My first introduction to podcasts was in my AP Biology class years ago. The science podcast, Radiolab, was full of wonder and fed my curiosity. It felt personal, like telling a story. And I could tune in wherever I was, while I did whatever I was doing.  

Many years later, I’ve listened to podcasts about all sorts of things: fashion, foreign policy, even wellness. But now, in my first year of law school, I’ve been using podcasts as a way to explore the legal landscape beyond the dense casebooks. And there is no better full-circle moment for me than a Radiolab spin-off, More Perfect.

More Perfect takes a closer look into the US Supreme Court. In a period of increasing polarization, the podcast seeks to answer: has the Supreme Court truly managed to stay “above the fray of politics” as it was originally designed?

In four seasons, More Perfect has explored dozens of ways the Supreme Court has shaped our everyday lives, from marriage to money. The hosts, Jad Abumrad, and now, Julia Langoria, bring the law to the people, discussing the court’s cases, issues, even its personalities. 

The first episode of the podcast, “Cruel and Unusual,” is one of the best, giving a deep dive into the debates surrounding the death penalty. The podcast interviews Maya Foa, a British lawyer who is fighting the US death penalty system through her human rights charity, Reprieve. Her work has sparked a global conversation on the subject, and she has even brought to light the ways other countries contribute to the problem by supplying drugs for lethal injections. The podcast urges us to consider the details, but still focus on the greater question: Is the death penalty in itself constitutional?

More Perfect takes a similar approach in its doctrinal content from the episode on Criminal Justice Amendments (4th-8th) or the one on what they call the Eccentric Amendments (9th-11th), where things start to get “hazy,” or less clearly defined. My personal favorite is the 19th Amendment episode. The discussion highlighted how the 19th Amendment was a major milestone for women in the United States, but not all women. People of color continued to face tremendous voting obstacles decades after the amendment passed. Dolly Parton even wrote a song for the episode on the podcast’s accompanying album, “27: The Most Perfect Album.” 

With other musical collaborators, like rapper Kash Doll or rock band Post Animal, More Perfect brings a more relatable feel to constitutional law. One of the best case episodes tackles Jacobson v. Massachusetts, which centers around the “original anti-vaxxer.” The podcast highlights how Jacobson set the tone for two landmark Supreme Court cases, which tackled the ongoing “balancing act” between individual liberty and the collective good. 

Some of the other enriching episodes are profiles on the justices themselves. “No More Souters” gives us a glimpse into the private, low-profile Justice David Souter, whose appointment and ceding of his seat shed light on the partisan conflicts pervading today’s US politics. The most popular of the profiles is “Clarence X,” which seeks to understand the evolution of the enigmatic Justice Clarence Thomas in his over 30 years on the Supreme Court.

For me, More Perfect brings me back to early joys I found in podcast listening. The episodes get to the heart of the US legal system in a way that is palatable yet powerful. Take a listen here. 

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Sangeeta Kishore is a first-year student at BC Law. Contact her at kishorsa@bc.edu.