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Elizabeth Slattery

Elizabeth Slattery is a senior legal fellow and deputy director of Pacific Legal Foundation’s Center for the Separation of Powers. She’s an evangelist for the separation of powers, spreading the good news about the Constitution’s greatest protection for Americans’ individual liberties.

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Series

Heritage Explains, 10 episodes

Recent Episodes

Heritage Explains
Heritage Explains

A Tough Night for Conservatives: Now What? | Steve Chartan

Heritage co-founder Dr. Ed Feulner had a well-known saying. “In Washington, there are no permanent victories or permanent defeats.” But victories and defeats there are, and President Trump and the Republican Party received a decisive defeat at the ballot box in yesterday’s midterm election. As of this morning’s recording, Democrats have secured significant majorities in both the House and Senate, and have lost several key governorships across the country. Even in places where President Trump had a commanding lead in the 2024 election, support for Republicans has collapsed. No better example of this is Texas, where Democrats have secured victories in all statewide races, including for Senator and Governor. This outcome was considered a stretch by analysts on the left and unthinkable by those on the right. It’s clear that the 2026 midterm elections will be an inflection point in American political life. And that begs the question: what next? Here to help us understand what happened and where we go from here is the Executive Vice President of Heritage Action, Steve Chartan.

October 2026

Heritage Explains
Heritage Explains

BONUS | Can American Foster Care Be Fixed? | Alex Adams

Washington has a really bad habit of mistaking paperwork for progress. In some places, like the billion forms needed to get a driver's license, this is simply annoying. But in programs meant to help children and families, pencil pushing masquerading as actual work is dangerous. The federal government has produced thousands of pages of guidance and demand endless compliance reviews while still failing to make kids better off. Trump 2.0 is looking to fix this. Over the past year, the Administration for Children and Families has pushed for commonsense reforms to ensure social services benefit their intended targets. Some reforms ask states to end the so-called orphan tax and launch a nationwide effort to recruit more foster families. Others eliminate mountains of outdated federal guidance to cut bureaucracy and refocus the agency on results. All in all, this looks like a very different ACF than we've seen before. To walk us through all the work going on at the ACF, I’m joined by Alex Adams. He's the Assistant Secretary over at Administration for Children and Families.
Heritage Explains
Heritage Explains

How Did We Get Truck Drivers Who Can’t Speak English? | Lora Ries

Every day, my wife takes our two young boys to their activities a few miles from our house in the family car. As she drives, she shares the road with gargantuan 40-ton trucks. We assume the people behind the wheel have been properly trained and can understand the signs. But I fear a day when our family experiences what Dalilah Coleman's family did. Dalilah was five years old when she was hit by an 18-wheeler driven by an illegal alien. The truck plowed into her stopped car at over 60 miles an hour. After spending 3 weeks in a coma, 4 months without half her skull, and 6 months in the hospital, she now enters first grade unable to walk, talk, or eat without assistance. Illegal immigrants and drivers who cannot adequately speak English have obtained commercial licenses, while federal officials have raised alarms about CDL mills pushing unqualified drivers through the system. Now lawmakers are pushing Dalilah’s Law, named for the little girl, designed to make sure such a tragedy never happens again. But how did we get here? How widespread is the problem? And what needs to change to make America's roads safer? Joining me today to explain is Lora Ries, Director of the Border Security and Immigration Center at The Heritage Foundation.
Heritage Explains
Heritage Explains

BONUS | How Can We Succeed Where USAID Failed? | Ben Black

You'd be forgiven if you'd never heard of the US International Development Finance Corporation. Even by Washington standards, DFC sounds like an agency specifically designed to make your eyes glaze over, but push past your initial misapprehension at the label, and DFC is actually one of the most essential agencies in the District of Columbia and a key player in our fight against the Chinese Communist Party. For years, Beijing has used its economic heft to expand its influence through initiatives like Belt and Road. Beijing invests in infrastructure in the developing world, locking down access to critical minerals and making itself indispensable to countries that might otherwise rather deal with us. In response, America realized, that maybe letting China corner everything important is a bad idea. Enter the DFC. In its own words, the agency mobilizes private capital to advance U.S. foreign policy and economic development. So rather than simply handing out foreign aid and hoping for the best, DFC utilizes the power of capitalism to counter Chinese communism. What's more American than that? That raises some interesting questions, though. How is this any different than the scuttled USAID program, filled to the brim with wokeness? Where should America be investing? And can Washington actually behave like an investor without eventually devolving into bureaucratic bloat? Here to answer those questions is Ben Black, the current CEO at the DFC.
Heritage Explains
Heritage Explains

Is France a Warning for the West? | Laura LaCombe

Last week, Heritage Explains spoke with Director of the Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom at The Heritage Foundation, Nile Gardiner, about the riots rocking France. In the few days since our interview, things have gotten way worse. Over the weekend, masked rioters broke into the historic 19th-century Town Hall in Limoges and set it ablaze. There is perhaps no better symbol of the war raging to define the West than a nearly 150 year old building which survived two World Wars burnt to the ground by socialists and Islamists. Beyond burning buildings, the fight for France has also been playing out on French university campuses. At the prestigious Sorbonne university, members of the La Cocarde Étudiante student organization confronted left-wing activists over university blockades and attempted to reopen access to campus, to much resistance from university and government authorities. President Emmanuel Macron addressed the country, condemning the violence while acknowledging legitimate grievances among peaceful demonstrators. But to many this isn’t enough. To dive even deeper into the war for the West’s soul raging across the Atlantic, we spoke with Laura LaCombe, a spokeswoman with La Cocarde Etudiante to get the on the ground story.
Heritage Explains
Heritage Explains

Why is France on Fire? | Nile Gardiner

It’s a day ending in Y in France, which means rioting. Following in the spirit of 1789, the French are burning buildings, fighting the police, and overall behaving very poorly. This time, the revolutionaries are highschoolers joined by Islamo-communists and anarchists waving Palestinian flags, but France has seen this style of faux revolution before. The rioters are the proud heirs of May ’68, an event that looms so large in the French psyche, the mere mention of soixante-huitards, or 68ers, is enough to spark furious debate. Against the smoke and sirens lies a bigger question over whether France’s current system can hold. French presidential elections are coming soon, and far-left leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon wants to replace the Fifth Republic with a Sixth, led by, in his words, créolisation. By contrast, leader of the right-wing Marine Le Pen represents a nationalist defense of the old France, but both movements are deeply skeptical of the European Union. That’s a lot to cover. And who better to navigate us through some French politics than a Brit? My conversation with Nile Gardiner, Director of The Heritage Foundation’s Margaret Thatcher Center.

August 2026

Heritage Explains
Heritage Explains

Re-run | What is the Save America Act? | Chip Wyatt & Dan West

This epsiode originally aired on February 11th, 2026. Enjoy! Washington is abuzz with talk of the SAVE America act, a piece of legislation that is designed to secure American elections and ensure that only American citizens have the right to vote. The proposed law is experiencing a groundswell of popular support, but also opposition. To understand what makes this law consequential, I sat down with Chip Wyatt and Dan West, both ofHeritage Action for America. --- Thoughts? Questions? Email us at: heritageexplains@heritage.org. --- More from Heritage Action for America: https://heritageaction.com/ Chip Wyatt on X: https://x.com/ChipTWyatt Dan West on X: https://x.com/Dan_J_West

May 2020

Case in Point: The Legal Show on the Hottest Legal Cases in Politics and Culture
Case in Point: The Legal Show on the Hottest Legal Cases in Politics and Culture

Meet Your New Hosts

Elizabeth Slattery introduces the new hosts, GianCarlo Canaparo and Amy Swearer. They recap the Court's latest rulings (guns, Obamacare, and a Georgia copyright case), and Elizabeth chatted with former Wisconsin Solicitor General Misha Tseytlin. Stay tuned for Supreme Trivia - Elizabeth's in the hot seat. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @scotus101 and send comments, questions, or ideas for future episodes to scotus101@heritage.org. Don't forget to leave a 5-star rating! Stay caffeinated and opinionated with a SCOTUS 101 mug: https://shop.heritage.org/products/scotus-101-mug. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Organization:
The Heritage Foundation

April 2020

Case in Point: The Legal Show on the Hottest Legal Cases in Politics and Culture
Case in Point: The Legal Show on the Hottest Legal Cases in Politics and Culture

The Pod Is Submitted

Elizabeth Slattery & Tiffany Bates have a big announcement that you won't want to miss! They also recap the Court's latest rulings (non-unanimous jury verdicts, point source pollutants, and more), and Elizabeth chatted with 2nd Circuit Judge Michael Park about his affinity for NSYNC and Microsoft Outlook. Stay tuned for Supreme Trivia - Dramatic Departures edition. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @scotus101 and send comments, questions, or ideas for future episodes to scotus101@heritage.org. Don't forget to leave a 5-star rating! Stay caffeinated and opinionated with a SCOTUS 101 mug: https://shop.heritage.org/products/scotus-101-mug. For information regarding your data privacy, visit Acast.com/privacy
Organization:
The Heritage Foundation
Case in Point: The Legal Show on the Hottest Legal Cases in Politics and Culture
Case in Point: The Legal Show on the Hottest Legal Cases in Politics and Culture

April Fools’ Day

With no word about the March and April oral arguments, Elizabeth Slattery & Tiffany Bates recap the Court's latest rulings (one involves the infamous pirate, Blackbeard). They also debut their new SCOTUS book club. Elizabeth chats with 6th Circuit Judge Alice Batchelder about her love of roller coasters and her chambers' unusual dress code. Stay tuned for Supreme Trivia - April Fools' Day edition. Here's the book we're reading: https://www.amazon.com/More-Obedient-Wife-Novel-Supreme/dp/0615135161 Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @scotus101 and send comments, questions, or ideas for future episodes to scotus101@heritage.org. Don't forget to leave a 5-star rating! Stay caffeinated and opinionated with a SCOTUS 101 mug: https://shop.heritage.org/products/scotus-101-mug. For information regarding your data privacy, visit Acast.com/privacy
Organization:
The Heritage Foundation

March 2020

Case in Point: The Legal Show on the Hottest Legal Cases in Politics and Culture
Case in Point: The Legal Show on the Hottest Legal Cases in Politics and Culture

Social Distancing SCOTUS Style

Elizabeth Slattery & Tiffany Bates talk about how courts are practicing social distancing and what may happen with delayed SCOTUS cases. Elizabeth also recently chatted with Benjamin Beaton, a card-carrying Federalist Society member who clerked for the Notorious RBG. Tune in for Supreme Trivia - Learned Sixth Edition. Elizabeth tries to stump Benjamin on his knowledge of his "home court," the Sixth Circuit.
Organization:
The Heritage Foundation
Case in Point: The Legal Show on the Hottest Legal Cases in Politics and Culture
Case in Point: The Legal Show on the Hottest Legal Cases in Politics and Culture

The Strategerist’s Interview with Neil Gorsuch

Please enjoy the George W. Bush Presidential Library's interview with Justice Neil Gorsuch. Check out other episodes of the Strategerist podcast here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-strategerist/id1450428537. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @scotus101 and send comments, questions, or ideas for future episodes to scotus101@heritage.org. Don't forget to leave a 5-star rating! Stay caffeinated and opinionated with a SCOTUS 101 mug: https://shop.heritage.org/products/scotus-101-mug.
Organization:
The Heritage Foundation
Case in Point: The Legal Show on the Hottest Legal Cases in Politics and Culture
Case in Point: The Legal Show on the Hottest Legal Cases in Politics and Culture

John Roberts v. Chuck Schumer

Mark Walsh joins Elizabeth Slattery this week to break down what the oral arguments in an important separation-of-powers case and the Louisiana abortion case. They discuss the recent dust up between John Roberts and Chuck Schumer and the news that the Court will hear a sixth case involving Obamacare. Elizabeth also chats with Louisiana Solicitor General Elizabeth Murrill about her career. Stay tuned for Supreme Trivia - Before They Were Justices edition. Mark's in the hot seat! Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @scotus101 and send comments, questions, or ideas for future episodes to scotus101@heritage.org. Don't forget to leave a 5-star rating! Stay caffeinated and opinionated with a SCOTUS 101 mug: https://shop.heritage.org/products/scotus-101-mug. For information regarding your data privacy, visit Acast.com/privacy
Organization:
The Heritage Foundation

February 2020

Case in Point: The Legal Show on the Hottest Legal Cases in Politics and Culture
Case in Point: The Legal Show on the Hottest Legal Cases in Politics and Culture

The Dogma Lives Loudly with this Podcast

Elizabeth Slattery and Tiffany Bates hit the highlights of the Court's recent opinions, orders, and denials. They also sit down with 7th Circuit Judge Amy Coney Barrett and hear about tailgating at Notre Dame football games and shooting sporting clays with her clerks. Stay tuned for Supreme Trivia - The Dogma Lives Loudly edition. Elizabeth's in the hot seat! Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @scotus101 and send comments, questions, or ideas for future episodes to scotus101@heritage.org. Don't forget to leave a 5-star rating! Stay caffeinated and opinionated with a SCOTUS 101 mug: https://shop.heritage.org/products/scotus-101-mug.
Organization:
The Heritage Foundation
Case in Point: The Legal Show on the Hottest Legal Cases in Politics and Culture
Case in Point: The Legal Show on the Hottest Legal Cases in Politics and Culture

The Mardi Gras Episode

Laissez les bon temps rouler! Elizabeth Slattery and Tiffany Bates talk about upcoming SCOTUS arguments and the release of Justice Scalia's papers. Elizabeth also chats with Fifth Circuit Judge Kurt Engelhardt about his quest to find the best king cake in New Orleans. Stay tuned for Supreme Trivia - Mardi Gras edition! Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @scotus101 and send comments, questions, or ideas for future episodes to scotus101@heritage.org. Don't forget to leave a 5-star rating! Stay caffeinated and opinionated with a SCOTUS 101 mug: https://shop.heritage.org/products/scotus-101-mug.
Organization:
The Heritage Foundation

January 2020

Case in Point: The Legal Show on the Hottest Legal Cases in Politics and Culture
Case in Point: The Legal Show on the Hottest Legal Cases in Politics and Culture

John Roberts Gets a New Job

Elizabeth & Tiffany talk about grants in cases involving "faithless" presidential electors and the Little Sisters of the Poor. They recap oral argument in the Montana school choice case and discuss the highlights of John Roberts's new job presiding over President Trump's impeachment trial. Elizabeth also chats with 4th Circuit Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson about finding work that makes your heart sing. Stay tuned for Supreme Trivia - Impeachment Edition. Elizabeth's in the hot seat! Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @scotus101 and send comments, questions, or ideas for future episodes to scotus101@heritage.org. Don't forget to leave a 5-star rating! Stay caffeinated and opinionated with a SCOTUS 101 mug: https://shop.heritage.org/products/scotus-101-mug.
Organization:
The Heritage Foundation
Case in Point: The Legal Show on the Hottest Legal Cases in Politics and Culture
Case in Point: The Legal Show on the Hottest Legal Cases in Politics and Culture

Ok, SCOTUS Boomer

Elizabeth & Tiffany talk about the riveting first opinions of 2020 and new grants, (Trump tax returns, failed 4th Amendment seizures, and more!). They recap oral argument in the "Bridgegate" case and whether "Ok, Boomer" is canceled. Elizabeth also chats with Judge Chad Readler of the 6th Circuit about being a Michigan fan in the heart of Ohio Buckeye territory. Stay tuned for Supreme Trivia. Tiffany's in the hot seat! Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @scotus101 and send comments, questions, or ideas for future episodes to scotus101@heritage.org. Don't forget to leave a 5-star rating! Stay caffeinated and opinionated with a SCOTUS 101 mug: https://shop.heritage.org/products/scotus-101-mug.
Organization:
The Heritage Foundation

December 2019

Case in Point: The Legal Show on the Hottest Legal Cases in Politics and Culture
Case in Point: The Legal Show on the Hottest Legal Cases in Politics and Culture

In Hoffa’s Shadow

Elizabeth Slattery chats with law professor Jack Goldsmith about his effort to clear the name of his step-father, Chuckie O'Brien, who was once a leading suspect in union boss Jimmy Hoffa's disappearance. Get Jack's book, "In Hoffa's Shadow" here: https://www.amazon.com/Hoffas-Shadow-Stepfather-Disappearance-Detroit-ebook/dp/B07PNXC7WD. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @scotus101 and send comments, questions, or ideas for future episodes to scotus101@heritage.org. Don't forget to leave a 5-star rating! Stay caffeinated and opinionated with a SCOTUS 101 mug: https://shop.heritage.org/products/scotus-101-mug.
Organization:
The Heritage Foundation
Case in Point: The Legal Show on the Hottest Legal Cases in Politics and Culture
Case in Point: The Legal Show on the Hottest Legal Cases in Politics and Culture

Obamacare Returns to SCOTUS

The Daily Caller's Kevin Daley joins Elizabeth Slattery to break down recent opinions, orders, and oral argument in the fifth Obamacare case at the Supreme Court. Elizabeth also chats with Judge Stephanos Bibas of the 3rd Circuit about the best way to eat a Philly Cheesesteak. Stay tuned for Supreme Trivia - Christmas edition. Kevin's in the hot seat! Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @scotus101 and send comments, questions, or ideas for future episodes to scotus101@heritage.org. Don't forget to leave a 5-star rating! Stay caffeinated and opinionated with a SCOTUS 101 mug: https://shop.heritage.org/products/scotus-101-mug.
Organization:
The Heritage Foundation
Case in Point: The Legal Show on the Hottest Legal Cases in Politics and Culture
Case in Point: The Legal Show on the Hottest Legal Cases in Politics and Culture

Guns and Gifts

Elizabeth Slattery and Tiffany Bates talk about the NYC gun case and offer holiday gift ideas for SCOTUS fans. Elizabeth also chats with Judge Amul Thapar of the 6th Circuit about all things Kentucky. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @scotus101 and send comments, questions, or ideas for future episodes to scotus101@heritage.org. Don't forget to leave a 5-star rating! Stay caffeinated and opinionated with a SCOTUS 101 mug: https://shop.heritage.org/products/scotus-101-mug.
Organization:
The Heritage Foundation

November 2019

Case in Point: The Legal Show on the Hottest Legal Cases in Politics and Culture
Case in Point: The Legal Show on the Hottest Legal Cases in Politics and Culture

What We’re Thankful For

Elizabeth Slattery and Tiffany Bates share what they're thankful for as the holiday season approaches. They also discuss a few cases going to conference this week and chat with Judge David Stras of the 8th Circuit. Stay tuned for Supreme Trivia. Elizabeth's in the hot seat! Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @scotus101 and send comments, questions, or ideas for future episodes to scotus101@heritage.org. Don't forget to leave a 5-star rating! Stay caffeinated and opinionated with a SCOTUS 101 mug: https://shop.heritage.org/products/scotus-101-mug.
Organization:
The Heritage Foundation
Case in Point: The Legal Show on the Hottest Legal Cases in Politics and Culture
Case in Point: The Legal Show on the Hottest Legal Cases in Politics and Culture

100 Cases Everyone Should Know

Elizabeth Slattery and Tiffany Bates recap Justice Brett Kavanaugh's speech to the Federalist Society and this week's oral argument in the DACA case. Elizabeth also chats with law professor Josh Blackman about his new book, 100 Supreme Court Cases Everyone Should Know. Stay tuned for Supreme Trivia. Tiffany's in the hot seat! Get the book here: https://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Constitutional-Law-Supreme-Everyone/dp/1543813909 Follow us on Twitter @scotus101 and send comments, questions, or ideas for future episodes to scotus101@heritage.org. Don't forget to leave a 5-star rating! Stay caffeinated and opinionated with a SCOTUS 101 mug: https://shop.heritage.org/products/scotus-101-mug.
Organization:
The Heritage Foundation
Case in Point: The Legal Show on the Hottest Legal Cases in Politics and Culture
Case in Point: The Legal Show on the Hottest Legal Cases in Politics and Culture

Supreme Couples

Elizabeth Slattery and Tiffany Bates discuss recent oral arguments, preview a new documentary about Justice Clarence Thomas, and answer a listener question about a case involving the infamous climate change "hockey stick" graph. Elizabeth also chats with Texas power couple Erin and Brett Busby. Stay tuned for Supreme Trivia - Couples edition. Elizabeth's in the hot seat! Follow us on Twitter @scotus101 and send comments, questions, or ideas for future episodes to scotus101@heritage.org. Don't forget to leave a 5-star rating! Stay caffeinated and opinionated with a SCOTUS 101 mug: https://shop.heritage.org/products/scotus-101-mug.
Organization:
The Heritage Foundation

October 2019

Case in Point: The Legal Show on the Hottest Legal Cases in Politics and Culture
Case in Point: The Legal Show on the Hottest Legal Cases in Politics and Culture

The Justices’ Private Notes

Elizabeth Slattery and Tiffany Bates discuss public opinion of the Supreme Court, a few recent grants, and upcoming arguments. Elizabeth also chats with University of Minnesota Professor Timothy Johnson about SCOTUS Notes, his project making the justices' conference notes accessible to the public. Stay tuned for Supreme Trivia - Halloween edition. Tiffany's in the hot seat! Want to transcribe the justices' secret conference notes? Check out SCOTUS Notes: https://www.zooniverse.org/projects/zooniverse/scotus-notes-behind-the-scenes-at-supreme-court-conference?mod=article_inline More of the justices' notes are available here: https://sites.google.com/a/umn.edu/trj/ Follow us on Twitter @scotus101 and send comments, questions, or ideas for future episodes to scotus101@heritage.org. Don't forget to leave a 5-star rating! Stay caffeinated and opinionated with a SCOTUS 101 mug: https://shop.heritage.org/products/scotus-101-mug. Tune in for a promo code!
Organization:
The Heritage Foundation
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