Strict Scrutiny is a podcast about the United States Supreme Court and the legal culture that surrounds it. The show is hosted by three women, Leah Litman, Kate Shaw and Melissa Murray, who are three law professors, but they’re also swimmers, mothers (of humans and dogs), and celebrity gossip enthusiasts. They’re women who’ve practiced before and write about the Court in their professional lives. They have a different voice–one that celebrates the contributions and opinions of women and people of color. They provide intelligent and in-depth legal analysis alongside their unvarnished, respectfully irreverent takes. And they want to do it in a way that is accessible to a variety of listeners, including Supreme Court regulars, lawyers, law students, and members of the public who are looking for a window into the Court’s decisions, as well as its culture, personalities, and folkways. The hosts think SCOTUS is serious business—but they don’t take ourselves or the Court too seriously. They’ve got hot takes, jokes, and a lot to say.
Melissa, Kate, and Leah cover the gift that keeps on giving-- a.k.a. billionaire Harlan Crow, who can't seem to stop giving undisclosed gifts to Justi...
It's our first ever listener mailbag episode of Strict Scrutiny! You asked, we answered-- is court expansion possible? Is law school worth it? Who are...
The stories about federal judges doing shady things just keep coming. Gabe Roth, executive director of Fix the Court, joins Melissa, Kate, and Leah to...
Kate and Leah explain the Supreme Court's decision to stay the ban on mifepristone-- meaning the medication remains available on the same terms it has...
Kate and Leah talk to ProPublica's Justin Elliott about the latest findings in Clarence Thomas and Harlan Crow's friendship. First luxury vacations, t...
Melissa, Kate, and Leah explain the ruling out of Texas that could strip mifepristone, one of two drugs used in medication abortions, of its FDA appro...
It’s a Strict Scrutiny and Pod Save America crossover! Jon, Jon, and Tommy get together with Leah and Kate to talk about Donald Trump’s arraignment ...
Kate and Leah host Wisconsin Supreme Court Justices Rebecca Dallet and Jill Karofsky in a live show at the University of Wisconsin Law School. On Apri...
Strict Scrutiny takes Hawaii! Senator Mazie Hirono joins Kate, Leah, and Melissa for a live show at the University of Hawaii Richardson School of Law....
Melissa, Leah, and Kate preview three Supreme Court cases up for argument this week. The cases focus on water rights on Indian reservations, the const...