About this episode

This episode discusses the implications and history of universal injunctions in the U.S. legal system with legal scholar Samuel Bray.

In recent years, a judge in one state had gained the power to halt policies across the entire United States. Known as nationwide or universal injunctions, these actions have become one of the sweeping tools in the federal court—affecting cases ranging from student loan forgiveness to environmental policies to birthright citizenship. How did universal injunctions become such a central feature of modern constitutional battles? And should one judge really be able to block a policy for the entire country? In this episode, UChicago legal scholar Samuel Bray explains the history and legal debate behind such actions, including his research which was cited more than a dozen times in the 2025 Supreme Court case Trump v. Casa, which examined how courts use this remedy—and whether injunctions fit within the Constitution’s design.

People in this episode

Host: University of Chicago Podcast Network

Guest: Samuel Bray

Topics covered

• judicial power
• universal injunctions
• constitutional law
• legal debate
• federal court

Keywords

• universal injunctions
• judicial power
• constitutional battles
• federal court
• legal history

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: University of Chicago

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