Episode 216 | Sovereign Immunity and NIMBY Neighbors

Suing the United States government is really hard. So hard that someone’s family might not get to even if the government is at fault for that person dying in a flood. Adam Shelton explains why that luckily might not be true in this case, but all too often is. Then Diana Simpson walks us through a procedural pretzel of property rights preventing people from putting up homes. She also discusses some old cases you might not know about, but really should.

Click here for transcript.

Recent Episodes

Short Circuit 453 | 100 Years of Zoning

With a live audience in Cambridge, Massachusetts, we mark (not celebrate) the 100th anniversary of Village of Euclid v. Ambler Realty, where the Supreme Court […]

Listen Now

Short Circuit 452 | Election Law Special!

Vote early. But maybe don’t vote often? That’s the bottom line from Short Circuit’s biannual election special. With the 2026 General Election only days away, […]

Listen Now

Short Circuit 451 | Tales from the Tenth

Short Circuit visited the Tenth Circuit Bench and Bar Conference in Colorado Springs. Between gin and tonics at the Broadmoor hotel we heard from a […]

Listen Now