Pop Culture Court: Harry Potter, Star Trek and the Tinhatting of Originalism
Tue Feb 03 2026
Welcome back! We're kicking off our sixth season of Sidebar by dissecting imaginary legal codes of fiction to uncover truths about our real-world search for fairness. From the ethical dilemmas of "How to Get Away with Murder" and "Better Call Saul" to the lawless world of Harry Potter, where a lack of attorneys often leaves characters in peril, we examine how pop culture shapes our understanding of justice.
The surprising top dog in fantasy law? "Star Trek," with its prophetic examinations of AI and ownership. Should rights be reserved for biological life alone? Does the Prime Directive offer a universal model for human rights?
We also dive into the connection between fanfiction tinhatting and Supreme Court originalism, exploring why interpreting 18th-century intent is not so different from fans extrapolating the secret lives of Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson.
Join us as we learn why 90% of Harry Potter's problems could have been solved with a lawyer.
[Editor's note: He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is indeed named, numerous times, within. Proceed with caution!]
Special guests:
Lenora Ledwon, professor of law at St. Thomas UniversityStacey Lantagne, professor of law at Suffolk UniversityKiersten Marcil, attorney and author of The Enlightened sagaFabrice Defferrard, professor of law at the University of ReimsThis episode was produced by Kirk McDaniel. Intro music by The Dead Pens.
Editorial staff is Ryan Abbott, Sean Duffy and Jamie Ross.
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Welcome back! We're kicking off our sixth season of Sidebar by dissecting imaginary legal codes of fiction to uncover truths about our real-world search for fairness. From the ethical dilemmas of "How to Get Away with Murder" and "Better Call Saul" to the lawless world of Harry Potter, where a lack of attorneys often leaves characters in peril, we examine how pop culture shapes our understanding of justice. The surprising top dog in fantasy law? "Star Trek," with its prophetic examinations of AI and ownership. Should rights be reserved for biological life alone? Does the Prime Directive offer a universal model for human rights? We also dive into the connection between fanfiction tinhatting and Supreme Court originalism, exploring why interpreting 18th-century intent is not so different from fans extrapolating the secret lives of Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson. Join us as we learn why 90% of Harry Potter's problems could have been solved with a lawyer. [Editor's note: He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is indeed named, numerous times, within. Proceed with caution!] Special guests: Lenora Ledwon, professor of law at St. Thomas UniversityStacey Lantagne, professor of law at Suffolk UniversityKiersten Marcil, attorney and author of The Enlightened sagaFabrice Defferrard, professor of law at the University of ReimsThis episode was produced by Kirk McDaniel. Intro music by The Dead Pens. Editorial staff is Ryan Abbott, Sean Duffy and Jamie Ross.