What is Short Circuit?
Short Circuit is your concise (and sometimes irreverent) source for important and interesting cases and legal stories you might otherwise have missed.
Launched by the Institute for Justice (IJ) in 2015, Short Circuit started off as a short weekly newsletter rounding up the most interesting developments in the federal circuit courts of appeal as well as a weekly podcast digging into a couple recent particularly noteworthy cases.
Today, as part of IJ’s Center for Judicial Engagement, and with the newsletter and flagship podcast still going strong, Short Circuit also includes our legal history documentary podcast Bound By Oath, now in its fourth season, and our monthly roundtable podcast Unpublished Opinions. We also hold live shows (contact us if you’re interested in hosting one) and other events. Wherever and whoever you are there’s plenty of options to get engaged.
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Recent Newsletters
Geek therapy, crack felony, and some Scooby Snacks.
New on the Short Circuit podcast: We look at 100 years of zoning and chances of zoning reform, in court and in city councils, with Harvard’s Molly Brady and Vice…
Flying saucers, voodoo dolls, and ancient plagues.
New on the Short Circuit podcast: It’s our biannual election law special! Anonymous speech! The Founders and pamphlets! Motor voter! Purcell! Prefilling ballots! Vote early! Vote often! New on…
Rebellions, rebels without a cause, and military discounts.
New case! In Feb. 2025, federal agents raided IJ client Mario Ayala Cruz’s check cashing and money transfer business in Glendale, Ariz., seizing computers, cell phones, documents, and over $450k in…
