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our legal history documentary podcast Bound By Oath, now in its third season, and our monthly roundtable podcast Unpublished Opinions.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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Bound By Oath

Special Weapons and Tactics | Season 3, Ep. 10

In 2020, a police SWAT team blew up Vicki Baker’s house after a fugitive barricaded himself inside. On this episode, we ask: who pays the […]

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Short Circuit

Motte-and-Bailey Game

Short Circuit 358 | Motte-and-Bailey Game Can state officers simply come on your land and take samples of your dirt (and water) without a warrant? […]

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Unpublished Opinions

Unpublished Opinions 10 | TikTok Law Review

John Wrench of IJ takes the reins and the show quickly descends into law review comedy hour with footnotes of puns dominating the discourse. If […]

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Recent Newsletters

Hemp reform, private conversations, and police memes.

New on the Short Circuit podcast: Major Questions about the SEC and dirt sampling without a warrant. Going in the other direction from most states, in 2023, Virginia legislators outlawed certain products containing THC…

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