Elie Mystal

Justice Correspondent & Columnist

@ElieNYC

Elie Mystal is The Nation’s justice correspondent and the host of its legal podcast, Contempt of Court. He is also an Alfred Knobler Fellow at the Type Media Center. His first book is the New York Times bestseller Allow Me to Retort: A Black Guy’s Guide to the Constitution, published by The New Press. Elie can be followed @ElieNYC.

Representative Mondaire Jones (D-N.Y.) speaks at a press conference calling for the expansion of the Supreme Court on July 18, 2022, in Washington, D.C.

Elie Mystal’s Court-Packing Plan Elie Mystal’s Court-Packing Plan

On this episode of Contempt of Court, Elie Mystal tells us how many justices we should add to the Supreme Court.

Jul 11, 2023 / Podcast / Elie Mystal

Representative Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.) speaks

Why and How to Pack the Court Why and How to Pack the Court

On the first episode of the Contempt of Court podcast, Chris Kang and Representative Jamaal Bowman explore what court expansion actually is, and how attitudes around it are finally...

Jul 4, 2023 / Podcast / Elie Mystal

A protester outside the Supreme Court holding a sign reading

The Supreme Court Has Kicked the Door Wide Open to Jim Crow–Style Bigotry The Supreme Court Has Kicked the Door Wide Open to Jim Crow–Style Bigotry

The court's conservatives used a case literally based on a homophobe’s fantasies to blow a huge hole in our antidiscrimination laws and revive the spirit of Plessy v. Ferguson.

Jul 3, 2023 / Column / Elie Mystal

John Roberts at the 2022 State of the Union.

The Supreme Court Just Told Student Debtors to Go to Hell The Supreme Court Just Told Student Debtors to Go to Hell

In a wildly incoherent opinion, John Roberts blocked Biden’s student debt relief plan—and reminded everyone that he thinks only Republican presidents are allowed to rule.

Jun 30, 2023 / Elie Mystal

A protester holds a sign reading

The Supreme Court Has Killed Affirmative Action. Mediocre Whites Can Rest Easier. The Supreme Court Has Killed Affirmative Action. Mediocre Whites Can Rest Easier.

The court ended one of our most effective social justice policies because anything that isn’t seen to primarily benefit white people is anathema to this country.

Jun 29, 2023 / Elie Mystal for The Nation

A protester holds a sign reading 'HANDS OFF MY VOTE' at a rally outside the Supreme Court on December 7, 2022.

The Supreme Court Has Foiled the GOP’s Latest Attempt to Destroy Democracy The Supreme Court Has Foiled the GOP’s Latest Attempt to Destroy Democracy

A 6-3 majority rebuffed an extremist Republican plot to subvert the electoral process.

Jun 28, 2023 / Elie Mystal

Welcome to “Contempt of Court”!

Welcome to “Contempt of Court”! Welcome to “Contempt of Court”!

On this new podcast series, I’ll look at ways to make the Supreme Court stop hurting us.

Jun 27, 2023 / Podcast / Elie Mystal

Former president Donald Trump arrives at a rally, August 5, 2022, in Waukesha, Wis.

It’s Official: The DOJ Stalled the Investigation Into Donald Trump It’s Official: The DOJ Stalled the Investigation Into Donald Trump

Merrick Garland has long claimed he’s been methodically building his investigation into January 6 from the bottom up—but a Washington Post exposé shows otherwise.

Jun 21, 2023 / Elie Mystal

Demonstrators stand outside the US Supreme Court Building during oral arguments on Haaland v. Brackeen, a case challenging the Indian Child Welfare Act, on November 9, 2022.

Neil Gorsuch May Be the Supreme Court’s Fiercest Defender of Native Rights Neil Gorsuch May Be the Supreme Court’s Fiercest Defender of Native Rights

Gorsuch wrote two powerful decisions in support of tribal sovereignty this week. If only he thought women and Black people deserved the same respect.

Jun 16, 2023 / Elie Mystal

A sign calling for protection of the Clean Water Act hung outside the Supreme Court Building

The Supreme Court Has Done Us Dirty on the Clean Water Act The Supreme Court Has Done Us Dirty on the Clean Water Act

The recent ruling in Sackett v. EPA drastically weakens the Clean Water Act.

Jun 13, 2023 / Column / Elie Mystal

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