Lawless

How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes

By: Leah Litman

Narrated by: Leah Litman

Something is deeply rotten at the Supreme Court. How did we get here and what can we do about it? Crooked Media podcast host Leah Litman shines a light on the unabashed lawlessness embraced by conservative Supreme Court justices and shows us how to fight back.

With the gravitas of Joan Biskupic and the irreverence of Elie Mystal, Leah Litman brings her signature wit to the question of what’s gone wrong at One First Street. In Lawless, she argues that the Supreme Court is no longer practicing law; it’s running on vibes. By “vibes,” Litman means legal-ish claims that repackage the politics of conservative grievance and dress them up in robes. Major decisions adopt the language and posture of the law, while in fact displaying a commitment to protecting a single minority: the religious conservatives and Republican officials whose views are no longer shared by a majority of the country.

Dahlia Lithwick’s Lady Justice meets Rebecca Traister’s Good and Mad as Litman employs pop culture references and the latest decisions to deliver a funny, zeitgeisty, pulls-no-punches cri de coeur undergirded by impeccable scholarship. She gives us the tools we need to understand the law, the dynamics of courts, and the stakes of this current moment—even as she makes us chuckle and emerge empowered to fight for a better future.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2025 Leah Litman (P)2025 Simon & Schuster Audio

Telling It Like It Is

Bravo to Leah Litman for coming out and saying in very clear terms what's going on. This isn't a court applying established legal principals to arrive at a legally correct conclusion. It's a self appointed legislative body of five men and one women all of whom were appointed to fulfill a specific mission - overturn Roe v Wade, destroy the administrative state, endorse some of the most ridiculous Right-Wing voting rights measures to deprive Democrats the ability to vote...the list goes on and on. It's pointless to engage in a discussion of what the court is doing using legal terms and concepts like precedent or stare decisis because the court has thrown all of that out. The new political doctrine is very simple - what serves the Right-Wing - that's it, it's really that simple and it's not an exaggeration to say so.

The only point on which I part ways with Litman is with her book-ending optimism that things can change if we all work hard enough. Sorry, but when you've shut down Fox News, Newsmax, and a host of other Right-Wing propaganda networks, let me know and I might join the fight. This has been building for years and it will take several generations to unwind.

Great Supreme Court Primer

The author (and reader) makes the Supreme Court accessible for all people, not just those with legal knowledge. Through contemporary language and pop culture references, she brings the historical arc of the Supreme Court's story into focus to answer the very timely question, "How did we get here?" This should be required reading for all Americans.

Mind blowing!!!

Must read for any human in America with even a little concern for the future. Very accessible with generational pop culture references and analogies. Read it or better yet listen to it because the author reads it and it adds a lot!

Supreme Court Adrift: Litman's 'Lawless' Warning⁠

★★★★★ A crucial analysis of how the Supreme Court's conservative majority has moved from traditional judicial conservatism to embracing fringe positions that threaten democratic norms and individual rights.

While some might criticize Litman's tone as occasionally polemical, her righteous anger feels justified given the gravity of the situation we are facing. This is an essential read for anyone concerned about the future of American democracy and the role of the Supreme Court in shaping it. Litman's work serves as both a warning and a call to action, illuminating how our highest court has become captured by minority rule and increasingly extreme ideological positions.

She’s the literal best

Professor Litman delivers highly valuable information in a digestible and understandable way. I’m just waiting for the Strict Scrutiny crew to collaborate.

A great force for distilling and disseminating truth

Litman inspires the reader to get involved and fight back against the proponents of fascism and Christian nationalism.

It helps to have watched Game of Thrones, Arrested Development, and American Psycho to enjoy the reference humor.

History matters, Precedent matters

This overview brings the current situation into better focus. Provides relevant background and explains the importance of significant court decisions.

Too many poo culture references.

Title. Some light-hearted pop culture references are fine, but there are way more than needed. Many of them feel forced. Most are not funny.

Such a good book, such bad vibes

Love it. Brilliant. And the pop culture references are so perfect and so necessary to add levity to the dismal reality of this Court.

So digestible, albeit devastating

Thorough, informative, and easy to understand for the legal layperson with easily relatable pop culture references. Everyone should take a listen/read to understand the long-term efforts that have landed us here in The Bad Place.