{"podcast":{"title":"Unwritten Law","slug":"unwritten-law-7233280","podcast_index_feed_id":7233280,"rss_url":"https://feeds.captivate.fm/unwritten-law/","website_url":"https://nclalegal.org/media/unwritten-law/","image_url":"https://artwork.captivate.fm/4e6a8de9-fe92-45b5-9f8f-906c310aa90c/8tfnSzWGybasy_xFa3_tP4Hx.jpg","author":"Mark Chenoweth & John Vecchione","episode_count":129,"summary":"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 limited government. Whether the topic is the Supreme Court, free speech, property rights, due process, jury trials, executive power, or the separation of powers, Unwritten Law explains the legal issues behind today's biggest constitutional debates in clear, accessible language. You'll hear directly from the attorneys litigating landmark cases, as well as clients whose lives and livelihoods have been changed by unlawful government action. Produced by the New Civil Liberti…","last_synced_at":"2026-08-01T16:20:49.476532+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/unwritten-law-7233280"},"episode":{"title":"Can Illinois Require Permission to Touch a Gun?","slug":"can-illinois-require-permission-to-touch-a-gun","published_at":"2026-05-28T13:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/unwritten-law-7233280/can-illinois-require-permission-to-touch-a-gun","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/unwritten-law-7233280","url":"https://unwritten-law.captivate.fm/episode/can-illinois-require-permission-to-touch-a-gun","audio_url":"https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/de5febdf-013f-4adf-a974-9dd78e7bbad7.mp3","summary":"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 Huebert to discuss a newly filed federal lawsuit challenging Illinois’ Firearm Owner’s Identification (FOID) card system. The case, Laurent v. Kelly , argues that Illinois unconstitutionally requires residents to obtain government permission before they may possess, use, or even touch a firearm in their own homes. NCLA contends that the law violates both the Second Amendment and the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment by forcing citizens to seek approval from the government before exercising a fundamental constitutional right. Jacob explains how the FOID system works, why delays and administrative hurdles can prevent law-abiding citizens from exercising self-defense rights for months at a time, and how the law compares to unconstitutional “prior restraints” in the First Amendment context. The episode also examines the experiences of the lawsuit’s plaintiffs, including a Navy veteran and Chicago residents who object to the idea that constitutional rights should depend on government permission slips. Mark, John, and Jacob further discuss the implications of the Supreme Court’s Bruen decision and why this challenge could have consequences beyond Illinois.","meta_description":"In this episode of Unwritten Law , NCLA President and Chief Legal Officer Mark Chenoweth and Senior Litigation Counsel John Vecchione are joined by Litiga…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":1029,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/unwritten-law-7233280/episodes/can-illinois-require-permission-to-touch-a-gun/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/unwritten-law-7233280/can-illinois-require-permission-to-touch-a-gun.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}