Rule of Law Under Siege: Pam Karlan, Rob Bonta, Ruth Marcus

Host Jim Steyer tackles the sweeping attempts to undermine the Justice Department. His esteemed guests include California Attorney General Rob Bonta, renowned journalist Ruth Marcus, and Stanford Law Professor Pam Karlan. The panel offers timely insights on the erosion of the rule of law, the weaponization of the Department of Justice, the challenges faced by career civil servants, and the significant cases the U.S. Supreme Court is about to decide. 

 

How serious is the dismantling of the Justice Department? What's the potential damage? And how does this moment in time compare to Watergate?

 

Listen to this episode of Which Side of History and find out:

 

00:00 Comparing Watergate to Current Justice Department Issues

00:51 Introduction to the Podcast and Today's Topic

01:34 Discussion with Rob Bonta on Rule of Law Challenges

07:30 Ruth Marcus on Checks and Balances

10:57 Pam Karlan on the Justice Department's Integrity

15:58 Rob Bonta on Political Weaponization of Prosecution

19:14 Historical Context and Future of the Rule of Law

29:15 Role of States in Upholding Democratic Principles

34:18 Lower Courts' Struggles and Reactions

36:36 Early Capitulation of Law Firms

39:13 Supreme Court's Role and Influence

43:30 The Shadow Docket and Key Cases

01:00:37 Birthright Citizenship and Legal Precedents

01:07:18 Concluding Thoughts and Future Implications

 

The panel was recorded on November 3, 2025 at Stanford University.