It has been a tough few weeks for democracy. The US Supreme Court's recent demolition of what remained of the Voting Rights Act, the Virginia Supreme Court's decision to trump the express will of Virginia voters to redraw congressional lines, and southern state legislatures racing to the bottom to strip Black voters of political power have weighed heavily on us all. For our 200th episode, Joyce Vance joins Valerie Nannery to discuss her book, Giving Up Is Unforgivable: A Manual for Keeping a Democracy, and what it will take from all of us to save our democracy.

Join the Progressive Legal Movement Today: ACSLaw.org

Host: Valerie Nannery, Senior Director of Policy and Program

Guest: Joyce Vance, Distinguished Professor of the Practice of Law, The University of Alabama School of Law; ACS Board Member

Link: Giving Up is Unforgivable: A Manual for Keeping a Democracy, by Joyce Vance

Link: Civil Discourse with Joyce Vance

Link: ACS 2026 National Convention details and registration

Link: Register Here for ACS's 2026 National Convention

Visit the Podcast Website: Broken Law Podcast

Email the Show: Podcast@ACSLaw.org

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Broken Law: About the law, who it serves, and who it doesn’t.
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Production House: Flint Stone Media

Copyright of American Constitution Society 2025.

As ACS staff prepares for our 2026 National Convention in Washington, DC, we invite you to revisit two highlights of our 2024 convention for a little inspiration and encourage you to join us for this year's event if you are able. Judge Carlton Reeves (S.D. Miss.) and then-New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin delivered remarks on the legacy of Brown v. Board of Education, the role attorneys and law students can play as social engineers, and being a hero for democracy.

Join the Progressive Legal Movement Today: ACSLaw.org

Host: Lindsay Langholz, Vice President of Policy and Program

Guest: Hon. Carlton Reeves, District Judge, Southern District of Mississippi; Chair, U.S. Sentencing Commission

Guest: Matt Platkin, 62nd Attorney General of New Jersey; Partner, Platkin LLP

Link: Register Here for ACS's 2026 National Convention

Visit the Podcast Website: Broken Law Podcast

Email the Show: Podcast@ACSLaw.org

Follow ACS on Social Media: Facebook | Instagram | Bluesky | LinkedIn | YouTube

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Broken Law: About the law, who it serves, and who it doesn’t.
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Production House: Flint Stone Media

Copyright of American Constitution Society 2025.

Since January 2025, the District of Columbia and its more than 700,000 residents have been under near-constant attack by both the Executive and Legislative branches of the federal government. The federal officials attempting to control the District through legislative action and physical force are not elected by D.C. residents and are not accountable to them. Keya Chatterjee joins Broken Law to describe what has been happening, why everyone should care, and how people are fighting for the right of the people of D.C. to govern themselves.

Join the Progressive Legal Movement Today: ACSLaw.org

Host: Valerie Nannery, Senior Director of Policy and Program

Guest: Keya Chatterjee, Executive Director, Free DC

Link: May Day DC

Link: Anti-DC Congressional Bills Attempt Federal Takeover of DC Criminal Justice and Home Rule, Maryland State & DC AFL-CIO

Link: Putting D.C. in the Chain of Command: Congress Should Reform the DC National Guard’s Outdated and Dangerous Command Structure, by Elizabeth Goitein

Visit the Podcast Website: Broken Law Podcast

Email the Show: Podcast@ACSLaw.org

Follow ACS on Social Media: Facebook | Instagram | Bluesky | LinkedIn | YouTube

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Broken Law: About the law, who it serves, and who it doesn’t.
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Production House: Flint Stone Media

Copyright of American Constitution Society 2025.