The Supreme Court of the United States has long been a mysterious operation. Despite being the top and final court in the third branch of our government, the Court has operated in relative obscurity for most of its existence. But a number of podcasts focused on the U.S. Constitution and the Court provide a new avenue for analysis and conversation about its doings. Here are some recommended listens as the legal community celebrates the Constitution and change theme of Law Day.

Pat’s picks

Dissed. An anthology podcast hosted by Anastasia Boden and Elizabeth Slattery, both of the Pacific Legal Foundation, “Dissed” focuses on dissenting opinions and their history, the context in which they were written and their impact on latter decisions. Described as “catnip for legal nerds” by David Lat, lawyer and founder of the newsletter Original Jurisdiction, this podcast provides a well-researched, deep dive into some of the most important opinions issued by the Supreme Court — even if they did not carry the day.

Bound by Oath. An anthology podcast from the Institute for Justice, “Bound by Oath” focused in Season 1 on the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution, and in Season 2 addressed how government is to be held accountable and the ways in which courts have all but eliminated that accountability. Article VI of the Constitution declares that judges are “bound by oath” to uphold the Constitution.

Short Circuit. Also from the Institute for Justice, this weekly podcast discusses decisions from the federal courts of appeals on a wide range of issues, from insurance coverage to qualified immunity to civil procedure. It often serves as a preview of particular cases making their way to the Supreme Court, or highlights issues percolating in the lower federal courts until a sufficient split or appropriate vehicle arises for high court review.

Law Talk. This monthly podcast has been produced for more than a decade by the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. The show is hosted by Troy Senik with John Yoo and Richard Epstein. It’s irreverent in tone but serious in content, with perspectives from two pillars of the conservative legal movement. Often surprising in the positions that the interlocutors take, it is always original and thoughtful.

Teleforum. A near daily podcast produced by The Federalist Society, this show offers discussions of oral arguments and decisions from the Supreme Court in its “Courthouse Steps” episodes, as well as litigation updates on cases pending in the federal circuit and district courts and discussions of pending petitions for certiorari.

Dan’s picks

Supreme Myths. This podcast features the Supreme Court and its cases. It’s hosted by Georgia State College of Law professor Eric Segall, author of, “Supreme Myths: Why the Supreme Court is Not a Court and its Justices are Not Judges.” Recent guests have included professors Randy Barnet of the Georgetown University Law Center and Tara Leigh Grove of University of Alabama School of Law. Despite the title, the podcast takes a serious look at the Court and explores different judicial approaches, including originalism.

5-4 Pod. This show describes itself as “a podcast about how much the Supreme Court sucks. It’s a progressive and occasionally profane take on the ideological battles at the heart of the Court’s most important landmark cases, and an irreverent tour of all the ways in which the law is shaped by politics.” In their own words, the hosts say they “dismantle the Justices’ legal reasoning on hot-button issues like affirmative action, gun rights, and campaign finance, and use dark humor to reveal the high court’s biases.” It is entertaining, if not always completely objective.

Citizen’s Guide to the Supreme Court. “Brett and Nazim,” as they are billed, are two attorneys who hate being attorneys. Each week, they discuss current Supreme Court cases with the intent to make the law more accessible to the average person, while ruminating on what makes the law both frustrating and interesting.” The co-hosts do a decent job of tackling tough issues before the Court and breaking them down.

Strict Scrutiny. This is a podcast about the Supreme Court and the legal culture that surrounds it. The show is hosted by three women, Leah Litman, Kate Shaw and Melissa Murray, who are law professors but “also swimmers, mothers (of humans and dogs) and celebrity gossip enthusiasts.” They add that they’ve practiced before the Court and have a different voice — “one that celebrates the contributions and opinions of women and people of color.” Irreverent at times, the three hosts work together well and provide great insights.

Divided Argument. Hosts Will Baude and Dan Epps come from different perspectives and address the Court and issues before it as well as the Constitution. The podcast is interesting, but there are sometimes long gaps between episodes. A more recent one explored the nomination of Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court and an opinion by Justice Stephen Breyer.

Pat Eckler and Dan Cotter co-host “The Podium and Panel Podcast” and are regular contributors to the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin.