The Law Is My Ass

In this the final episode of the podcast with the current name (we mean it this time!) we round up the huge volume of significant Supreme Court decisions published in the last month -- and apologies in advance for the technical issues (the mics were a little hot - ooops) - we think it's still listenable. The topics we hit include (but are not limited to) the following: Will the Packers be better this year (Hint: of course) Who is Wisconsin's favorite Chheda? (Hint: the one named Sachin) Do Gorsuch and Thomas ALWAYS agree? (Hint: apparently not!) Was Kennedy a progressive jurist? (Hint: not even close) Who is the new swing vote on the Supreme Court (Hint: his name rhymes with "Ron Joberts") Which justice created the best read of the term? (Hint: her name rhymes with "Tonya Totomayor") What's Sid been up to? (Hint: it involves a bar that sells no booze) Is baking a cake "speech"? (Hint: the verdict is still out) What's the more important right - to speak to to be quiet? (Hint: shhhhh!) All that and more on the final ever episode of The Law Is My Ass, soon to become The Keep It Legal! Podcast. Apologies again for the audio, and Happy Independence Day everybody!

It's Episode 48 - our last Law My Ass episode of 2018, and IT'S ALSO THE LAST EPISODE EVER! AAAAAAAHHHH! But don't fear - we'll be back next year with a new and improved and rebranded legal podcast that will be basically indistinguishable from The Law Is My Ass, except that it will be called Keep It Legal! instead. For the Law My Ass series finale, Sid Skyped in from London, our guest Lena Zwarensteyn Skyped in from Washington DC, and along the way we answered a few questions, including: What was the Supreme Court up to this week? (Hint: not much) What was Judge Kozinski up to this week? (Hint: too much) Is the long-fought Fitbit-Jawbone war finally reaching an armistice? (Hint: signs point to yes) Is Betsy DeVos's Department of Education doing anything at all? (Hint: signs point to no) Can you get counterfeit Mercedes Benz hubcaps from Amazon? (Hint: Mercedes says you can and it is NOT happy about it!) Is Brett Tally going to be a judge? (Hint: it's not looking good for him) Is the DOJ hunting witches? (Hint: Rod Rosenstein denies it) Does Trump's DOJ believe that climate change might be catastrophic? (Hint: it doesn't matter, because it thinks that there's no right to a habitable environment) Open Internet, AKA "net neutrality" - are we all doomed? (Hint: not yet!) All that and more on our final episode of all time ever until we come back and do more of it next year under a different name. It's been an exciting and educational year of podcasting - we want sincerely to thank all of our listeners for joining us on this journey, listening, giving feedback, sending questions, and most of all just for caring about the laws that affect us all; you folks are the best. Thank you! And until next year, Keep It Legal!™ 

On this the 47th - and penultimate - episode of The Law Is My Ass (soon to be rebranded as the Keep it Legal!™ Podcast) - we go Sid-less (he hasn't left the podcast - he's just in England doing shows), and Joe welcomes back immigration attorney Shawn Matloob to talk about the developments in the DACA litigation and the Travel Ban 3.0 litigation, and there were a LOT! Along the way, we touch upon: Can a lawyer be disbarred for disregarding a Supreme Court disbarment order? (Hint: all signs point to yes) What did William Morris Agency agent Adam Venit do to Terry Crews? (Hint: it wasn't nice and he is being sued) Is the President definitionally insulated from a charge of obstruction of justice? (Hint: nobody really thinks so) Did Katy Perry win her real estate lawsuit in LA? (Hint: like a firework!) Will sports gambling soon be legal in New Jersey (Hint: it looks promising for New Jersey) Is baking a cake "speech" protected by the First Amendment? (Hint: it looks like at least 4 SCOTUS Justices think so) Is the Supreme Court getting unusually involved in the pending immigration litigation? (Hint: yes) Are there sexist judges on the Fourth Circuit? (Hint: Shawn and Joe are both wondering about that) Are the President's tweets official proclamations of the administration? (Hint: 100%!) All that and more - so check it out, and keep it legal!™ 

In this the 46th episode of The Law Is My Ass, Sid and Joe cover all the usual topics, including but not limited to Is the podcast changing its name? (Hint: YES! In 2018) Does Joe steal all of Sid's lines? (Hint: Apparently) Is Michael Flynn going to bring down the Trump administration? (Hint: it's too soon to say) Can Trump stop himself from Tweeting? (Hint: what do you think?) Should Jose Zarate have been convicted of murder (Hint: no) Are brown people dangerous (Hint: most, we assume, are good people -- much like people of all other colors) Does the Bureau of Land Management take good care of its guns? (Hint: apparently not at all) Does Neal Katyal sometimes represent bad guys? (Hint: yup!) Does the Supreme Court's hearing room have good natural light? (Hint: Jaime says "absolutely!") Is the Supreme Court going to protect your cell cite location data? (Hint: we all guess yes) What percentage of internet bots are good? (Hint: exactly 26%) Can Jaime drop an F-bomb? (Hint: yes) All that and a great listener question! So check out Episode 46 now while you can, before we rebrand the entire operation. And keep it legal!

In today's 45th episode of The Law Is My Ass, Sid and Joe wind through the regular features of the podcast, along with a great interview of Lena Zwarensteyn of the American Constitution Society, and along the way try to answer, inter alia, the following: Has Joe finally figured out how to use the compressor in GarageBand? (Hint: signs point to yes) Has the Trump administration lost any cases in the Ninth Circuit this week? (Hint: check out the new DACA litigation update segment! But yes) Are the President's tweets official government records? (Hint: the DOJ says "yes") What's up at the Supreme Court (Hint: the three women justices are trying to prevent unfair executions) Are the Badgers undefeated? (Hint: we didn't talk about that, but the answer is "YES! And they'd better be included in the playoffs if they stay that way!) Can you bare your breasts as a political protest? (Hint: one would assume so, but apparently not in Chicago) What about the elephants? (Hint: according the the administration's official regulatory publication - Twitter - the elephants got a temporary reprieve) Are New Balance shoes made in the US? (Hint: New Balance says it doesn't matter) Are blue slips dead? (Hint: for district court judges, apparently yes) Is Trump trying to stack the courts? (Hint: duh) Is the ABA's rating committee biased? (Hint: only one person thinks so) Should Al Franken resign? (Hint: reasonable minds may differ) All that and three great listener questions - give it all a good listen, and keep it legal!

This week Sid and Joe go guest-free to bring you all the latest in the Travel Ban update, Supreme Court Roundup, Random Legal News, a Listener Question - and the podcast's newest feature: "Objection!" Along the way, they answer the following: Does the podcast now have one episode for every president of the United States (Hint: depends whether you count Trump) What's up with the Travel Ban 3.0 appeals (Hint: oral arguments in a month) What's the Supreme Court been up to (Hint: Three opinions, two oral arguments, and an upcoming case featuring podcast guest Jamie Lee Williams!) What's a bed bug bite worth? (Hint: around $50,000) Is Cal. Rule of Prof. Conduct 5-110(d) > Brady? (Hint: yes!) How can you revive the long-expired statutes of limitations on your sexual misconduct? (Hint: call someone a liar) Can you be prosecuted for laughing at Jeff Sessions? (Hint: can - yes; will - no) Is "opioid overdose" hard to say quickly? (Hint: seems to be) Should federal district judge nominees have some litigation experience? (Hint: we would hope so - but apparently not) What's up with Colin Kaepernick's NFL "collusion" grievance? (Hint: listen and find out!) All that and more - so turn on, tune in, and keep it legal!

In the 43rd episode of The Law Is My Ass, Sid and Joe have a terrific conversation with former prosecutor Vernon Grigg III about the significance and implications of the indictments and plea deal that were unsealed this last Monday in the Robert Mueller investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 US presidential election. Along the way the answer the following questions on everybody's minds: Did the Ninth Circuit specifically schedule the oral argument in the current travel ban appeal just to mess with Sid's law school final exams? (Hint: signs point to yes) Has the Fourth Circuit decided to get in on that action yet? (Answer: finally, yes!) The Supreme Court heard oral argument in four cases last week - any of them interesting? (Hint: nah) Is the Notorious RGB retiring any time soon? (Hint: that'd be an emphatic "no") As between the lawyers and the city of Los Angeles, who wins? (Hint: starts with an "L" ends with an "S" . . .) Should I continue to buy Bosch tools and appliances? (Hint: Bosch is going to need all the revenue it can get) How's Trump's military transgender policy going? (Hint: enjoined) Are the charges against Manafort and Gates just cotton candy? (Hint: no) Should Jeff Sessions be concerned (Hint: hard to say, but he probably renewed his prescription for antacids last week) Is there more to come from Mueller? (Hint: sure looks that way) Does the POTUS have any mechanism to shit this whole thing down? (Hint: several, but no good ones) All that and more - give us a listen! Send your listener questions for next week to lawmyass@gmail.com, and in the meantime - keep it legal!™ 

In this the 42nd Episode of The Law Is My Ass, Sid and Joe round up the Supreme Court's week, the new developments in the Travel Ban Litigation at the Ninth Circuit, and interview mediator extraordinaire Cathy Yanni about mediation. Along the way, they answer some questions: Is standard of review interesting? (Hint: No, but it's important) Is travel ban 2.0 moot? (Hint: it's now officially the mootest) Does the FBI protect its informants from murder (Hint: the dead ones don't think so) Can climate forecasting software be used to do DNA matching? (Hint: ProPublica has its doubts) Did the Senate sell us all out to the big banks last week? (Hint: that's an unqualified "yes") Does Betsy DeVos hate disabled children? (Hint: signs point to yes) Is the Mueller investigation producing some fruit? (Hint: late summer melons, perhaps) Is mediation good or bad? (Hint: on balance, good) All that and a great listener question about corporate First Amendment rights in the post-Hobby Lobby era! Give it a listen, and keep it legal!™ 

In this week's mercifully short (34 minutes!), guest-free, FORTY-FIRST (wow!) episode of The Law Is My Ass, Sid and Joe round up two weeks worth of Supreme Court oral arguments and Random News, and in response to a listener question, give the lowdown on how the whole process of presidential impeachment works. Along the way, they answer: Do the names of show segments have more gravitas when read with an echo effect? (Hint: indubitably!) Is anyone going to jail for poisoning the water in Flint, MI? (Hint: we can hope) Should you tell your secrets to Equifax or Whole Foods? (Hint: if those are your only two choices, just keep your secrets to yourself) Can schools punish students who don't wish to stand for the pledge of allegiance? (Hint: the courts will have to decide) Did Uber commit corporate espionage? (Hint: signs point to maybe!) Can municipalities regulate gun shops? (Hint: in the 9th Circuit they sure can!) Does the Innocence Project do great work? (Hint: YES!) Did US companies help fund Iraqi troops who targeted US forces? (Hint: Signs point to quite possibly) Can Joe Arpaio have his contempt conviction vacated? (Hint: not this week!) When will Trump's lawyers be richer than Trump? (Hint: about two more years) Is Trump going to be impeached any time soon? (Hint: doubtful!) And if that's not enough, you're expectations are just too high. Give it a listen, tune in next week to hear our guest, career Mediator Cathy Yanni, and in the meantime, keep it legal!

In this the exciting FORTIETH episode of The Law Is My Ass, immigration expert Shawn Matloob joins us for our weekly Travel Ban Litigation Update, and to talk about all things immigration, including DACA. Along the way we try to answer the following questions: What podcast co-host as the greatest ability to make the most inappropriate joke at the most inappropriate time? (Hint: stars with an S, ends with a D, and I is in the middle) Does Justice Ginsburg hate Justice Gorsuch? (Hint: well, he's no Antonin Scalia, but probably not) How's it looking for Gill v. Whitford? (Hint: good?) What about employees with class claims (Hint: less so) What about public sector labor unions (Hint: on life support) Does all the important litigation originate in Wisconsin? (Hint: no but it does seem that way sometimes) Is it wise to to send a picture of your genitals to an underage girl? (Hint: definitely not in Indiana) Is it was to plant drugs on someone you hate and then call the cops (Hint: not if you leave your DNA on them) What is Love, anyway? (Hint: the FDA says it's "intervening material") All that and a listener question to boot! Tune in, check it out, and keep it legal! Also, listen twice because we're off next week ;)

In this exciting 39th Episode we talk about the legalities of the current protests and demonstrations by NFL players, coaches, and owners, and along the way we also answer the following questions (among others): Can Lingerie League football players be disciplined for pre-game protests? (Hint: most definitely); Can your local high school's football players be disciplined for pre-game protest (Hint: less likely); Can NFL players be disciplined for pre-game protests? (Hint: unlikely, but not because of the First Amendment); Can women drive in Saudi Arabia (Hint: not yet - but soon!); Are the Supreme Court travel ban appeals going to be dismissed as moot? (Hint: signs point to maybe); Is Andrew going to be a great attorney some day? (Hint: the jury is still out); Is ICE trying to prevent immigration detainees from obtaining legal representation (Hint: all signed point to yes); What the heck is the Jones Act (Hint: OSHA for the Ocean!) All that and more! Listen in, subscribe, send your listener questions to lawmyass@gmail.com, and above all, keep it legal!

In this the 38th episode of The Law Is My Ass, Sid and Joe interview podcast-regular and benefits expert Eric Schillinger about the Graham-Cassidy bill that the Senate is considering RIGHT NOW as it's likely last effort to repeal Obamacare in this fiscal year. What does it mean, and how would it affect you? Listen and find out! And as if that weren't enough, we tackle the following pressing legal questions: Is there another way to look at the Second Amendment? (Hint: yes) Do Californian's have to stop force feeding their geese again? (Hint: yes, but abusing chickens, cattle and pigs is still allowed) Is Equifax in deep doo-doo? (Hint: you know the answer) Is Wells-Fargo trying to pull a fast one? (Hint: guess) Is Taylor Swift going down for copyright infringement? (Hint: Joe votes no, Sid votes yes, and Eric abstains) Can Jeff Sessions punish cities that don't want immigration officers storming into their jails? (Hint: courts say "no"!) What web giant has the funniest in-house IP attorneys? (Hint: starts with N, ends with x, and has an "etfli" in the middle) All that and more in this week's shorter-than-usual episode of The Law Is My Ass. Tune in, and keep it legal!  

In this the 37th (!) episode of The Law Is My Ass, and along with exciting special guest Amy Bach of advocacy organization United Policyholders (check out their website right here: http://uphelp.org) talk about last week's Supreme Court foray back into the travel ban litigation, and take on the following pressing questions: Are strippers properly classified as independent contractors (Hint: probably not); Is Equifax about to drown in litigation (Hint: all signs point to yes); Is Google a sexist employer (Hint: some employees are saying so!); Is President Trump's pardon of Sheriff Arpaio constitutional (Hint: some say no!); How many insurance companies does it take to pay a homeowners hurricane claim (Hint: it's a trick question! There's no insurance!); All that and listener questions in today's exciting installment of The Law Is My Ass!

On this the 36th episode of The Law is My Ass podcast, Sid and Joe interview Veterans Benefits expert Jeffrey Marion, talk about the Trump administration's torrid pace of appointing judges, and you might get answers to the following questions: Is the Trump administration doing nothing? (Hint: not unless appointing judges is "doing nothing") Does Senator Franken have a big blue slip? (Hint: Yes!) How is the administration faring at the Ninth Circuit? (Hint: lost again) Are municipalities still jailing people just for being poor? (Hint: as of this week, one fewer) Is credit reporting agency Experian a good corporate citizen? (Hint: all indications point to "NO!") Is Verizon tracking your web use? (Hint: Yes!) How is a TBI like herbicide-induced cancer? (Hint: both can get you veterans disability benefits) How is a ship at port different from a ship at sea? (Hint: in the same way that brown water is not blue) How can we help our veterans? (Hint: listen and find out! All that and more! Tune in, listen up, and keep it legal!

We're excited that Sid is back from his summer comedy tour of Scotland, and thrilled to present you Joe's interview of Rutgers Law Professor Katie Eyer about laws affecting the transgender community! Before that, Sid and Joe give a shout out to sponsors Green Light Jerky and perennial supports Roberts Bartolic LLP and their  ERISA Watch Newsletter. And in the Random Legal News of the Week with Sid and Joe, you'll learn: Does Wells Fargo cheat its customers? (Hint: apparently); Did Obama wiretap Trump Tower? (Hint: nope); Is Judge Posner retiring? (Hint: nope, he is retired #MovingFast); Can Wyoming sue VW for diesel pollution? (Hint: doubtful); How many judges can President Trump nominate in one week? (Hint: tune in next week and we'll give you a number); Can Texas outlaw sanctuary cities? (Hint: not this week); Is the New York Times a good source of information? (Hint: about Gill v. Whitford, so far, yes!); Can you go to prison for not paying a parking ticket? (Hint: in Florida, yes! #winning); Do courts think that calling someone transgender is an insult? (Hint: at least one court says that it is not!) Give it a listen, and keep it legal!

A shout out to all our new subscribers, and our thanks to Roberts Bartolic LLP's ERISA Watch newsletter for plugging the prior episodes featuring our interview with Judge Alex Kozinski! This week we're on vacation (there's some sort of eclipse-type thing happening and Joe is going to watch it, while Sid continues to try to make Scottish people laugh out loud) - but we're offering a special episode consisting solely of our full, unedited interview with Ninth Circuit Judge Alex Kozinski. No travel ban update (the hearing is August 28 in Seattle ;); no Random Legal News of the Week (there was so much - but it will have to wait); not even any music! This week it's just Joe and Ninth Circuit Judge Alex Kozinski taking about everything from brief writing, to Ayn Rand, to His Honor's views on the death penalty.  Enjoy this special 90-minute episode, check back for new episodes starting in September, and in the meantime, as always, keep it legal!™

More Kozinski! After special guest co-host Will Maguire and Joe wade through the travel ban update and the legal news of the week (FBI raids! Google Bros! Breaking Bad!) - we play the second half of Joe's interview with outspoken and controversial Ninth Circuit Judge Alex Kozinski, including his honor's thoughts about The Fourth Amendment How to be friends with the judges you criticize in your dissents Digital privacy and the third party doctrine Whether your mom is a good legal editor Criminal justice reform The death penalty We will be on hiatus until September - but we hope you'll listen in, and, as always, keep it legal!

This week Joe and special guest co-host Vernon C. Grigg III walk you through the week's legal developments, including the re-invigorated Ninth Circuit appeal of the revised Hawai'i injunction against the second administration travel ban; the marketing of medications directly to state drug court judges; Wells Fargo's misconduct, which just keeps going, and going, and going; and the Mueller grand jury that empaneled last week but best of all - we close with Part 1 of our 2-part 90-minute interview of Ninth Circuit Judge Alex Kozinski! In this the first half of the interview we touched upon His childhood in Romania His libertarian political views Kurt Vonnegut Bananas Movies and judicial opinions Antitrust laws The Senate Blue Slip process The power (or lack thereof) of big corporations, and Proposals to divide the Ninth Circuit Next week will be even juicer - in Part 2 of the interview, we touch on the future of privacy rights, the 4th Amendment, and the 3rd Party Doctrine in the digital age, more on judicial opinion writing, his views on the death penalty, and dinner with the Ginsburgs and the Scalias. And as if that weren't enough, Judge Kozinski himself answers your listener questions. As always, thanks for listening, and keep it legal!

In this the 31st episode of The Law Is My Ass, with Sid away in Scotland, Joe and guest co-host Vernon C. Grigg III (who was also our guest in episode 24 on the topic of obstruction of justice) covered a ton of ground, including: What's happening with the Travel Ban litigation? (Hint: nothing, more or less) What's happening at the Supreme Court? (Hint: death penalty appeals) As between MJ and OJ, who is the week's winner? (Hint: OJ) Any new law suits against Trump? (Hint: Seriously? We can barely keep up with all the old ones!) Anybody sue Apple lately? (Hint: The University of Wisconsin just got a HALF A BILLION DOLLAR award in a patent suit against Apple...) Can Trump pardon himself? (Hint: reasonable minds may differ) Is Trump going to fire Sessions and Mueller (Hint: seems like a bad idea) Is the whole Trump family going to jail for "collusion"? (Hint: "collusion" is not a crime) With the DOJ arguing that Title VII does not prohibit discrimination against gays and lesbians, are there legal prohibitions against such discrimination? (Hint: Probably) All of which begs the question, what the heck does "begs the question" mean, and should lawyers say it? (Hint: not what you think, and it's up to them) Listen in for your weekly dose of all things law - thank you as always for listening, and keep it legal! ***YOU WON'T WANT TO MISS NEXT WEEK'S EPISODE WITH OUR VERY SPECIAL GUEST: NINTH CIRCUIT JUDGE ALEX KOZINSKI ! ! !***

We have some some very exciting news about our next two episodes (Hint: we will be interviewing a sitting Ninth Circuit judge for the August 5 episode # 32!!!) Once we get that out of the way, this week we cover the developments in the ongoing travel ban litigation that the mainstream press has hardly covered at all (both the Ninth Circuit and the Supreme Court issued important clarifying and procedural decisions last week). But unlike the rest of the media, we bring you up to speed! We also answer pressing questions like "Is it legal to make mouthwash on an antifreeze machine?" (Hint: unlikely); "Is Harley Davidson still going to buy me a new stove?" (Hint: no, Jeff Sessions let them off the hook); "Can the government seize my assets without proving I did anything wrong?" (Hint: Jeff Sessions thinks it's a great idea, but Justice Clarence Thomas is skeptical); can the President pardon himself? (Hint: most likely yes, but even that might not protect him and we'll explore that in depth next week with our guest co-host and former prosecutor Vernon Grigg!). Then we have our FIFTH guest interview with Eric Schillinger about the substance and procedure of the Senate's efforts to repeal the ACA (aka "Obamacare") - and conclude that the proposals are getting wackier every day. Finally a listener question that points out just how complicated it can be to destroy the government from the inside out. Thanks for listening and keep it legal!

The administration is back to losing motions and filing appeals about its travel bans, the latest occurring one day before the precast. Sid and Joe bring you up to speed in their weekly "Travel Ban Litigation Update"  In the Random Legal News of the Week with Sid and Joe, your hosts talk about bar exams, skeevy law professors, skeevier judges. racist AirBnB hosts, litigious UBER drivers, more lawsuits against the President, and answer the question "Is laughing, alone, a criminal offense when you direct it at Jeff Sessions" (hint: apparently it is not). But the star of this week's episode is intellectual property law expert Chris Holland, who talked about the ins and outs of pants, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, noncompetes, the "right of publicity," fair use, parody, and answered some fascinating questions like "Can a blogger annotate and repost home photos downloaded from the internet?" (Hint: maybe); can the Kardashians market TuPac t-shirts without TuPac's estate's permission? (Hint: almost certainly not); Can we trademark "The Law Is My Ass" (Hint: yes, but it still wouldn't be worth anything); how do you spell "incontestability" (Hint: we just did); can you drive a Lexis or do legal research in a Lexus (Hint: unlikely). All that and listener questions - so tune in, and keep it legal!

In this the 28th Episode of The Law Is My Ass, Sid and Joe talk about a recent dissent from cert denial filed by Justices Thomas and Gorsuch that gives a pretty good sense of where they lie on gun rights. They debut a new theme song for the Random Legal News of the Week, in which they answer "does EPA Secretary Scott Pruitt want to poison your kids?" (Hint: quite possibly); "can you bilk investors *and* concertgoers out of millions of dollars to put on a bogus music festival and then drive your Maserati into the sunset?" (Hint: it would seem not); "do plaintiffs win all the time?" (Hint: emphatically no; and "isn't what Volkswagen did with their emissions cheating criminal?" (Hint: it sure looks that way). Then they talk to podcast regular Eric Schillinger about the state of the Senate's efforts to repeal the ACA (aka Obamacare), who benefits, who loses, and why. All that, and one of the best listener questions the podcast has ever had! Give it a listen, and keep it legal!

On this the 27th episode (!) "Independence" edition of The Law Is My Ass, Sid and Joe correct some of the deficiencies in news coverage about the Supreme Court's decision in the travel ban litigation, cover the other five Supreme Court cases decided this week, talk about religious freedom and the first amendment, and then . . . a terrific interview with U.C. Hastings Professor David Takacs about environmental law and regulation, with a good breakdown of the Paris Climate Accord and what it means that the US "pulled out." So, was this week's Supreme Court decision in the travel bad case a big win for the President? (Hint: no.) Is it legal for border agents to shoot kids standing on Mexican soil? (Hint: maybe not.) Can churches resurface their playgrounds using public funds? (Hint: apparently so.) Is Justice Gorsuch making friends at his new job? (Hint: perhaps two!) Is the Senate still trying to take your health care away? (Hint: probably, but tune in next week to be sure.) And can the Trump administration destroy the environment? (Hint: depends.) All that and some great listener questions about extortion, Zillow, McMansions, and the doctrine of fair use. Check it out, and keep it legal! Happy fourth of July!

In this the 26th episode of The Law Is My Ass, Sid and Joe break down the week's TWELVE new Supreme Court decisions, have a great discussion (only moderately impacted by a lousy Skype signal) with podcast-regular Lena Zwarensteyn about pending judicial appointments, answer listener questions, and along the way provide valuable insight into pressing issues like "Does Sid have a comedy album available and is it charting?" (Hint: yes, and yes); "Can a Green Bay Packers fan sue the Chicago Bears organization for being jerks?" (Hint: probably not, and that alone is wronger than wrong!); "Did a progressive Asian-American rock band just accidentally help the Washington NFL franchise continue to insult native Americans?" (Hint: you know it!); and "Is there anything normal about how President Trump is appointing judges to their lifetime gigs on the bench?" (Hint: not much). Check it out - we hope you enjoy it. And in all events: keep it legal!

For this the Silver Anniversary Edition of The Law Is My Ass (it's our 25th episode! How crazy is that?) - we welcome back to the podcast the always brilliant and funny Jamie Lee Williams of the Electronic Frontier Foundation to talk about whether the government can track all of your movements all the time (Hint: at the moment, probably). We also talk about how to protect your text messages and your computer browser history (hint: imperfectly). Before we get to that we talk about the Ninth Circuit's landmark decision in the Hawai'i travel ban appeal - ruling against the Trump administration on STATUTORY and not constitutional grounds! We round up the week's five (count 'em - FIVE!) mostly unanimous Supreme Court decisions including Justice Ginsburg's equal protection opinion in Sessions v. Morales Santana. And as if all that weren't enough, we talk about new suits against the Trump administration, good news for DACA dreamers bad news for your Christmas plans in Havana, good news for high powered criminal defense attorneys in Washington DC; this morning's mixed news for Bill Cosby; the crime of encouraging suicide; and the Philando Castile verdict.

In a heavy news week, we had six (count 'em: SIX) newsworthy actions by the Supreme Court, drug criminals, criminal attorneys, attorneys who represent criminals, attorneys who become nuns, boyfriends who kill ex-girlfriends and frame junk yard owners for their crimes only to have it all made into a Netflix documentary, and as if that weren't all enough ... We also have a fabulous interview with former prosecutor Vernon Grigg who helps us answer the questions on everybody's mind: has the President obstructed justice (Hint: probably not yet, provably speaking); is James Comey some kind of sneaky genius (hint: all signs point to yes); is James Comey a good employee (hint: probably not); do Senate hearings sometimes resemble scenes from the movie Fargo (hint: indubitably); and for the first time in months, NO TRAVEL BAN LITIGATION UPDATE! Because nothing happened. Give it a listen, send your questions to lawmyass@gmail.com, and keep it legal! 

In this the twenty-third episode of The Law Is My Ass, Sid and Joe march through some of the more interesting legislation and litigation of the week, including a thorough discussion of all four of the week's mostly-almost-unanimous Supreme Court decisions. Then we have a great interview with Sachin Chheda of the Fair Elections Project to talk about partisan gerrymandering and the status of the Wisconsin gerrymandering suit now in front of the Supreme Court, in which they answer just how rigged do electoral districts have to be in order to be illegal (hint: 7%); would a stay tell us anything about the court's views on the merits (hint: probably not); and who will we blame for the Packers' shortcomings now that we don't have Olivia Munn to kick around anymore (hint: probably the fans). All that and a great listener question! Give it a listen, and keep it legal!

Sid and Joe review the week's three Supreme Court decisions (only one of which amounts to much),  the Fourth Circuit's 200-page decision holding that the Trump administration travel ban is unconstitutional and illegal, Joe interviews Supreme Court litigator Doug Geyser about last week's most significant Supreme Court case (Midland Funding v. Johnson), and the dubious bulk debt industry generally; beyond that, Sid and Joe answer your listener questions, including whether or not Justice Thomas has turned over a new leaf on race by ruling against North Carolina in this week's gerrymandering case (hint: probably not); whether Justice Gorsuch's desire for an oral argument in this week's summary affirmance of a campaign finance decision means that he hates all campaign finance laws (hint: probably not); and whether Mike Flynn's decision to take the Fifth and refuse to testify to congress about Russia means that the investigation is over (hint: not by a long shot). Give it a listen, and keep it legal!

In today's 21st episode of The Law Is My Ass, Sid and Joe ask whether Anthony Weiner must now register as a sex offender, whether Donald Trump has obstructed justice, with Fiat is the new VW, and whether Robert Mueller has conflicts of interest. Then just for kicks we replay rock-star Supreme Court advocate Neal Katyal's argument before the Ninth Circuit last week over the constitutionality and legality of the Trump administration's travel ban - with copious interruptions and comments from the peanut gallery (aka, from Joe and Sid). Check it out - and keep it legal!

For Sid's and Joe's TWENTIETH (!) episode, they eschew the guests to focus on the huge volume of important legal news from the last week, including: did Trump commit obstruction of justice? (Hint: maybe). Did Sessions revive the war on drugs? (Hint: looks that way). If I torrent porn on my home computer am I going to be sued? (Hint: possibly, but it's becoming perhaps less likely). If Trump is making tapes is he headed down the same road as Nixon? (Hint: too soon to say). Are the circuit courts going to get behind the Muslim ban? (Hint: odds are against it). All that and exciting listener questions about Presidential Succession, and how civil cases are settled. Check it out and keep it legal!

We had four (count 'em - FOUR!) listener questions this week [thank everybody!] - but the real highlight of Episode 19 is the third (THIRD!) visit to the podcast by benefits expert Eric Schillinger to talk about the House's successful passage of the bill called the "AHCA" (aka TrumpCare) last week, what it does, what it doesn't do, and whether it's likely ever to become a law. All that, plus the Puerto Rico Bankruptcy, an update on new Supreme Court decisions, and the status of the 9th Circuit travel ban appeal.

Joe and Sid cover the legal news of the day - including the upcoming Ninth Circuit and Fourth Circuit oral arguments in the travel ban litigation appeals; the new ruling against President Trump's "sanctuary city" EO; recent Supreme Court cases; Justice Breyer's cell phone; and an exciting interview with cannabis law expert Katy Young! All that and listener questions too!

Today Civil Rights attorney Stan Davis returns for a conversation about whether United Airlines is liable to Dr. David Dao for the violent way that the Doctor was deplaned in Chicago last Sunday. Stan, Joe, and Sid also talk about education policy, beef jerky, bond fraud, the patent troll that sued the EFF, the state of Hawai'i's  bid to have the Ninth Circuit hear the travel ban appeal en banc, and a listener question about Donald Trump's tax returns. Join us for this exciting episode of The Law Is My Ass - and keep it legal!

This week Mike Pence got a smack down from the US District Court, the Ninth Circuit scheduled a hearing on the administration's appeal of the Hawai'i injunction against the travel ban, Sid dropped an F-bomb, and we had two in depth interviews: Eric Schillinger was live again to talk about the substance and the mechanics of the AHCA (aka "Trump Care"), and the next legislative steps we might expect; and Lena Zwarensteyn joined Joe once again to debrief the activities last week in the Senate that led to the final approval of President Trump's nomination of Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court (he's a Justice now, if you hadn't heard). All that and more legal news and listener question(s). Check it out and keep it legal!

This week Sid and Joe give their regular weekly update on the travel ban litigation (hint - it's back at the Ninth Circuit!); the week's biggest Supreme Court decisions; developments in the Trump University fraud class action settlement; Congress's interesting decision to eliminate all privacy protections for internet browsing data; and Michael Flynn's oddly public request for immunity in exchange for his testimony And is if all that weren't enough, featured guest expert, Bankruptcy specialist Greg Rougeau talks Sid and Joe through Chapters 7, 9, 11 and 13 of the Bankruptcy code, and explains the apocryphal tale of "The Red Bench." All that and a shout out to our first official sponsor, Green Light Jerky! Don't miss it! And keep it Legal!

This week Sid and Joe update you on the ongoing travel ban litigation; congressional efforts to allow internet providers to buy, sell, and share all your internet usage data (one wonders whether US Senators ever look at porn on the internet . . .); the Supreme Court's new IDEA ruling (reversing an opinion of 10th Circuit Judge Neil Gorsuch), and on the eve of the Neil Gorsuch Supreme Court confirmation vote (or filibuster, as the case may be) we interview Lena Zwarensteyn of the American Constitutional Society in Washington DC about judicial nominations and confirmations; and we tackle listener questions about treason, contempt, and comedy.  All that and more on this, the 14th episode of The Law Is My Ass. Keep it Legal!

It's Lucky 13 at The Law Is My Ass! Sid is back from spring break for this long but edifying romp through the mechanics of class action litigation. Along the way, there's a legislative alert (H.R. 895 - please oppose it!), an update on the travel ban litigation in Maryland, Hawai'i, Washington, the Ninth Circuit, and beyond, and Joe and Sid point out a little tidbit from President Trump's 2005 tax return that Rachel Maddow seems to have missed. Give it a listen - and keep it legal!

Special guest cohost, San Francisco comedy legend (according to W. Kamau Bell!) Nato Green joined Joe to engage guest attorney Michael Nelson in a deep dive into the policy, practice, politics and law of unions and labor organizing. Along the way, they also drank some bourbon, discussed the new Trump administration travel policy, spontaneously combusting lawyer trousers, recommended reading for those interested in labor history, and Nato dropped an F-bomb (hence the "explicit" rating this week). All that and interesting listener questions about jerky sponsorship, Korean impeachment, and gays in the workplace. Also, after we stopped recording, Nato recommended another book - it's called Strike for America by Micah Uetricht. We'd send you to Amazon, but their labor practices aren't all that great . . .

Today Joe and his special guest co-host Will Maguire talk about Sid's upcoming shows in Brooklyn, the Supreme Court's new gerrymandering decision out of Virginia, and the Honorable Jeff Sessions makes an appearance at both the top and the bottom of the episode. But the star of today's episode is Certified Family Law Specialist Raquel Sefton, who shared a lot of insight into all aspects of family law (prenuptial agreements, divorce, custody, community property, "common law marriage" - and more!). Joe and Will also answer listener questions including "can my boss search my cell phone" and discuss the 1876 impeachment of President Grant's War Secretary William Kelknap. Listen up and keep it legal.

Today, Sid and Joe talk to ERISA litigation and disability insurance expert Michael Bartolic about the protections and shortcomings of the law that regulates all our employee benefits (retirement/pension, health, disability insurance, life insurance): The Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended. Sid and Joe also talk about the Fourth Circuit's recent gun control decision holding that the Second Amendment does not cover AR-15 rifles; and new Supreme Court decisions about race-based recidivism and ineffective assistance of counsel, and the procedures that should have applied to a lawsuit over a schools exclusion of a disabled student's service dog.  As if that weren't enough, the also answer listener questions! It's a great episode - listen up, and keep it legal!

Today, Sid and Joe talk to immigration lawyer Veronica Guinto about the so-called "Muslim Ban" and all the litigation surrounding it - suits in New York, Virginia, Massachusetts, Washington, Hawaii, and in front of the Ninth Circuit: what did they all find, where do they all stand, and what happens now that the administration says it's going to issue a superseding order? Also, Sid and Joe answer the questions "is the Ninth Circuit the most reversed circuit in the country?" (hint: the answer is "no"); "may I renounce my US citizenship?" (hint: the answer is yes); and based on what rule was Mitch McConnell picking on Senator Warren?  It's a great episode - and a long one! We hope you enjoy it. Keep it legal!

Sid and Joe talk with Jamie Lee Williams of the EFF (Electronic Frontier Foundation) about data privacy, government intrusion, bot-nets, Rule 41, and what you can do to protect your electronic information from spying eyes. Plus an update on the status of the Trump Administration's executive order seeking to halt all travel and immigration by citizens of certain Muslim nations.

Today Sid and Joe talk about the legality of the Trump Administrations new pseudo Muslim ban and the lawsuit that the ACLU filed against it.  Here is a link to the executive order: https://www.scribd.com/document/337740314/Trump-Executive-Order-1#download Here is a link to the ACLU's lawsuit: http://static.politico.com/14/2a/f36cb79143f09381f4c1acac7ab4/trump-lawsuit.pdf [Note - our February 4 episode will be devoted to this topic]   Once they got that out of the way, Sid and Joe had a great conversation with employee benefits expert Eric Schillinger of the ERISA boutique law firm Trucker Huss about the mechanics, economics, politics, and real world impact of the impending ACA (i.e., "Obamacare") repeal.  

On this the final episode of 2016, financial elder abuse experts Shawna Reeves and Neil Granger join Joe Creitz and Sid Singh to talk about some of the ways that reverse mortgages, annuities, and other sneaky financial products are deceptively marketed to the elderly to bilk them out of their money. Sid and Joe also talk about the unanimous Samsung v. Apple decision from the Supreme Court this week, and contemplate the question "is a rectangle with rounded corners worth $399 Million?" We also talk about the Supreme Court's unanimous insider trading decision, and the idea that givers as well as recipients benefit from gifts. All that, plus listener questions, Hawaiian rum, and whether or not we can file a class action lawsuit against Russia for hurting all of our feelings. Check it out, have a great New Year, and keep it legal!

In perhaps our best show to date, in this 5th episode of The Law Is My Ass, law student/comedian Sid Singh and Professor Joe Creitz talk to fair-election expert and all around electoral superstar Sachin Chheda about whether or not the Packers should fire Mike McCarthy (the vote split was 1 for "NO" - and two abstentions); the Wisconsin gerrymandering lawsuit (and the one in North Carolina too!); David Daley's great book "Rat F**ked"; the recount; and fairness in electoral policies generally. We also answer listener questions about what constitutes a breach of contract, and the famous Louisiana political wise-guy Huey Long. Send us your questions for next week at LawMyAss@gmail.com and find us every week on iTunes, Stitcher, SoundCoud, and at http://lawmyass.libsyn.com/ 

This week law professor Joe Creitz and comedian Sid Singh talk about the demise of Fidel Castro, the constitutional rights of Tila Tequila, and we talk with U.W.- Whitewater Professor Emeritus John Kozlowicz about criminal justice policy and DUI courts. Among the things we learned today were that, if you feel like you really have no choice but to drive under the influence of alcohol (and we don't recommend it), Walworth County Wisconsin might be the place to do it.

In Episode 3 of the The Law Is My Ass, Joe Creitz and Sid Singh talk about the Trump U. fraud settlement, and speak with Wisconsin civil rights attorney Stan Davis about student rights, the limits of eye-witness testimony, legal claims against the NFL, and what it takes to make Luke Kuechly cry. All that plus listener questions, Obama quotes, and Sid

It is November 12, Donald Trump has won the Presidential election, and Sid and Joe are here to talk law in episode 2 of The Law is My ASs. Comedian Sid Singh and law professor Joe Creitz talk about the legal implications of a Trump administration, read the Constitution, discuss the importance of standing up for what's right, and answer listener questions!

In this the inaugural episode of the Law Is My Ass (aka "Law My Ass!") podcast Joe Creitz and Sid Singh discuss currently burning legal issues including "Is Donald Trump Going On Trial For Child Rape in December???" (hint: no!); is Facebook your best source for quality legal analysis (hint: no!); what does it really mean that the Supreme Court has only 8 justices right now; and "Will Hillary Clinton Take Our Guns Away?" (hint: no!). We hope to become your go to source for credible, thoughtful, accurate and humorous analysis and information about the legal issues that everyone is talking about. Joe Creitz is a law professor at UC Hastings College of the Law, and a federal court litigator with Creitz & Serebin, LLP in San Francisco, California. Sid Singh is a professional comedian and law student. Together, they are producing the Law My Ass podcast for your edification.