Rephonic
Artwork for Advisory Opinions

Advisory Opinions

The Dispatch
Supreme Court
First Amendment
Donald Trump
Birthright Citizenship
Second Amendment
Executive Power
Tiktok
Department Of Justice
Free Speech
Trump Administration
Tariffs
Death Penalty
Congress
Federalist Society
Humphrey's Executor
Voting Rights Act
Originalism
Administrative State
Fourth Amendment
Federal Trade Commission

Advisory Opinions is a legal podcast by The Dispatch. Hosts David French and Sarah Isgur meet twice a week to talk about the law, the courts, their collision with politics, and why it all matters.

PublishesTwice weeklyEpisodes672Founded7 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
PoliticsGovernmentNews

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for Advisory Opinions

Latest Episodes

Sarah Isgur and David French discuss the 5-4 ballroom interim docket decision with Chief Justice John Roberts leading the dissenters, the New York Times with a piece on releasing the justice’s papers sooner rather than later, and a piece by Josh Morr... more

Sarah Isgur and David French pick through a trail mix of topics for this week’s episode.  The two discuss bracelet-wearing parents at a soccer game, student visas being revoked over bad speech, and classified information being printed. But they kick ... more

YouTube

Sarah Isgur and David French invite real life Rep. Jake Auchincloss of Massachusetts to discuss how to reform Congress, explain multi-member districting, and wtalk about hether the Supreme Court needs more justices. But first, forging Justice John Ro... more

YouTube

Sarah Isgur and David French invite  former D.C. Circuit judges Tom Griffith and David Tatel to discuss relationships, judicial independence, and what it means to be a “former” judge. But first, bar complaints and the White House ballroom injunction.... more

YouTube

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Accepts Sponsors
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

Divided Argument
Divided ArgumentWill Baude & Dan Epps
The Editors
The EditorsNational Review
Amarica's Constitution
Amarica's ConstitutionAkhil Reed Amar

Recent Guests

Jake Auchincloss
U.S. Representative for Massachusetts's 4th district
United States House of Representatives
Episode: How to Fix Congress | Interview: Rep. Jake Auchincloss
Thomas Griffith
Former DC Circuit Judge (appointed by George W. Bush)
U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit
Episode: Civility vs. Collegiality | Interview: Judges Tom Griffith and David Tatel
David S. Tatel
Former DC Circuit Judge (appointed by Bill Clinton)
U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit
Episode: Civility vs. Collegiality | Interview: Judges Tom Griffith and David Tatel
Chris Scalia
AEI scholar
American Enterprise Institute
Episode: Let’s Pretend We’re Justices | Interview: Chris Scalia
Adam Feldman
Creator/author of Empirical SCOTUS and Legalytics; writes about the Supreme Court
SCOTUSblog; Empirical SCOTUS; Legalytics
Episode: This Is Not A Vibes-Only Podcast
Roger Holt
Guest on episode
Episode: Fauci Pleads the Fifth | Interview: Elie Honig
Elie Honig
CNN Senior Legal Analyst, writer at New York Magazine, author
CNN; New York Magazine
Episode: Fauci Pleads the Fifth | Interview: Elie Honig
Ellie Honig
CNN, former federal and local prosecutor
CNN
Episode: The Island of Rationality and the First Amendment
Mike Fragoso
Former chief counsel to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell; expert on the Senate
National Review (writer)
Episode: Receipts on the Senate Filibuster | Interview: Mike “Frags” Fragoso

Hosts

Sarah Isgur
Host of Advisory Opinions; The Dispatch contributor (SCOTUS coverage)
David French
Co-host and primary on-air voice; policy commentator and legal analyst

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars from 5.5k ratings
  • Love this podcast!

    Would be interested if you have any thoughts on Olmstead, and the recent DOJ request to vacate. Hope y’all’s time off was successful, if not 100% enjoyable.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Mosessister
    United States21 days ago
  • Excellent

    I thoroughly enjoy it and feel like I learn something from every episode. David French is good, but Sarah Isgur really brings energy to the episodes. AO and Divided Argument are my two favorite legal podcasts--they are different but both excellent in their own way.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    asdfasdfghjkl
    United Statesa month ago
  • Read The Chick-Fil-A Review

    Seriously. It’s the last word on this podcast. Longtime, on-and-off fan here who mostly just comes for David French.

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    SeaJayy!!$
    United Statesa month ago
  • The best legal podcast going

    Informative, balanced, insightful. Listen and learn.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Amac2644
    United States2 months ago
  • Advisory Opinions: A Tasting Menu

    I need to open with a confession: I loved this podcast. Loved it. I told people about it at parties. And admitting what I'm about to admit feels a little like a food critic confessing he ate at Chick-fil-A twice a week for three years and only then noticed it was fast food.

    Because that's what Advisory Opinions is. The Chick-fil-A of legal podcasts. And I want to be clear that in my mouth that is nearly a compliment. Chick-fil-A is delicious, the line is long for a reason, and I will indulge. B... more

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Disappointed_Fan2025
    United States2 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Guests are seen as high-quality and the discussions informative and thoughtful.
Some critique perceived bias or shifts in tone given hosts' affiliations and external roles.
The show is described as centrist-leaning with deep-dive legal analysis rather than entertainment.
Audio quality and ad reads are frequent points of discussion by listeners.
Listeners praise the show's rigor and insight into legal issues.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#26
United States/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#80
United States/News
Apple Podcasts
#118
Canada/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#121
United Kingdom/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#132
Australia/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#178
Germany/News/Politics

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Let’s Pretend We’re Justices | Interview: Chris Scalia
Q: What did ChatGPT get right about the basic argument and what did it miss?
ChatGPT captured the broad structure and core points of the arguments, but some nuanced lines and references were not exact, requiring human curation to ensure accuracy and proper attribution.
Receipts on the Senate Filibuster | Interview: Mike “Frags” Fragoso
Q: What is the current health of the filibuster and is reform likely or desirable?
Fragoso argues that there is genuine bipartisan pressure to reform or rethink the filibuster, with some Republicans and Democrats signaling openness to changes, but any reform would need to balance incentives for deliberation with the risk of eroding norms; the trajectory is uncertain and likely gradual.
SCOTUS Through the Decades | Interview: Nina Totenberg
Q: How has the Court's handling of standing affected real-world cases like the slush fund litigation?
Standing debates show that even with emotionally charged issues, plaintiffs must demonstrate a concrete, legally cognizable injury and direct causation, which complicates efforts to curb executive misappropriations.
SCOTUS Through the Decades | Interview: Nina Totenberg
Q: What made Hamm v. Smith such a landmark in terms of IQ and the death penalty?
The case highlighted the tension between brain-based clinical assessments of culpability and constitutional protections, leading to a holistic, non-per se approach to evaluating multiple IQ scores rather than a single numeric cutoff.
Arguing In Front of SCOTUS | Interview: Lisa Blatt
Q: How do you prepare for the high-stakes, unpredictable environment of Supreme Court oral arguments?
Blatt describes a two-moot process, using aggressive, candid practice to simulate real questioning, and emphasizes maintaining a balance between forceful advocacy and authentic, precise articulation while leveraging appendices for impact.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Advisory Opinions

What is Advisory Opinions about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Advisory Opinions blends rigorous legal analysis with practical storytelling about the courts, law, and their political dimensions. Episodes typically feature deep dives into current Supreme Court activity, along with data-driven takes on precedents, procedural dynamics, and notable opinions, often anchored by high-profile guests from SCOTUSblog, law schools, media, and policy circles. The show stands out for its dual-host dynamic, data-informed rigor, and willingness to tackle thorny constitutional questions with candor and nuance. Potential listeners who want clear explanations of complex legal issues, plus thoughtful debate about how law interacts with politics, will likely find it compelling.

Where can I find podcast stats for Advisory Opinions?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Advisory Opinions. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Advisory Opinions and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Advisory Opinions get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for four million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for Advisory Opinions, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for Advisory Opinions?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Advisory Opinions, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does Advisory Opinions have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Advisory Opinions has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Advisory Opinions?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Advisory Opinions:

1. The Dispatch Podcast
2. The Remnant with Jonah Goldberg
3. Divided Argument
4. The Editors
5. Amarica's Constitution

How many episodes of Advisory Opinions are there?

Advisory Opinions launched 7 years ago and published 672 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Advisory Opinions?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Advisory Opinions?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Advisory Opinions from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for Advisory Opinions?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Advisory Opinions. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on Advisory Opinions?

Recent guests on Advisory Opinions include:

1. Jake Auchincloss
2. Thomas Griffith
3. David S. Tatel
4. Chris Scalia
5. Adam Feldman
6. Roger Holt
7. Elie Honig
8. Ellie Honig

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days