As states and the federal government impose vaccine mandates to curb the spread of COVID-19, the constitutionality of those mandates has come into question, particularly with regard to religious freedom. Constitutional challenges to state and f

Protests, a Pandemic, and the Right to Assemble

Feb 9th, 2022 37m 44s

The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution guarantees the "right of the people peaceably to assemble." The recent prevalence of protest movements, alongside a global pandemic, has influenced the interpretation of this right. Host Kyra Cooper

The Abandonment of Adoptees

Nov 17th, 2021 39m 31s

In 2020, YouTube influencer Myka Stauffer received widespread criticism when she revealed her family had given away her adopted son to another family. Host Kyra Cooper speaks with Professor Cynthia Hawkins (Stetson U. College of Law) about the

Teaching Constitutional Law

Nov 3rd, 2021 55m 7s

In a new University of Chicago Law School seminar, Professor Emily Buss (U. Chicago Law) and ten law students co-taught incarcerated high school students about the constitutional rights of minors. Host Andrew Zeller, Professor Buss, and Heidi M

The Role of the Public Defender

Oct 20th, 2021 44m 55s

Appointed as Cook County public defender in March 2021, Sharone Mitchell, Jr. took office with a vision to serve as "an engine for progressive systems change." Host Dylan Platt speaks with Cook County Public Defender Sharone Mitchell, Jr. and P

Federalism and Elections

May 19th, 2021 49m 14s

A mere six votes determined the outcome of the 2020 election in Iowa's 2nd congressional district, revealing the delicate balance of power between elections shared by states and the federal government. For the inaugural episode of season five,

Stories of Student Speech (Part 2)

May 7th, 2021 34m 25s

Last week, the Supreme Court heard oral argument in Mahanoy Area School District v. B. L.—its first student-speech case in more than a decade. In this second part of a special Briefly season finale, Adam Hassanein and Professor Emily Buss (U.

Stories of Student Speech (Part 1)

Apr 28th, 2021 1h 25m

The Supreme Court hears argument today in its first student-speech case in more than a decade. In this first part of a special Briefly season finale, Adam Hassanein digs deep with plaintiffs and attorneys from the Court's legendary speech case

NIMBYism and the Politics of Zoning

Apr 22nd, 2021 41m 29s

"Not in my backyard" has kept the dream of an affordable home beyond the reach of many Americans. Lee Anne Fennell (U. Chicago Law) joins host Taiyee Chien to explain how and why zoning rules constrict affordable housing—and which reforms coul

Access to Justice

Mar 31st, 2021 47m 43s

Huge numbers of civil cases feature at least one party who lacks legal representation. Host Adam Hassanein and Professor Anna Carpenter (Utah Law) discuss the ins and outs of the access-to-justice problem—and solutions sounding in law, policy,

The Shadow Docket

Feb 17th, 2021 32m 56s

What on earth is the Supreme Court’s “shadow docket”? Steve Vladeck (U. Texas Law) and Kate Shaw (Cardozo Law) join host Deb Malamud to explain the Court’s unusual—and controversial—way of resolving some of our nation’s most pressing legal con

The United States Of Bankruptcy

Jan 6th, 2021 52m 7s

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought longstanding public pension crises to a boiling point. Defaults would be catastrophic. But what if states could file for bankruptcy, like cities can? Host Matthew Reade and Professor David A. Skeel (U. Penn

NPAs and DPAs: 10 Years Since Massey

Dec 23rd, 2020 51m 18s

When companies break the law, prosecutors often turn to deferred or non-prosecution agreements to induce reform. But some criticize DPAs and NPAs as an escape hatch for companies to pay their way out of liability. Host Nathan Tschepik discuss

Law, Psychology & False Confessions

Nov 11th, 2020 1h 12m

Why do people confess to crimes they didn't commit? Host Taiyee Chien and guest Professor Richard A. Leo (U. San Francisco Law) explore the difficult and persistent psychological phenomenon of false confessions—and how the law can address it go

Presidential Power & Its Limits

Oct 14th, 2020 41m 22s

President Obama used his "pen & phone" to transform the immigration laws. President Trump declared an emergency to fund his border wall. Presidential power seems ascendant—or is it? John Yoo and Sai Prakash join host Miriam George to discuss

Critical Race Theory v. Law & Economics

Sep 30th, 2020 1h 23m

Critical race theory versus law and economics: A clash of titans, or an emergent alliance? Hosts Adam Hassanein and Deb Malamud ask experts in the field how different these legal frameworks really are—and what they have in common. Guests: Willi

Of Consent and Butt-Dials

Aug 5th, 2020 45m

Do you enjoy a reasonable expectation of privacy for pocket dials? The answer might surprise you. Host Deb Malamud chats with several privacy law experts to explore this complex legal question and its implications for how we interact in a tech-

The Future of Affirmative Action

Jul 2nd, 2020 1h 17m

Amid a national conversation about race, affirmative action in universities has become a key issue of contention, with California set to revisit its affirmative action ban this November. Host Taiyee Chien leads a spirited discussion about affir

COVID in the Markets

May 25th, 2020 46m 25s

Matt Levine of Money Stuff fame joins Briefly to discuss insider trading, stock buybacks, the Fed's extraordinary market interventions, and how everything is securities fraud. Guest: Bloomberg columnist Matt Levine (@matt_levine).Twitter @uch

COVID in the Courts

May 11th, 2020 36m 15s

To kick off our fourth season, we dig deep into COVID-19's effect on the courts. Guests: Chief Judge Diane Wood and Judge Michael Scudder of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.Twitter @uchilrev | lawreviewblog.uchicago.edu | Mu

Suing State Sponsors of Terrorism

Apr 29th, 2020 30m 41s

This is Briefly, a production of the University of Chicago Law Review. Today we’re discussing suing state sponsors of terrorism with Stuart Newberger, a partner at Crowell Moring. This is the last episode of our third season, and we at the Univ

The SEC Whistleblower Program

Apr 8th, 2020 28m 12s

This is Briefly, a production of the University of Chicago Law Review. Today we’re discussing the SEC whistleblower program. Here to help us understand this topic is Jordan Thomas, who was one of the principal architects of that program when he

Interpreting the Law through Corpus Linguistics

Mar 18th, 2020 28m 29s

This is Briefly, a production of the University of Chicago Law Review. Today we’re discussing Corpus Linguistics, which is a sub-field of linguistics that employs database searches to study language usage. Through this linguistic method, jurist

Experimental Jurisprudence

Feb 26th, 2020 30m 52s

This is Briefly, a production of the University of Chicago Law Review. Today we’re discussing Experimental Jurisprudence, which is an emerging field that uses empirical methods, particularly from the cognitive sciences, to clarify important con

Social Media and Market Manipulation

Feb 5th, 2020 29m 55s

This is Briefly, a production of the University of Chicago Law Review. Today we are discussing social media influencers and their ability to manipulate markets. We also discuss the legal regime that governs influencers and the agencies, namely