Law and Chaos

The Supreme Court rebuffed the Trump Administration’s “emergency” request to revoke temporary protected status for half a million Haitian and Syrian nationals. It granted cert before judgment and set oral argument for April.

The DOJ dropped charges against Jay Carey, a veteran who burned a flag in Lafayette Park to protest Trump’s executive order purporting to ban flag-burning.

In Massachusetts, Judge Brian Murphy blocked HHS Secretary Kennedy’s attempt to rewrite the child and adult vaccine schedules.

And the Justice Department keeps lowering the bar in an effort to get lawyers willing to sign on to burn down their reputations in service of the Trump agenda.

MAIN SHOW:

We discuss US Attorney for DC Jeanine Pirro’s crashout over the implosion of her retaliatory investigation into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. Judge Boasberg quashed the subpoenas, saying that there was no reason at all to think Powell committed a crime.

The Judicial Conference is making it slightly easier for criminal defendants to secure representation. They’re also going to war with the General Services Administration, the world’s worst landlord.

The Live Nation trial continues, without the government. Andrew’s got a deep dive into the Tunney Act and a similar antitrust case blown up by the Trump DOJ under pressure from well-connected lobbyists. These people made us agree with Laura Loomer — RUDE!

TPS Cert Before Judgment
https://www.supremecourt.gov/orders/courtorders/031626zr1_5h25.pdf

US v. Carey [Flag burning]
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/71223464/united-states-v-carey

American Academy of Pediatrics v. Kennedy [Vaccines]
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/70722326/american-academy-of-pediatrics-v-kennedy/

Judiciary Says Courthouses Are in Crisis, Seeks Real Property Authority
https://www.uscourts.gov/data-news/judiciary-news/2026/02/24/judiciary-says-courthouses-are-crisis-seeks-real-property-authority

US judiciary approves new public defender office focused on US Supreme Court advocacy
https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/us-judiciary-approves-new-public-defender-office-focused-us-supreme-court-2026-03-10

DOJ to Allow Hiring of US Prosecutors Straight Out of Law School
https://news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/doj-to-allow-hiring-of-us-prosecutors-straight-out-of-law-school

Law School Tells Students, ‘You MUST Be Aligned Politically With President Trump,’ For Summer Job
https://abovethelaw.com/2026/03/law-school-tells-students-you-must-be-aligned-politically-with-president-trump-for-summer-job/

Jeanine Pirro Crashes Out
https://www.lawandchaospod.com/p/jeanine-pirro-crashes-out

In re Grand Jury Subpoenas [Jerome Powell]
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/72490330/in-re-grand-jury-subpoenas

The Rule of Law Versus the Rule of Lobbyists [Roger Alford]
https://assets.bwbx.io/documents/users/iqjWHBFdfxIU/rqWZHzWNbqZc/v0

Proposal to Give Judiciary Real Property Authority
https://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/judiciary-real-property-authority-legislative-package.pdf

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A federal judge in Maryland issued a TRO blocking the construction of an ICE detention facility without first undertaking the legally required environmental impact assessment.

The Trump administration filed an “emergency” petition to the Supreme Court demanding that it be allowed to immediately deport 350,000 Haitians who have enjoyed Temporary Protected Status for decades. It insists an earlier shadow docket ruling allowing it to deport Venezuelan TPS holders is precedential. An amicus brief from 175 former judges points out that shadow docket orders are definitionally non-precedential.

The USDA is teaming up with Robert Kennedy and his team of freaks at Health and Human Services to Make America Healthy Again … by shaming poor people for their food choices. SNAP recipients sued in DC to block a “pilot” program to allow states to restrict food benefits to exclude sugary foods.

MAIN SHOW:

DOGE destroyed the National Endowment for the Humanities in three weeks last spring. We wrote about it on the blog, and discussed the ongoing litigation. Turns out, the DOGE dudes are pissed that the plaintiffs released video of them smirking their way through depositions.

On Monday, in the middle of trial, the Trump administration tried to blow up the antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation, the parent company of Ticketmaster. This leaves the 40 states which joined the suit as co-plaintiffs in the lurch. Judge Arun Subramanian has ordered the parties to huddle up and see if they can’t negotiate a settlement. Will the case go forward next week without the lead plaintiff?

And Andrew has an extended exploration of Trump’s plan to use a little known federal agency called the United States International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) to get oil tankers to cross the Strait of Hormuz. The DFC has released a plan (or at least, concepts of a plan) to reinsure insurance companies that issue war riders. Which might help if insurance companies were refusing to issue policies to ships at sea – except that insurance companies are still underwriting as many marine policies as ever. It’s just that it costs more now, because of the war.

Plus for subscribers, we’ll break down the bar complaint against fan favorite Ed Martin.

Kash Patel Confirms UFC Fighters Will Train FBI Agents This Week, Calling It A “Historic Opportunity”
https://deadline.com/2026/03/kash-patel-ufc-fighters-train-fbi-agents-1236750897/

State of Maryland v. Noem [ICE Detention Center in Hagerstown]
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/72313096/state-of-maryland-v-noem

Lesly Miot v. Trump [Haitian TPS, Trial Docket]
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/70965949/lesly-miot-v-trump/

Trump v. Miot [SCOTUS Docket]
https://www.supremecourt.gov/search.aspx?filename=/docket/docketfiles/html/public/25a999.html

DOGE Bros Had More Fun Burning Down Government Than Testifying About It
https://www.lawandchaospod.com/p/doge-bros-had-more-fun-burning-down

Authors Guild v. National Endowment for the Humanities
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/70243086/the-authors-guild-v-national-endowment-for-the-humanities

Amicus Brief of 175 Former Judges re Precedent of Shadow Docket Rulings
https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/25/25A952/400077/20260305142419318_Amicus%20Brief%20of%20Former%20Judges%20re%20Dahlia%20Doe_FINAL.pdf

Aragon v. Rollins [SNAP Benefits]
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/72419889/aragon-v-rollins/

DOJ nopes out of Ticketmaster antitrust suit
https://www.publicnotice.co/p/ticketmaster-suit-doj

US v. Live Nation
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/68557723/united-states-of-america-v-live-nation-entertainment-inc

Trump’s ‘free flow of energy’ vow fails to restart shipping in strait of Hormuz [The Guardian]
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/10/trump-free-flow-energy-fails-restart-shipping-strait-hormuz

DFC Reinsurance announcement [US International Development Finance Corporation]
https://www.dfc.gov/media/press-releases/dfc-announces-chubb-lead-insurance-partner-maritime-reinsurance-plan

Gulf war risk premiums topping double-digit millions of dollars per trip [Lloyd’s List]
https://www.lloydslist.com/LL1156586/Gulf-war-risk-premiums-topping-double-digit-millions-of-dollars-per-trip

No, P&I clubs have not ‘cancelled war risk cover’ [Lloyd’s List]
https://www.lloydslist.com/LL1156515/No-PI-clubs-have-not-cancelled-war-risk-cover

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DOCKET ALERTS:

War Powers Resolution fails in both Houses of Congress.

DHS is ramping up for an immigration surge in Maryland and has purchased an 825,000-square-foot warehouse in Hagerstown. The state is suing to block the facility on environmental grounds. In Baltimore, Judge Julie Rubin joins judges in New York and Los Angeles in holding that ICE is systematically violating the Fifth Amendment rights of immigrants in “temporary” detention by holding them for days on end without hygiene, medical care, or access to counsel.

Kalshi customers have filed a class action suit over the company’s refusal to pay out on bets — oops, we mean CONTRACT SWAPS — that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei would leave office as Supreme Leader of Iran before March 1.

Trump continues to defy the Constitution’s requirement that he get Senate approval for principal officers. We discussed it in our post on Judge Lamberth holding that Kari Lake was never legally serving as head of the US Agency for Global Media, and thus her directives are null and void. And Judge Matthew Brann has ruled once again that Attorney General Pam Bondi can’t evade senate confirmation for the US Attorney in New Jersey — no, not even if she spreads the appointment out among three lawyers, not just one.

And we’ll talk about the Trump administration’s humiliating U-turn as it tries to un-dismiss the appeal in the case of the executive orders targeting law firms, as well as Anthropic’s complaint against the government. Turns out, defying Trump can be good for business!

Subscriber Bonus: The Trump administration just dismissed the antitrust suit against Live Nation mid-trial for, uh, reasons.

ICE awards $113 million to build out Hagerstown detention center
https://www.thebanner.com/politics-power/national-politics/ice-hagerstown-detention-center-contract-AHIV2KEHQJAVFMWBYKO2YBWOCU/

Maryland v. Noem [ICE Warehouse]
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/72313096/state-of-maryland-v-noem/?order_by=desc

D.N.N. v. Liggins [ICE temporary holding facility in Baltimore]
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/70321567/dnn-v-liggins/

Risch v. Kalshi
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/72371954/risch-v-kalshiex-llc/

Judge Rules That Kari Lake Is Still A Loser [Law and Chaos]
https://www.lawandchaospod.com/p/judge-rules-that-kari-lake-is-still

US v. Naviwala [US Attorney New Jersey]
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/68269162/united-states-v-naviwala

Susman Godfrey v. Executive Office of the President (DC Cir. Appeal) [docket via CourtListener]
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/71202175/susman-godfrey-llp-v-executive-office-of-the-president/

Anthropic v. US Dep’t of War, [docket via CourtListener]
https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.cand.465515/

Business Insider, “Claude Hits Number One In The App Store”
https://www.businessinsider.com/anthropic-claude-hits-number-one-app-store-openai-chatgpt-2026-2

US v. LiveNation Entertainment (Ticketmaster antitrust lawsuit) [docket via CourtListener]
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/68557723/united-states-of-america-v-live-nation-entertainment-inc/

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https://www.lawandchaospod.com/
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Law and Chaos wishes a big mazal tov to Kristi Noem on her new, very real job as assistant principal of the Yeehaw American Hegemony Club. And to Lindsey Halligan on catching a Florida Bar investigation.

We’ll discuss our recent post on Pam Bondi’s very timely announcement that she intends to take over state bar complaints against DOJ employees. It comes at a moment when district court judges are telegraphing very clearly that they are going to start holding DHS and DOJ in criminal contempt for rampant disregard of court orders. Specifically, Judge Michael Farbiarz of the District of New Jersey says he’ll require sworn affidavits from officials at the US Attorneys Office and ICE for every habeas release case that comes before him. This will likely serve as a model for other judges whose dockets are buckling under the weight of habeas cases from all the immigrants ICE is illegally detaining.

Elections expert Joe Dye is back to discuss Tuesday’s primary elections in Texas, Arkansas, and North Carolina.

And for subscribers, we’ll discuss the shadow docket order in which the six conservative justices leapt in to save New York Rep. Nicole Malliotakis's seat.

Lindsey Halligan Is Under Investigation by the Florida Bar
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/05/us/politics/lindsey-halligan-investigation-florida-bar.html

Bondi Says She's The Bar Now
https://www.lawandchaospod.com/p/bondi-says-shes-the-bar-now

Judge Farbiarz Order re Contempt
https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.njd.590517/gov.uscourts.njd.590517.30.0.pdf

Malliotakis v. Williams [2026 Supreme Court New York redistricting decision]
https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/25pdf/25a914_1p24.pdf

Abbott v. LULAC [2025 Supreme Court stay of Texas map]
https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/25pdf/25a608_7khn.pdf

Rucho v. Common Cause [2019 Supreme Court gerrymandering opinion]
https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=6090361490276671133

Steve Vladek, Bonus 214: Emergency Relief from State Courts [One First]
https://www.stevevladeck.com/p/bonus-214-emergency-relief-from-state

Show Links:
https://www.lawandchaospod.com/
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DOCKET ALERTS:

The Trump administration is tapping out on the lawsuits defending executive orders attacking law firms. Too bad, so sad for the Vichy law firms that pledged a billion dollars in “conservative pro bono” work.
Justice Gorsuch says we can’t take guns away from drug users because the Founders were drunk all the time.

The Federal Circuit declines a request by the Trump administration to delay tariff refunds.

Kansas’s revocation of trans citizens’ drivers licenses draws its first court challenge.

And Virginia’s redistricting referendum can go ahead.

MAIN SHOW:

We discuss the history of the president’s power to commence hostilities and explain why Trump and his goons are so deeply invested in claiming that the war in Iran — which isn’t a war at all! — was defensive, not offensive. Plus Andrew’s got a deep dive into the War Powers Resolution and how it might bring about an end to this nightmare.

We’ve got clips from 60 Minutes’s very good story on the danger federal judges face when they go against the Trump administration.

Judges in the Western District of West Virginia join the list of jurisdictions telling DHS/DOJ that contempt charges are coming if they keep relying on crackpot legal theories to kidnap residents.

Judge John Tunheim issues class relief to refugees in Minnesota, barring DHS from interning them for recertification.

And for subscribers: a discussion of the constitutionality of the War Powers Resolution.

Trump Administration to Drop Defense of Law Firm Sanctions
https://www.wsj.com/us-news/law/trump-administration-to-drop-defense-of-law-firm-sanctions-cb839c39

US v. Hemani Oral Argument
https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/audio/2025/24-1234

V.O.S. Selections [Tariff mandate]
https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.cafc.23105/gov.uscourts.cafc.23105.173.0_2.pdf

Doe v. Kansas [Trans drivers’ licenses]
https://assets.aclu.org/live/uploads/2026/02/Complaint-1.pdf

Virginia redistricting election can move forward, court rules
https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/virginia-redistricting-election-can-move-forward-court-rules

Federal judges who've ruled against Trump administration denounce threats against themselves, their families
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/federal-judges-whove-ruled-against-trump-administration-denounce-threats-60-minutes-transcript/

Judges in a Trump stronghold condemn ICE tactics
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/03/01/west-virginia-immigration-rulings-00804575

Dominguez Izaguirre v. Mason [West Virginia Habeas]
https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.wvsd.243036/gov.uscourts.wvsd.243036.18.0.pdf

War Powers Resolution, 50 U.S.C. 1541 et seq.
https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/50/chapter-33

“Trump Can’t Declare War On Iran (or Anyone)” [lawandchaospod.com]
https://www.lawandchaospod.com/p/trump-cant-declare-war-on-iran-or

Liz’s YouTube video for Legal Eagle, “The Largest Bribe in American History”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RE2pm3omzMI&t=3s

Nat’l Treasury Employees’ Union v. Nixon, 492 F.2d 587 (D.C. Cir. 1974)
https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=4156385560315482496

INS v. Chadha, 462 U.S. 919 (1983)
https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=2221871582286121199

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