Joyce Vance hosts #SistersInLaw to expose the Trump administration’s attempts to weaken trust in our elections by sending the FBI to investigate the 2020 election results in Maricopa County, Arizona, and highlight the pushback by the state’s Democrats.  Then, the #Sisters explain the federal rule-making process and a proposal by the DOJ under Pam Bondi seeking to protect its members from State Bar Associations.  They also review the latest developments in the Pentagon’s war on Anthropic after it took a stand, including the designation of the company as a supply-chain risk, the lawsuits filed in protest, and Hegseth’s authoritarian behavior.

Read More

In this episode of #SistersInLaw Sidebar, Jill Wine-Banks and Kimberly Atkins Stohr answer your questions on everything from judicial powers and reform to constitutional rights, and the Iran war.  Together, they discuss the ability of judges to stop deportation arrests with their contempt powers, whether a future president and congress will make much needed changes to the SCOTUS, if the SAVE ACT ID requirement constitutes a poll tax, the pardon power of governors, the rights of minors under the law, the dangers of Trump using Mar-A-Lago as his war room, and how the 6th Amendment relates to allegations arising from the Epstein files.

Read More

Kimberly Atkins Stohr hosts #SistersInLaw to explain the allegations that Trump abused a minor revealed in the latest release from the Epstein files and investigate whether the statute of limitations applies.  Then, the #Sisters look at the legality of the Iran war by diving into how it began, the ability of Congress to limit Trump’s war powers, and the treatment of casualties by the administration.  They also discuss state challenges to the administration's attempt to continue levying tariffs under Section 122 of the Trade Act after the SCOTUS struck them down due to the legal interpretation of the International Economic Powers Act.

Read More

In this episode of #SistersInLaw Sidebar, Barb McQuade and Joyce Vance answer your questions on everything from the cases against Trump to paralegal careers and piracy.  Together, they discuss whether Epstein victims will get justice from the DOJ or at the state level, Lex Wexner’s testimony, the fate of E. Jean Carroll’s lawsuit against Trump, the proposed scheme to issue modern letters of marque, pursuing a paralegal career, and if it’s possible to get Jack Smith Mar-a-Lago special counsel report after its release was blocked by Judge Cannon.

Read More

Barb McQuade hosts #SistersInLaw to review the closed-door depositions of Bill and Hillary Clinton in front of the House Oversight Committee, its lack of new revelations, and whether it means Trump will face further scrutiny.  Then, the #Sisters discuss the political fights over elections, including Republican attempts to pass the SAVE Act, mediation in Fulton County over its election records, and Trump’s proposed executive order to unilaterally change the voting process.  They also examine the battle between the Department of Defense and Anthropic over the use of its AI technology for military and surveillance purposes, and the tension between corporate independence and government dictates.

Read More

In this episode of #SistersInLaw Sidebar, Jill Wine-Banks and Kimberly Atkins Stohr discuss the actions the average person can take to fight back against Trump’s unlawful actions and take your questions on everything from government procedure to critical ongoing cases.  They cover whether DHS is able to arrest and detain asylum seekers who are here lawfully, how the law treats employers who hire people here illegally, the rules of government decorum, the limits of pardon power, the fate of ballots following elections, what it would take for the Supreme Court decision on presidential immunity to be re-litigated, and more.

Read More

Jill Wine-Banks hosts #SistersInLaw to analyze the SCOTUS ruling shutting down Trump’s tariffs, explain the major questions doctrine underpinning part of the decision, why the court split the way it did, and how the ruling will affect future decisions.  Then, the #Sisters discuss CBS's refusal to air Stephen Colbert’s interview with Texas Senate candidate James Talarico under the equal time rule, the history of the fairness doctrine, the behavior of Trump’s FCC, and the political forces shaping free speech.  They also cover the arrest of Prince Andrew, the difference in accountability in the U.K., reactions from the Royal Family, and the epidemic of powerful figures evading justice.

Read More

In this episode of Sisters Sidebar, Joyce Vance and Barbara McQuade emphasize the need for civic engagement and government accountability, and take your questions on ethics, resistance, politics, and the law.  They discuss how Congress can hold government officials like Pam Bondi accountable; how the law treats incitements to violence; the legal issues created by the label of domestic terrorism; protesters’ rights; the ethical responsibilities of DOJ officials; how gender affects how politicians are treated by the media; and more.

Read More

Joyce Vance hosts #SistersInLaw to cautiously celebrate ICE’s retreat from Minneapolis now that Congress is stepping up its oversight by demanding reforms and a judge has rebuked the administration for denying legal representation to detainees.  Then, the #Sisters discuss the validity of the FBI’s Fulton County warrant in light of the lack of evidence, the continued hawking of related conspiracy theories about the 2020 election that weaken public trust, and a grand jury’s failure to indict Democratic Members of Congress for supposedly undermining the military.  They also break down the merits of ongoing trials targeting social media addiction, comparing the companies involved to the tobacco industry, and explaining the implications for our 1st Amendment rights.

Read More

In this episode of Sisters Sidebar, Kimberly Atkins Stohr and Barbara McQuade take your questions on some of the most pressing issues confronting the country, how our system operates, and ways to take action.  They discuss the Epstein files, the erosion of constitutional and judicial norms, the progression of civil suits in the aftermath of the J6 attack, the rights of legal observers monitoring ICE, the difference in the career paths of judges and district attorneys, and how the Supreme Court can face accountability for its rulings and actions.

Read More

Kimberly Atkins Stohr hosts #SistersInLaw to dive deeper into the events surrounding the FBI’s seizure of election-related documents in Fulton County, Georgia, by reviewing the merits of the case, highlighting how it imperils election security, and questioning the involvement of Trump and Tulsi Gabbard.  Then, the #Sisters lay out the challenges facing federal prosecutors during the ICE surge in Minnesota and explain how politicizing prosecutions affects justice and internal morale.  They also discuss the NDAs being issued at SCOTUS after recurring leaks and what they mean for transparency, trust, and accountability.

Read More

In this episode of Sisters Sidebar, Joyce Vance and Jill Wine-Banks debut the first round of audio questions and cover pressing legal issues raised by listeners.  They discuss the surveillance of protestors by federal agents, the effect of sanctuary policies, and the dangers of normalization amid rising authoritarianism.  Then, they call for increased congressional oversight of Trump and the executive branch, and look at potential ways to reform the DOJ in order to strengthen democracy and the rule of law.

Read More

Barb McQuade hosts #SistersInLaw to review the FBI search warrant executed at the Fulton County Elections Operations Center in Georgia, the implications for election integrity, odd things about the case, and how it relates to MAGA conspiracy theories surrounding the integrity of the 2020 election.  Then, the #Sisters discuss the civil rights investigation of the Pretti shooting taking place in Minnesota, other recent legal developments concerning ICE, and chilling instances of journalists being targeted in spite of press freedom.  They also review a lawsuit against the government by the families of men killed in the recent Venezuelan boat strikes and explain the relevance of the Death on the High Seas Act and the Alien Tort Statute.

Read More