What Roman Mars Can Learn About Con Law
In June 2017, Mars launched What Trump Can Teach Us About Con Law, an educational podcast co-hosted with Elizabeth Joh, a professor at the University of California, Davis School of Law. The series analyzes the United States Constitution through the framework of modern executive actions and legal controversies. The show launched without prior announcement, yet quickly reached the top of the podcast charts and surpassed 100,000 downloads within days.[16]
The podcast has been cited by the Nieman Foundation for Journalism and Oxford University Press as a defining example of "civic mediation," noted for its ability to translate complex legal theory for general audiences.[17] Educational institutions, including the University of Sydney and Berkeley Law, have adopted the series as a curriculum resource.[18]
Following a production hiatus in late 2024, the podcast resumed in June 2025. The relaunch introduced a new monthly format, The 99% Invisible Breakdown: The Constitution, which features guest commentators analyzing the text of the Constitution chronologically.[19]
Episodes typically focus on making complex legal concepts, such as the Emoluments Clauses or impeachment, accessible to a general audience. The show features theme music by the hip-hop collective Doomtree and has been highlighted by critics for its educational approach to constitutional scholarship.[20][21]
Initially part of the Radiotopia network, the podcast was included in SiriusXM's 2021 acquisition of Mars’s production company, 99% Invisible Inc.[22] Following a hiatus, Mars and Joh revived the show in June 2025 as a weekly production alongside a companion series, The 99% Invisible Breakdown: The Constitution, which provides a clause-by-clause analysis of the constitutional text.[23]
