Court Watch with Alex Swoyer

Ilya Shapiro, senior fellow and director of constitutional studies at the Manhattan Institute, joins 'Court Watch' host Alex Swoyer to discuss an upcoming case before the Supreme Court this week involving a Catholic charter school and he breaks down last week's arguments concerning LGBTQ storytime for pre-K and elementary age students in a Maryland county. Shapiro also highlights his new book released earlier this year, "Lawless: The Miseducation of America's Elites."

Lawyer Nathan Lewin joined 'Court Watch' podcast host Alex Swoyer to discuss the Supreme Court's upcoming case involving Maryland parents, who challenge the school system's decision to have LGBTQ books read to pre-K and elementary school children without allowing them to opt out. 

Jim Campbell, chief legal counsel with Alliance Defending Freedom, will argue the case on behalf of the Oklahoma Statewide Charter School Board, which sought to make St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School the nation's first religious charter school. Mr. Campbell joined 'Court Watch' host Alex Swoyer to discuss the case, which will be heard in April.

John Bursch, senior counsel with Alliance Defending Freedom, will argue before the Supreme Court on April 2 to defend South Carolina's 2018 move to eliminate Medicaid dollars going to abortion clinics. He joined "Court Watch" host Alex Swoyer to discuss the case, Medina v. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic, formerly Kerr v. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic.

Andrew Willinger, executive director at Duke Center for Firearms Law, joined 'Court Watch' host Alex Swoyer to discuss an upcoming Supreme Court dispute involving Mexico suing U.S. gun manufacturers, attempting to hold them liable for allegedly aiding and abetting the drug cartel. The justices hear the dispute March 4.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton joins 'Court Watch' host Alex Swoyer to discuss the Supreme Court, incoming Trump administration and lawfare. 

Jacob Huebert, president of the Liberty Justice Center, joined 'Court Watch' host Alex Swoyer to discuss the Supreme Court's oral arguments over a challenge to a law that bans TikTok from operating in the United States. Mr. Huebert represents a TikTok user challenging the ban.

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti joined Court Watch host Alex Swoyer to react to the Supreme Court hearing U.S. v. Skrmetti, where the justices are weighing Tennessee's law that bans medical treatment for youth suffering from gender dysphoria and looking to transition. The state law bans puberty blockers, hormone therapy and surgery. It was challenged by the Biden Administration and American Civil Liberties Union. 

Josh Blackman, a professor at South Texas College of Law, joined Court Watch host Alex Swoyer to discuss the Supreme Court's November caseload, and he detailed the justices' upcoming dispute over a state ban on medical treatment for transgender youth, which is scheduled for Dec. 4. 

The Judicial Crisis Network's Carrie Severino, a former clerk to Justice Clarence Thomas, joined Court Watch host Alex Swoyer to discuss the upcoming 2024-2025 Supreme Court term and shared comments about a recent leak out of the high court of a confidential memo to The New York Times. 

Peter Navarro, former director of the White House National Trade Council, joined Court Watch host Alex Swoyer to discuss his new book The New MAGA Deal, 2024 policy and his time behind bars for defying a Jan. 6 Committee subpoena. Mr. Navarro also commented on the assassination attempt against his former boss and said Secret Service agents should take lie detector tests as the probe into that shooting is underway.

Supreme Court scholar and creator of the EMPIRICALSCOTUS blog Adam Feldman joins 'Court Watch' host Alex Swoyer to discuss the 2023 term's key rulings, trends and takeaways.

Texas lawyer Rod Phelan of Baker Botts spoke to 'Court Watch' host Alex Swoyer about Donald Trump's hush money appeal, comparing it to Harvey Weinstein's overturned conviction by New York's top court. He highlighted some similarities between how the cases were handled. 

Former President Trump's attorney Will Scharf joined Court Watch host Alex Swoyer to react to the Supreme Court's oral arguments last month in Mr. Trump's claim for absolute immunity from criminal prosecution in his D.C. case over alleged election fraud charges related to his contest of the 2020 results. A ruling from the justices is expected by the end of June.

Theodore M. Cooperstein, an appellate lawyer who represents Jan. 6 defendants, joined Court Watch host Alex Swoyer to discuss the Supreme Court's upcoming case over President Trump's immunity claim and another legal battle over an obstruction charge facing hundreds of Jan. 6 defendants -- including the former president.

Elizabeth Gillette and Alliance Defending Freedom attorney Kellie Fiedorek discuss with Court Watch host Alex Swoyer complications from the abortion pill ahead of oral arguments before the Supreme Court on March 26 over Food and Drug Administration changes to the use of the drug. 

Michael Cargill, owner of a gun store in Texas, challenged the feds' ban on bump stocks. He joined 'Court Watch' to discuss his case and how he thought oral arguments went at the Supreme Court. A decision is expected by the end of June in his challenge. 

Sen. Eric Schmitt of Missouri joined 'Court Watch' host Alex Swoyer to react to the Supreme Court's recent arguments over former President Trump's ballot access, and he highlighted an upcoming legal battle in March the court will hear over social media censorship and First Amendment concerns with the federal government in Murthy v. Missouri. 

Carolyn Shapiro, a professor at Chicago Kent College of Law and a former clerk to retired Justice Stephen G. Breyer, joined Court Watch host Alex Swoyer to discuss the Supreme Court taking up the legal battle over whether former President Trump can appear on the 2024 ballot, with critics saying the Constitution bars him from running over his actions on Jan. 6, 2021. She also weighed in on upcoming arguments the high court will hear in February over social media censorship laws and the legality of banning bump stocks. 

Mike Davis, president of the Article III Project, joined 'Court Watch' host Alex Swoyer to discuss a challenge brought by a Jan. 6 defendant against one of his charges that could impact the federal prosecution against former President Donald Trump. He also weighed in on a case heard in January weighing judicial discretion to executive agencies over rulemaking. 

Carrie Severino, president of the Judicial Crisis Network and a former clerk to Justice Clarence Thomas, joined Court Watch to discuss the high court issuing a code of conduct and to break down some of the major disputes pending before the justices. 

The Supreme Court will hear two cases over public officials blocking people on social media and a trademark battle over the phrase "Trump too small" during the upcoming term -- as well as take up a major Second Amendment case dealing with disarming people under civil domestic violence protection orders. Josh Blackman, a professor at South Texas College of Law, joined Court Watch host Alex Swoyer to detail the legal battles and potential outcomes.

The Committee for Justices' Curt Levey and People For the American Way's Elliot Mincberg joined Court Watch host Alex Swoyer to highlight the major cases they are monitoring during the 2023 term, which kicks off Oct. 2. Following the recording of this episode, the Supreme Court did grant First Amendment challenges to Texas and Florida's social media censorship laws. 

Supreme Court scholar Dr. Adam Feldman breaks down key rulings and statistics from the 2022 term with Court Watch host Alex Swoyer.

“The People's Justice,” published June 20 by Regnery Gateway, highlights a dozen disputes to show how Justice Clarence Thomas relies on the original meaning of the terms and ideas expressed in the Constitution in interpreting laws. Written by Judge Amal Thapar of the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, the book explores the justice's insights into the cases argued before the court. “[Justice Thomas] remembers they are real people, and he often includes little statements in his decisions directed at those people,” Judge Thapar told Court Watch podcast host Alex Swoyer.

Former President Trump's attorney Alina Habba, a spokesperson for his legal team and civil attorney, spoke to Court Watch host Alex Swoyer and Washington Times White House reporter Jeff Mordock about Mr. Trump's legal battles and the federal indictment over classified documents.

Judge Jeanine Pirro joined Court Watch to discuss her new book "Crimes Against America -- The Left's Takedown of our Republic.' She also weighed in on corruption and 'nonsense' at the DOJ, FBI and even the Supreme Court. 

Robert W. Tuttle, a professor at The George Washington University specializing in religion and law, joined the Court Watch podcast to analyze the pending case Groff v. DeJoy, which weighs an employee's right to observe the Sabbath. Mr. Tuttle predicts there's 'little to no chance' the employee demanding an accommodation to observe the Sabbath will win. A ruling is expected by the end of June.

Curt Levey, president of the Committee for Justice, details several major rulings expected from the Supreme Court to close out the 2023 term including decisions on affirmative action, big tech protections, religious liberty and LGBT rights. During the episode, Court Watch host Alex Swoyer incorrectly described a legal battle involving a Christian web designer challenging a pro-LGBT law out of California. The case is actually from Colorado. Please excuse the mistake.

Gerald Groff worked for seven years for the U.S. Postal Service, but it became a struggle to get his employer to accommodate his observance of Sundays for worship. He and his attorney, Randall Wenger, chat about his upcoming case before the high court, which will hear arguments on the matter April 18.

Missouri GOP Sen. Eric Schmitt and Josh Blackman, professor at South Texas College of Law, weigh in on the Supreme Court considering Biden student loan case and potential legal liabilities for big tech. 

People For the American Way's Elliot Mincberg joined the podcast to breakdown major cases pending before the court, especially those weighing legal liability for social media companies and President Biden's plan to forgive student debt, which will all be heard later this month. The episode was recorded before the justices dismissed In Re Grand Jury, a case briefly mentioned during the podcast concerning attorney-client privilege that had been argued in January.

The Supreme Court heard a major battle between First Amendment rights and LGBTQ protections this month. Lorie Smith, the plaintiff in the case fighting for her free speech rights, and her attorney Kristen Waggoner of Alliance Defending Freedom joined Alex Swoyer to comment on the oral arguments. Mike Davis, a former clerk to Justice Neil M. Gorsuch, also joined the episode to break down other major legal topics facing the justices this term, including the ongoing probe into who leaked the draft opinion earlier this year revealing the justices would overturn Roe v. Wade. 

Ilya Shapiro, senior fellow and director of constitutional studies at the Manhattan Institute, joined "Court Watch" with reaction to the Supreme Court's oral arguments weighing affirmative action policies at Harvard and UNC. He discussed what a ruling reversing affirmative action could mean for secondary education as well as the military.   

Carolyn Shapiro of Chicago-Kent College of Law and former Illinois Solicitor General joined “Court Watch” to break down the high court's arguments in a Voting Rights Act challenge out of Alabama and previewed how the justices may handle the upcoming affirmative action cases. She also shared information about her time clerking for the recently retired Justice Stephen G. Breyer and weighed in on Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson's style as she replaced her former boss.

Washington Times' Alex Swoyer speaks with Carrie Severino, president of the Judicial Crisis Network, about the Supreme Court's upcoming 2022 term. Ms. Severino highlights some of the major cases the justices have already taken up and will hear in the coming months. They also discuss the leaker of the draft abortion ruling earlier this year still not being identified roughly five months later.

The 'Court Watch' podcast with Washington Times' legal affairs reporter Alex Swoyer breaks down the Supreme Court's major cases and top news stories about the justices, federal courts and perplexing legal battles with key insight from court watchers from both sides of the aisle.