Beyond the Brief
Hear about the cases, issues, and tactics advancing the fight for freedom—directly from the people on the front lines. Deep Dive with the Institute for Justice explores the legal theories, strategies, and methods IJ uses to bring about real world change, expanding individual liberty and ending abuses of government power. In each episode, host Melanie Hildreth talks with litigators, researchers, and activists to give listeners an in-depth, inside look at cutting-edge legal and policy issues—and how they affect the lives of ordinary Americans everywhere.
- Update frequency
- every 16 days
- Average duration
- 32 minutes
- Episodes
- 77
- Years Active
- 2019 - 2025
These People Lost $85 Million in an L.A. Heist…and the Robber was the FBI
In March 2021, FBI agents broke into private safe deposit boxes at the Southern California business U.S. Private Vaults and—though no individual box owner was suspected of wrongdoing—rifled through a…
00:31:07 |
Mon 09 Aug 2021
Cities Caught Extracting Millions From Residents Through Fines and Fees Traps
In Episode 30 of Deep Dive, we talked about how fines for harmless property code violations could snowball into six-figure debt. All too often, municipalities set up these “taxation by citation” sche…
00:37:09 |
Tue 29 Jun 2021
Supreme Court Shuts Down Police on Entering Your Home Without a Warrant
This term, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a unanimous opinion in Caniglia v. Strom, a case about the “community caretaking” exception to the general principle that police need a warrant before enterin…
00:31:05 |
Mon 21 Jun 2021
This Florida Woman Got a $100,000 Fine for Parking in Her Own Driveway
After Sandy Martinez got a ticket from Lantana, Florida, for parking her car with its wheels slightly outside her driveway and on the grass in her yard, she didn’t know that she was being fined a who…
00:33:05 |
Mon 24 May 2021
These Laws Let Your Competitors Decide When Your Business is “Needed”
When IJ client Abdallah Batayneh tried to open a resort shuttle service in rural Colorado, his application was denied by a state regulatory agency at the same time it assured him that he was “operati…
00:25:44 |
Thu 06 May 2021
Law for Non-Lawyers – Standards of Review (A Deep Dive Best of)
What does it mean when courts apply “strict scrutiny” in their review of a law? Why do property, economic, and other vital liberties get only “rational basis” review? And why do these things matter t…
00:36:22 |
Fri 30 Apr 2021
Bitcoin and the Constitution: Is Code Speech?
Although Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are hitting the mainstream, the way the law will treat them is still undeveloped. In this episode, we talk about how and whether the First and Fourth Amend…
00:39:08 |
Tue 13 Apr 2021
“Predictive Policing” Algorithm Creates a Dystopian Nightmare for Residents of This Florida Town
When the Institute for Justice filed suit against the so-called predictive policing program in Pasco County, Florida, the Sheriff’s Office issued a statement saying that their program is not “in any …
00:28:57 |
Mon 29 Mar 2021
Talking to a Client in the Wrong Location Makes This Counselor a Criminal
Elizabeth Brokamp is a professional counselor who just wants to help people at a time when many Americans need it more than ever. But if the Virginia resident tries to talk with clients just miles aw…
00:29:18 |
Thu 11 Mar 2021
Uses (and Misuses) of Amicus Briefs | (A Deep Dive Best Of)
IJ Senior Attorneys Robert McNamara and Paul Sherman discuss amicus briefs: what they are, where they came from, and how IJ—and others—use them for maximum impact.
00:37:51 |
Wed 24 Feb 2021
Censorship, Dangerous Speech, and Monopolies
Big technology companies like Google, Twitter, and Facebook have come under scrutiny for the ways they are—and are not—controlling speech on their platforms. In today’s show, we talk with two IJ seni…
00:39:33 |
Mon 08 Feb 2021
Security Guards Assault Innocent Vet at the VA—and Claim Immunity
What should have been a routine dental appointment at his local VA took a frightening turn for 70-year-old Jose Oliva when security guards tackled him and threw him to the ground, injuring and humili…
00:21:47 |
Fri 29 Jan 2021
This Is What Happens When States Abolish Civil Forfeiture
In 2015, New Mexico abolished a controversial practice known as civil forfeiture. Critics of the reform claimed it would be a gift to criminals, increasing crime and making it harder for police to do…
00:20:51 |
Tue 12 Jan 2021
Qualified Immunity: Are Government Officials Above the Law? (A Deep Dive Best Of)
Over the past several months, a national spotlight has been on the doctrine of qualified immunity. Although much of the recent focus has been on police misconduct, immunity shields all governmental w…
00:26:03 |
Mon 04 Jan 2021
Property Rights and Homeless Shelters—What Has the Supreme Court Said?
The Catherine H. Barber Memorial Homeless Shelter is the only option for people experiencing temporary homelessness in all of Wilkes County, North Carolina. It’s been serving the community there for …
00:25:58 |
Mon 28 Dec 2020
When Can the Government Lock You in Your House? (A Deep Dive Best Of)
With new lockdowns happening all over the country and internationally, we want to revisit the government’s use of police power. Just what does your state have the power to do to protect public health…
00:22:59 |
Tue 22 Dec 2020
City Officials Threw an Elderly Woman in Jail for Criticizing Them—Then Claimed Immunity
Special investigators, trumped up charges, and a night in jail. What happened to Sylvia Gonzalez is truly outrageous—and the local government’s reaction to her efforts to hold them accountable is eve…
00:34:59 |
Mon 07 Dec 2020
Can the Government Require Warning Labels for Veggie Burgers?
In 2020, debates about veggie burgers and almond milk may sound like small potatoes. But controversies about how the government can regulate the way that companies talk about these foods and other pr…
00:28:27 |
Fri 13 Nov 2020
Law for Non-Lawyers: Precedent
Most people think they know what “precedent” means in the law, but the concept is actually more complicated than most realize! Precedent is ancient, but when senators are grilling judicial nominees a…
00:27:56 |
Fri 16 Oct 2020
California Says These Firefighters Can’t Work—and the Reason Makes No Sense
Wildfires are raging across the West, and California is grappling with a record-breaking season. Why, then, does the state tell qualified firefighters that they can’t earn a living fighting fires? Th…
00:29:10 |
Tue 29 Sep 2020
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