Checks & Balances

Protecting the Constitution and rule of law against illiberalism, without regard to political party or partisan affiliation. Checks & Balances is a podcast of the Society for the Rule of Law Institute.

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10 episodes
Updated Wednesday

Episodes10

Newest first

Wednesday · 54 min
The Past, Present, and Future of the Conservative Legal Movement
Checks & Balances is a podcast of the Society for the Rule of Law Institute. John Malcolm—the Vice President of the Edwin Meese III Institute for the Rule of Law at Advancing American Freedom—joins Gregg Nunziata on Checks & Balances to discuss the conservative legal movement, the most recent Supreme Court term, and the arguments now dividing the right. Plus: what he learned debating at the Oxford Union. Follow along now on Substack, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Get full access to Checks & Balances at chkbal.substack.com/subscribe
July 28 · 1 hr 8 min
The Answer Can't Always Be Yes
Checks & Balances is a podcast of the Society for the Rule of Law Institute. Greg Jacob—counsel to Vice President Mike Pence during January 6th and a veteran of the Office of Legal Counsel—joins Gregg Nunziata on Checks & Balances to make the case that exercising restraint is at the heart of the rule of law. They discuss life in public service, the state of legal academia today, and the law journal The Green Bag’s latest foray into board games. Follow along now on Substack, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Get full access to Checks & Balances at chkbal.substack.com/subscribe
July 22 · 1 hr 4 min
Why the Supreme Court Needs Humility
Checks & Balances is a podcast of the Society for the Rule of Law Institute. Donald Ayer—Deputy Attorney General under George H.W. Bush and a founder of the Society for the Rule of Law—joins Gregg Nunziata on Checks & Balances to make the conservative case against a conservative Court. They discuss the catastrophes the Court avoided this term, the threats it quietly advanced, and why genuine conservatism is rooted in Burkean humility rather than radical change. Follow along now on Substack, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Get full access to Checks & Balances at chkbal.substack.com/subscribe
July 15 · 40 min
"It Doesn't Just Survive on Autopilot"
Checks & Balances is a podcast of the Society for the Rule of Law Institute. The presidential historian and executive director of the George Washington Presidential Library at Mount Vernon, Dr. Lindsay Chervinsky, joins Gregg Nunziata on Checks & Balances for a discussion about the fragility of republics, the norms Washington invented from scratch, why every 50-year anniversary seems to land in a moment of crisis, and what it takes to keep the American experiment going at 250. Follow along now on Substack, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Note: This episode was recorded on June 12, 2026. Get full access to Checks & Balances at chkbal.substack.com/subscribe
July 8 · 1 hr 8 min
What If Trump Seizes the Ballots?
Gregg Nunziata talks with Richard Bernstein, former law clerk to Justice Antonin Scalia, about the Supreme Court’s blockbuster term—election law, tariffs, the National Guard, and birthright citizenship—and whether the Court would stop a president who tried to seize ballots in the 2026 election. Get full access to Checks & Balances at chkbal.substack.com/subscribe
July 6 · 1 hr 6 min
Bonus Episode: Why 1776 Still Matters at America's 250th Birthday
Checks & Balances is a podcast of the Society for the Rule of Law Institute. Dr. Edward Larson, a Pulitzer Prize winning author, historian, and legal scholar, joins Gregg Nunziata on the Checks & Balances podcast. Dr. Larson argues that the real story of 1776 isn’t the Declaration of Independence—it’s the wave of new state constitutions that first established popular sovereignty and rule of law. Dr. Larson discuss the Founders’ fears about executive power and political parties, and close with the contested Election of 1800—and what it can still teach us about a peaceful transfer of power. Follow along now on Substack, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Get full access to Checks & Balances at chkbal.substack.com/subscribe
June 30 · 46 min
The Justice Department is Broken. Here's How We Fix It.
Checks & Balances is a podcast of the Society for the Rule of Law Institute. The former Acting Attorney General and former US Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division, Stuart Gerson, joins Gregg Nunziata on the Checks & Balances podcast for a discussion about the erosion of DOJ independence, why he believes the damage today is worse than Watergate, and what it will take to restore the rule of law.Follow along now on Substack, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. For future episodes, subscribe to Checks & Balances. Get full access to Checks & Balances at chkbal.substack.com/subscribe
June 24 · 42 min
Corruption Blooming Like Algae in the Reflecting Pool
Checks & Balances is a podcast of the Society for the Rule of Law Institute. The former White House "Ethics Czar," U.S. Ambassador to the Czech Republic, and co-founder and Executive Director of the Democracy Defenders Fund, Norm Eisen, joins Gregg Nunziata on the Checks & Balances podcast for a discussion about corruption, what real reform would require, how the courts are holding up, and finding common cause across the ideological divide. Follow along now on Substack, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Get full access to Checks & Balances at chkbal.substack.com/subscribe
June 19 · 49 min
David French: The Executive Branch Is Becoming an 800-Pound Gorilla
Checks & Balances is a podcast of the Society for the Rule of Law Institute. The New York Times opinion writer and co-host of the legal podcast Advisory Opinions, David French, joins Gregg Nunziata on the Checks & Balances podcast for a discussion about the conservative legal movement, executive power, why the judiciary is the last branch standing, and America’s 250th anniversary. Follow along now on Substack, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Get full access to Checks & Balances at chkbal.substack.com/subscribe
June 9 · 36 min
Judicial Independence is the Cornerstone of Democracy
Judge J. Michael Luttig joins Gregg Nunziata, Executive Director of the Society for the Rule of Law Institute, for the inaugural episode of the Checks & Balances podcast. They discuss why judicial independence is the fundamental cornerstone of democracy, the rule of retired judges, and the unprecedented rule-of-law challenges facing the country today. Get full access to Checks & Balances at chkbal.substack.com/subscribe