joyce VanceLink: ACS 2026 National Convention details and registrationLink: Register Here for ACS's 2026 National Convention Visit the Podcast Website: Broken Law PodcastEmail the Show: Podcast@ACSLaw.orgFollow ACS on Social Media: Facebook | Instagram | Bluesky | LinkedIn | YouTube-----------------Broken Law: About the law, who it serves, and who it doesn’t.-----------------Production House: Flint Stone MediaCopyright of American Constitution Society 2025.

April 28, 2026Episode 19947 min

Episode 199: Democracy Needs Heroes

As ACS staff prepares for our 2026 National Convention in Washington, DC, we invite you to revisit two highlights of our 2024 convention for a little inspiration and encourage you to join us for this year's event if you are able. Judge Carlton Reeves (S.D. Miss.) and then-New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin delivered remarks on the legacy of Brown v. Board of Education, the role attorneys and law students can play as social engineers, and being a hero for democracy.Join the Progressive Legal Movement Today: ACSLaw.orgHost: Lindsay Langholz, Vice President of Policy and ProgramGuest: Hon. Carlton Reeves, District Judge, Southern District of Mississippi; Chair, U.S. Sentencing CommissionGuest: Matt Platkin, 62nd Attorney General of New Jersey; Partner, Platkin LLPLink: Register Here for ACS's 2026 National Convention Visit the Podcast Website: Broken Law PodcastEmail the Show: Podcast@ACSLaw.orgFollow ACS on Social Media: Facebook | Instagram | Bluesky | LinkedIn | YouTube-----------------Broken Law: About the law, who it serves, and who it doesn’t.-----------------Production House: Flint Stone MediaCopyright of American Constitution Society 2025.

April 14, 2026Episode 19839 min

Episode 198: The Fight to Free DC

Since January 2025, the District of Columbia and its more than 700,000 residents have been under near-constant attack by both the Executive and Legislative branches of the federal government. The federal officials attempting to control the District through legislative action and physical force are not elected by D.C. residents and are not accountable to them. Keya Chatterjee joins Broken Law to describe what has been happening, why everyone should care, and how people are fighting for the right of the people of D.C. to govern themselves.Join the Progressive Legal Movement Today: ACSLaw.orgHost: Valerie Nannery, Senior Director of Policy and ProgramGuest: Keya Chatterjee, Executive Director, Free DCLink: May Day DCLink: Anti-DC Congressional Bills Attempt Federal Takeover of DC Criminal Justice and Home Rule, Maryland State & DC AFL-CIOLink: Putting D.C. in the Chain of Command: Congress Should Reform the DC National Guard’s Outdated and Dangerous Command Structure, by Elizabeth GoiteinVisit the Podcast Website: Broken Law PodcastEmail the Show: Podcast@ACSLaw.orgFollow ACS on Social Media: Facebook | Instagram | Bluesky | LinkedIn | YouTube-----------------Broken Law: About the law, who it serves, and who it doesn’t.-----------------Production House: Flint Stone MediaCopyright of American Constitution Society 2025.

March 31, 2026Episode 19748 min

Episode 197: People v. The Court

The Roberts Court has recently used its docket to indulge in growing antidemocratic tendencies, collecting power for itself as it shuts the courthouse doors on those seeking to vindicate their constitutional rights and uphold checks and balances. David Sloss joins Lindsay Langholz to discuss his new book, People v. The Court: The Next Revolution in Constitutional Law, and how power might be rebalanced through a change in judicial review standards.Join the Progressive Legal Movement Today: ACSLaw.orgHost: Lindsay Langholz, Vice President of Policy and ProgramGuest: David Sloss, John A. and Elizabeth H. Sutro Professor of Law, Santa Clara University School of LawLink: People v. The Court: The Next Revolution in Constitutional Law, by David SlossLink: The Roberts Court's Assault on Democracy, by Judge Lynn Adelman Visit the Podcast Website: Broken Law PodcastEmail the Show: Podcast@ACSLaw.orgFollow ACS on Social Media: Facebook | Instagram | Bluesky | LinkedIn | YouTube-----------------Broken Law: About the law, who it serves, and who it doesn’t.-----------------Production House: Flint Stone MediaCopyright of American Constitution Society 2025.

March 17, 2026Episode 19637 min

Episode 196: Politicized Mergers as a Threat to the Rule of Law

What trust remains in antitrust enforcement under the Second Trump Administration? Diana Moss joins Lindsay Langholz to discuss the Nexstar-Tegna merger, what impact the deal would have on consumers, and why the politicization of regulatory bodies like the FCC threatens due process and the rule of law.Join the Progressive Legal Movement Today: ACSLaw.orgHost: Lindsay Langholz, Vice President of Policy and ProgramGuest: Dr. Diana Moss, Vice President and Director of Competition Policy, Progressive Policy InstituteLink: The Nexstar-Tegna Merger Will Raise Your Cable Bill, and Then Some, by Diana MossLink: Resisting the Politicization of Antitrust and Regulation, by Diana Moss Link: Competition, Progressive Policy InstituteVisit the Podcast Website: Broken Law PodcastEmail the Show: Podcast@ACSLaw.orgFollow ACS on Social Media: Facebook | Instagram | Bluesky | LinkedIn | YouTube-----------------Broken Law: About the law, who it serves, and who it doesn’t.-----------------Production House: Flint Stone MediaCopyright of American Constitution Society 2025.

March 3, 2026Episode 19536 min

Episode 195: Bringing the Constitution to the Classroom

Katie Gima and Jess Zalph join Ashley Erickson to discuss ACS's Constitution in the Classroom program, including a look at newly released curriculum entitled "Separation of Church and State and the U.S. Constitution" and how to bring this important piece of civic education to a classroom near you.Join the Progressive Legal Movement Today: ACSLaw.orgHost: Ashley Erickson, Senior Director of Network AdvancementGuest: Katie Gima, Senior Director of Legal Programs & Networking, Americans United for Separation of Church and StateGuest: Jess Zalph, Constitutional Litigation Fellow, Americans United for Separation of Church and StateLink: Constitution in the ClassroomLink: Elementary School Lesson PlanLink: Middle School Lesson PlanLink: High School Lesson PlanVisit the Podcast Website: Broken Law PodcastEmail the Show: Podcast@ACSLaw.orgFollow ACS on Social Media: Facebook | Instagram | Bluesky | LinkedIn | YouTube-----------------Broken Law: About the law, who it serves, and who it doesn’t.-----------------Production House: Flint Stone MediaCopyright of American Constitution Society 2025.

February 17, 2026Episode 19458 min

Episode 194: How Close to Autocracy Are We?

Kim Lane Scheppele joins Valerie Nannery to discuss how America’s slide into autocracy is similar to and different from autocratic shifts around the world, how far America is on the path to autocracy, and what we can all do to stop the descent. Join the Progressive Legal Movement Today: ACSLaw.orgHost: Valerie Nannery, Senior Director of Policy and ProgramGuest: Kim Lane Scheppele, Laurance S. Rockefeller Professor of Sociology and International Affairs & Director of the Program in Law and Normative Thinking at the University Center for Human Values, Princeton University Link: Autocratic Legalism, by Kim Lane ScheppeleLink: Trump’s Counter Constitution, by Kim Lane ScheppeleLink: The ‘Big Lie’s’ Autocratic Assault on the Rule of Law: Attorneys Can Stop It, by Jim SaranteasLink: Become a Poll WorkerVisit the Podcast Website: Broken Law PodcastEmail the Show: Podcast@ACSLaw.orgFollow ACS on Social Media: Facebook | Instagram | Bluesky | LinkedIn | YouTube-----------------Broken Law: About the law, who it serves, and who it doesn’t.-----------------Production House: Flint Stone MediaCopyright of American Constitution Society 2025.

February 3, 2026Episode 19344 min

Episode 193: Navigating The Maze of Our Immigration System

Lindsay Langholz is joined by ACS San Diego Lawyer Chapter leaders Kevin Gregg and Emily Howe to discuss immigration cases making their way through federal courts, who gets to decide who is an American, what protection citizenship or legal status provides, and what it is like to be on the front lines of defending American democracy.Join the Progressive Legal Movement Today: ACSLaw.orgHost: Lindsay Langholz, Senior Director of Policy and ProgramGuest: Kevin Gregg, Partner, Kurzban Kurzban Tetzeli & Pratt, P.A. and ACS San Diego Lawyer Chapter LeaderGuest: Emily Howe, Principal, Law Offices of Emily E. Howe and ACS San Diego Lawyer Chapter LeaderLink: The American adoptees who fear deportation to a country they can't remember, by George WrightLink: Immigration Review Podcast, hosted by Kevin A. GreggLink: ACS National Convention 2026 Visit the Podcast Website: Broken Law PodcastEmail the Show: Podcast@ACSLaw.orgFollow ACS on Social Media: Facebook | Instagram | Bluesky | LinkedIn | YouTube-----------------Broken Law: About the law, who it serves, and who it doesn’t.-----------------Production House: Flint Stone MediaCopyright of American Constitution Society 2025.