Boom! Lawyered
News & Politics
About
Every week, Jessica Mason Pieklo and Imani Gandy take you on a wild ride through the latest legal battles in the fight for reproductive justice. On everything from abortion rights to trans discrimination to racial justice, Boom! Lawyered will help you get smart, stay mad, have fun, and fight back.Produced by Rewire News Group.
Episodes
- Louisiana is Ground Zero for Voting Rights, Abortion Pill Access
Imani and Jess discuss the Supreme Court's decision in Louisiana v. Callais concerning voting rights and the legal challenges to mifepristone access.
- The Supreme Court Gears Up For Another Unprecedented Term (Rerun)
This rerun episode of Boom! Lawyered discusses the major cases from the Supreme Court's recent term. Future episodes will offer in-depth analysis of the court's decisions.
- A Colorado School Tests the Separation of Church and State
This 2025 episode of Boom! Lawyered covers a new Colorado school challenging the separation of church and state in public education and examines the possibility of taxpayers funding religious schools.
- The Anti-Choice Movement’s Obsession with Abortion Pills
This episode examines the conservative legal movement's current attacks on medication abortion, focusing on efforts in courthouses and state legislatures, such as classifying the mailing of abortion pills as "drug trafficking."
- Will Donald Trump Put Ted Cruz on the Supreme Court?
Imani and Jess discuss the Supreme Court’s conversion therapy decision, birthright citizenship oral arguments, and the possibility of Donald Trump nominating Ted Cruz to the Supreme Court. The episode also mentions reproductive journalism…
- We Did the Reading. Fascism Came Anyway.
The most informed progressive public in American history is watching a fascist takeover in real time. In her first solo episode, Imani Gandy wants to know why. From Black Twitter to the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act dying in the Sen…
- The New Parental Rights Legal Grift
In this episode, Imani and Jess break down the latest anti-trans decision from the Supreme Court, Mirabelli v. Bonta and explain how the conservative legal movement is rewriting parental rights law from the shadow docket of the Supreme Cou…
- There’s More Drama at the Supreme Court
In this episode! Imani and Jess spill the tea on the recent Supreme Court drama, from infighting among the justices in the Trump tariff decision, to retirement rumours, and why it is more than political theater when the president attacks t…
- Dateline’s Josh Mankiewicz Takes You Inside the True Crime Machine
In part two of her series on true crime and disability, Imani Gandy interviews Dateline correspondent Josh Mankiewicz about true crime as a machine that decides whose stories get told—and whose don’t. From missing Black women, to missing a…
- What’s Going On In the Fight Over Abortion Pills
In this episode, Imani and Jess walk through the current legal threats to medication abortion access and explain how the national abortion landscape could be reshaped entirely by spring. Expert Repro Journalism That Inspires. Episodes like…
- Can Trump Really End Birthright Citizenship
Imani and Jess are off this week, but in this episode republished from 2024 they explain the spurious new legal arguments underpinning the conservative push to end birthright citizenship. Expert Repro Journalism That Inspires. Episodes lik…
- The Justice Department Tries to Prosecute Black Journalists
In this episode, Imani Gandy and Jess Pieklo unpack the federal charges brought against Black journalists and advocates in connection to an anti-ICE protest at a Minnesota church. Correction - In this show we refer to Don Lemon as "from CN…
- In Mercy's Shadow: The Mercy Narrative in True Crime
True crime is everywhere—but crimes against disabled people are rarely treated as “true crime” at all. Imani Gandy talks with disability justice advocate Vilissa Thompson about why disabled victims are erased from true crime, how ableism s…
- Why Conservatives Want to Ban Trans Girls from Sports
In this episode, Imani Gandy and Jess Pieklo discuss the ICE raids in Minnesota, Trump’s threats to “buy” Greenland, and explain how a ruling in favor of state bans on trans girls playing sports could lead to boys-only chess clubs. Expert…
- My Holidays Look a Little Different This Year (Thanks, Portia)
Imani Gandy interviews Portia Burch about what it means to get through the holidays when you don’t love them. Together, they talk about companionship, Black joy without the performance or obligation, and building a season that feels steadi…
- We're In The Deconstruction Era - Re-release
The Supreme Court heard arguments this week in Trump v. Slaughter, a case that could greatly expand the scope of presidential power. Imani and Jess are off this week but decided to republish this episode from September that explains why th…
- Texas Bounty Abortion Pill Bounty Hunter Law Goes Into Effect
In this episode of Boom! Lawyered, Imani and Jess break down HB 7, a Texas law that attacks medication abortion and could set the stage for a nationwide abortion ban. They also discuss how the legislation, which went into effect on Dec. 4,…
- Judy Reyes on ICE Raids, Humanity, and the Power of Storytelling
Imani Gandy interviews actor Judy Reyes about the handling of immigration policy in Trump 2.0, what she learned playing an immigration lawyer on TV, and why storytelling cuts through political nonsense in ways policy and punditry never wil…
- From Marriage Equality to SCOTUS Reform: Imani and Jess Answer Your Questions
In this episode of Boom! Lawyered Imani and Jess answer audience questions on everything from threats to same-sex marriage, how to reform the federal courts, and what should be kept and what should be scrapped if we rewrote the constitutio…
- Fighting Back During Trump’s Most Chaotic Era
In this episode of Boom! Lawyered, Imani has the week off, so Jess is joined by President and CEO of Democracy Forward Skye Perryman to talk about fighting the Trump administration in court and how building community is the antidote to aut…
- A Colorado School Tests the Separation of Church and State
In this episode of Boom! Lawyered, Imani and Jess discuss a new school launched in Colorado that’s designed to erase the separation of church and state in public education. They also explain why the conservative legal movement could finall…
- The Constitution: A Scam by Rich White Men, for Rich White Men
The Constitution isn’t sacred—it’s a sham that pretends to be about equality but actually only benefits white men in power. Imani Gandy talks with best-selling author Elie Mystal about why the Constitution has never worked for Black people…
- Why Planned Parenthood is getting in on the California redistricting effort
In this episode of Boom! Lawyered, Imani and Jess are joined by Jodi Hicks, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California to unpack the redistricting fight between California and Texas and explain why the battle of the m…
- Conversion Therapy Bans Head to SCOTUS
In this episode of Boom! Lawyered, Imani and Jess explain the arguments and what's at stake in Chiles v. Salazar , the case challenging Colorado’s ban on conversion therapy practices. Expert repro journalism that inspires. Episodes like th…
- The Supreme Court Gears Up for Another Unprecedented Term
In this episode of Boom! Lawyered, Imani and Jess preview the upcoming Supreme Court term, including a challenge to conversion therapy bans, protections for transgender student athletes, and more. Expert repro journalism that inspires. Epi…
- It’s Never Too Late To Be Gay, Featuring Franchesca Ramsey
Turns out the closet wasn’t locked—it was glass all along. Sometimes you just can’t see your way out. Imani Gandy talks with comedian, actor, and writer Franchesca Ramsey about coming out later in life, visibility, and the joy of saying, "…
- Introducing Our New Show: “B*tch, Listen!” with Imani Gandy
Expert repro journalism that inspires Expert Repro Journalism That Inspires. Episodes like this take time, research, and a commitment to the truth. If Boom! Lawyered helps you understand what’s at stake in our courts, chip in to keep…
- We’re in the Deconstruction Era
Boom! Lawyered is back for its ninth season! In this episode, Imani and Jess explain why they believe we’re living through a “Deconstruction era”—think Reconstruction era, but in reverse—and what that means for our public institutions and…
- Trump Hijacked the Courts: Here’s How to Fix It
In this episode of Boom! Lawyered Summer Session, Imani and Jess unpack the current landscape of the federal courts and what the conservative capture of the judiciary means for fighting President Donald Trump’s authoritarian agenda. They a…
- Why Conservatives Really Want to Defund Planned Parenthood
In this episode of Boom! Lawyered Summer Session, Imani and Jess dig into the Republican efforts to strip federal funding from Planned Parenthood clinics and explain how it fits with their larger attacks on health care and Medicaid. They a…
- The Unhinged Theory Behind Ending Birthright Citizenship and Creating Fetal ‘Personhood’
In this episode of Boom! Lawyered Summer Session, Imani and Jess dive into the attacks on birthright citizenship and unpack the absurd constitutional arguments conservatives are making to advance these attacks. They are joined by Lourdes R…
- SCOTUS Blurs the Line Between Church and State
Boom! Lawyered Summer Session is back—and now we’re on video, too! In this season opener, University of Texas Law Professor Elizabeth Sepper joins Imani and Jess to unpack big changes in the relationship between religion and government ush…
- SCOTUS Season Ended. WTF Was That?
On June 27, the Supreme Court wrapped up its extraordinarily consequential, controversial, and, at times, surprising term. Imani and Jess break down the best and worst of the 2024-2025 opinions, and what it could mean for the future of the…
- Supreme Court to Trans Kids: Sorry Not Sorry, But You're SOL
Chief Justice John Roberts contorted logic to find a path for Tennessee to enforce its anti-trans law, while Justice Amy Coney Barrett left breadcrumbs for conservatives to lodge future attacks on trans rights. In this week's episode, Iman…
- Unpacking SCOTUS' 'Reverse Discrimination' Decision
Did the Supreme Court really make it easier for straight white folks to bring reverse discrimination claims? Kind of, yes. In this week's episode, Imani and Jess explain the Court's unanimous reverse discrimination decision, and why it mat…
- Asked and Answered: The Sequel
This episode has everything: strict scrutiny, the “big, beautiful bill,” and even Marbury v. Madison . This week, Imani and Jess answer listener questions in our second AMA episode. Episodes like this take time, research, and a commitment…
- ‘Pride Puppy’ Author Talks LGBTQ+ Book Ban and SCOTUS Case
This week Imani and Jess have a very special guest join the pod. Robin Stevenson, author of the LGTBQ+ children’s book Pride Puppy , joins Boom! Lawyered to talk about what it’s like having her work at the center of the Supreme Court fight…
- Who Is the Lady Trying to Upend Disability Law?
Buckle up, y’all—we have a doozy for you today. This week, Imani and Jess get into the Supreme Court oral arguments in A.J.T. v. Osseo Area Schools . It was supposed to be a narrow education rights case that looked at whether students have…
- The First Amendment Is Being Rewritten in Real Time
School libraries are not indoctrinating kids with “LGBTQ+ ideology”—I know that, you know that, we know that. But conservatives love pretending they don’t. This week, Jess and Imani get into Mahmoud v. Taylor , a Supreme Court case that co…
- What's Happening to Kilmar Abrego Garcia Could Happen to Any of Us
Editor's note: This episode was recorded on April 16, 2025. The Trump administration’s lawlessness is hard to exaggerate—and especially so in the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who the White House admitted was mistakenly deported to a deten…
- Boom! Buzzkilled Live from D.C.
This week, Jess and Imani join Lizz Winstead and Moji Alawode-El of Feminist Buzzkills live from The Black Cat in Washington, D.C. for a rowdy takedown of the latest abortion case to reach the Supreme Court, the election results in Wiscons…
- Trump’s Attacks on Law Firms, Lawyers, and the Law
President Donald Trump famously has a… strained relationship with the law, to say the least. His first term saw numerous legal challenges to attempted policies—not to mention his two impeachments. Now, barely two months into his second ter…
- David S. Cohen and Carole Joffe on Abortion ‘After Dobbs’
We have a treat this week—more attorneys! Law professor David S. Cohen and sociologist Carole Joffe join the pod to talk about their newest book, ' After Dobbs .' They chat with Jess and Imani about the legal battle over abortion pills, th…
- Republicans Walk Back Their Attacks on Disabled People… Sort Of
We’re sweating! We’re hyperfixating! Because a bunch of conservative attorneys general have filed a lawsuit trying to weaken or eliminate Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, which served as a precursor to the Americans with Disabilities…
- Answering Your Burning Questions
You asked, we answered! On a special Q&A episode of Boom! Lawyered, Jess and Imani answer listener questions. They cover everything from what could happen if fetal “personhood” becomes enshrined into law to whether abortion bans allow stat…
- ‘Wellness Farms’ Could Soon Be Coming to a Town Near You
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was confirmed and sworn in as the secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. And almost immediately, Trump fired off another executive order establishing a “Make America Great Again” commission. Th…
- The Trump Administration Is Coming for Your Access to Contraception, Abortion, and… Dildos?
Abortion, and dildos, and porn, oh my! No but actually, there’s a dusty old law on the books that could unravel reproductive health access for years to come—the Comstock Act. And it’s just waiting for someone like the recently-confirmed U.…
- The Fifth Circuit Doesn't Mind If Teens Have Guns
While Elon Musk has been taking over the government, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals quietly overturned a 60-year-old law that prevented federally-licensed firearms dealers from selling guns to anyone aged 18 to 20. Seems bad! This week…
- Getting Through Trump’s First Week—Mostly
We’re on week one of Donald Trump’s second administration, and we’re already tired. On his first day in office, Trump signed executive orders attempting to end birthright citizenship and declaring that the United States only recognizes two…
- Will the Supreme Court Help Ban Porn?
This week, Imani and Jess dive into Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton , a case out of Texas that could upend First Amendment free speech law. At issue in the case is a Texas law that requires age verification to visit websites that offer por…