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
This episode discusses the Supreme Court's ruling in Louisiana v. Callais regarding voting rights and the legal battles over access to the abortion pill mifepristone.
- The Supreme Court Gears Up For Another Unprecedented Term (Rerun)
This episode of Boom! Lawyered covers the biggest cases of the Supreme Court term and looks ahead to future decisions. It highlights the need for expert reporting on legal matters.
- A Colorado School Tests the Separation of Church and State
This episode, originally from 2025, covers a new Colorado school challenging the separation of church and state in public education and examines the possibility of taxpayer-funded religious schools.
- The Anti-Choice Movement’s Obsession with Abortion Pills
This episode examines the conservative legal movement's recent actions against medication abortion, such as attempts to define mailing abortion pills as drug trafficking.
- Will Donald Trump Put Ted Cruz on the Supreme Court?
In this episode of Boom! Lawyered, hosts Imani and Jess discuss the Supreme Court’s conversion therapy decision, oral arguments on birthright citizenship, and speculation regarding Donald Trump potentially nominating Ted Cruz to the Suprem…
- We Did the Reading. Fascism Came Anyway.
In this episode, Imani Gandy explores the concept of a fascist takeover happening in real-time, questioning why it's occurring despite an informed progressive public. The discussion touches on legislative events and the effectiveness of pu…
- The New Parental Rights Legal Grift
Imani and Jess examine the Supreme Court's decision in Mirabelli v. Bonta, explaining how the conservative legal movement is utilizing the shadow docket to alter parental rights law.
- There’s More Drama at the Supreme Court
In this episode of Boom! Lawyered, hosts Imani and Jess discuss recent Supreme Court drama, covering infighting among justices regarding the Trump tariff decision and potential retirement rumors. They also explore the implications of presi…
- Dateline’s Josh Mankiewicz Takes You Inside the True Crime Machine
In this episode of Boom! Lawyered, Imani Gandy and Dateline correspondent Josh Mankiewicz discuss the true crime genre as a machine that determines which stories are amplified. They examine the representation of missing Black women, missin…
- What’s Going On In the Fight Over Abortion Pills
Imani and Jess discuss the legal threats facing medication abortion access. The episode details how the national abortion landscape may change by spring, based on current legal challenges.
- Can Trump Really End Birthright Citizenship
This Boom! Lawyered episode, republished from 2024, examines the legal arguments used in the conservative push to end birthright citizenship. Imani and Jess are off this week.
- The Justice Department Tries to Prosecute Black Journalists
Imani Gandy and Jess Pieklo examine federal charges filed against Black journalists and advocates involved in an anti-ICE protest at a Minnesota church. The episode includes a correction regarding Don Lemon's employment status.
- In Mercy's Shadow: The Mercy Narrative in True Crime
This episode discusses the exclusion of crimes against disabled people from true crime genres. Advocates Imani Gandy and Vilissa Thompson explore how ableism influences which stories are told and the requirements for ethical storytelling w…
- Why Conservatives Want to Ban Trans Girls from Sports
Imani Gandy and Jess Pieklo discuss the ICE raids in Minnesota, Trump's threats to buy Greenland, and analyze how rulings against trans girls in sports could affect other activities.
- My Holidays Look a Little Different This Year (Thanks, Portia)
In this episode, Imani Gandy interviews Portia Burch about experiencing the holidays differently. They explore themes of companionship, authentic Black joy, and building a more stable holiday season.
- We're In The Deconstruction Era - Re-release
This re-released Boom! Lawyered episode from September explains the concept of a "Deconstruction era," presented as the reverse of the Reconstruction era. It discusses the potential implications for public institutions and the rule of law,…
- Texas Bounty Abortion Pill Bounty Hunter Law Goes Into Effect
This episode of Boom! Lawyered discusses Texas HB 7, a law that restricts medication abortion and may lead to a national ban. The law incentivizes community members to report violations by offering financial rewards.
- Judy Reyes on ICE Raids, Humanity, and the Power of Storytelling
In this episode of Boom! Lawyered, Imani Gandy interviews actor Judy Reyes. They discuss immigration policy under Trump 2.0, Reyes's experiences playing an immigration lawyer, and the power of storytelling to transcend political discourse.…
- From Marriage Equality to SCOTUS Reform: Imani and Jess Answer Your Questions
On Boom! Lawyered, Imani and Jess answer listener questions regarding threats to same-sex marriage, potential reforms for the federal courts, and which elements of the constitution should be retained or discarded in a rewrite.
- Fighting Back During Trump’s Most Chaotic Era
Jess is joined by Skye Perryman, CEO of Democracy Forward, to discuss legal battles against the Trump administration and the role of community building as a response to authoritarianism.
- A Colorado School Tests the Separation of Church and State
The podcast episode discusses a new school in Colorado aimed at challenging the separation of church and state in public education. It also covers the possibility of taxpayers funding religious schools, according to Imani and Jess.
- The Constitution: A Scam by Rich White Men, for Rich White Men
Imani Gandy interviews author Elie Mystal about the US Constitution. They discuss the argument that the Constitution primarily benefits white men, has not served Black people, and is used by the Supreme Court to limit rights. The possibili…
- Why Planned Parenthood is getting in on the California redistricting effort
Imani and Jess speak with Jodi Hicks, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California, about the redistricting efforts in California and Texas. They explore why the battle over political maps is considered a reproductive j…
- Conversion Therapy Bans Head to SCOTUS
Imani and Jess discuss the legal arguments and stakes involved in the Chiles v. Salazar case, which challenges Colorado's ban on conversion therapy.
- The Supreme Court Gears Up for Another Unprecedented Term
On Boom! Lawyered, Imani and Jess preview the upcoming Supreme Court term, covering topics such as a challenge to conversion therapy bans and protections for transgender student athletes.
- It’s Never Too Late To Be Gay, Featuring Franchesca Ramsey
Imani Gandy speaks with Franchesca Ramsey about late-life coming out, visibility, and the role of comedy in discussing race.
- Introducing Our New Show: “B*tch, Listen!” with Imani Gandy
Boom! Lawyered announces a new podcast, “B*tch, Listen!”, hosted by Imani Gandy. This show will feature expert reproductive rights journalism. Listeners are encouraged to subscribe to the new feed.
- We’re in the Deconstruction Era
In its ninth season premiere, Boom! Lawyered returns with hosts Imani and Jess exploring the idea of a "Deconstruction era." They examine what this concept, described as Reconstruction in reverse, signifies for the future of public institu…
- Trump Hijacked the Courts: Here’s How to Fix It
This episode of Boom! Lawyered examines the conservative influence on federal courts and its implications for countering Donald Trump's agenda. Guest Rachel Rossi discusses recent judicial appointments and outlines ways progressives can wo…
- Why Conservatives Really Want to Defund Planned Parenthood
On Boom! Lawyered, Imani and Jess examine Republican attempts to defund Planned Parenthood and connect them to larger challenges against health care and Medicaid. Alexis McGill Johnson, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Federation of…
- The Unhinged Theory Behind Ending Birthright Citizenship and Creating Fetal ‘Personhood’
Imani and Jess, joined by Lourdes Rivera of Pregnancy Justice, examine the challenges to birthright citizenship and the constitutional arguments used to support them. The discussion includes the connection between birthright citizenship an…
- SCOTUS Blurs the Line Between Church and State
University of Texas Law Professor Elizabeth Sepper joins hosts Imani and Jess on Boom! Lawyered to discuss recent changes in the relationship between religion and government influenced by the Roberts Court.
- SCOTUS Season Ended. WTF Was That?
Imani and Jess break down the Supreme Court's 2024-2025 term, discussing notable opinions and their implications for the country's future. The episode also touches upon the topic of alligators.
- Supreme Court to Trans Kids: Sorry Not Sorry, But You're SOL
The episode discusses a Supreme Court decision impacting trans rights in Tennessee, with Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Amy Coney Barrett's logic analyzed. The hosts break down the decision's implications for transgender individual…
- 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…