Elie Mystal

Justice Correspondent & Columnist

@ElieNYC

Elie Mystal is The Nation’s justice correspondent and a columnist. He is also an Alfred Knobler Fellow at the Type Media Center. He is the author of two books: the New York Times bestseller Allow Me to Retort: A Black Guy’s Guide to the Constitution and Bad Law: Ten Popular Laws That Are Ruining America, both published by The New Press. You can subscribe to his Nation newsletter “Elie v. U.S.” here.

Government watchdog Accountable.US shines a light on the facade of the Supreme Court Building as part of a campaign calling attention to corruption on the court.

The Supreme Court’s New Ethics Code Won’t Stop the Corruption The Supreme Court’s New Ethics Code Won’t Stop the Corruption

For all the hype, the high court’s flashy new ethics rules are little more than a PR stunt designed to take the heat off scandal-plagued justices.

Nov 14, 2023 / Elie Mystal

A bump stock on an AK-47 at Good Guys Gun and Range on February 21, 2018, in Orem, Utah.

The Supreme Court’s Next Big Gun Case Puts Us All in the Crosshairs The Supreme Court’s Next Big Gun Case Puts Us All in the Crosshairs

If the court rules in favor of the gun lobby, we could see a return of bump stocks, which turn semiautomatic rifles into machine guns.

Nov 7, 2023 / Elie Mystal

Attorney for former US president Donald Trump John Lauro (R) departs the E. Barrett Prettyman US Court House, October 16, 2023, in Washington, D.C.

Trump’s Lawyers Should Be Laughed Out of Court Trump’s Lawyers Should Be Laughed Out of Court

The latest attempt by the former president’s legal team to get his election subversion case dismissed is a case study in desperate legal maneuvering.

Oct 25, 2023 / Elie Mystal

US President Joe Biden meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (R) in Tel Aviv on October 18, 2023.

Biden’s Israel-Palestine Policy Could Cost Him the Election Biden’s Israel-Palestine Policy Could Cost Him the Election

The president’s blank-check support of Israel’s war on Gaza is alienating many of the Black and brown voters he needs to win reelection.

Oct 23, 2023 / Elie Mystal

Apartment buildings in New York City,

The Fate of Your Rent May Be in the Supreme Court’s Hands The Fate of Your Rent May Be in the Supreme Court’s Hands

The nation’s highest court is weighing whether to hear two rent-regulation cases that could gut renter protection laws.

Oct 20, 2023 / Elie Mystal

The Supreme Court Is Going to Rubber-Stamp Racial Gerrymandering

The Supreme Court Is Going to Rubber-Stamp Racial Gerrymandering The Supreme Court Is Going to Rubber-Stamp Racial Gerrymandering

The court has found a loophole that could allow districts to exclude Black voters—and still call it constitutional.

Oct 12, 2023 / Elie Mystal

Donald Trump appears in the courtroom with his lawyers for his civil fraud trial at New York State Supreme Court on October 03, 2023.

Donald Trump’s Latest Threats Really Are About the Violence Donald Trump’s Latest Threats Really Are About the Violence

It can be tempting to dismiss Trump’s threats against his perceived opponents as mere bluster, but his attacks on Letitia James make it clear that he’s not just playing around.

Oct 3, 2023 / Elie Mystal

Donald Trump speaks at a political rally while campaigning for the GOP nomination in the 2024 election at Erie Insurance Arena in Pennsylvania.

A Modest but Serious Proposal for How to Save the GOP From Trump A Modest but Serious Proposal for How to Save the GOP From Trump

The push to dump the Electoral College is often framed as a Democratic concern, but it might actually help the Republican Party more.

Oct 2, 2023 / Elie Mystal

Supreme Court Preview: This Term, It Can Always Get Worse

Supreme Court Preview: This Term, It Can Always Get Worse Supreme Court Preview: This Term, It Can Always Get Worse

With the liberals thoroughly outmatched, the upcoming term will not be a battle between right and left—it will be a battle between shades of extremism.

Sep 29, 2023 / Feature / Elie Mystal

Donald Trump poses for a picture at a South Carolina gun store.

The Supreme Court Could Soon Let Trump Buy All the Guns He Wants The Supreme Court Could Soon Let Trump Buy All the Guns He Wants

Trump is currently prohibited from buying guns because he’s under criminal indictment. But two big court cases could change that.

Sep 26, 2023 / Elie Mystal

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