Publications

2008. “Remaking the Federal Bench: An Exercise in Futility?” Southern Illinois University Law Journal. 32: 493-508. With Rorie Spill Solberg.

2008. “Sins of Commission?:  Understanding Membership Patterns on the United Nations Human Rights Commission.” Political Research Quarterly. 61(3): 390-402. With Martin Edwards, Susan Allen, and Kate Irvin.

2008. “Judicial Behavior and the Rehnquist Court’s Federalism Revolution.” American Politics Research.  36(1): 85-107.

2007. “Collegial Influences and Judicial Voting Change:  The Effect of Membership Change on U.S. Supreme Court Justices.” Law and Society Review.  41(4): 909-938.  With Scott R. Meinke.

2006. “Shaping the Supreme Court’s Federal Certiorari Docket.” Justice System Journal. 27(2): 191-207.

2006. “Reconsidering the Impact of Jurisprudential Regimes.” Social Science Quarterly. 87(2): 380-394.

2006. “Supreme Court Reversals of the Ninth Circuit.” Arizona Law Review. 48(2): 341-354.

2006. “Policy Statements or Symbolic Politics? Explaining Congressional Court-limiting Attempts.” Judicature. 89(4): 196-201. With Lauren C. Bell.

· article (pdf)

· methodological appendix (pdf)

2006. “Rehnquist and Federalism: An Empirical Perspective.” In The Rehnquist Legacy, ed. Craig Bradley. New York: Cambridge University Press. With Ruth Colker.

2006. “Understanding Judicial Hierarchy: Reversals and the Behavior of Intermediate Appellate Judges.” Law and Society Review. 40(1): 163-192.

2002.  “Dissing States?  Invalidation of State Action During the Rehnquist Era.” Virginia Law Review 88: 1301-1386. With Ruth Colker.

2003. Review of Rehnquist Justice: Understanding the Court Dynamic. Earl Maltz, ed. Law and Politics Book Review 13(7).

Conference Papers

Current versions of these papers may not be posted here. If you would like a copy of the current version, please feel free to e-mail me.

2009. “The Confirmation Process and a Senatorial Norm: Historical Quantification and Analysis of the Senate Blue Slip Process.” Midwestern Political Science Association, Chicago, IL. With Charles Campisano and Janet Box-Steffensmeier.

2008. “Bureaucratic Competition to Direct NLRB Decision Making.” American Political Science Association, Boston, MA. With Jason Mycoff.

2007. “Assessing Changes in State Representation on the U.S. Courts of Appeals.” Midwestern Political Science Association, Chicago, IL. With R. Sam Garrett.

2006. “Supreme Court Influence and the Awareness of Court Decisions.” American Political Science Association, Philadelphia, PA. With Kyle L. Saunders.

2006. “Congressional Reorganization of the Federal Judiciary, 1875-1891.” Midwest Political Science Association, Chicago, IL. With Craig Goodman.

2006. “The Supreme Court and Public Opinion Reconsidered.” Midwest Political Science Association, Chicago, IL. With Kyle L. Saunders.

2005. “Supreme Court Voting Change and Strategic Behavior.” American Political Science Association, Washington, DC. With Scott Meinke.

2005. “And Take Their Robes Too? Modeling Congressional Court-Stripping Attempts.” Midwest Political Science Association, Chicago, IL. With Lauren Cohen Bell.

2004. “Time for a Divorce? Splitting the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.” Midwest Political Science Association, Chicago, IL.

2003. “It’s a Good Job if You Can Get It: The Supreme Court’s Shrinking Caseload.” American Political Science Association, Philadelphia, PA.

2003. “Supreme Court Reversal of Court of Appeals Decisions.” Midwest Political Science Association, Chicago, IL.

2001. “Are Judges ‘Strategary'? Evidence from the US Courts of Appeals.” American Political Science Association, San Francisco, CA.

1999. “Modeling Mistrust: An Event History Analysis of Term Limits for State Legislators.” Southern Political Science Association, Savannah, GA. With Lauren Cohen Bell.

1999. “Judicial Behavior: A Cross-Jurisdictional Analysis.” Midwest Political Science Association, Chicago, IL. With Corey Ditslear.

Dissertation

Double Agents: An Exploration of the Motivations of Court of Appeals Judges

Abstract: U.S. Court of Appeals judges have a more complex set of opportunities and constraints than Supreme Court justices, and their position in the judicial hierarchy allows us to explore the possibility of a variety of goals and means used to achieve those goals. Recent literature on the behavior of court of appeals judges suggests that they pursue policy goals by using strategic means. My research attempts a reexamination of the assumption of strategic behavior by looking at the interaction between the Supreme Court and the courts of appeals. More specifically, I look at what predicts Supreme Court reversal of courts of appeals decisions and what insight the interaction between principal and agent offers about judges’ goals and means.

The articles, conference papers and manuscripts linked here reflect my own views and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts. Last updated June 26, 2009.

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