Choosing State Supreme Court Justices

Choosing State Supreme Court Justices

Author: Greg Goelzhauser

Publisher: Temple University Press

Published: 2016-06-15

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781439913390

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Since 1940, more than half of all states have switched at least in part from popular election or elite appointment to experiment with merit selection in choosing some or all of their state supreme court justices. Under merit selection, a commission—often comprising some combination of judges, attorneys, and the general public—is tasked with considering applications from candidates vying to fill a judicial vacancy. Ostensibly, the commission forwards the best candidates to the governor, who ultimately appoints them. Presently, numerous states are debating whether to adopt or abolish merit selection. In his short, sharp book, Choosing State Supreme Court Justices, Greg Goelzhauser utilizes new data on more than 1,500 state supreme court justices seated from 1960 through 2014 to answer the question, Does merit selection produce better types of judges? He traces the rise of merit selection and explores whether certain judicial selection institutions favor candidates who have better qualifications, are more diverse, and have different types of professional experience. Goelzhauser’s results ultimately contribute to the broader debate concerning comparative institutional performance with respect to state judicial selection.


Book Synopsis Choosing State Supreme Court Justices by : Greg Goelzhauser

Download or read book Choosing State Supreme Court Justices written by Greg Goelzhauser and published by Temple University Press. This book was released on 2016-06-15 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Since 1940, more than half of all states have switched at least in part from popular election or elite appointment to experiment with merit selection in choosing some or all of their state supreme court justices. Under merit selection, a commission—often comprising some combination of judges, attorneys, and the general public—is tasked with considering applications from candidates vying to fill a judicial vacancy. Ostensibly, the commission forwards the best candidates to the governor, who ultimately appoints them. Presently, numerous states are debating whether to adopt or abolish merit selection. In his short, sharp book, Choosing State Supreme Court Justices, Greg Goelzhauser utilizes new data on more than 1,500 state supreme court justices seated from 1960 through 2014 to answer the question, Does merit selection produce better types of judges? He traces the rise of merit selection and explores whether certain judicial selection institutions favor candidates who have better qualifications, are more diverse, and have different types of professional experience. Goelzhauser’s results ultimately contribute to the broader debate concerning comparative institutional performance with respect to state judicial selection.

Judicial Merit Selection

Judicial Merit Selection

Author: Greg Goelzhauser

Publisher:

Published: 2019-02-22

Total Pages: 217

ISBN-13: 1439918082

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The judicial selection debate continues. Merit selection is used by a majority of states but remains the least well understood method for choosing judges. Proponents claim that it emphasizes qualifications and diversity over politics, but there is little empirical evidence regarding its performance. In Judicial Merit Selection, Greg Goelzhauser amasses a wealth of data to examine merit selection's institutional performance from an internal perspective. While his previous book, Choosing State Supreme Court Justices, compares outcomes across selection mechanisms, here he delves into what makes merit selection unique--its use of nominating commissions to winnow applicants prior to gubernatorial appointment. Goelzhauser's analyses include a rich case study from inside a nominating commission's proceedings as it works to choose nominees; the use of public records to examine which applicants commissions choose and which nominees governors choose; evaluation of which attorneys apply for consideration and which judges apply for promotion; and examination of whether design differences across systems impact performance in the seating of qualified and diverse judges. The results have critical public policy implications.


Book Synopsis Judicial Merit Selection by : Greg Goelzhauser

Download or read book Judicial Merit Selection written by Greg Goelzhauser and published by . This book was released on 2019-02-22 with total page 217 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The judicial selection debate continues. Merit selection is used by a majority of states but remains the least well understood method for choosing judges. Proponents claim that it emphasizes qualifications and diversity over politics, but there is little empirical evidence regarding its performance. In Judicial Merit Selection, Greg Goelzhauser amasses a wealth of data to examine merit selection's institutional performance from an internal perspective. While his previous book, Choosing State Supreme Court Justices, compares outcomes across selection mechanisms, here he delves into what makes merit selection unique--its use of nominating commissions to winnow applicants prior to gubernatorial appointment. Goelzhauser's analyses include a rich case study from inside a nominating commission's proceedings as it works to choose nominees; the use of public records to examine which applicants commissions choose and which nominees governors choose; evaluation of which attorneys apply for consideration and which judges apply for promotion; and examination of whether design differences across systems impact performance in the seating of qualified and diverse judges. The results have critical public policy implications.

Standards on State Judicial Selection

Standards on State Judicial Selection

Author: American Bar Association. Commission on State Judicial Selection Standards

Publisher:

Published: 2001

Total Pages: 74

ISBN-13:

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"The Standards on State Judicial Selection were approved by the American Bar Association House of Delegates in July 2000"--Prelim. p.


Book Synopsis Standards on State Judicial Selection by : American Bar Association. Commission on State Judicial Selection Standards

Download or read book Standards on State Judicial Selection written by American Bar Association. Commission on State Judicial Selection Standards and published by . This book was released on 2001 with total page 74 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "The Standards on State Judicial Selection were approved by the American Bar Association House of Delegates in July 2000"--Prelim. p.

Judicial Selection in the States

Judicial Selection in the States

Author: Herbert M. Kritzer

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2020-04-30

Total Pages: 401

ISBN-13: 1108496334

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How do legal professionalism and politics influence efforts to structure the process of selecting and retaining state judges?


Book Synopsis Judicial Selection in the States by : Herbert M. Kritzer

Download or read book Judicial Selection in the States written by Herbert M. Kritzer and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2020-04-30 with total page 401 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How do legal professionalism and politics influence efforts to structure the process of selecting and retaining state judges?

The Selection and Tenure of Judges

The Selection and Tenure of Judges

Author: Evan Haynes

Publisher: The Lawbook Exchange, Ltd.

Published: 2005

Total Pages: 328

ISBN-13: 1584774835

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Haynes, Evan. The Selection and Tenure of Judges. [Newark]: The National Conference of Judicial Councils, 1944. xix, 308 pp. Reprint available January, 2005 by the Lawbook Exchange, Ltd. ISBN 1-58477-483-5. Cloth. $85. * With an introduction by Roscoe Pound. Haynes offers a comprehensive overview of the factors that determine judicial selection in the United States. It is also a useful history of the subject from the colonial era to 1943. Written with input from Pound, Haynes offers a sociological analysis enriched with an impressive body of statistical data. He examines such factors as class and region affiliation, and whether elected judges are more liberal than their tenured colleagues. He also compares American practices to those in Great Britain, Canada, France, Italy, Germany, Scandinavia and Latin America. Warmly received when it was first published, it is recommended by Willard Hurst in The Growth of American Law: The Lawmakers (see p. 454).


Book Synopsis The Selection and Tenure of Judges by : Evan Haynes

Download or read book The Selection and Tenure of Judges written by Evan Haynes and published by The Lawbook Exchange, Ltd.. This book was released on 2005 with total page 328 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Haynes, Evan. The Selection and Tenure of Judges. [Newark]: The National Conference of Judicial Councils, 1944. xix, 308 pp. Reprint available January, 2005 by the Lawbook Exchange, Ltd. ISBN 1-58477-483-5. Cloth. $85. * With an introduction by Roscoe Pound. Haynes offers a comprehensive overview of the factors that determine judicial selection in the United States. It is also a useful history of the subject from the colonial era to 1943. Written with input from Pound, Haynes offers a sociological analysis enriched with an impressive body of statistical data. He examines such factors as class and region affiliation, and whether elected judges are more liberal than their tenured colleagues. He also compares American practices to those in Great Britain, Canada, France, Italy, Germany, Scandinavia and Latin America. Warmly received when it was first published, it is recommended by Willard Hurst in The Growth of American Law: The Lawmakers (see p. 454).

Choosing Justice

Choosing Justice

Author: Charles H. Sheldon

Publisher: Washington State University Press

Published: 1997

Total Pages: 314

ISBN-13:

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How judges weigh the competing demands of public accountability and judicial independence often is influenced by the process that recruits them to the bench. In Choosing Justice, the authors provide an analytical framework for measuring how the different modes of selection influence the behavior of elected and appointed judges. Using case studies, Sheldon and Maule apply an articulation model to state and federal selection experiences in order to understand why some judges accept a degree of accountability for their policy decisions, while others feel free to ignore political pressure.


Book Synopsis Choosing Justice by : Charles H. Sheldon

Download or read book Choosing Justice written by Charles H. Sheldon and published by Washington State University Press. This book was released on 1997 with total page 314 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How judges weigh the competing demands of public accountability and judicial independence often is influenced by the process that recruits them to the bench. In Choosing Justice, the authors provide an analytical framework for measuring how the different modes of selection influence the behavior of elected and appointed judges. Using case studies, Sheldon and Maule apply an articulation model to state and federal selection experiences in order to understand why some judges accept a degree of accountability for their policy decisions, while others feel free to ignore political pressure.

Deciding to Decide

Deciding to Decide

Author: H. W. Perry

Publisher: Harvard University Press

Published: 2009-06-01

Total Pages: 332

ISBN-13: 9780674042063

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Of the nearly five thousand cases presented to the Supreme Court each year, less than 5 percent are granted review. How the Court sets its agenda, therefore, is perhaps as important as how it decides cases. H. W. Perry, Jr., takes the first hard look at the internal workings of the Supreme Court, illuminating its agenda-setting policies, procedures, and priorities as never before. He conveys a wealth of new information in clear prose and integrates insights he gathered in unprecedented interviews with five justices. For this unique study Perry also interviewed four U.S. solicitors general, several deputy solicitors general, seven judges on the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, and sixty-four former Supreme Court law clerks. The clerks and justices spoke frankly with Perry, and his skillful analysis of their responses is the mainspring of this book. His engaging report demystifies the Court, bringing it vividly to life for general readers--as well as political scientists and a wide spectrum of readers throughout the legal profession. Perry not only provides previously unpublished information on how the Court operates but also gives us a new way of thinking about the institution. Among his contributions is a decision-making model that is more convincing and persuasive than the standard model for explaining judicial behavior.


Book Synopsis Deciding to Decide by : H. W. Perry

Download or read book Deciding to Decide written by H. W. Perry and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 2009-06-01 with total page 332 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Of the nearly five thousand cases presented to the Supreme Court each year, less than 5 percent are granted review. How the Court sets its agenda, therefore, is perhaps as important as how it decides cases. H. W. Perry, Jr., takes the first hard look at the internal workings of the Supreme Court, illuminating its agenda-setting policies, procedures, and priorities as never before. He conveys a wealth of new information in clear prose and integrates insights he gathered in unprecedented interviews with five justices. For this unique study Perry also interviewed four U.S. solicitors general, several deputy solicitors general, seven judges on the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, and sixty-four former Supreme Court law clerks. The clerks and justices spoke frankly with Perry, and his skillful analysis of their responses is the mainspring of this book. His engaging report demystifies the Court, bringing it vividly to life for general readers--as well as political scientists and a wide spectrum of readers throughout the legal profession. Perry not only provides previously unpublished information on how the Court operates but also gives us a new way of thinking about the institution. Among his contributions is a decision-making model that is more convincing and persuasive than the standard model for explaining judicial behavior.

The Judicial Tug of War

The Judicial Tug of War

Author: Adam Bonica

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2020-12-17

Total Pages: 335

ISBN-13: 1108841368

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Presents a novel theory explaining how and why politicians and lawyers politicise courts.


Book Synopsis The Judicial Tug of War by : Adam Bonica

Download or read book The Judicial Tug of War written by Adam Bonica and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2020-12-17 with total page 335 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Presents a novel theory explaining how and why politicians and lawyers politicise courts.

Electing Judges

Electing Judges

Author: James L. Gibson

Publisher: University of Chicago Press

Published: 2012-09-20

Total Pages: 240

ISBN-13: 0226291103

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A revealing and provocative study of the effects of judicial elections on state courts and public perceptions of impartiality. In Electing Judges, leading judicial politics scholar James L. Gibson responds to the growing concern that the realities of campaigning are undermining judicial independence and even the rule of law. Armed with empirical evidence, Gibson offers the most systematic and comprehensive study to date of the impact of judicial elections on public perceptions of fairness, impartiality, and the legitimacy of state courts—and his findings are both counterintuitive and controversial. Gibson finds that ordinary Americans do not conclude from campaign promises that judges are incapable of making impartial decisions. Instead, he shows, they understand the process of deciding cases to be an exercise in policy making, rather than of simply applying laws to individual cases—and consequently think it’s important for candidates to reveal where they stand on important issues. Negative advertising also turns out to have a limited effect on perceptions of judicial legitimacy, though certain kinds of campaign contributions can create the appearance of improper bias. Taking both the good and bad into consideration, Gibson argues persuasively that elections are ultimately beneficial in boosting the institutional legitimacy of courts, despite the slight negative effects of some campaign activities


Book Synopsis Electing Judges by : James L. Gibson

Download or read book Electing Judges written by James L. Gibson and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2012-09-20 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A revealing and provocative study of the effects of judicial elections on state courts and public perceptions of impartiality. In Electing Judges, leading judicial politics scholar James L. Gibson responds to the growing concern that the realities of campaigning are undermining judicial independence and even the rule of law. Armed with empirical evidence, Gibson offers the most systematic and comprehensive study to date of the impact of judicial elections on public perceptions of fairness, impartiality, and the legitimacy of state courts—and his findings are both counterintuitive and controversial. Gibson finds that ordinary Americans do not conclude from campaign promises that judges are incapable of making impartial decisions. Instead, he shows, they understand the process of deciding cases to be an exercise in policy making, rather than of simply applying laws to individual cases—and consequently think it’s important for candidates to reveal where they stand on important issues. Negative advertising also turns out to have a limited effect on perceptions of judicial legitimacy, though certain kinds of campaign contributions can create the appearance of improper bias. Taking both the good and bad into consideration, Gibson argues persuasively that elections are ultimately beneficial in boosting the institutional legitimacy of courts, despite the slight negative effects of some campaign activities

Does Judicial-selection Method Make a Difference?

Does Judicial-selection Method Make a Difference?

Author: Daniel Ray Pinello

Publisher:

Published: 1991

Total Pages: 286

ISBN-13:

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Book Synopsis Does Judicial-selection Method Make a Difference? by : Daniel Ray Pinello

Download or read book Does Judicial-selection Method Make a Difference? written by Daniel Ray Pinello and published by . This book was released on 1991 with total page 286 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: