The Law & Liberty Podcast

Law & Liberty’s James Patterson interviews prominent authors and thinkers. A production of Liberty Fund.

The Lies People Tell 05/05/2026

The Lies People Tell The originalist majority on the Supreme Court is perhaps more open than ever to overturning what it considers to be bad precedents. In his new book, Carson Holloway argues that the justices should train their crosshairs on New York Times v. Sullivan, the 1964 decision that means statements about public officials are rarely considered libelous. He joins James Patterson to discuss the book, the history of free speech, and the future of originalism. /episode/index/show/libertylawtalk1/id/41143080

Conservatism's Lamentable Drift 04/21/2026

Conservatism's Lamentable Drift There is enormous pressure today for traditional conservatives (or anyone critical of progressivism) to write their names in the black book of the New Right and acquiesce to a politics of populist rage and federal overreach. Elizabeth Corey explains to James Patterson why she will instead engage in the quieter, more respectable task of cultural transmission and tending to her little platoon. Related Links "," by Elizabeth Corey, Law & Liberty "," by Elizabeth Corey, Public Discourse "," by John Grove, Law & Liberty /episode/index/show/libertylawtalk1/id/40944345

Mercy from on High 04/07/2026

Mercy from on High Why do presidents have the power to pardon, and how is it typically used and abused? Sai Prakash and James Patterson discuss the pardon power's origins in British law, its usefulness in ending rebellions, and the unfortunate tendency of more recent presidents to use the pardon power to reward friends and donors, protect underlings, or generate political support. Related Links by Sai Prakash "" by Philip Hamberger, Law & Liberty "" by Gary L. Gregg II, Law & Liberty /episode/index/show/libertylawtalk1/id/40723330

Democracy's Patrons 03/17/2026

Democracy's Patrons Law & Liberty senior writer John O. McGinnis joins the podcast this week to discuss his new book, Why Democracy Needs the Rich. Although they may be the focus of populist ire from the left and right alike, McGinnis contends that wealthy Americans play a vital role in counterbalancing majoritarian excess and serving as entrepreneurial "social prospectors" who can revitalize civil society. Related Links by John O. McGinnis "," book review by James E. Hartley, Law & Liberty "" by John O. McGinnis "" by John O. McGinnis /episode/index/show/libertylawtalk1/id/40499500

Boomer Entitlement? 03/03/2026

Boomer Entitlement? Young Americans, and especially young men, are feeling economically disenchanted. As the national debt soars and interest rates remain high, the prospect of providing for a family (let alone buying a home) seems impossibly far off. Russ Greene explains part of the problem: "Total Boomer Luxury Communism," or a host of policies at all levels of government that generously provide for senior citizens while leaving the youth to pick up the tab. Greene talks about how we got here, what’s needed to give millennials and Gen Z a chance, and why there’s reason to be optimistic. Related Links "" by Russ Greene "" with Mitch Daniels (Law & Liberty Podcast) "" by Sita Slavov (Law & Liberty) "" by Adam N. Michel (Cato Institute) /episode/index/show/libertylawtalk1/id/40241475

A Forgotten Freedom? 02/17/2026

A Forgotten Freedom? Law & Liberty is pleased to welcome our newest Contributing Editor, Luke C. Sheahan. To mark the occasion, Sheahan joined L&L Editor John Grove to talk about the central theme of his work: the freedom of association. They discuss the thought of Robert Nisbet, the relationship between civil society and the state, and the way the Supreme Court has treated association over the years. Related Links “,” Law & Liberty Podcast with Luke Sheahan “” by Luke Sheahan by Robert Nisbet by Luke Sheahan , ed. by Luke C. Sheahan and Kenneth B. McIntyre , ed. by Luke C. Sheahan and Kenneth B. McIntyre /episode/index/show/libertylawtalk1/id/40103510

From Communist to Conservative 02/03/2026

From Communist to Conservative Frank Meyer was the father of fusionism and one of the key builders of the conservative movement in the mid-twentieth century. That’s despite spending his early years as a serious communist agitator. James Patterson and Daniel Flynn discuss the evolution of Meyer’s thought and the impact of his legacy. Flynn’s book synthesizes a large quantity of recently-uncovered material on Meyer, offering a more complete and nuanced picture than has been available heretofore. What lessons does Meyer’s life and career offer for the conservative movement today? Related Links by Daniel J. Flynn “” by Rachel Lu (Law & Liberty book review) “” by Alexander William Salter “,” a Law & Liberty Podcast episode featuring Charles C. W. Cooke, Samuel Goldman, and Stephanie Slade, hosted by James Patterson /episode/index/show/libertylawtalk1/id/39925205

Living the Unadjusted Life 01/20/2026

Living the Unadjusted Life In his recent book, Religious Freedom: A Conservative Primer, John Wilsey looks back to the writing of Peter Viereck and other great conservative minds to understand what it means to live a worthy life in a culture gone mad. On the Law & Liberty Podcast, he joins James Patterson to discuss the difference between that kind of conservatism and a more reactionary extremism, as well as the centrality of free exercise to the American constitutional tradition. Related Links by John Wilsey /episode/index/show/libertylawtalk1/id/39790380

The End of the Eco-Tyrants? 12/16/2025

The End of the Eco-Tyrants? When environmental policies were first enacted, they were often supported by staunch conservatives like Richard Nixon and then-governor Ronald Reagan. Why do so many today now view environmental conservation as belonging outside the scope of conservatism? In his recent October forum lead, "A New Environmentalism?" Steven Hayward traces how conservation efforts quickly became hijacked by extremists and what a conservative approach to environmental policy could look like. He joins the podcast to talk about this piece and why he is hopeful for the future. Related Links October forum: "" by Steven F. Hayward /episode/index/show/libertylawtalk1/id/39413025

Israel, America and the End of the World 12/02/2025

Israel, America and the End of the World What is Christian Zionism? Is it, as figures like Tucker Carlson claim, a relatively recent development in America’s cultural history, or does a general support for the Jewish state have a longer history in America? The answer partly depends on how “Christian Zionism” is defined, but in this conversation, Sam Goldman explains to host James Patterson why support for Jewish political aspirations is part of a long tradition of Christian philosemitism that reaches back even to America’s colonial period. Related Links "," Compact, Samuel Goldman by Samuel Goldman by Kevin Schultz /episode/index/show/libertylawtalk1/id/39222000

The Recent History of Free Speech 11/18/2025

The Recent History of Free Speech The English-speaking world has long enjoyed free speech rights unheard of in other parts of the world. But where did this legal regime come from? And as partisan strife becomes more heated on both sides of the Atlantic, what does free speech's future hold? In his new book, Law & Liberty contributing editor Adam Tomkins argues that understanding the history of our rights is essential to maintaining a free constitution. He joins James Patterson on the podcast to discuss his book, On the Law of Speaking Freely, as well as several pressing current free speech cases in the United Kingdom. Related Links by Adam Tomkins "," by Adam Tomkins "," a book review by Helen Dale by John Trenchard and Thomas Gordon by John Milton Adam Tomkins's /episode/index/show/libertylawtalk1/id/39060425

Decline and Fall? 11/04/2025

Decline and Fall? For most of the twentieth century, conservatives argued for a strong Congress whose closer connection to voters could check the grand delusions of presidential administrations. Now, however, everyone seems to have opted for Wilsonian, top-down executive leadership. Philip Wallach explains how we got here, why Congress remains indispensable for republican self-government, and what sort of structural reforms could help it reclaim its place in our constitutional system. Related Links Philip Wallach, (2023) Philip Wallach, "," Law & Liberty Yuval Levin, "," Commentary (2018) /episode/index/show/libertylawtalk1/id/38893975

Byzantines, Bishops, and Bolsheviks 10/21/2025

Byzantines, Bishops, and Bolsheviks /episode/index/show/libertylawtalk1/id/38604335

The Unfree Press 10/07/2025

The Unfree Press Especially since the controversies of 2020, the commanding heights of American culture have been dominated by left-wing moral panic. In his new book, Adam Szetela analyzes this toxic mentality’s influence on the publishing industry specifically. Many writers are either drafted into ideological crusades–or else become their victims. In this episode of the Law & Liberty Podcast, Szetela joins James Patterson to discuss his book and the sorry state of American literature. /episode/index/show/libertylawtalk1/id/38478825

Ho, Hey! Western Civ Is Here to Stay 09/23/2025

Ho, Hey! Western Civ Is Here to Stay From colonial times through the twentieth century, Western civilization became America’s own cultural heritage, and it was always taught in schools and universities. Then, in the later part of the twentieth century, Americans turned on Western Civ. Why did that happen? What are the consequences for our culture today? What can we do now to recover that heritage? Professor James Hankins joins John Grove, editor of Law & Liberty, to discuss these questions in connection with his new book, The Golden Thread: A History of the Western Tradition. /episode/index/show/libertylawtalk1/id/38304300

The West's Quest 09/09/2025

The West's Quest Robert Nisbet is best known for his books The Quest for Community and The Twilight of Authority. Luke Sheahan joins the podcast to discuss a new edition of Nisbet's lesser-known but perhaps most important book The Social Philosophers, a sweeping account of the history of community and its treatment by Western political philosophers. /episode/index/show/libertylawtalk1/id/38105435

From Equality to DEI—and Back Again? 08/19/2025

From Equality to DEI—and Back Again? What is the future of DEI? Does it have at least some laudable goals, and are there better ways to achieve them? What do the American people really want when it comes to tolerance, inclusion, and discrimination law? The Manhattan Institute’s Robert VerBruggen discusses all these questions and more with host James Patterson in this episode of the Law & Liberty Podcast. Related Links “,” by Robert VerBruggen /episode/index/show/libertylawtalk1/id/37862695

The Hubris of the Covid Planners 08/05/2025

The Hubris of the Covid Planners America is still reeling from the coronavirus pandemic that broke out in 2020. Not only was it one of the most deadly health incidents in our history, the strategies imposed by central planners to contain its spread also inflicted countless costs on everything from the economy and education to social life itself. Stephen Macedo, an author of a recent book evaluating the pandemic's aftermath, joins Law & Liberty contributing editor G. Patrick Lynch to discuss the price of the pandemic on this episode of the Law & Liberty Podcast. /episode/index/show/libertylawtalk1/id/37665065

Mission Accomplished for the Roberts Court? 07/15/2025

Mission Accomplished for the Roberts Court? /episode/index/show/libertylawtalk1/id/37373400

Woke Delusions 07/01/2025

Woke Delusions Although they understand themselves as missionaries to the marginalized, woke elites use their ideology of oppression to protect their own privilege and social status. Contributing Editor G. Patrick Lynch discusses these dynamics with Musa al-Gharbi, author of We Have Never Been Woke, and a shrewd diagnostician of elite hypocrisy. Related Links by Musa al-Gharbi “,” by Jesse Smith (Review of We Have Never Been Woke) /episode/index/show/libertylawtalk1/id/37218465

Sharp Dressed Man 06/03/2025

Sharp Dressed Man Driven in part by the revival of a classic knit sweater emblazoned with an American flag, "Ralph Lauren nationalism" has emerged as a trope among online talking-heads. Well-dressed political scientist Samuel Goldman is also known for his sharp takes on menswear. He joins host James Patterson to discuss his recent article for Compact magazine that tackled the concept. There may be something to the Ralph Lauren aesthetic that captures an essential quality of the American character, Goldman argues, but it's not exactly what the highly-online chatterers think it is. Related Links "" by Samuel Goldman /episode/index/show/libertylawtalk1/id/36775290

The Need for Neighborhoods 05/20/2025

The Need for Neighborhoods Neighborhoods are one of the most important human support structures, argues Seth D. Kaplan. Yet modern politics, economics, and social habits all seem aligned to undermine them. Discussing his recent book, Fragile Neighborhoods, Kaplan explains why neighborhoods are irreplaceable sources of human community, and why they are often in such bad shape today. "No government or philanthropic program can replace the benefits that the day-in-day-out love of parents and the continuous support of the community provide. Social services may address material needs and they may help mitigate specific problems after the fact, but they're rarely equipped to provide the care nurturing and targeted discipline that a supportive family and community deliver.” /episode/index/show/libertylawtalk1/id/36567300

Border Disorder 05/06/2025

Border Disorder Daniel DiMartino calls balls and strikes on the ongoing, highly partisan debate over immigration, legal and illegal. The border ought to be secure, and asylum limited to those who have a genuine need for it, he argues. But border policy ought always to bound by law. When it comes to legal immigration, according to DiMartino, we do well to avoid an economics of nostalgia and should welcome the kind of immigration that adds to American life. DiMartino also recalls a recent run-in with the residual cancel culture at Columbia University. /episode/index/show/libertylawtalk1/id/36312350

In the Rubble of Totalitarianism 04/08/2025

In the Rubble of Totalitarianism What Solzhenitsyn called "the ideological lie" was not limited to a single country, government, or movement. And it did not, unfortunately, die off in 1989. In his new book, Mahoney presents the lie as the replacement of traditional categories of "good and evil" with "progress and reaction," a change that ripples through political and social ideas in a way that opens the door to the replacement of truth by an imposed, false reality. Though we shouldn't pretend that America today approaches the kind of tyranny seen in the twentieth century, we should recognize that the totalitarian impulse is alive and well. /episode/index/show/libertylawtalk1/id/36036315

The Pursuit of Ignorance? 03/18/2025

The Pursuit of Ignorance? The drive to pursue wisdom is engrained in every human being, right? Many have believed so. But in his new book, Ignorance and Bliss, Mark Lilla argues that a certain "will to ignorance" is also part of the human experience. Like Plato's Thrasymachus, many often want to throw up their hands in resignation rather than commit themselves to the pursuit of truth, creating a tension in human life that is sometimes reasonable and sometimes pathological. Lilla offers an explanation for this phenomenon, drawing on philosophy, religion, psychology, and history. He joins James Patterson to discuss the book. /episode/index/show/libertylawtalk1/id/35681855

Scrutinizing Christian Nationalism 03/04/2025

Scrutinizing Christian Nationalism "Christian Nationalism" splashes across headlines regularly. But there is no clear definition of it. Is it just an epithet? A concept used for partisan manipulation? A real trend in socio-religious thought in America? Smith, Hall, and Williams consider different definitions, which ideas might be lumped into the category, and how it relates to American pluralism, historical Christianity, and contemporary populism. /episode/index/show/libertylawtalk1/id/35410435

The Moral Life in a Therapeutic Age 02/18/2025

The Moral Life in a Therapeutic Age Philip Rieff adopted the categories and language of Freud, but reinterpreted them in a way that supported culture and the moral life. Batchelder and Harding have edited a new volume of essays on Rieff, who they argue is a key thinker for any attempt to diagnose late modern cultural life. They join host James Patterson to discuss Rieff, Martin Luther King, Jr., Susan Sontag, and unimaginable depravities. /episode/index/show/libertylawtalk1/id/35284255

Religion and the Republic 02/04/2025

Religion and the Republic Historically grounded assessments of the American republic's relationship with religion require nuanced thinking and an appreciation for ambiguity. Unfortunately, those qualities don't sell. So American history is replete with attempts to construct a simple narrative of a Christian nation or a wholly secular liberalism. Jerome Copulsky and Mark Noll join James Patterson to discuss Copulsky's book, American Heretics, which examines certain strands of religious thinking that, in one way or another, have sought to overcome the fact of American religious pluralism. /episode/index/show/libertylawtalk1/id/35089995

The Disgrace of Legal Ed 01/21/2025

The Disgrace of Legal Ed A poorly worded tweet became a career-altering conflagration for Ilya Shapiro in a particularly egregious example of cancel culture. It prompted him to take a hard look at the state of legal education, which he now skewers in Lawless: The Miseducation of America's Elite. He and host James Patterson discuss the book, the atrocious impact critical theory and DEI has had on our law schools, and what the future might hold. /episode/index/show/libertylawtalk1/id/34886610

A Voice in the Modern Wilderness 01/07/2025

A Voice in the Modern Wilderness Anyone could be forgiven for not knowing much about Peter Viereck. The eccentric historian and poet was one of the first mid-century thinkers to robustly embrace the "conservative" label, but he fell out of favor with movement conservatives and has been largely forgotten. John Wilsey thinks that's a mistake. He joins Law & Liberty's editor, John Grove, to talk about Viereck and his unique conservative manner of approaching the challenges of modern life. Related Links John Wilsey, "," Law & Liberty Peter Viereck, Peter Viereck, Peter Viereck, John Wilsey, (pre-order) Claes Ryn, "" Law & Liberty Robert Lacey, /episode/index/show/libertylawtalk1/id/34714560

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