Broken Law
American Constitution Society
Ever feel like the law is stacked against you? It probably is. Broken Law speaks truth to power in discussing how our laws and legal system serve the few at the expense of the many. This is where law meets real life. Hosted by the staff of the American Constitution Society, we reckon with the origins of our legal system, interview people on the frontlines of the progressive legal movement, and chat about necessary legal reforms to restore our democratic legitimacy and improve the lives of all people.
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Top 10 Broken Law Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Broken Law episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Broken Law for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Broken Law episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
10/05/21 • 41 min
At 17 years old, Jarrett Adams was wrongly convicted and sentenced to 28 years in prison. It took him ten years to prove his innocence. As shocking as Jarrett's story is, he will be the first to tell you that it is not as unique as you think. Join Meghan Paulas for her conversation with Jarrett, author of Redeeming Justice, about his journey through the broken criminal legal system and why it's all too common to be Black, innocent, and convicted.
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Join the Progressive Legal Movement Today: ACSLaw.org
Today's Host: Meghan Paulas, Vice President of Network Advancement at ACS
Guest: Jarrett Adams, Attorney at The Law Offices of Jarrett Adams
Link: Jarrett's Book "Redeeming Justice"
Link: Life After Justice
Link: National Registry of Exonerations
Visit the Podcast Website: Broken Law Podcast
Email the Show: [email protected]
Follow ACS on Social Media: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn | YouTube
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Production House: Flint Stone Media
Copyright of American Constitution Society 2021.
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Broken Law: About the law, who it serves, and who it doesn’t.
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Production House: Flint Stone Media
Copyright of American Constitution Society 2025.
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1 Comment
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06/27/23 • 42 min
This week, Lindsay Langholz speaks with Professor Wenona T. Singel to debrief the Supreme Court's decision in Haaland v. Brackeen about the constitutionality of the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA), long considered the "gold standard" of child welfare policies. The episode delves into the statute's history, the details of the case, and the sweeping impact of the Supreme Court upholding ICWA, for now.
Join the Progressive Legal Movement Today: ACSLaw.org
Today's Host: Lindsay Langholz, ACS Senior Director of Policy and Program
Guest: Wenona T. Singel, Director, Indigenous Law & Policy Center at Michigan State College of Law
Link: "Lawyering the Indian Child Welfare Act," by Wenona T. Singel and Matthew L.M. Fletcher"
Link: National Indian Child Welfare Association
Link: The National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition
Link: SCOTUS decision in Haaland v. Brackeen
Visit the Podcast Website: Broken Law Podcast
Email the Show: [email protected]
Follow ACS on Social Media: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn | YouTube
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Production House: Flint Stone Media
Copyright of American Constitution Society 2023.
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Broken Law: About the law, who it serves, and who it doesn’t.
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Production House: Flint Stone Media
Copyright of American Constitution Society 2025.
1 Listener
10/17/23 • 53 min
Recently, Dish Network became the first company to be fined by the Federal Communications Commission for littering in space. On this episode, Jeanne Hruska speaks with Professor Michelle Hanlon about why the fine was “a very big symbolic moment for debris mitigation,” and the challenges and urgency in regulating the increasing array of human-driven activities in space.
Join the Progressive Legal Movement Today: ACSLaw.org
Today's Host: Jeanne Hruska, ACS Sr Advisor for Communications and Strategy
Guest: Michelle Hanlon, Professor of Practice and Executive Director, Center for Air and Space Law, University of Mississippi School of Law
Link: "Why the first-ever space junk fine is such a big deal," by Jonathan O'Callaghan
Link: NASA Spinoff
Link: Space Law Quick Reference
Visit the Podcast Website: Broken Law Podcast
Email the Show: [email protected]
Follow ACS on Social Media: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn | YouTube
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Production House: Flint Stone Media
Copyright of American Constitution Society 2023.
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Broken Law: About the law, who it serves, and who it doesn’t.
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Production House: Flint Stone Media
Copyright of American Constitution Society 2025.
Episode 29: State of Democracy, Part III
Broken Law
12/21/21 • 52 min
In this final episode of our State of Democracy series, we discuss the importance of a vibrant civil society, which is frequently discussed in foreign policy circles, but less so here at home. Jeanne Hruska speaks with Sarah Holewinski from Human Rights Watch and Jon Temin from Freedom House about what we, as civil society stakeholders, can do to strengthen democracy, and whether our involvement is actually a prerequisite for this task. They also reflect back on President Biden's Summit for Democracy and what needs to happen moving forward to reverse the decline in global freedom.
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Join the Progressive Legal Movement Today: ACSLaw.org
Today's Host: Jeanne Hruska, ACS Senior Advisor for Communications and Strategy
Guest: Sarah Holewinski , Washington Director, Human Rights Watch
Guest: Jon Temin, Director of the Africa Program at Freedom House
Link: Human Rights Watch
Link: Freedom House
Link: The Summit for Democracy, U.S. Department of State
Link: White House Fact Sheet: Announcing the Presidential Initiative for Democracy Renewal
Visit the Podcast Website: Broken Law Podcast
Email the Show: [email protected]
Follow ACS on Social Media: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn | YouTube
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Production House: Flint Stone Media
Copyright of American Constitution Society 2021.
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Broken Law: About the law, who it serves, and who it doesn’t.
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Production House: Flint Stone Media
Copyright of American Constitution Society 2025.
Episode 31: January 6th, One Year Later
Broken Law
01/04/22 • 52 min
One year ago, an angry mob of white supremacist anarchists stormed the U.S. Capitol, interrupted the constitutionally required counting of Electoral College votes, and tried to undermine the peaceful transfer of power. One year later there have been investigations, some prosecutions, and even an impeachment, but has it been enough to prevent January 6th from serving as a blueprint for future insurrections? Debra Perlin speaks with Mary McCord, Executive Director of the Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection (ICAP), about the lasting impact of January 6th and what needs to happen moving forward.
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Join the Progressive Legal Movement Today: ACSLaw.org
Today's Host: Debra Perlin, ACS Director of Policy and Program
Guest: Mary McCord, Executive Director of the Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection (ICAP)
Link: ICAP Brief in Trump v. Thompson
Link: "Trump's Next Coup Has Already Begun," by Barton Gellman
Visit the Podcast Website: Broken Law Podcast
Email the Show: [email protected]
Follow ACS on Social Media: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn | YouTube
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Production House: Flint Stone Media
Copyright of American Constitution Society 2021.
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Broken Law: About the law, who it serves, and who it doesn’t.
-----------------
Production House: Flint Stone Media
Copyright of American Constitution Society 2025.
04/12/22 • 32 min
We are celebrating the historic and bipartisan confirmation of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson as the 116th Supreme Court Justice. Zinelle October, ACS executive vice president, speaks with Danielle Holley-Walker, Dean and Professor of Law of Howard Law School, and Russ Feingold, ACS president, about the significance of Judge Jackson's confirmation, while underscoring the Supreme Court's continued legitimacy crisis and need for reform. They also look back at those public hearings and the need for accountability over the despicable and racist behavior exhibited by certain senators.
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Join the Progressive Legal Movement Today: ACSLaw.org
Today's Host: Zinelle October, ACS Executive Vice President
Guest: Danielle Holley-Walker, Dean and Professor of Law of Howard Law School
Guest: Russ Feingold, ACS President
Link: Remarks from Ketanji Brown Jackson after her confirmation
Link: "Dear America, Get Your Knee Off Our Necks," by Zinelle October
Visit the Podcast Website: Broken Law Podcast
Email the Show: [email protected]
Follow ACS on Social Media: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn | YouTube
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Production House: Flint Stone Media
Copyright of American Constitution Society 2022.
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Broken Law: About the law, who it serves, and who it doesn’t.
-----------------
Production House: Flint Stone Media
Copyright of American Constitution Society 2025.
12/28/21 • 49 min
In our final episode of 2021, Jeanne Hruska speaks with Melissa Murray, Professor at the NYU School of Law, and Mark Joseph Stern, staff writer at Slate Magazine, about the legal legacy of the past twelve months. What were the biggest legal stories of the year? Which legal stories went underreported? And which legal journalists and experts should you be following heading into 2022?
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Join the Progressive Legal Movement Today: ACSLaw.org
Today's Host: Jeanne Hruska, ACS Senior Advisor for Communications and Strategy
Guest: Melissa Murray of Frederick I. and Grace Stokes Professor of Law at the NYU School of Law
Guest: Mark Joseph Stern, Staff Writer for Slate Magazine
Link: Elie Mystal, The Nation
Link: Dahlia Lithwick, Slate Magazine
Link: Errin Haines, Shefali Luthra, and Emily Ramshaw, The 19th
Link: Dorothy Roberts, University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School
Link: Ann Marimow, Washington Post
Link: Sabrina Tavernise, New York Times
Link: Follow Cristian Farias on Instagram (@cristianafarias)
Link: Follow Tierney Sneed on Instagram (@Tierney_Megan)
Visit the Podcast Website: Broken Law Podcast
Email the Show: [email protected]
Follow ACS on Social Media: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn | YouTube
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Production House: Flint Stone Media
Copyright of American Constitution Society 2021.
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Broken Law: About the law, who it serves, and who it doesn’t.
-----------------
Production House: Flint Stone Media
Copyright of American Constitution Society 2025.
05/10/22 • 67 min
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.
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Join the Progressive Legal Movement Today: ACSLaw.org
Today's Host: Peggy Li, ACS Director of Chapters
Guest: Jenny Ma, Senior Staff Attorney, Center for Reproductive Rights
Guest: Rosann Mariappuram, Executive Director, Jane's Due Process
Link: National Network of Abortion Funds
Link: Abortion Care Network
Link: Justice Alito's draft opinion which would overturn Roe v. Wade
Link: "Why was a Texas woman charged with murder over an abortion?" by Nicole Narea, Vox
Link: "An Asian American Moment: Seven Days in March," by Peggy Li
Visit the Podcast Website: Broken Law Podcast
Email the Show: [email protected]
Follow ACS on Social Media: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter |
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Broken Law: About the law, who it serves, and who it doesn’t.
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Production House: Flint Stone Media
Copyright of American Constitution Society 2025.
08/16/22 • 54 min
People with disabilities are the largest minority group in the United States and represent a vital voting constituency that is often overlooked. In recent years, several states have enacted voter suppression measures in the name of "election integrity," which disproportionately impact people with disabilities. Evan Monod speaks with Lia Sifuentes Davis, Clinical Professor at the University of Texas at Austin School of Law, about how the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is being used to challenge these restrictive state voting laws and what it means to make democracy accessible.
Join the Progressive Legal Movement Today: ACSLaw.org
Today's Host: Evan Monod, ACS Law Fellow
Guest: Lia Sifuentes Davis, Clinical Professor, University of Texas at Austin School of Law
Link: “New Texas Voting Law Brings on Federal Lawsuit Asserting Violation of ADA and More”
Link: “Court Strikes Down Texas Law Restricting Voter Assistance”
Link: “Disability and Voting Accessibility in the 2020 Elections”
Link: VIDEO: "Voting and the Disability Community: Progress Made and Needed”
Visit the Podcast Website: Broken Law Podcast
Email the Show: [email protected]
Follow ACS on Social Media: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn | YouTube
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Production House: Flint Stone Media
Copyright of American Constitution Society 2022.
-----------------
Broken Law: About the law, who it serves, and who it doesn’t.
-----------------
Production House: Flint Stone Media
Copyright of American Constitution Society 2025.
10/24/23 • 36 min
An increasing number of state court judges and justices are being targeted by state officials for not advancing their interests. On this episode, Taonga Leslie speaks with Dawn Blagrove (Emancipate NC) about how Justice Anita Earls, the only Black justice on the North Carolina Supreme Court, is being targeted for factual remarks she made about the lack of diversity on the NC judiciary. They discuss why the situation in North Carolina should concern everyone who cares about judicial independence and achieving a judiciary that reflects the diversity of the public it serves.
Join the Progressive Legal Movement Today: ACSLaw.org
Today's Host: Taonga Leslie, ACS Director of Policy and Program for Racial Justice
Guest: Dawn Blagrove, Executive Director, Emancipate NC
Link: "State Republicans Try to Remove Top Jurist for Mentioning the Existence of Racial Bias," by BILLY CORRIHER
Co-host Name: Jeanne Hruska, ACS Sr Advisor for Communications and Strategy
Visit the Podcast Website: Broken Law Podcast
Email the Show: [email protected]
Follow ACS on Social Media: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn | YouTube
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Production House: Flint Stone Media
Copyright of American Constitution Society 2023.
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Broken Law: About the law, who it serves, and who it doesn’t.
-----------------
Production House: Flint Stone Media
Copyright of American Constitution Society 2025.
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FAQ
How many episodes does Broken Law have?
Broken Law currently has 175 episodes available.
What topics does Broken Law cover?
The podcast is about News, Constitution, Liberty, History, Democracy, Law, Legal, Democratic, News Commentary, Justice, Podcasts, Politics and Government.
What is the most popular episode on Broken Law?
The episode title 'Episode 18: Black, Innocent, and Convicted' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on Broken Law?
The average episode length on Broken Law is 45 minutes.
How often are episodes of Broken Law released?
Episodes of Broken Law are typically released every 7 days.
When was the first episode of Broken Law?
The first episode of Broken Law was released on Jun 1, 2021.
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