Your Friends Are Wrong About the Supreme Court: Sarah Isgur
The Political Orphanage
Andrew Heaton
4.9 • 1000 Ratings
🗓️ 22 April 2026
⏱️ 73 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
The Supreme Court is significantly less partisan than advertised. And there are three blocs in it, not two parties. In her new book "Last Branch Standing" Sarah Isgur demystifies the Supreme Court, gives a basic primer on everything from certiorari to judicial philosophies, and identifies the threats to the courts independence, and possible solutions.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hello and welcome to the political orphanage, a home for plucky misfits and problem solvers. |
| 0:14.3 | And I hasten to add, the favorite political comedy podcast of the Tenth Circuit, the best circuit. |
| 0:22.5 | I'm your host, Andrew Heaton, and you are in for a real treat today on two counts. |
| 0:28.7 | First, I love Supreme Court stuff. I love it. We are going to get waist deep in Judge Gunk today. |
| 0:36.7 | But also, I adore today's guest, and you will too. Sarah Isger returns, |
| 0:43.6 | and she is delightful. So smart, so funny, I have a very appropriate crush on this married woman. |
| 0:52.3 | I'm glad that she's back. She has the brightest voice |
| 0:55.1 | of anyone I've ever spoken to. Like when you're listening at home, if you can't see us, if you're |
| 1:00.0 | just hearing us an audio, you can hear her teeth sparkling like a Disney princess when she talks. |
| 1:05.7 | It's amazing. And a good chat. Prepare to get smarter and learn about the inside workings of the Supreme Court |
| 1:13.5 | right here on the political orphanage. |
| 1:19.6 | My guest today is Sarah Isger. She is a senior editor at SCOTUS blog, host of the advisory |
| 1:25.2 | opinions podcast, and a legal analyst at ABC News. |
| 1:29.3 | She is the author of Last Branch Standing, a potentially surprising, occasionally |
| 1:33.8 | witty journey inside today's Supreme Court. |
| 1:36.9 | Hello, Sarah. |
| 1:38.3 | Oh, hello. |
| 1:40.7 | Can we do product placement on this podcast? |
| 1:43.6 | Is that allowed? |
| 1:44.6 | You can hold up that book. |
| 1:46.5 | And for people that are listening in audio, Sarah looks great and is holding a hardback copy of Last Branch Standing by... |
| 1:54.0 | What's important is that I'm wearing a shirt that matches the spine of the book. |
... |
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