Every day, unelected federal agencies make decisions that affect your job, your business, your speech, your property, and your constitutional rights—often without Congress ever voting on them. From the rules that govern small businesses to the regulations that shape everyday life, the modern administrative state reaches further than most Americans realize. On Unwritten Law, constitutional lawyers Mark Chenoweth and John Vecchione break down the biggest legal battles involving federal agencies, government overreach, and the Constitution. Each episode explores real cases challenging the expanding power of the administrative state, explaining how these disputes affect ordinary Americans, businesses, and the future of...
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Sep 30, 2026 · 29:17
The SEC's Consolidated Audit Trail collects information on virtually every stock-market transaction in the United States, creating an enormous database that regulators can search…
Sep 29, 2026 · 21:57
NCLA has won an important preliminary victory for members of the Silver Spring Jewish Center who want to protect their congregation. In this episode of Unwritten Law , NCLA…
Sep 20, 2026 · 18:10
The Supreme Court has allowed construction of the new White House ballroom to continue—but the Court's 5–4 decision turned largely on a threshold question: Who actually has…
Sep 15, 2026 · 33:32
Can the SEC force someone to give up money when it cannot identify a single harmed investor? NCLA is asking the Supreme Court to take Spartan Securities Group v. SEC , a case…
Sep 3, 2026 · 19:46
For roughly 60 years, the Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs enforced a sweeping regulatory regime governing federal contractors—one rooted…
Sep 2, 2026 · 16:12
In this episode of Unwritten Law , NCLA Senior Litigation Counsel John Vecchione is joined by NCLA General Counsel Zhonette Brown to discuss Franey v. Washington Department of…
Aug 26, 2026 · 17:36
In this episode of Unwritten Law , NCLA President and Chief Legal Officer Mark Chenoweth and Senior Litigation Counsel John Vecchione discuss the D.C. Circuit’s recent decision…
Aug 25, 2026 · 26:52
In this episode of Unwritten Law , NCLA President and Chief Legal Officer Mark Chenoweth and Senior Litigation Counsel John Vecchione are joined by Senior Litigation Counsel…
Aug 17, 2026 · 17:45
In this episode of Unwritten Law , NCLA Senior Litigation Counsel John Vecchione is joined by Litigation Counsel Casey Norman to discuss NCLA’s appeal in BASE Access v. National…
Aug 14, 2026 · 15:33
In this episode of Unwritten Law , NCLA Senior Litigation Counsel John Vecchione is joined by NCLA General Counsel Zhonette Brown to discuss Jacobsen v. Spellerberg , NCLA's…
Aug 13, 2026 · 27:30
In this episode of Unwritten Law , NCLA President and Chief Legal Officer Mark Chenoweth and Senior Litigation Counsel John Vecchione take on a provocative argument from The New…
Aug 12, 2026 · 23:00
In this episode of Unwritten Law , NCLA President and Chief Legal Officer Mark Chenoweth and Senior Litigation Counsel John Vecchione are joined by Senior Litigation Counsel Russ…
Aug 1, 2026 · 29:47
In this episode of Unwritten Law , NCLA President and Chief Legal Officer Mark Chenoweth and Senior Litigation Counsel John Vecchione are joined by Senior Litigation Counsel Andy…
Jul 31, 2026 · 18:49
In this episode of Unwritten Law , NCLA President and Chief Legal Officer Mark Chenoweth and Senior Litigation Counsel John Vecchione are joined by Senior Litigation Counsel…
Jul 29, 2026 · 20:06
In this episode of Unwritten Law , NCLA President and Chief Legal Officer Mark Chenoweth and Senior Litigation Counsel John Vecchione discuss NCLA's Supreme Court amicus brief in…
Jul 22, 2026 · 22:01
In this episode of Unwritten Law , NCLA President and Chief Legal Officer Mark Chenoweth and Senior Litigation Counsel John Vecchione are joined by Litigation Counsel Casey…
Jul 21, 2026 · 13:04
In this episode of Unwritten Law , NCLA President and Chief Legal Officer Mark Chenoweth and Senior Litigation Counsel John Vecchione are joined by Litigation Counsel Casey…
Jul 14, 2026 · 16:12
In this episode of Unwritten Law , NCLA President and Chief Legal Officer Mark Chenoweth and Senior Litigation Counsel John Vecchione are again joined by NCLA Staff Attorney…
Jul 14, 2026 · 19:49
In this episode of Unwritten Law , NCLA President and Chief Legal Officer Mark Chenoweth and Senior Litigation Counsel John Vecchione are joined by NCLA Staff Attorney Andreia…
Jul 10, 2026 · 29:52
Part 2 of our Supreme Court Special. In this episode of Unwritten Law , NCLA President and Chief Legal Officer Mark Chenoweth and Senior Litigation Counsel John Vecchione are…
Jul 10, 2026 · 26:40
In this special Supreme Court edition of Unwritten Law , NCLA President and Chief Legal Officer Mark Chenoweth and Senior Litigation Counsel John Vecchione are joined by NCLA Of…
Jul 2, 2026 · 14:36
In this episode of Unwritten Law , NCLA Senior Litigation Counsel John Vecchione is joined by Staff Counsel Christian Clase to discuss a remarkable concurrence by Justice…
Jul 1, 2026 · 14:19
In this episode of Unwritten Law , NCLA Senior Litigation Counsel John Vecchione is joined by Litigation Counsel Jacob Huebert to discuss the Supreme Court's decision in Wolford…
Jun 23, 2026 · 19:51
In this episode of Unwritten Law , NCLA Senior Litigation Counsel John Vecchione is joined by Senior Litigation Counsel Russ Ryan to discuss Smith v. SEC , a case raising…
Jun 19, 2026 · 17:03
In this episode of Unwritten Law , NCLA Senior Litigation Counsel John Vecchione is joined by Senior Litigation Counsel Peggy Little to discuss the SEC's Consolidated Audit Trail…
Jun 18, 2026 · 23:15
In this episode of Unwritten Law , NCLA President and Chief Legal Officer Mark Chenoweth and Senior Litigation Counsel John Vecchione are joined by Senior Litigation Counsel…
Jun 17, 2026 · 21:47
In this episode of Unwritten Law , NCLA President and Chief Legal Officer Mark Chenoweth, Senior Litigation Counsel John Vecchione, and Senior Litigation Counsel Peggy Little…
Jun 14, 2026 · 18:44
In this episode of Unwritten Law , NCLA President and Chief Legal Officer Mark Chenoweth, Senior Litigation Counsel John Vecchione, and General Counsel Zhonette Brown discuss…
Jun 3, 2026 · 18:23
Why did one federal judge receive only a reprimand after engaging in sexual activities in her chambers, while Federal Judge Pauline Newman remains sidelined after more than three…
Jun 2, 2026 · 17:29
In this episode of Unwritten Law , NCLA President and Chief Legal Officer Mark Chenoweth and Senior Litigation Counsel John Vecchione are joined by Litigation Counsel Casey…
Jun 1, 2026 · 31:31
In this episode of Unwritten Law , NCLA President and Chief Legal Officer Mark Chenoweth, Senior Litigation Counsel John Vecchione, and Senior Litigation Counsel Peggy Little…
May 28, 2026 · 17:09
In this episode of Unwritten Law , NCLA President and Chief Legal Officer Mark Chenoweth and Senior Litigation Counsel John Vecchione are joined by Litigation Counsel Jacob…
May 22, 2026 · 13:41
In this episode of Unwritten Law , NCLA President and Chief Legal Officer Mark Chenoweth and Senior Litigation Counsel John Vecchione discuss developments in the Supreme Court’s…
May 15, 2026 · 35:19
In this episode of Unwritten Law , NCLA President and Chief Legal Officer Mark Chenoweth and Senior Litigation Counsel John Vecchione are joined by NCLA General Counsel Zhonette…
May 13, 2026 · 15:21
In this episode of Unwritten Law , NCLA President and Chief Legal Officer Mark Chenoweth and Senior Litigation Counsel John Vecchione discuss the growing real-world impact of the…
May 12, 2026 · 10:28
In this episode of Unwritten Law , NCLA President and Chief Legal Officer Mark Chenoweth and Senior Litigation Counsel John Vecchione discuss a major victory in Flint Ave. LLC v.…
May 6, 2026 · 24:11
In this episode of Unwritten Law , NCLA President and Chief Legal Officer Mark Chenoweth and Senior Litigation Counsel John Vecchione are joined by Litigation Counsel Andy Morris…
May 1, 2026 · 16:42
In this episode of Unwritten Law , NCLA President and Chief Legal Officer Mark Chenoweth and Senior Litigation Counsel John Vecchione are joined by Senior Litigation Counsel Russ…
Apr 29, 2026 · 25:33
In this episode of Unwritten Law , NCLA President and Chief Legal Officer Mark Chenoweth and Senior Litigation Counsel John Vecchione are joined by Senior Litigation Counsel…
Apr 27, 2026 · 22:17
In this episode of Unwritten Law , NCLA President and Chief Legal Officer Mark Chenoweth and Senior Litigation Counsel John Vecchione are joined by Senior Litigation Counsel Russ…
Apr 23, 2026 · 22:04
In this episode of Unwritten Law , NCLA President and Chief Legal Officer Mark Chenoweth and Senior Litigation Counsel John Vecchione are joined by NCLA General Counsel Zhonette…
Apr 21, 2026 · 21:12
In this episode of Unwritten Law , NCLA President and Chief Legal Officer Mark Chenoweth and Senior Litigation Counsel John Vecchione break down a recent decision from the U.S.…
Apr 10, 2026 · 29:45
In this episode of Unwritten Law , NCLA President and Chief Legal Officer Mark Chenoweth and Senior Litigation Counsel John Vecchione break down Trump v. Barbara , a closely…
Apr 6, 2026 · 26:00
In this episode of Unwritten Law , NCLA President and Chief Legal Officer Mark Chenoweth , Senior Litigation Counsel John Vecchione , Senior Litigation Counsel Peggy Little , and…
Apr 5, 2026 · 16:23
In this episode of Unwritten Law , NCLA Senior Litigation Counsel John Vecchione is joined by NCLA Litigation Counsel Casey Norman to discuss Pheasant v. United States , a case…
Apr 4, 2026 · 18:02
Did the government install tracking software on people’s phones without permission? In this episode of Unwritten Law , Mark Chenoweth and John Vecchione are joined by NCLA Senior…
Mar 27, 2026 · 36:49
In this episode of Unwritten Law , NCLA Senior Litigation Counsel John Vecchione and NCLA General Counsel Zhonette Brown discuss their work on Murthy v. Missouri , one of the…
Mar 25, 2026 · 25:01
In this episode of Unwritten Law , NCLA President Mark Chenoweth and Senior Litigation Counsel John Vecchione are joined by NCLA Litigation Counsel Andy Morris to discuss Newman…
Mar 23, 2026 · 26:25
In this episode of Unwritten Law , NCLA President Mark Chenoweth and Senior Litigation Counsel John Vecchione are joined by Senior Litigation Counsel Peggy Little to discuss…
Mar 17, 2026 · 16:19
In this episode of Unwritten Law , NCLA Senior Litigation Counsel John Vecchione is joined by NCLA Staff Attorney Andreia Trifoi to discuss a major Fourth Amendment case before…
Mar 5, 2026 · 22:43
In this episode of Unwritten Law , NCLA President Mark Chenoweth and Senior Litigation Counsel John Vecchione welcome Caitlin Moyna , Senior Litigation Counsel at the New Civil…
Mar 3, 2026 · 27:09
In this episode of Unwritten Law , NCLA President Mark Chenoweth and Senior Litigation Counsel John Vecchione are joined by NCLA General Counsel Zhonette Brown to discuss a…
Feb 26, 2026 · 32:12
In this episode of Unwritten Law , NCLA Senior Litigation Counsel John Vecchione and NCLA President Mark Chenoweth are joined by Andy Morris to discuss the Supreme Court’s 6–3…
Feb 24, 2026 · 16:30
In this episode of Unwritten Law , NCLA Senior Litigation Counsel John Vecchione is joined by NCLA Senior Litigation Counsel Kara Rollins to discuss Sripetch v. SEC , a…
Feb 22, 2026 · 25:58
In this episode of Unwritten Law , NCLA President Mark Chenoweth and Senior Litigation Counsel John Vecchione mark the ten-year anniversary of what’s often called the Supreme…
Feb 20, 2026 · 26:27
In this episode of Unwritten Law , NCLA President Mark Chenoweth and Senior Litigation Counsel John Vecchione are joined by Russ Ryan to discuss a recent oral argument before the…
Feb 11, 2026 · 24:29
In this episode of Unwritten Law , Mark Chenoweth and John Vecchione are joined by NCLA Of Counsel Margot Cleveland to discuss one of NCLA’s most consequential ongoing cases:…
Feb 9, 2026 · 13:25
In this episode of Unwritten Law , NCLA President Mark Chenoweth and Senior Litigation Counsel John Vecchione discuss John’s recent oral argument at the U.S. Court of Appeals for…
Feb 6, 2026 · 21:15
In this episode of Unwritten Law , NCLA Senior Litigation Counsel John Vecchione and NCLA President Mark Chenoweth discuss a major development in NCLA’s challenge to a federal…
Feb 4, 2026 · 18:37
What happens when a state or local police officer violates someone’s constitutional rights—and courts say there’s no practical way to sue? In this episode of Unwritten Law , NCLA…
Feb 1, 2026 · 27:53
In this episode of Unwritten Law , Mark Chenoweth and John Vecchione break down the Supreme Court’s oral argument in Trump v. Cook , a case that puts presidential power, Federal…
Jan 27, 2026 · 12:41
In this episode of Unwritten Law , Mark Chenoweth and John Vecchione are joined by Peggy Little , Senior Litigation Counsel at NCLA, to discuss one of the most consequential…
Jan 23, 2026 · 16:53
In this episode of Unwritten Law , John Vecchione and Mark Chenoweth unpack the latest chapter in Relentless, Inc. v. Department of Commerce , a case that sits at the crossroads…
Jan 22, 2026 · 16:01
In this episode of Unwritten Law , Mark Chenoweth and John Vecchione are joined by Peggy Little , Senior Litigation Counsel at NCLA, to discuss NCLA’s amicus brief in Media…
Jan 12, 2026 · 11:43
Chevron deference may be gone—but is the Supreme Court quietly laying the groundwork for something even worse? In this episode of Unwritten Law , Mark Chenoweth and John…
Jan 9, 2026 · 17:14
As the nation approaches the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, the Chief Justice of the United States reflects on America’s founding principles in his annual…
Jan 6, 2026 · 23:18
In this episode of Unwritten Law, Mark Chenoweth and John Vecchione dig into a major new essay by R.J. Pestritto, Senior Fellow at the Claremont Institute, titled “Government by…
Dec 22, 2025 · 19:04
Why are the Little Sisters of the Poor still being dragged into court over the Affordable Care Act’s contraception mandate—years after the Supreme Court ruled in their favor? On…
Dec 19, 2025 · 14:17
In this episode of Unwritten Law , Mark Chenoweth and John Vecchione are joined by Andreia Trifoi to discuss NCLA’s constitutional challenge to the City of Marco Island’s use of…
Dec 15, 2025 · 21:11
In this follow-up episode of Unwritten Law , Mark Chenoweth and John Vecchione continue their deep dive into the Supreme Court’s oral argument in Trump v. Slaughter , focusing on…
Dec 12, 2025 · 27:48
Just days after oral argument, Unwritten Law hosts Mark Chenoweth and John Vecchione break down one of the most consequential separation-of-powers cases in decades: Trump v.…
Dec 10, 2025 · 12:31
In this episode, Mark Chenoweth and John Vecchione sit down with NCLA Litigation Counsel Casey Norman to break down a major regulatory win: stopping FERC’s sweeping “Duty of…
Dec 9, 2025 · 18:47
In this episode, Casey Norman joins Mark Chenoweth and John Vecchione to unpack BASE Access, et al. v. National Park Service , a remarkable case about whether a federal agency…
Nov 30, 2025 · 21:24
Senior Litigation Counsel Russ Ryan joins Mark Chenoweth and John Vecchione to break down Barton v. SEC , a newly filed cert petition that challenges the SEC’s practice of using…
Nov 24, 2025 · 28:54
In this episode of Unwritten Law , Mark Chenoweth and John Vecchione welcome Margot Cleveland to unpack the Supreme Court case Trump v. Slaughter , a historic challenge to…
Nov 18, 2025 · 25:40
Mark Chenoweth and John Vecchione recap the 2025 Federalist Society National Lawyers Convention , offering candid insight into what made this year’s gathering different. From…
Nov 14, 2025 · 16:59
John Vecchione sits down with Kara Rollins to explore her recent piece in the Yale Journal on Regulation titled “Necessary” Discretion: A Primer for Non-Lawyers . They delve into…
Nov 12, 2025 · 27:50
Senior Litigation Counsel Margaret Harker joins Mark Chenoweth and John Vecchione to unpack the House Oversight Committee’s auto-pen investigation — a 100-page probe that raises…
Nov 7, 2025 · 16:17
Mark Chenoweth and John Vecchione welcome NCLA Senior Litigation Counsel Russ Ryan for a jaw-dropping judicial-ethics cases. A Texas judge—currently presiding over a live…
Nov 6, 2025 · 32:18
Fresh from the Supreme Court, Mark Chenoweth , John Vecchione , and Andy Morris break down oral arguments in the Trump tariffs case — a landmark challenge over whether the…
Nov 5, 2025 · 20:31
In this episode of Unwritten Law , Mark Chenoweth and John Vecchione welcome NCLA’s new Senior Litigation Counsel, Jacob Huebert , to unpack Trump v. Cook — a landmark Supreme…
Oct 31, 2025 · 29:43
The Supreme Court is set to hear Trump v. Slaughter , a landmark case that could finally overturn Humphrey’s Executor —the 1935 decision that created “independent” federal…
Oct 28, 2025 · 25:34
Mark Chenoweth and John Vecchione are joined by NCLA’s Andy Morris to discuss one of the most consequential Supreme Court cases of the term — whether the president can impose…
Oct 21, 2025 · 16:13
In part two of Unwritten Law’s conversation with John Malcolm and Professor Josh Blackman , hosts Mark Chenoweth and John Vecchione explore the deeper substance of The Heritage…
Oct 17, 2025 · 22:04
In this episode of Unwritten Law , Mark Chenoweth and John Vecchione sit down with John Malcolm and Professor Josh Blackman to discuss The Heritage Guide to the Constitution,…
Oct 14, 2025 · 16:01
Staff attorney Andreia Trifoi joins Mark Chenoweth and John Vecchione to discuss West Virginia v. B.P.J. , one of the Supreme Court’s most consequential upcoming cases on women’s…
Oct 10, 2025 · 19:41
Mark Chenoweth and John Vecchione look back on two decades of the Roberts Court, reflecting on its most consequential rulings—from overturning Roe and Chevron to affirming the…
Oct 7, 2025 · 18:47
Mark Chenoweth and John Vecchione are joined by Peggy Little to discuss the latest challenge to the SEC’s unconstitutional gag rule. After years of litigation, Peggy and her…
Oct 3, 2025 · 21:59
Mark Chenoweth and John Vecchione are joined by Andy Morris to discuss their en banc petition in Newman v. Moore . The case raises serious questions about judicial discipline,…
Sep 30, 2025 · 19:21
Mark Chenoweth and John Vecchione welcome Kara Rollins to unpack her latest brief challenging the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s attempt to expand “durable infant products”…
Sep 26, 2025 · 15:13
Mark Chenoweth and John Vecchione are joined by NCLA Senior Litigation Counsel Russ Ryan to celebrate a major win for Father Emmanuel Lemelson. After more than ten years of…
Sep 23, 2025 · 21:34
Mark Chenoweth and John Vecchione dig into the upcoming Supreme Court arguments over presidential tariff powers. With billions in disputed tariffs at stake, they explore…
Sep 19, 2025 · 23:33
Mark Chenoweth is joined by Margot Cleveland to discuss new revelations about the State Department’s role in Biden-era censorship, uncovered through NCLA’s lawsuit and recent…
Sep 16, 2025 · 26:40
On Constitution Day, Mark Chenoweth and John Vecchione dive into John’s new article in Cato’s Supreme Court Review , previewing the Supreme Court’s 2025 term. From the…
Sep 12, 2025 · 21:07
When Father Emmanuel Lemelson criticized a pharmaceutical company, the SEC came after him. Ten years later, the fight continues — with questions of jury trials, due process, and…
Sep 9, 2025 · 17:49
The D.C. Circuit’s Slaughter v. Trump decision spotlights a constitutional clash: Can the president remove FTC commissioners, Federal Reserve governors, and other “independent”…
Sep 5, 2025 · 23:42
A recent Federal Circuit ruling has thrown the administration’s sweeping tariff program into doubt, raising major questions about presidential emergency powers, trade policy, and…
Sep 2, 2025 · 17:02
In this episode of Unwritten Law , hosts Mark Chenoweth and John Vecchione unpack the Supreme Court’s split, middle-of-August orders in NIH v. American Public Health Association:…
Aug 29, 2025 · 21:29
In this episode of Unwritten Law , hosts Mark Chenoweth and John Vecchione unpack a 77-page district-court opinion from New Jersey that halted prosecutions because the U.S.…
Aug 26, 2025 · 13:24
In this episode of Unwritten Law , hosts Mark Chenoweth and John Vecchione dissect DOJ’s unusual Rule 28(j) filing in the Federal Circuit tariff appeal, V.O.S. Selections, Inc.…
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