Ep 218 — Bondi, Birthright, Baldoni, and Ballroom

Pam Bondi is GTFO! But the mess she leaves will take a generation to repair.The Supreme Court paved the way to disappear Steve Bannon’s conviction for contempt of Congress.Trump commands the NCAA to quit being woke. He also has thoughts about the transfer portal.MAIN SHOW:Judge Richard Leon! Preliminarily enjoins! Trump’s tackyass ballroom! Administration files ridiculous appeal!Justin Baldoni is back to teach us CivPro. This time, he’s largely prevailing on his motion for judgment on the pleadings, as Judge Liman dismisses ten of Blake Lively’s 13 counts. Turns out, she never signed her contract, and the contract established that she was an employee, not an independent contractor. Since independent contractors can’t sue for discrimination under Title VII, her harassment claims are out. And the contract had a choice of law provision that agreed to abide by California law. No contract … no automatic California law.And of course we’ll break down the Supreme Court’s birthright decision hearing. So many clips!SCOTUS Orders List April 6, 2026https://www.supremecourt.gov/orders/courtorders/040626zor_5iek.pdfTrump Executive Order to De-Woke the NCAAhttps://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/04/urgent-national-action-to-save-college-sports/National Trust for Historic Preservation v. National Park Service [Ballroom trial docket]https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/72028010/national-trust-for-historic-preservation-in-the-united-states-v-national/National Trust for Historic Preservation v. National Park Service [Ballroom appeal docket]https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/73127510/national-trust-for-historic-preservation-v-nps/Lively v. Wayfarerhttps://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69510553/lively-v-wayfarer-studios-llc/?order_by=descBlake Lively’s (unsigned) Actor Loan-Out Agreement [Exhibit 263]https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.634304/gov.uscourts.nysd.634304.964.121.pdfBirthright Citizenship SCOTUS Transcripthttps://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2025/25-365_l6gn.pdfBirthright Citizenship SCOTUS Audiohttps://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/audio/2025/25-365Show Links:https://www.lawandchaospod.com/BlueSky: @LawAndChaosPodThreads: @LawAndChaosPodTwitter: @LawAndChaosPodSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The House Judiciary Committee wants to change the US Attorney statute to say what Attorney General Bondi claimed it did in court. This would involve the Senate voluntarily surrendering their power to vote on nominees, so … lotsa luck. Back in New Jersey, prosecutors say they’ll seek superseding indictments in cases with Alina Habba’s name on them, to remove the stink of illegitimacy.The DOJ has quietly settled a trollsuit filed by red states and rightwing trolls, including Robert Kennedy, alleging social media censorship by the Biden administration. The Supreme Court already dropkicked this case once, so the parties agreed to simply declare victory and go home.And Sam Bankman-Fried finds new ways to piss off judges and be sooooo weird, this time with help from his mom.MAIN SHOW:The DOJ settled a bogus lawsuit filed by former national security advisor Mike Flynn. His malicious prosecution claims had already been tossed by a federal judge, but she let him amend his complaint again, and by then Trump was back in the White House. Is this a new template for MAGA criminals to back the truck up to the Treasury and start filling it with taxpayer cash? The January 6 defendants sure seem to think so! We’ll compare a newly filed case by rioters with a suit filed by pardoned Proud Boys.And we’ve got a deep dive into the birthright citizenship case Trump v. Barbara, which will be argued at the Supreme Court this Wednesday.Kennedy v. Bidenhttps://www.courtlistener.com/docket/67089647/kennedy-v-biden/?order_by=descMissouri v. Bidenhttps://www.courtlistener.com/docket/63290154/missouri-v-biden/?order_by=descUS v. Bankman-Friedhttps://www.courtlistener.com/docket/66631292/united-states-v-bankman-friedTarrio v. US [Proud Boys Bivens Suit]https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/70474277/tarrio-v-united-states-of-americaSullivan v. US [J6ers FTCA Suit]https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/73101995/sullivan-v-united-states/Flynn v. US [Flynn FTCA]https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/66930673/flynn-v-united-statesDred Scott v. Sandford, 60 US 393 (1857)https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=3231372247892780026US v. Wong Kim Ark, 169 US 649 (1898)https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=3381955771263111765Indian Citizenship Act of 1924https://www.archives.gov/files/historical-docs/doc-content/images/indian-citizenship-act-1924.pdfIndian Law Scholars’ Amicus Brief [via SCOTUS]https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/25/25-365/399370/20260226125541217_Barbara%20Amicus%20Brief.pdfThe Nationality Act of 1940 [student Note]https://www.jstor.org/stable/1335062Trump v. Barbarahttps://www.supremecourt.gov/search.aspx?filename=/docket/docketfiles/html/public/25-365.htmlShow Links:https://www.lawandchaospod.com/BlueSky: @LawAndChaosPodThreads: @LawAndChaosPodTwitter: @LawAndChaosPodSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Anthropic got its injunction against the Department of Defense and Pete Hegseth’s designation of the company as a supply chain risk.Elon Musk lost a shareholder class action suit in California over sh*tposts he made when he was trying to get out of buying Twitter. He demands a new trial because the jury made a 420 joke, and everyone knows that only he is allowed to do that. Meanwhile in Texas, X Corp lost a lawsuit against a bunch of Fortune 500 companies for daring to take their business elsewhereTrump housing goon Bill Pulte is back on his BS, trying again to get someone to indict New York Attorney General Letitia James, this time for insurance fraud.Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier is threatening NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell that there will be hell to pay if he doesn’t ditch the Rooney Rule.And Minnesota law enforcement and prosecutors sued the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security for blockading the evidence in the shootings of Renee Good, Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, and Alex Pretti.MAIN SHOW:The Eighth Circuit joins the Fifth in endorsing ICE’s fakakta interpretation of the mandatory detention statute. Facebook/Meta/Zuckerberg loses in two courts — just like Elon/Twitter! In New Mexico, a jury ordered the company to pay $375 million in lawsuit brought by the state over unfair trade practices. And a jury in California awarded $6 million to a woman who became addicted to social media as a little girl and suffered serious emotional consequences.SUBSCRIBERS:For seven months, the DOJ told a court that ICE had revised its policy on arrests inside courthouses, including immigration courts. Only … they hadn’t. Now a federal judge in New York is on the warpath, and DOJ is trying to make sure that DHS takes the fall.Trump housing chief seeks new DOJ probe of New York AG Letitia Jameshttps://www.ms.now/news/trump-housing-chief-doj-new-york-letitia-james-pulteAnthropic Injunctionhttps://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.cand.465515/gov.uscourts.cand.465515.134.0.pdfX Corp v. World Federation of Advertisershttps://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69017972/x-corp-v-world-federation-of-advertisers/ Pampena v Muskhttps://www.courtlistener.com/docket/65412803/giuseppe-pampena-v-elon-rmuskFlorida AG Uthmeier tells NFL to end diversity-promoting ‘Rooney Rule’https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2026/03/26/florida-ag-uthmeier-tells-nfl-to-end-diversity-promoting-rooney-rule/Minnesota v. DOJhttps://www.courtlistener.com/docket/72590076/state-of-minnesota-v-us-department-of-justice/African Communities Together v. Lyonshttps://www.courtlistener.com/docket/70993525/african-communities-together-v-lyonsAvila v. ICE (8th Cir. mandatory detention) [docket via CourtListener]https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.ca8.113186/gov.uscourts.ca8.113186.00805482414.3.pdfState of New Mexico v. Meta (NM state investigation of Facebook)https://nmag.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2023-12-05-NM-v.-Meta-et-al.-COMPLAINT-REDACTED.pdfSmith v. TikTok (CA state lawsuit against social media addiction)https://www.courthousenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/social-media-lawsuits-kgm-motion-denied.pdfShow Links:https://www.lawandchaospod.com/BlueSky: @LawAndChaosPodThreads: @LawAndChaosPodTwitter: @LawAndChaosPodSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Lots of legal news out of US Agency for Global Media, the parent agency for Voice of America. Judge Royce Lamberth ruled that Kari Lake was never legally appointed CEO of USAGM, and thus her orders shutting the sub-agencies down and firing all the employees were null and void. The government appealed, but in the sloppiest way possible. Now the agency is getting sued again for violating the firewall protecting journalistic independence, forcing the networks to air AI slop praising Trump. But Kari Lake has an answer for that, and it is to call the judge a fatso.Judges in the District of New Jersey have appointed longtime prosecutor Robert Frazer as US Attorney. And so far, Attorney General Bondi hasn’t fired him.Judge Roy Altman, a Trump appointee, seems disinclined to put an end to Trump’s trollsuits right out of the gate. He’s allowing the case against the BBC to proceed to discovery. And he dismissed the complaint against Capital One for tortious debanking, but allowed Trump 90 days to conduct discovery and refile.MAIN SHOW:We’ve got an update on Kilmar Abrego Garcia. The government says it has to send him to Liberia (where he does not agree to go) instead of Costa Rica (where he does agree to go) because Secretary Marco Rubio spent a lot of time negotiating with Liberia to take Abrego, and it would be so embarrassing not to send him there.And we’ll break down the Supreme Court’s recent decision in Olivier v. City of Brandon, a case involving a truly obnoxious street preacher that implicates your right to sue the government.SUBSCRIBER BONUS: The Trump administration is suing Harvard under Title VI, claiming that the school failed to protect Jewish students and must forfeit billions.Widakuswara v. Lake I [DC Circuit]https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/72521013/patsy-widakuswara-v-kari-lake/Widakuswara v. Lake [Trial Court]https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69846584/widakuswara-v-lakeWidakuswara v. Lake II [DC Circuit]https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/72528662/widakuswara-v-lake/District New Jersey Appointment Orderhttps://www.njd.uscourts.gov/sites/njd/files/STANDINGORDER2026-03.pdfTrump Suit Against Capital One Dismissed But Can Be Refiledhttps://finance.yahoo.com/news/trump-suit-against-capital-one-200454780.html Trump v. BBChttps://www.courtlistener.com/docket/72040010/trump-v-british-broadcasting-corporationTrump v. Capital Onehttps://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69853458/the-donald-j-trump-revocable-trust-v-capital-one-naUS v. Harvardhttps://www.courtlistener.com/docket/72520538/unites-states-of-america-v-harvard-university-fellows-and-president/Abrego Garcia v. Noem (habeas petition) [docket via CourtListener]https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/71191591/abrego-garcia-v-noem/?order_by=descZadvydas v. Davis, 533 U.S. 678 (2001)https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=16478079160883986502Kennedy v. Bremerton School Dist., 597 U.S. _____ (2022)https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/21pdf/21-418_i425.pdfOlivier v. City of Brandon [US Supreme Court]https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/25pdf/24-993_10n2.pdfOlivier v. City of Brandon (Appendix containing ordinance) [US Supreme Court]https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/24/24-993/352124/20250314105732247_Olivier%20Pet.%20App.pdfShow Links:https://www.lawandchaospod.com/BlueSky: @LawAndChaosPodThreads: @LawAndChaosPodTwitter: @LawAndChaosPodSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We’ve got two deep dives for you today, each with a lot of laughs (and almost no Donald Trump)!First, we break down the lawsuit brought by seven police officers against rapper Afroman for hurting their feelings, which ended in a total victory for the defense. It’s still legal to make fun of cops in America! We dissect the claims, discuss what it means to sue for false light invasion of privacy and unreasonable publicity. And then we break down the audio of closing arguments and how each side went about persuading an all-white jury in deep red rural Ohio.Then, we discuss the ongoing shenanigans in the US Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, where the Trump administration has installed a “triumvirate” of lawyers to run the office rather than just submit a nominee to the Senate. Things came to a head when the government botched a prosecution for child sexual abuse materials and tried to plow ahead anyway. Judge Zahid Quraishi summoned the DOJ lawyer responsible to appear in court and… it did not go well.And for subscribers, we have a bonus that dives even deeper into the mess the Trump administration has gotten into in New Jersey because it refuses to back down and just do the normal thing.Cooley v. Foreman [Afroman lawsuit]https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23721423-afroman-lawsuit/United States v. Villafane (D.N.J. settlement) [docket via CourtListener]https://www.courtlistener.com/profile/docket-alerts/“Lemon Pound Cake” [via OGAfroman YouTube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xxK5yyecRo“Why You Disconnecting My Video Camera?” [via OGAfroman YouTube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISe3IVBBbyU&list=OLAK5uy_noWRXtUiSWHo7cMRoI34uqhSRSDpIFtqY&index=3“Licc’em Low Lisa” [via OGAfroman YouTube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wWQxSV8CK8“Randy Walters is a Son of a Bitch” [via OGAfroman YouTube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4AiuqQpB1UShow Links:https://www.lawandchaospod.com/BlueSky: @LawAndChaosPodThreads: @LawAndChaosPodTwitter: @LawAndChaosPodSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Supreme Court rebuffed the Trump Administration’s “emergency” request to revoke temporary protected status for half a million Haitian and Syrian nationals. It granted cert before judgment and set oral argument for April.The DOJ dropped charges against Jay Carey, a veteran who burned a flag in Lafayette Park to protest Trump’s executive order purporting to ban flag-burning.In Massachusetts, Judge Brian Murphy blocked HHS Secretary Kennedy’s attempt to rewrite the child and adult vaccine schedules.And the Justice Department keeps lowering the bar in an effort to get lawyers willing to sign on to burn down their reputations in service of the Trump agenda.MAIN SHOW:We discuss US Attorney for DC Jeanine Pirro’s crashout over the implosion of her retaliatory investigation into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. Judge Boasberg quashed the subpoenas, saying that there was no reason at all to think Powell committed a crime.The Judicial Conference is making it slightly easier for criminal defendants to secure representation. They’re also going to war with the General Services Administration, the world’s worst landlord.The Live Nation trial continues, without the government. Andrew’s got a deep dive into the Tunney Act and a similar antitrust case blown up by the Trump DOJ under pressure from well-connected lobbyists. These people made us agree with Laura Loomer — RUDE!TPS Cert Before Judgmenthttps://www.supremecourt.gov/orders/courtorders/031626zr1_5h25.pdfUS v. Carey [Flag burning]https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/71223464/united-states-v-careyAmerican Academy of Pediatrics v. Kennedy [Vaccines]https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/70722326/american-academy-of-pediatrics-v-kennedy/Judiciary Says Courthouses Are in Crisis, Seeks Real Property Authorityhttps://www.uscourts.gov/data-news/judiciary-news/2026/02/24/judiciary-says-courthouses-are-crisis-seeks-real-property-authorityUS judiciary approves new public defender office focused on US Supreme Court advocacyhttps://www.reuters.com/legal/government/us-judiciary-approves-new-public-defender-office-focused-us-supreme-court-2026-03-10DOJ to Allow Hiring of US Prosecutors Straight Out of Law Schoolhttps://news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/doj-to-allow-hiring-of-us-prosecutors-straight-out-of-law-schoolLaw School Tells Students, ‘You MUST Be Aligned Politically With President Trump,’ For Summer Jobhttps://abovethelaw.com/2026/03/law-school-tells-students-you-must-be-aligned-politically-with-president-trump-for-summer-job/Jeanine Pirro Crashes Outhttps://www.lawandchaospod.com/p/jeanine-pirro-crashes-outIn re Grand Jury Subpoenas [Jerome Powell]https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/72490330/in-re-grand-jury-subpoenasThe Rule of Law Versus the Rule of Lobbyists [Roger Alford]https://assets.bwbx.io/documents/users/iqjWHBFdfxIU/rqWZHzWNbqZc/v0Proposal to Give Judiciary Real Property Authorityhttps://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/judiciary-real-property-authority-legislative-package.pdfShow Links:https://www.lawandchaospod.com/BlueSky: @LawAndChaosPodThreads: @LawAndChaosPodTwitter: @LawAndChaosPodSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A federal judge in Maryland issued a TRO blocking the construction of an ICE detention facility without first undertaking the legally required environmental impact assessment.The Trump administration filed an “emergency” petition to the Supreme Court demanding that it be allowed to immediately deport 350,000 Haitians who have enjoyed Temporary Protected Status for decades. It insists an earlier shadow docket ruling allowing it to deport Venezuelan TPS holders is precedential. An amicus brief from 175 former judges points out that shadow docket orders are definitionally non-precedential.The USDA is teaming up with Robert Kennedy and his team of freaks at Health and Human Services to Make America Healthy Again … by shaming poor people for their food choices. SNAP recipients sued in DC to block a “pilot” program to allow states to restrict food benefits to exclude sugary foods.MAIN SHOW:DOGE destroyed the National Endowment for the Humanities in three weeks last spring. We wrote about it on the blog, and discussed the ongoing litigation. Turns out, the DOGE dudes are pissed that the plaintiffs released video of them smirking their way through depositions.On Monday, in the middle of trial, the Trump administration tried to blow up the antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation, the parent company of Ticketmaster. This leaves the 40 states which joined the suit as co-plaintiffs in the lurch. Judge Arun Subramanian has ordered the parties to huddle up and see if they can’t negotiate a settlement. Will the case go forward next week without the lead plaintiff?And Andrew has an extended exploration of Trump’s plan to use a little known federal agency called the United States International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) to get oil tankers to cross the Strait of Hormuz. The DFC has released a plan (or at least, concepts of a plan) to reinsure insurance companies that issue war riders. Which might help if insurance companies were refusing to issue policies to ships at sea – except that insurance companies are still underwriting as many marine policies as ever. It’s just that it costs more now, because of the war.Plus for subscribers, we’ll break down the bar complaint against fan favorite Ed Martin.Kash Patel Confirms UFC Fighters Will Train FBI Agents This Week, Calling It A “Historic Opportunity”https://deadline.com/2026/03/kash-patel-ufc-fighters-train-fbi-agents-1236750897/State of Maryland v. Noem [ICE Detention Center in Hagerstown]https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/72313096/state-of-maryland-v-noemLesly Miot v. Trump [Haitian TPS, Trial Docket]https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/70965949/lesly-miot-v-trump/Trump v. Miot [SCOTUS Docket]https://www.supremecourt.gov/search.aspx?filename=/docket/docketfiles/html/public/25a999.htmlDOGE Bros Had More Fun Burning Down Government Than Testifying About Ithttps://www.lawandchaospod.com/p/doge-bros-had-more-fun-burning-downAuthors Guild v. National Endowment for the Humanitieshttps://www.courtlistener.com/docket/70243086/the-authors-guild-v-national-endowment-for-the-humanitiesAmicus Brief of 175 Former Judges re Precedent of Shadow Docket Rulingshttps://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/25/25A952/400077/20260305142419318_Amicus%20Brief%20of%20Former%20Judges%20re%20Dahlia%20Doe_FINAL.pdfAragon v. Rollins [SNAP Benefits]https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/72419889/aragon-v-rollins/DOJ nopes out of Ticketmaster antitrust suithttps://www.publicnotice.co/p/ticketmaster-suit-dojUS v. Live Nationhttps://www.courtlistener.com/docket/68557723/united-states-of-america-v-live-nation-entertainment-incTrump’s ‘free flow of energy’ vow fails to restart shipping in strait of Hormuz [The Guardian]https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/10/trump-free-flow-energy-fails-restart-shipping-strait-hormuzDFC Reinsurance announcement [US International Development Finance Corporation]https://www.dfc.gov/media/press-releases/dfc-announces-chubb-lead-insurance-partner-maritime-reinsurance-planGulf war risk premiums topping double-digit millions of dollars per trip [Lloyd’s List]https://www.lloydslist.com/LL1156586/Gulf-war-risk-premiums-topping-double-digit-millions-of-dollars-per-tripNo, P&I clubs have not ‘cancelled war risk cover’ [Lloyd’s List]https://www.lloydslist.com/LL1156515/No-PI-clubs-have-not-cancelled-war-risk-coverShow Links:https://www.lawandchaospod.com/BlueSky: @LawAndChaosPodThreads: @LawAndChaosPodTwitter: @LawAndChaosPodSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

DOCKET ALERTS:War Powers Resolution fails in both Houses of Congress.DHS is ramping up for an immigration surge in Maryland and has purchased an 825,000-square-foot warehouse in Hagerstown. The state is suing to block the facility on environmental grounds. In Baltimore, Judge Julie Rubin joins judges in New York and Los Angeles in holding that ICE is systematically violating the Fifth Amendment rights of immigrants in “temporary” detention by holding them for days on end without hygiene, medical care, or access to counsel.Kalshi customers have filed a class action suit over the company’s refusal to pay out on bets — oops, we mean CONTRACT SWAPS — that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei would leave office as Supreme Leader of Iran before March 1.Trump continues to defy the Constitution’s requirement that he get Senate approval for principal officers. We discussed it in our post on Judge Lamberth holding that Kari Lake was never legally serving as head of the US Agency for Global Media, and thus her directives are null and void. And Judge Matthew Brann has ruled once again that Attorney General Pam Bondi can’t evade senate confirmation for the US Attorney in New Jersey — no, not even if she spreads the appointment out among three lawyers, not just one. And we’ll talk about the Trump administration’s humiliating U-turn as it tries to un-dismiss the appeal in the case of the executive orders targeting law firms, as well as Anthropic’s complaint against the government. Turns out, defying Trump can be good for business!Subscriber Bonus: The Trump administration just dismissed the antitrust suit against Live Nation mid-trial for, uh, reasons. ICE awards $113 million to build out Hagerstown detention centerhttps://www.thebanner.com/politics-power/national-politics/ice-hagerstown-detention-center-contract-AHIV2KEHQJAVFMWBYKO2YBWOCU/Maryland v. Noem [ICE Warehouse]https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/72313096/state-of-maryland-v-noem/?order_by=descD.N.N. v. Liggins [ICE temporary holding facility in Baltimore]https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/70321567/dnn-v-liggins/Risch v. Kalshihttps://www.courtlistener.com/docket/72371954/risch-v-kalshiex-llc/Judge Rules That Kari Lake Is Still A Loser [Law and Chaos]https://www.lawandchaospod.com/p/judge-rules-that-kari-lake-is-stillUS v. Naviwala [US Attorney New Jersey]https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/68269162/united-states-v-naviwalaSusman Godfrey v. Executive Office of the President (DC Cir. Appeal) [docket via CourtListener]https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/71202175/susman-godfrey-llp-v-executive-office-of-the-president/Anthropic v. US Dep’t of War, [docket via CourtListener]https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.cand.465515/Business Insider, “Claude Hits Number One In The App Store”https://www.businessinsider.com/anthropic-claude-hits-number-one-app-store-openai-chatgpt-2026-2US v. LiveNation Entertainment (Ticketmaster antitrust lawsuit) [docket via CourtListener]https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/68557723/united-states-of-america-v-live-nation-entertainment-inc/Show Links:https://www.lawandchaospod.com/BlueSky: @LawAndChaosPodThreads: @LawAndChaosPodTwitter: @LawAndChaosPodSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Law and Chaos wishes a big mazal tov to Kristi Noem on her new, very real job as assistant principal of the Yeehaw American Hegemony Club. And to Lindsey Halligan on catching a Florida Bar investigation.We’ll discuss our recent post on Pam Bondi’s very timely announcement that she intends to take over state bar complaints against DOJ employees. It comes at a moment when district court judges are telegraphing very clearly that they are going to start holding DHS and DOJ in criminal contempt for rampant disregard of court orders. Specifically, Judge Michael Farbiarz of the District of New Jersey says he’ll require sworn affidavits from officials at the US Attorneys Office and ICE for every habeas release case that comes before him. This will likely serve as a model for other judges whose dockets are buckling under the weight of habeas cases from all the immigrants ICE is illegally detaining.Elections expert Joe Dye is back to discuss Tuesday’s primary elections in Texas, Arkansas, and North Carolina.And for subscribers, we’ll discuss the shadow docket order in which the six conservative justices leapt in to save New York Rep. Nicole Malliotakis's seat.Lindsey Halligan Is Under Investigation by the Florida Barhttps://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/05/us/politics/lindsey-halligan-investigation-florida-bar.htmlBondi Says She's The Bar Nowhttps://www.lawandchaospod.com/p/bondi-says-shes-the-bar-nowJudge Farbiarz Order re Contempthttps://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.njd.590517/gov.uscourts.njd.590517.30.0.pdfMalliotakis v. Williams [2026 Supreme Court New York redistricting decision]https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/25pdf/25a914_1p24.pdfAbbott v. LULAC [2025 Supreme Court stay of Texas map]https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/25pdf/25a608_7khn.pdfRucho v. Common Cause [2019 Supreme Court gerrymandering opinion]https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=6090361490276671133Steve Vladek, Bonus 214: Emergency Relief from State Courts [One First]https://www.stevevladeck.com/p/bonus-214-emergency-relief-from-stateShow Links:https://www.lawandchaospod.com/BlueSky: @LawAndChaosPodThreads: @LawAndChaosPodTwitter: @LawAndChaosPodSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

DOCKET ALERTS:The Trump administration is tapping out on the lawsuits defending executive orders attacking law firms. Too bad, so sad for the Vichy law firms that pledged a billion dollars in “conservative pro bono” work.Justice Gorsuch says we can’t take guns away from drug users because the Founders were drunk all the time.The Federal Circuit declines a request by the Trump administration to delay tariff refunds.Kansas’s revocation of trans citizens’ drivers licenses draws its first court challenge.And Virginia’s redistricting referendum can go ahead.MAIN SHOW:We discuss the history of the president’s power to commence hostilities and explain why Trump and his goons are so deeply invested in claiming that the war in Iran — which isn’t a war at all! — was defensive, not offensive. Plus Andrew’s got a deep dive into the War Powers Resolution and how it might bring about an end to this nightmare.We’ve got clips from 60 Minutes’s very good story on the danger federal judges face when they go against the Trump administration. Judges in the Western District of West Virginia join the list of jurisdictions telling DHS/DOJ that contempt charges are coming if they keep relying on crackpot legal theories to kidnap residents.Judge John Tunheim issues class relief to refugees in Minnesota, barring DHS from interning them for recertification.And for subscribers: a discussion of the constitutionality of the War Powers Resolution.Trump Administration to Drop Defense of Law Firm Sanctionshttps://www.wsj.com/us-news/law/trump-administration-to-drop-defense-of-law-firm-sanctions-cb839c39US v. Hemani Oral Argumenthttps://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/audio/2025/24-1234V.O.S. Selections [Tariff mandate]https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.cafc.23105/gov.uscourts.cafc.23105.173.0_2.pdfDoe v. Kansas [Trans drivers’ licenses]https://assets.aclu.org/live/uploads/2026/02/Complaint-1.pdfVirginia redistricting election can move forward, court ruleshttps://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/virginia-redistricting-election-can-move-forward-court-rulesFederal judges who've ruled against Trump administration denounce threats against themselves, their familieshttps://www.cbsnews.com/news/federal-judges-whove-ruled-against-trump-administration-denounce-threats-60-minutes-transcript/Judges in a Trump stronghold condemn ICE tacticshttps://www.politico.com/news/2026/03/01/west-virginia-immigration-rulings-00804575Dominguez Izaguirre v. Mason [West Virginia Habeas]https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.wvsd.243036/gov.uscourts.wvsd.243036.18.0.pdfWar Powers Resolution, 50 U.S.C. 1541 et seq.https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/50/chapter-33“Trump Can’t Declare War On Iran (or Anyone)” [lawandchaospod.com]https://www.lawandchaospod.com/p/trump-cant-declare-war-on-iran-orLiz’s YouTube video for Legal Eagle, “The Largest Bribe in American History”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RE2pm3omzMI&t=3sNat’l Treasury Employees’ Union v. Nixon, 492 F.2d 587 (D.C. Cir. 1974)https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=4156385560315482496INS v. Chadha, 462 U.S. 919 (1983)https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=2221871582286121199Show Links:https://www.lawandchaospod.com/BlueSky: @LawAndChaosPodThreads: @LawAndChaosPodTwitter: @LawAndChaosPodSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.