Volume 70, Number 6
(November 2017)
Introduction
Nov. 28, 2017—Introduction AUTHORS Alex Carver J.D. Candidate, 2018, Vanderbilt Law School. B.S. & B.A., 2015, Carson-Newman University Susanna Rychlak J.D., 2017, Vanderbilt Law School. B.A., 2014, University of Mississippi
Introduction: The Effects of Selection Method on Public Officials
Nov. 28, 2017—Introduction The Effects of Selection Method on Public Officials AUTHOR Clayton J. Masterman J.D./Ph.D. in Law and Economics, expected 2019, Vanderbilt Law School
Adjudicating Death: Professionals or Politicians?
Nov. 28, 2017—Adjudicating Death AUTHORS Stephen J. Choi Professor of Law, NYU School of Law Mitu Gulati Professor of Law, Duke University School of Law
The Ideological Consequences of Selection: A Nationwide Study of the Methods of Selecting Judges
Nov. 28, 2017—The-Ideological-Consequences-of-Selection AUTHOR Brian T. Fitzpatrick Professor of Law, Vanderbilt Law School
Judging Law in Election Cases
Nov. 28, 2017—Judging Law in Election Cases AUTHORS Michael S. Kang Thomas Simmons Professor of Law, Emory University School of Law Joanna M. Shepherd Professor of Law, Emory University School of Law
Judicial Reform as a Tug of War: How Ideological Differences Between Politicians and the Bar Explain Attempts at Judicial Reform
Nov. 28, 2017—Judicial Reform as a Tug of War ABSTRACT What predicts attempts at judicial reform? We develop a broad, generalizable framework that both explains and predicts attempts at judicial reform. Specifically, we explore the political tug of war created by the polarization between the bar and political actors, in tandem with existing judicial selection mechanisms. The...
Introduction: Perceived Legitimacy and the State Judiciary
Nov. 28, 2017—Percieved Legitimacy and the State Judiciary AUTHOR G. Alexander Nunn Ph.D. candidate, Yale University; J.D., 2016, Vanderbilt Law School
The Effects of Trial Judge Gender and Public Opinion on Criminal Sentencing Decisions
Nov. 28, 2017—The Effects of Trial Judge Gender and Public Opinion on Criminal Sentencing Decisions ABSTRACT We explore the effects of a trial judge’s gender in criminal sentencing decisions by addressing two unsettled questions. First, do female and male trial judges sentence criminal offenders differently from one another? While numerous qualitative and quantitative scholars have examined this...
Public Perceptions of Gender Bias in the Decisions of Female State Court Judges
Nov. 28, 2017—Public Perceptions of Gender Bias in the Decisions of Female State Court Judges ABSTRACT How are women on the bench, and their decisions, perceived by the public? Many scholars find that gender influences the voting behavior of judges and the assessment of judges by state judicial systems and the American Bar Association. However, few scholars...
Measuring Justice in State Courts: The Demographics of the State Judiciary
Nov. 28, 2017—Measuring Justice in State Courts ABSTRACT For most individuals and organizations, state courts—especially state trial courts—are the “law” for all effective purposes. State courts are America’s courts. But, we know surprisingly little about state court judges despite their central and powerful role in lawmaking and dispute resolution. This lack of information is especially significant because...
Judicial Laterals
Nov. 28, 2017—Judicial Laterals AUTHOR Jonathan Remy Nash Robert Howell Hall Professor of Law, Emory University School of Law
Introduction: The Power of New Data and Technology
Nov. 28, 2017—The Power of New Data AUTHOR Laura E. Dolbow Judicial Law Clerk on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. J.D., Vanderbilt Law School; B.A., Vanderbilt University
State Criminal Appeals Revealed
Nov. 28, 2017—State Criminal Appeals Revealed AUTHOR Michael Heise Professor, Cornell Law School Nancy J. King Speir Professor, Vanderbilt University Law School Nicole A. Heise A.B., 2013, Amherst College; J.D. Candidate, 2018, University of Chicago Law School
Contingent Fee Litigation in New York City
Nov. 28, 2017—Contingent Fee Litigation in New York City ABTRACT Since 1957, New York courts have required contingent fee lawyers to file “closing statements” that disclose settlement amounts, lawyers’ fees, an accounting of expenses, and other information. This Article provides a preliminary analysis of these data for the period 2004–2013. Among this Article’s findings are that settlement...
Improving Access to Justice in State Courts with Platform Technology
Nov. 28, 2017—Improving Access to Justice in State Courts with Platform Technology ABSTRACT Access to justice often equates to access to state courts, and for millions of Americans, using state courts to resolve their disputes—often with the government—is a real challenge. Reforms are regularly proposed in the hopes of improving the situation (e.g., better legal aid), but...
Judicial Politics and Decisionmaking: A New Approach
Nov. 28, 2017—Judicial Politics and Decisionmaking ABSTRACT In twenty-five different experiments conducted on over 2,200 judges, we assessed whether judges’ political ideology influences their resolution of hypothetical cases. Generally, we found that the political ideology of the judge matters, but only very little. Across a range of bankruptcy, criminal, and civil cases, we found that the aggregate...