Strict Scrutiny

Three constitutional law professors walk into a podcast studio, and the result is genuinely one of the best Supreme Court shows out there. Leah Litman, Kate Shaw, and Melissa Murray host Strict Scrutiny, a weekly panel discussion that manages to be both analytically rigorous and laugh-out-loud funny. With nearly 400 episodes, a 4.6-star rating, and over 5,500 reviews, this show has clearly found its audience. Each Monday, the three hosts break down the latest from the Supreme Court, including oral arguments, opinions, and the behind-the-scenes dynamics that shape how the justices decide cases. Episodes run about an hour to an hour and fifty minutes, which sounds long, but the chemistry between the hosts makes the time fly. They genuinely enjoy arguing with each other, and their disagreements are some of the most illuminating parts of the show. What makes Strict Scrutiny stand out is the irreverence. These are professors who know their stuff cold but refuse to be boring about it. They will give you the full doctrinal analysis of a voting rights case and then pivot to dissecting the interpersonal drama between justices. The show treats the Supreme Court as what it actually is: a deeply human institution where personality and politics matter as much as precedent. If you have ever wanted to understand why a particular court decision will affect your daily life, this is the podcast that will actually explain it to you without talking down.