Opening Arguments
Opening Arguments is a law show that helps you make sense of the news! Comedian Thomas Smith brings on legal analysts to help you understand not only current events, but also deeper legal concepts and areas!
The typical schedule will be M-W-F with Monday being a deep-dive, Wednesday being Thomas Takes the Bar Exam and patron shoutouts, and Friday being a rapid response to legal issues in the news!
- Update frequency
- every 2 days
- Average duration
- 65 minutes
- Episodes
- 1132
- Years Active
- 2016 - 2025
OA131: Andrew^2 (w/guest Andrew Seidel)
Today's episode welcomes back one of our favorite guests -- and the show's only three-time guest, Andrew Seidel, attorney with the Freedom From Religion Foundation. Together, Andrew, Andrew, and Thom…
01:09:02 |
Tue 19 Dec 2017
OA130: California on Fire
Today's episode talks about the disastrous wildfires that have ravaged Thomas's home state of California, and who winds up footing the bills for these disasters. It's exactly as much insurance law a…
01:06:25 |
Fri 15 Dec 2017
OA129: "Don't Talk To The Police"
Should you take legal advice from a viral video on YouTube? Today's episode is all about judges, lawyers, attorney-client privilege, and the police. We begin with the news that Supreme Court Justice…
01:09:38 |
Tue 12 Dec 2017
OA128: Antitrust, Part Two
Today's episode concludes the discussion begun in Episode 125 about antitrust law in light of the proposed AT&T/Time Warner merger. First, though, we begin with some news items, including an update o…
01:08:10 |
Fri 08 Dec 2017
OA127: Special Edition - What Michael Flynn's Plea Deal Means (w/guest Randall Eliason)
For $30 off your first week of HelloFresh, visit hellofresh.com and enter lawpod30! Today's special episode tackles the breaking news that Gen. Michael Flynn has pled guilty in connection with the M…
01:14:38 |
Tue 05 Dec 2017
OA126: Mick Mulvaney & The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
Today's episode breaks down the recent kerfuffle over the simultaneous claims of Leandra English and Mick Mulvaney to be Acting Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). First, we …
01:11:34 |
Fri 01 Dec 2017
OA125: Net Neutrality and Antitrust, Part One
Today's episode takes two deep dives into complicated legal issues in the news. First, we tackle the FCC's recent "Order Restoring Internet Freedom," which is being characterized as ending Net Neutra…
01:11:08 |
Tue 28 Nov 2017
OA124: Happy Thanksgiving!
Today's episode is the Happiest Episode Ever (TM)! First, the guys discuss "the real meaning of Thanksgiving," cribbing from a blog post Andrew wrote for his old firm back in 2013. In the main segmen…
01:06:41 |
Fri 24 Nov 2017
OA123: Cards Against Humanity (And Thomas), "Magic Words" & so much more!
In this fun, pre-Thanksgiving episode, we delve into a number of interesting topics. We begin with the popular (if much maligned by Thomas) card game "Cards Against Humanity" and their pitch to "sav…
01:05:49 |
Tue 21 Nov 2017
OA122: Moore is Less
Today's episode is, unfortunately, all about Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore. First, the guys discuss the unintentionally hilarious litigation hold letter filed by Moore's attorney. After that, A…
01:05:06 |
Fri 17 Nov 2017
OA121: A Theory of Justice and the Social Contract (w/guest Aaron Rabi of Embrace the Void)
Today's episode takes a deep dive into social contract theory, and in particular, one of the most influential works of modern philosophy, John Rawls's A Theory of Justice, with guest philosopher Aaro…
01:21:51 |
Tue 14 Nov 2017
OA120: OA Shills For Monsanto! (w/guest Natalie Newell of "Science Moms")
Today's episode features Natalie Newell of the documentary "Science Moms" discussing GMO labeling and science awareness. First, we begin with an "Andrew Was Wrong" segment that updates some previous …
01:08:20 |
Fri 10 Nov 2017
OA119: Trump's Trans Ban (& More)
Today's episode takes a look at the recent decision in Doe v. Trump in which a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction blocking the majority of President Trump's ban on trans servicemembers in …
01:05:52 |
Tue 07 Nov 2017
OA118: Indictment Monday & the View From Yodel Mountain
Today's rapid-response episode tackles -- of course -- the indictment of former Donald Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort and his protege, Rick Gates, as well as the guilty plea entered by Trump ca…
01:04:51 |
Fri 03 Nov 2017
OA117: Restricting Abortion Rights (& a Deep Dive into Res Judicata)
Today's episode takes a look at a tragic case currently unfolding of a pregnant young woman being detained for being in this country illegally and the Trump administration's efforts to deny her the r…
01:05:00 |
Tue 31 Oct 2017
OA116: Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump & The Russians - Election Law (w/guest Beth Kingsley)
Today's rapid-response episode tackles the recent news that Hillary Clinton's campaign and/or the DNC paid for the "Russian dossier" on Donald Trump. What does that mean in terms of U.S. election la…
01:09:35 |
Fri 27 Oct 2017
OA115: Colin Kaepernick's Grievance Against the NFL (Featuring Chris Kluwe)
Today's episode features former NFL punter, social justice advocate, and game designer Chris Kluwe, who sued his former NFL team for wrongful termination after he alleged that they cut him for standi…
01:14:50 |
Tue 24 Oct 2017
OA114: Presidential Powers - Obamacare and the Travel Ban
Today's rapid-response episode begins with an update on the Allergan patent licensing scheme discussed in Episode 107. What does a federal judge think of this One Weird Trick to avoid certain legal…
01:10:22 |
Fri 20 Oct 2017
OA 113: Our Cruel & Unusual Podcast Heads to International Waters
Today's episode is entirely Trump-free, and features a deep dive into the Cruel and Unusual Punishment Clause of the 8th Amendment. We begin, however, with a great listener question from Captain Patr…
01:03:22 |
Tue 17 Oct 2017
OA112: Who's Afraid of the FCC?
Today's rapid-response episode begins with a discussion of a recent petition to the Supreme Court for certiorari filed in Evans v. Georgia Regional Hospital, and in particular, an amicus curiae brief…
01:09:48 |
Fri 13 Oct 2017
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