Every other faculty lounge in America may be closed, but Professors Epstein and Yoo are still showing up to work. On this episode: what are the legal ramifications of the coronavirus? Can Catholic charities be excluded from providing adoption services because of their refusal to place children with same-sex couples? Is there any hope for President Trump’s libel lawsuits against the New York Times and Washington Post? Is encouraging an illegal immigrant to stay in the country a crime? Is the Supreme Court about to make a game-changing decision on abortion? And is getting hit by a foul ball about to be grounds for a lawsuit? All that plus the professors struggle with virtual classes, dish on tell-all books, and continue their annual tradition of making the nation’s most unreliable World Series predictions.

It may be the winter session in the faculty lounge, but things are heating up as professors Richard Epstein and John Yoo clash on a number of today’s topics. On the docket: Was Mitt Romney justified in his impeachment vote? Is President Trump wrong to override the Justice Department on the Roger Stone case? Can states punish members of the Electoral College for defying the will of the voters? Can state and local governments resist the feds’ efforts to curb illegal immigration? And do the sign-stealing Houston Astros have to pay up for ruining a pitcher’s career? All that plus the gang weighs in on Korean cinema, back tattoos, and one of the professors (shouldn’t it be obvious?) getting shushed on a film set.

In a Law Talk first, Professors Richard Epstein & John Yoo and host Troy Senik are gathered in the same studio to kick off their tenth year of the podcast. On this episode: Can Congress rein in President Trump’s power to pursue military action against Iran? What was Nancy Pelosi trying to accomplish by withholding the articles of impeachment? Can the Justice Department compel Apple to create a backdoor on encrypted devices? And is Utah’s effort to rescind a personalized license plate a potential First Amendment violation? All that and more as the faculty lounge reopens for 2020.

It’s the holiday season in the faculty lounge and the subpoenas are hung by the chimney with care. On this episode, Professors Epstein and Yoo do a deep dive into the strengths and weaknesses of the impeachment case, the shortcomings of the Inspector General’s report on the Russia investigation, and the greatest legal question of our time: can you impeach an ex-president? All that plus Richard breaks down the economics of Christmas, John calls for civil disobedience in the Berkeley food scene, and Franklin Pierce finally gets called to account.

The men of Law Talk reconvene between their respective journeys to Greece and there’s a very full docket. On this episode: could President Trump’s conversations with Ukraine lay the predicate for impeachment? What’s the proper role for the U.S. in the Iran-Saudi Arabia conflict? Is the FDA within its rights to crack down on vaping? Should California be able to go its own way on regulating automobile emissions? Can the president solve West Coast homelessness? And why has New Mexico made it a little more dangerous to get married?

It’s time for summer school in the faculty lounge and Professors Richard Epstein and John Yoo are reviewing the Supreme Court term that was. On this episode: was the census ruling a backdoor victory for critics of the administrative state? Are critics right that Alex Acosta should have done more to prosecute Jeffrey Epstein? John gives us one weird trick for determining when religious symbols are allowed on government property. And the professors weigh in on the legal repercussions of renegade ice cream licking. All that plus Epstein’s tips for how to defraud grocery stores, Yoo condemns a legendary American political figure to eternal damnation, and we get a faculty lounge review of Maine’s state soft drink.