Podcaster and author Sarah Isgur visits William & Mary Law School to discuss new book
Sarah Isgur, host of the popular legal podcast “Advisory Opinions” and editor of SCOTUSblog, visited William & Mary Law School on Friday, September 25, for a talk on her new book, “Last Branch Standing: A Potentially Surprising, Occasionally Witty Journey Inside Today’s Supreme Court” (Crown, 2026).
The event, hosted by the Institute of Bill of Rights Law, drew students and faculty for a wide-ranging conversation about the inner workings of the nation’s highest court. It also served as an unofficial prelude to the Law School’s 39th annual Supreme Court Preview, which began later that evening.
Professor James Stern interviewed Isgur in a conversational format that let students hear directly from one of the country’s most prominent Supreme Court commentators. Stern also steered the discussion toward the personal as Isgur talked about her career path and what she hopes readers take away from her book.
Asked about the pitch she gave to her publisher, Isgur emphasized the importance of humility in bridging political divides. She said she wants readers of every political stripe to reflect on a time they were wrong about something. Having friends across the aisle, she said, is a sign of intelligence, kindness and intellectual humility.
It also feeds curiosity. Without a range of opinions, Isgur said, one’s world shrinks, conversations grow less interesting, and curiosity withers. She believes the Supreme Court itself would benefit from greater diversity of thought and background, noting that three current justices succeeded the justices for whom they once clerked, a pattern she likened to creating a House of Lords on the court.
Speaking as a writer, Isgur praised the quality of the justices’ opinions, saying that some of the finest writers in the court’s history are on the bench today. But, she also feels that the justices write too much and should take more cases. Hearing fewer cases, she argued, makes the court appear more political in any given term, an impression that disappears when its decisions are viewed over a five-term span.
Based in Northern Virginia, Isgur has built a career spanning journalism, law and politics. Before joining The Dispatch in 2019, she worked in all three branches of the federal government and on three presidential campaigns. She served as director of the Office of Public Affairs at the Department of Justice, helped run Carly Fiorina’s presidential campaign, and clerked for Judge Edith H. Jones of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. She is a graduate of Harvard Law School and Northwestern University.
In addition to hosting “Advisory Opinions” and editing SCOTUSblog, Isgur is a contributor for ABC News, where she regularly breaks down Supreme Court rulings and legal news for a national television audience.
“Last Branch Standing” has been described as a myth-busting look inside the Supreme Court that reveals what the public often gets wrong about the Roberts Court and offers ideas for repairing a court in crisis. The title reflects Isgur’s broader thesis: The Supreme Court is the “last branch standing,” the one branch of government the nation’s founders would still recognize, and one that, in her view, tries to hold a constitutional line as executive power has grown and Congress has legislated less.
Since its release, the book has drawn praise from a range of legal and media figures, with reviewers highlighting its accessible, often humorous take on an institution not known for transparency.
Isgur’s visit continues the Institute of Bill of Rights Law’s tradition of bringing prominent legal commentators, journalists and scholars to campus to engage with students. The speaker series continues on October 14 when the Law School welcomes podcaster and legal scholar Kate Shaw, a professor of law at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, a Supreme Court contributor for ABC News and co-host of the popular podcast “Strict Scrutiny.” Details on her visit will be announced closer to the event.