Two years ago, the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer, caught on camera, ignited a national and even a global movement for police reform and racial justice. Two years later, reform still feels elusive. On this week's episode, Jeanne Hruska speaks with A.L. Brown, a criminal defense attorney from Minneapolis-St. Paul, about the intersection of racial justice and police reform, and how lawyers and judges can help accomplish reform without waiting for legislation.
Episode Host: Jeanne Hruska, ACS Sr Advisor for Communications and Strategy
Episode Guest: A.L. Brown, Criminal Defense & Employment Lawyer at Capitol City Law Group, LLC
Links:
"A statement against the criminalization of Black and Brown victims," by A.L. Brown
ACS Minneapolis-St. Paul: Derek Chauvin Trial Discussion Part 2
"A slap on the wrist," A.L. Brown speaking about the Potter sentencing
Email the Show: Podcast@ACSLaw.org
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Last October, we released an episode entitled, “The Case for Supreme Court Reform.” Since then, the urgency to reform our highest court has only intensified, as public trust in the Court continues to decline and the Court’s legitimacy along with it.
This week, Jeanne Hruska speaks with Kermit Roosevelt from the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School about the "how to" of Supreme Court reform. They dive into the mechanics of establishing term limits for justices and expanding the Court. They also discuss the difference between the symptoms and the cause of the Court's legitimacy crisis.
Episode Host: Jeanne Hruska, ACS Sr Advisor for Communications and Strategy
Episode Guest: Kermit Roosevelt, David Berger Professor for the Administration of Justice at University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School
Links:
"Coming to Terms with Term Limits: Fixing the Downward Spiral of Supreme Court Appointments," by Kermit Roosevelt III and Ruth-Helen Vassilas
"I Spent 7 Months Studying Supreme Court Reform. We Need to Pack the Court Now," by Kermit Roosevelt III
"The Supreme Court isn’t well. The only hope for a cure is more justices," by Nancy Gertner and Laurence H. Tribe
"Majority Say Let Roe Stand; Scotus Approval Rating Drops," Monmouth University
Email the Show: Podcast@ACSLaw.org
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The leaked draft opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, if officially released by the Supreme Court, would wipe out the federal constitutional right to abortion and directly impact the lives of millions of people. Already, the conservative legal movement is mobilizing to take advantage of the groundwork being laid in Dobbs to put same-sex marriage, contraception, and even interracial marriage in jeopardy. How wide will the impact of the Dobbs decision be and who will be affected? This week, Lindsay Langholz speaks with Kimberly Mutcherson, Professor and Co-Dean of Rutgers Law School, about the potential domino effect of Dobbs.
Episode Host: Lindsay Langholz, ACS Director of Policy and Programs
Episode Guest: Kimberly Mutcherson, Co-Dean and Professor of Law, Rutgers Law School
Links:
Pregnancy and Childbirth Endanger Women’s Lives and Health: 'Pregnancy Is Not a Benign Condition,'" by Carrie Baker
"The People Who Promised Roe Was Safe Are Already Selling Their Next Bridge," by Dahlia Lithwick
"Most Women Denied Abortions by Texas Law Got Them Another Way," by Margot Sanger-Katz, Claire Cain Miller and Quoctrung Bui
"‘It will be chaos’: 26 states in US will ban abortion if supreme court ruling stands," by Jessica Glenza
"How the Right to Birth Control Could Be Undone," by Melissa Murray
Email the Show: Podcast@ACSLaw.org
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The effects of climate change will be felt the strongest by young people. Refusing to stand idly by, 21 young people have sued the U.S. Government for violating their constitutional right to a climate that sustains life. The lawsuit, Juliana v. United States, is detailed in the documentary "Youth v Gov," now available on Netflix. This week, Jeanne Hruska speaks with Julia Olson, the lead attorney in the case, about the lawsuit, the documentary, and the way forward for climate litigation more broadly.
Episode Host: Jeanne Hruska, ACS Senior Advisor for Communications and Strategy
Episode Guest: Julia Olson, Executive Director and Chief Legal Counsel, Our Children's Trust
Links:
Juliana v. United States details and timeline
"A Climate-Lawsuit Dissent That Changed My Mind," by Robinson Meyer
Youth v Gov, documentary
Email the Show: Podcast@ACSLaw.org
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This week, we react to the leaked draft Supreme Court opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which would overturn Roe v Wade and eliminate the constitutional right to abortion. Peggy Li speaks with Jenny Ma, Center for Reproductive Rights, and Rosann Mariappuram, Jane's Due Process, about the impact the draft opinion will have if it is officially released by the Supreme Court and what it could mean for civil rights more broadly going forward. They discuss reproductive rights through the lens of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) heritage and the experiences of AAPI women and those who can become pregnant. And they explain what we all can do to support reproductive rights.
Episode Host: Peggy Li, ACS Director of Chapters
Episode Guests:
Jenny Ma, Senior Staff Attorney, Center for Reproductive Rights
Rosann Mariappuram, Executive Director, Jane's Due Process
Links:
National Network of Abortion Funds
Abortion Care Network
"Supreme Court has voted to overturn abortion rights, draft opinion shows," by Josh Gerstein and Alexander Ward, Politico
Justice Alito's draft opinion which would overturn Roe v. Wade
"Top 5 Reasons Why the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Case Matters," by the Center for Reproductive Rights
"Why was a Texas woman charged with murder over an abortion?" by Nicole Narea, Vox
"An Asian American Moment: Seven Days in March," by Peggy Li
Email the Show: Podcast@ACSLaw.org
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This week, we’re discussing Puerto Rico, specifically the many ways in which U.S. law continues to subject this and the other U.S. territories to second class status. The latest example? The Supreme Court recently ruled, in an unusual 8 to 1 decision, that Puerto Ricans can be denied government benefits, despite being U.S. citizens. Lindsay Langholz speaks with Adriel Cepeda Derieux of the ACLU about this case and how it is just the latest in a long line of oppressive measures taken by the United States against its territories.
Episode Host: Lindsay Langholz, ACS Director of Policy and Program
Episode Guest: Adriel I. Cepeda Derieux, Senior Staff Attorney, ACLU
Links:
"Congress Can't Discriminate Against Puerto Rico Residents Just Because They Live There," by Adriel I. Cepeda Derieux
“Nationals” but not “Citizens”: How the U.S. Denies Citizenship to American Samoans, by Adriel I. Cepeda Derieux and Gabriela Meléndez Olivera
SCOTUS decision in United States v. Vaello Madero
Email the Show: Podcast@ACSLaw.org
Technical production provided by Flint Stone Media
