Broken Law

American Constitution Society
  • 4.8 (100)
  • News Commentary
  • Updated Weekly

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.

  1. Episode 202: SCOTUS Term Refresher

    3d ago

    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.org Host: Valerie Nannery, Senior Director of Policy and Program Guest: Mark Joseph Stern, Senior Writer, Slate Magazine Guest: Carlos A. Ball, Distinguished Professor of Law and Judge Frederick Lacey Scholar, Rutgers Law School Guest: Alexis Hoag-Fordjour, David Dinkins '56 Professor of Law and Co-Director of the Center for Criminal Justice, Brooklyn Law School Guest: Pamela S. Karlan, Kenneth and Harle Montgomery Professor of Public Interest Law and Co-Director of the Supreme Court Litigation Clinic, Stanford Law School Guest: Shoba Sivaprasad Wadhia, Samuel Weiss Faculty Scholar, Director of the Center for Immigrants' Rights Clinic, and Clinical Professor of Law, Penn State Dickinson Law Link:  ACS National Supreme Court Preview 2025-2026 Link: Supreme Court Term in Review, Georgetown Law on July 1 Visit the Podcast Website: Broken Law Podcast Email the Show: Podcast@ACSLaw.org Follow 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 Media Copyright of American Constitution Society 2025.

    1h 20m
  2. Episode 201: Corruption of and Through the Pardon Power

    May 26

    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.org Host: Lindsay Langholz, Vice President of Policy and Program Guest: Liz Oyer of Lawyer Oyer, Former United States Pardon Attorney Link: Justice Dept. Sets Up $1.8 Billion Fund That Could Funnel Money to Trump Allies, by Glenn Thrush, Andrew Duehren, & Alan Feuer Link: Trump Promises Mass Pardons to Staff Before Leaving Office, by Josh Dawsey Link: Lawyer Oyer Link: Register Here for ACS's 2026 National Convention   Visit the Podcast Website: Broken Law Podcast Email the Show: Podcast@ACSLaw.org Follow 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 Media Copyright of American Constitution Society 2025.

    29 min
  3. Episode 200: Never Give Up

    May 12

    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.org Host: Valerie Nannery, Senior Director of Policy and Program Guest: Joyce Vance, Distinguished Professor of the Practice of Law, The University of Alabama School of Law; ACS Board Member Link: Giving Up is Unforgivable: A Manual for Keeping a Democracy, by Joyce Vance Link: Civil Discourse with Joyce Vance Link: ACS 2026 National Convention details and registration Link: Register Here for ACS's 2026 National Convention   Visit the Podcast Website: Broken Law Podcast Email the Show: Podcast@ACSLaw.org Follow 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 Media Copyright of American Constitution Society 2025.

    39 min
  4. Episode 199: Democracy Needs Heroes

    Apr 28

    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.org Host: Lindsay Langholz, Vice President of Policy and Program Guest: Hon. Carlton Reeves, District Judge, Southern District of Mississippi; Chair, U.S. Sentencing Commission Guest: Matt Platkin, 62nd Attorney General of New Jersey; Partner, Platkin LLP Link: Register Here for ACS's 2026 National Convention   Visit the Podcast Website: Broken Law Podcast Email the Show: Podcast@ACSLaw.org Follow 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 Media Copyright of American Constitution Society 2025.

    47 min
  5. Episode 198: The Fight to Free DC

    Apr 14

    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.org Host: Valerie Nannery, Senior Director of Policy and Program Guest: Keya Chatterjee, Executive Director, Free DC Link: May Day DC Link: Anti-DC Congressional Bills Attempt Federal Takeover of DC Criminal Justice and Home Rule, Maryland State & DC AFL-CIO Link: Putting D.C. in the Chain of Command: Congress Should Reform the DC National Guard’s Outdated and Dangerous Command Structure, by Elizabeth Goitein Visit the Podcast Website: Broken Law Podcast Email the Show: Podcast@ACSLaw.org Follow 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 Media Copyright of American Constitution Society 2025.

    39 min
  6. Episode 197: People v. The Court

    Mar 31

    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.org Host: Lindsay Langholz, Vice President of Policy and Program Guest: David Sloss, John A. and Elizabeth H. Sutro Professor of Law, Santa Clara University School of Law Link: People v. The Court: The Next Revolution in Constitutional Law, by David Sloss Link: The Roberts Court's Assault on Democracy, by Judge Lynn Adelman  Visit the Podcast Website: Broken Law Podcast Email the Show: Podcast@ACSLaw.org Follow 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 Media Copyright of American Constitution Society 2025.

    49 min
  7. Episode 196: Politicized Mergers as a Threat to the Rule of Law

    Mar 17

    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.org Host: Lindsay Langholz, Vice President of Policy and Program Guest: Dr. Diana Moss, Vice President and Director of Competition Policy, Progressive Policy Institute Link: The Nexstar-Tegna Merger Will Raise Your Cable Bill, and Then Some, by Diana Moss Link: Resisting the Politicization of Antitrust and Regulation, by Diana Moss  Link: Competition, Progressive Policy Institute Visit the Podcast Website: Broken Law Podcast Email the Show: Podcast@ACSLaw.org Follow 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 Media Copyright of American Constitution Society 2025.

    38 min
  8. Episode 195: Bringing the Constitution to the Classroom

    Mar 3

    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.org Host: Ashley Erickson, Senior Director of Network Advancement Guest: Katie Gima, Senior Director of Legal Programs & Networking, Americans United for Separation of Church and State Guest: Jess Zalph, Constitutional Litigation Fellow, Americans United for Separation of Church and State Link: Constitution in the Classroom Link: Elementary School Lesson Plan Link: Middle School Lesson Plan Link: High School Lesson Plan Visit the Podcast Website: Broken Law Podcast Email the Show: Podcast@ACSLaw.org Follow 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 Media Copyright of American Constitution Society 2025.

    36 min
See All (203)

4.8
out of 5
100 Ratings

About

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.

Information

  • Creator
    American Constitution Society
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    203
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Copyright of American Constitution Society 2023.
  • Show Website
    Broken Law

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