Peter Shamshiri
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Peter Shamshiri is a journalist, lawyer and podcast host. He was formerly an in-house legal counsel at Metlife, but was fired upon his employers learning of his involvement with the podcast 5-4.[1]
Shamshiri currently co-hosts the podcast 5-4, which examines the United States Supreme Court as an ideological entity, from a critical, progressive perspective, as well as the podcast If Books Could Kill, which critically examines the premises of various popular non-fiction books, primarily focusing on harmful ideas spread through popular literature.[2][3]
Shamshiri is a proponent of legal realism.[4]
Career
[edit]Prior to his work as a podcaster, Shamshiri worked as a lawyer. He has described himself as having had a brief "do-gooder-phase" where he worked as a juvenile defendant, but has otherwise worked in corporate law. His first podcast was Mic Dicta, which was a shared legal podcast hosted by a large group of lawyers.[1] He, along with lawyers Rhiannon Hamam and Michael Liroff, co-hosts the podcast 5-4, which was launched in February 2020 by Prologue Projects. The podcast gained particular popularity after the overturning of Roe v. Wade and has been generally well-received for its irreverent tone and sharp analysis.[5][6] He also co-hosts the podcast If Books Could Kill with journalist Michael Hobbes, which was similarly well-received.[7]
Shamshiri is a writer for legal news site Balls and Strikes.[8] In 2024, he was chosen as one of the new political influencers to watch by The New Republic.[9]
Personal life
[edit]Shamshiri is a pen name. His hobbies include chess and watching undefined sports.[10] He is straight, married and resides in New Jersey. He is a virgo.[2]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Quah, Nicholas (2022-10-20). "When a Supreme Court Podcast Gets You Fired". Vulture. Retrieved 2025-06-13.
- ^ a b "Five Four Pod". www.fivefourpod.com. Retrieved 2025-06-13.
- ^ "If Books Could Kill". Apple Podcasts. Retrieved 2025-06-13.
- ^ Bradley, Kate (2023). "Demystifying the law, one joke at a time". Socialist Lawyer. 93: 46–47.
- ^ Ugwu, Reggie (2022-07-25). "The Hosts of '5-4' Never Trusted the Supreme Court". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-06-13.
- ^ Barasch, Alex (2021-09-17). "The Leftist Lawyers Who Think the Supreme Court Sucks". The New Yorker. ISSN 0028-792X. Retrieved 2025-06-13.
- ^ Marriott, James (2022-11-18). "If Books Could Kill review — the guys debunking smart-thinking". www.thetimes.com. Retrieved 2025-06-13.
- ^ "Peter Shamshiri". Balls and Strikes. Retrieved 2025-06-13.
- ^ "25 Political Influencers to Watch in 2024". The New Republic. ISSN 0028-6583. Retrieved 2025-06-13.
- ^ ""Going Infinite": Michael Lewis Takes On Sam Bankman-Fried". Apple Podcasts. Retrieved 2025-06-13.