Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes
Leah Litman
May 2025 · Sold by Simon and Schuster
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About this ebook
A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
“Do you want to know why today’s Supreme Court rules like it does? Leah Litman has the answer, and it is one that people should know. It’s time to read this book!” —Los Angeles Review of Books
“Leah Litman’s work leaves you fired up yet empowered to pay attention, ready to resist, and, frankly, hotter.” —Jonathan Van Ness
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.
Something is deeply rotten at the Supreme Court. How did we get here, and what can we do about it? 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.
Employing pop culture references and the latest court decisions, Litman delivers 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 and shows us how to fight back—even as she makes us chuckle on every page and emerge empowered to fight for a better future.
“Do you want to know why today’s Supreme Court rules like it does? Leah Litman has the answer, and it is one that people should know. It’s time to read this book!” —Los Angeles Review of Books
“Leah Litman’s work leaves you fired up yet empowered to pay attention, ready to resist, and, frankly, hotter.” —Jonathan Van Ness
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.
Something is deeply rotten at the Supreme Court. How did we get here, and what can we do about it? 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.
Employing pop culture references and the latest court decisions, Litman delivers 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 and shows us how to fight back—even as she makes us chuckle on every page and emerge empowered to fight for a better future.
A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
“Do you want to know why today’s Supreme Court rules like it does? Leah Litman has the answer, and it is one that people should know. It’s time to read this book!” —Los Angeles Review of Books
“Leah Litman’s work leaves you fired up yet empowered to pay attention, rea...
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About the author
Leah Litman is a professor of law at the University of Michigan and a former Supreme Court clerk. In addition to cohosting Strict Scrutiny, she writes frequently about the Court for media outlets including The Washington Post, Slate, and The Atlantic, among others, and has appeared as a commentator on NPR and MSNBC, in addition to other venues. She has received the Ruth Bader Ginsburg Award for her “scholarly excellence” from the American Constitution Society and has been published in top law reviews. Follow her on X @LeahLitman and Instagram @ProfLeahLitman.
Leah Litman is a professor of law at the University of Michigan and a former Supreme Court clerk. In addition to cohosting Strict Scrutiny, she writes frequently about the Court for media outlets including The Washington Post, Slate, and The Atlantic, among others, and has appeared as a commentat...
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