Rephonic
Artwork for Opening Arguments
ICE
Supreme Court
Donald Trump
Jeffrey Epstein
Trump Administration
Immigration Law
Department Of Justice
Ghislaine Maxwell
Qualified Immunity
First Amendment
Immigration
Antifa
Fourth Amendment
Miranda Rights
Solitary Confinement
Charlie Kirk
Ketanji Brown Jackson
Incarceration System
Computer Fraud and Abuse Act
The Rainmaker

Opening Arguments is a law show that helps you make sense of the news! Comedian Thomas Smith and lawyer Matt Cameron help you understand not only current events, but also deeper legal concepts and areas! The schedule is M-W-F, with the main show on Monday and Friday and Vapid Response on Wednesday!

PublishesDailyEpisodes1310Founded10 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
PoliticsNews

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Artwork for Opening Arguments

Latest Episodes

OA1313 - Why the Republican attempt to impeach Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth was more legally defensible than the articles of impeachment filed by House Democrats in April. And finally in today's footnote: Arkansas tries to clean up after the sin... more

OA1312 - Just how big was this blue wave? Jenessa has some exclusive homemade analysis for you to illustrate how the tides are flowing and where the biggest shifts happened. Plus coverage of the remaining procedural steps in Mississippi, what this co... more

OA1311 - Matt runs through a string of DOJ losses this week: researcher Kseniia Petrova's smuggled frog embryos case, a grand jury's decision on Cassidy Hutchinson, and Trump's libel suit against the Wall Street Journal over the Epstein birthday lett... more

VR49 - Live midterms watch party! Thomas, Matt, and Jenessa parked in front of three screens on election night and just let the good vibes happen. We've got Mike Johnson saying something out loud on camera that he absolutely should not have said days... more

Key Facts

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

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Recent Guests

Lydia Smith
Episode: The Christian Reboot of the Scopes Monkey Trial Nobody Asked For
Liz Skeen
New York criminal defense attorney
Episode: NY Defense Attorney Calls the Tompkins County DA's Cornell Decision "Truly Stunning"
Matt Cameron
Guest on Lot Awful Movies discussion
Episode: The Real Reason Coyote v. Acme Was Buried (It's So Much Worse Than a Tax Write-Off)
Dave Wedge
Boston journalist and author of Blizzard of Lies
Blizzard of Lies
Episode: A Blizzard of Lies - Dave Wedge on the Karen Read Trial
Milo Yiannopoulos
British commentator and author known for controversial public persona
Self-employed; formerly Breitbart News
Episode: Milo Yiannopoulos Lied About His Immigration Status (And We Can Prove It)
Haley Moss
Autonomous advocate, author, and attorney focusing on neurodiversity in law
Autism advocacy, author
Episode: The First Openly Autistic Lawyer in Florida on What Law Firms Get Wrong
Carmela Mantello
Mayor of Troy, New York
City of Troy, New York
Episode: A Mayor Declared a State of Emergency to Save Flock Cameras
Melissa Murray
Frederick I. N. Grace Stokes Professor of Law at NYU; co-host of Strict Scrutiny
New York University School of Law; Strict Scrutiny podcast
Episode: Melissa Murray Gives the Constitution Some Strict Scrutiny
Peter O'Neill
Author of My So-Called Disorder, Autism, Exploding Trucks and the Big Daddy of Rock and Roll
Author, Book Club Guest
Episode: Law on the Spectrum, with Peter O'Neil

Hosts

Thomas Smith
Comedian and legal-news presenter
Matt Cameron
Lawyer and immigration attorney
Lydia Smith

Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars from 6.6k ratings
  • Matt uses AI

    Using AI in any capacity demonstrates a lack of care and competence

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Ali H
    United Kingdoma month ago
  • Lindsay Clancy episode isn’t the one to start with

    The episode on the laws related to the Lindsay Clancy trial is maddening to listen to. Both hosts repeatedly state they don’t know enough about the case to draw conclusions and then proceed to conclude that LC was in psychosis. One host repeatedly refers to a podcast he listened to where a woman who experienced PSS discussed what she went through and then suggests LC could’ve experienced those things, too, and that killing your kids is by definition insane. I take the point, but also, that’s not... more

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    vicbeth830
    United States2 months ago
  • Great 👍

    Podcast Addict
    5
    JesusGotWhatHeDeserved
    4 months ago
  • Please stop the Irish jokes

    I'm a fan!

    I know the anti-Irish comments are just jokes but you may be alienating part of your audience.

    Also it would be great if the attorney could speak more loudly and clearly.

    Thanks for keeping tabs on the U.S. legal system and explaining it so well.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Woodland Creature Trash Panda
    United States6 months ago
  • Educational and hysterical

    I love everything about the show. It’s funny but it breaks things down so that way it’s easily digestible for people that don’t understand how convoluted and complicated legal terminology and procedures can be. Thomas ranting and being angry about something every episode makes me giggle and yet I completely identify with his anger and frustration and so it is all entirely relatable.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Casey Marie's Music
    United States8 months ago

Listeners Say

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

Many praise the mix of legal insight, humor and strong host chemistry.
Listeners value the clear, accessible explanations of complicated legal issues and court decisions.
Complaints include ad frequency, interruptions and occasions when hosts speak over one another.
A few listeners question the handling of sensitive cases or the use of AI.
Some listeners find the jokes or heated commentary distracting when topics are serious.

Chart Rankings

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

Apple Podcasts
#128
United States/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#178
United Kingdom/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#216
Canada/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#247
Australia/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#96
United Arab Emirates/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#96
Finland/News/Politics

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Here's Why Voter Fraud Is Virtually Nonexistent, and What Experts Actually Fear
Q: What are the real threats?
Jenessa points to election officials who undermine voting or certification, voter suppression, misinformation about voting procedures, and cyberattacks that disrupt election services. Experts are not primarily concerned that vote scanners will alter tallies.
Here's Why Voter Fraud Is Virtually Nonexistent, and What Experts Actually Fear
Q: How do we know voter fraud is rare, as opposed to it just being rarely reported?
Jenessa walks through the steps required to register and impersonate an eligible voter, including identity information, voter notifications, polling-place checks, signature comparison, and the risk of being caught. She explains that many apparent irregularities are administrative errors rather than intentional fraud.
What the Media Are Getting Wrong About the Ilhan Omar Raid
Q: What could you be searching for?
Cameron says the warrant may be connected to alleged statements about Omar's citizenship or evidence of knowing misrepresentation, but emphasizes that the publicly known facts do not clarify what investigators sought. He also says an anonymous report linked the search to the naturalization allegations and suggests it could be political harassment.
What the Media Are Getting Wrong About the Ilhan Omar Raid
Q: So she wasn't born here, right?
Cameron explains that Omar was born in Somalia, came to the United States as a refugee, and became a citizen in 2000. Her father submitted documentation asserting that she had acquired citizenship automatically through his naturalization while she was a minor.
This Guy Beat Qualified Immunity Twice, in Two Different Circuits
Q: Could Bradshaw's criminal conviction for assault affect his qualified-immunity defense in the civil case?
The concurrence suggested that issue preclusion might prevent an officer already convicted of assaulting the plaintiff from arguing in the civil case that the force was reasonable or that the constitutional violation was not clearly established.

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 Opening Arguments

What is Opening Arguments about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Current events are explained through the laws, court rulings and legal procedures behind them. Regular hosts Thomas Smith, a comedian, and Matt Cameron, a lawyer, combine legal analysis with political commentary, humor and pointed criticism. Episodes often unpack court decisions, legislation and government actions, explaining what the law says and how it affects people, institutions and public policy. The subject matter ranges from immigration and elections to civil rights, criminal law, corporate accountability and the powers of federal agencies.

The format is conversational and usually host-led, with occasional contributions from other presenters and legal professionals. The distinctive appeal is the mix of accessible legal explanation a... more

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Which podcasts are similar to Opening Arguments?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Opening Arguments:

1. Where There's Woke
2. Law and Chaos
3. The Skepticrat
4. Dear Old Dads
5. The Scathing Atheist

How many episodes of Opening Arguments are there?

Opening Arguments launched 10 years ago and published 1310 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on Opening Arguments?

Recent guests on Opening Arguments include:

1. Lydia Smith
2. Liz Skeen
3. Matt Cameron
4. Dave Wedge
5. Milo Yiannopoulos
6. Haley Moss
7. Carmela Mantello
8. Melissa Murray

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