Peter Shamshiri
Lawyer-adjacent. Co-host. Spends most episodes calmly explaining why a unanimous decision is somehow still terrible. Find him on Bluesky at @notalawyer.bsky.social.
About the show
A progressive, occasionally profane take on the Court.
5-4 is a podcast about how much the Supreme Court sucks. Each week, Peter, Rhiannon, and Michael walk through a landmark case — what the Court actually decided, what the doctrine has done to people since, and what the dissents got right.
The show is produced by Rachel Ward. Editorial support comes from Leon Neyfakh. Researcher: Jonathan DeBruin. Artwork by Teddy Blanks at Chips NY. Theme song by Spatial Relations. The whole operation is a production of Prologue Projects.
The hosts
Rhiannon Hamam
Public defender. Co-host. The most likely to point out, mid-recap, that a doctrine sounds reasonable until you imagine a real cop using it. @aywarhiannon.bsky.social.
Michael Liroff
Not a lawyer either. Co-host. Reliable source of grim economic context and the occasional incredibly cursed analogy. @fleerultra.bsky.social.
How the show is funded
5-4 is independent. There is no parent media company. The public feed runs ads; the members-only feed doesn't. Subscriber dollars pay producers and researchers and keep the show on the air. If you've ever caught yourself yelling at the dog about Article III standing, consider joining as a member.