Professor Elizabeth Joh teaches Intro to Constitutional Law and most of the time this is a pretty straight forward job. But when Trump came into office, everything changed. During the four years of the Trump presidency, Professor Joh would check Twitter five minutes before each class to find out what the 45th President had said and how it jibes with 200 years of the judicial branch interpreting and ruling on the Constitution. Acclaimed podcaster Roman Mars (99% Invisible) was so anxious about all the norms and laws being tested in the Trump era that he asked his neighbor, Elizabeth, to explain what was going on in the world from a Constitutional law perspective. Even after Trump left office, there is still so much for Roman to learn. What Roman Mars Can Learn About Con Law is a weekly, fun, casual Con Law 101 class that uses the tumultuous activities of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches to teach us all about the US Constitution.
All music for the show comes from Doomtree, an independent hip-hop collective and record label based in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
75 Available Episodes (75 Total)Average duration: 00:26:54
Apr 04, 2023
74- On the Eve of Trump's Arraignment
00:26:50
On April 4th (that’s tomorrow as I record this) former President Trump is expected to be arraigned in a Manhattan court room. He was indicted by a New York grand jury last week but the exact charges against him remain unknown until he appears in court. On Thursday last week, Elizabeth Joh and I recorded an episode all about the Manhattan District Attorney’s investigation into Trump’s alleged hush money payments and the New York grand jury deliberations. About an hour after we finished that recording, the grand jury indictment was announced. All the reporting so far has indicated that the charges and circumstances around the alleged crimes conform to everything we discussed on March 30th last week, so I thought releasing this was still valuable even though it’s a developing story.
Mar 17, 2023
73- Lies, George Santos, and the 1st Amendment
00:24:21
New York's 3rd Congressional District elected a newcomer named George Santos in November of 2022. Since the election, it was revealed that Santos lied about nearly everything on his resume. What does the Constitution say about lies, punishing lies, and punishing someone who lies to get elected? Time to find out!
Feb 10, 2023
72-Weddings, Websites, and Forced Speech
00:34:11
It’s been established law that it is wrong for businesses to discriminate against customers because of their race or ethnic background, but what if a business owner refuses to serve someone because of their sexual orientation? And what if that business owner asserts that serving a gay customer violates their first amendment rights?
Nov 27, 2022
71- The War Between the States
00:31:19
How the Dormant Commerce Clause tries to stop states from passing laws that put an undue burden on interstate commerce and what that means for states that wish to forward specific ethical agendas. Plus, what's going on with student debt relief: who filed a lawsuit against it and why.
Oct 22, 2022
70- Trump's Bet on Cannon
00:33:19
When the FBI executed a search warrant on his home, Trump and his lawyers filed their complaints in a district where they thought they’d get sympathetic treatment from Judge Aileen Cannon, who Trump appointed. The assignment of a particular judge is not up to Trump, but in this case, he got lucky, and Cannon was assigned. How did Trump’s gamble on getting his case in front of Judge Cannon work out? Let’s find out.
Sep 10, 2022
69- The Mar-a-Lago Warrant
00:36:58
The official court order that permitted the search of Mar-a-Lago was made public, and even though much of it was redacted, there is a lot of information about what the government was looking for and which crimes the DOJ are investigating .
Aug 12, 2022
68- The Longest Week
00:27:36
In the final week of the most recent term, the Supreme Court decided to limit one constitutional right (abortion) and expand another constitutional right (guns). But there were other cases decided that week, which were also important and marked this as one of the most historically significant terms in over 100 years. So what happened in those other cases and why are they so important?
Aug 05, 2022
67- Jan 6 and the Evidence Against Trump
00:34:45
What have we learned from the January 6th Committee hearings and what does is mean for a potential Justice Department investigation of Trump?
Jun 29, 2022
66- After Dobbs
00:41:03
The Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization decision has overturned Roe v. Wade and revoked the right to abortion, a Constitutionally guaranteed right we have had for about 50 years. What happens now?
Jun 07, 2022
65- The Second Amendment
00:32:06
The recent mass shootings and a New York gun carrying permit case awaiting a decision from the Supreme Court calls for an examination of the current interpretation of the Second Amendment. The Heller decision from 2008 is the foundation of modern thought on the subject, but that decision is based on guessing what law makers thought hundreds of years ago.
Apr 04 | 00:26:50
74- On the Eve of Trump's Arraignment
Mar 17 | 00:24:21
73- Lies, George Santos, and the 1st Amendment
Feb 10 | 00:34:11
72-Weddings, Websites, and Forced Speech
Nov 27 | 00:31:19
71- The War Between the States
Oct 22 | 00:33:19
70- Trump's Bet on Cannon
Sep 10 | 00:36:58
69- The Mar-a-Lago Warrant
Aug 12 | 00:27:36
68- The Longest Week
Aug 05 | 00:34:45
67- Jan 6 and the Evidence Against Trump
Jun 29 | 00:41:03
66- After Dobbs
Jun 07 | 00:32:06
65- The Second Amendment
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