Governing from the Bench

Governing from the Bench
Author: Emmett Macfarlane
Publisher: UBC Press
Total Pages: 266
Release: 2013
Genre: History
ISBN: 077482350X


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In Governing from the Bench, Emmett Macfarlane draws on interviews with current and former justices, law clerks, and other staff members of the court to shed light on the institution’s internal environment and decision-making processes. He explores the complex role of the Supreme Court as an institution; exposes the rules, conventions, and norms that shape and constrain its justices’ behavior; and situates the court in its broader governmental and societal context, as it relates to the elected branches of government, the media, and the public.

Governing from the Bench

Governing from the Bench
Author: Robert L. Turner
Publisher:
Total Pages: 14
Release: 1981
Genre: Judges
ISBN:


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Bench Press

Bench Press
Author: Keith J. Bybee
Publisher:
Total Pages: 240
Release: 2022
Genre: LAW
ISBN: 9780804768382


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Federal court confirmations in the United States have become openly political affairs, with partisans lining up to support their preferred candidates. Matters in the states are not much different, with once sleepy judicial elections changing into ever more contentious political slugfests, replete with single-issue interest groups and negative campaign advertising. Once on the bench, judges at every level find themselves dogged by charges of politically motivated decision-making. In this first-of-its-kind collection, prominent figures from the academy, the bench, and the press reflect on the state of the American judiciary. Using the results of a specially commissioned public opinion poll as a starting point, the contributors examine the complex mix of legal principle, political maneuvering, and press coverage that swirl around judicial selection and judicial decision making today. Essays examine the rise of explicitly political state judicial elections, the merits of judicial appointments, the rhetoric of federal judicial confirmation hearings, the quality of legal reporting, the portrayal of courts on the Internet, the inevitable tensions between judges and journalists, and the importance of regulating judicial appearances. Contributors Include: Keith J. Bybee, Charles Gardner Geyh, G. Alan Tarr, Harold See, James E. Graves, Jr., John M. Walker, Jr., Joanne F. Alper, Mark Obbie, Dahlia Lithwick, Tom Goldstein, and Anthony Lewis.

Leaving the Bench

Leaving the Bench
Author: David Neal Atkinson
Publisher:
Total Pages: 272
Release: 1999
Genre: Law
ISBN:


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Examining each of the nearly 100 men who have left the US Supreme Court, explores their resignations and retirements from the lifetime tenure. Considers the diverse circumstances under which they leave and clarifies why they often are reluctant to do so, finding factors such as pensions, party loyalty, and personal pride. Also relates physical ailments to mental faculties to explain how a justice's disability can affect Court decisions. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Model Rules of Professional Conduct

Model Rules of Professional Conduct
Author: American Bar Association. House of Delegates
Publisher: American Bar Association
Total Pages: 216
Release: 2007
Genre: Law
ISBN: 9781590318737


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The Model Rules of Professional Conduct provides an up-to-date resource for information on legal ethics. Federal, state and local courts in all jurisdictions look to the Rules for guidance in solving lawyer malpractice cases, disciplinary actions, disqualification issues, sanctions questions and much more. In this volume, black-letter Rules of Professional Conduct are followed by numbered Comments that explain each Rule's purpose and provide suggestions for its practical application. The Rules will help you identify proper conduct in a variety of given situations, review those instances where discretionary action is possible, and define the nature of the relationship between you and your clients, colleagues and the courts.

Bench and Book

Bench and Book
Author: Nicholas Hasluck
Publisher: Australian Scholarly Publishing
Total Pages: 362
Release: 2021-07-28
Genre: Authors
ISBN: 9781922669124


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In both law and literature, Nicholas Hasluck has been a player and a commentator. In this fascinating memoir he uses diaries of his time as a Judge and as Chair of the Literature Board to explore intriguing issues at the start of the new century, from culture wars in Australia to al-Qaeda's terrorist attack in New York. He turns an astute gaze on battles in the courts and everyday struggles and delusions. He watches self-styled intellectual leaders nail their colours to the mast with an air of heroic virtue, though nearly everyone in the room agrees with them. In times when history is often misinterpreted, how can we pass on what has been learnt? How can Australians come together to build a better future, rather than denigrating our institutions and shared past? His views are those of a writer with a principled mind and a ready sense of humour.

Dumbing Down the Courts

Dumbing Down the Courts
Author: John R. Lott, Jr.
Publisher: Hillcrest Publishing Group
Total Pages: 355
Release: 2013-09-17
Genre: Law
ISBN: 1626522499


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Judges have enormous power. They determine whom we can marry, whether we can own firearms, whether the government can mandate that we buy certain products, and how we define "personhood." But who gets to occupy these powerful positions? Up until now, there has been little systematic study of what type of judges get confirmed. In his rigorous yet readable style, John Lott analyzes both historical accounts and large amounts of data to see how the confirmation process has changed over time. Most importantly, Dumbing Down the Courts shows that intelligence has now become a liability for judicial nominees. With courts taking on an ever greater role in our lives, smarter judges are feared by the opposition. Although presidents want brilliant judges who support their positions, senators of the opposing party increasingly "Bork" those nominees who would be the most influential judges, subjecting them to humiliating and long confirmations. The conclusion? The brightest nominees will not end

Constitutional Pariah

Constitutional Pariah
Author: Emmett Macfarlane
Publisher: UBC Press
Total Pages: 228
Release: 2021-04-01
Genre: Law
ISBN: 0774866241


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The Canadian Senate has long been considered an institutional pariah, viewed as an undemocratic, outmoded warehouse for patronage appointments and mired in spending and workload scandals. In 2014, the federal government was compelled to refer constitutional questions to the Supreme Court relating to its attempts to enact senatorial elections and term limits. Constitutional Pariah explores the aftermath of Reference re Senate Reform, which barred major unilateral alteration of the Senate by Parliament. Ironically, the decision resulted in one of the most sweeping parliamentary reforms in Canadian history, creating a pathway to informal changes in the appointments process that have curbed patronage and partisanship. Despite reinvigorating the Senate, Reference re Senate Reform has far-reaching implications for constitutional reform in other contexts. Macfarlane’s sharp critique suggests that the Court’s nebulous approach to the amending formula raises the spectre of a frozen constitution, unable to evolve with the country.

Leaving the Bench

Leaving the Bench
Author: David N. Atkinson
Publisher: University Press of Kansas
Total Pages: 262
Release: 1998-12-31
Genre: Law
ISBN: 0700610588


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Suffering from a bad heart, emphysema, glaucoma, and deafness, Thurgood Marshall finally retired from the Supreme Court at the age of 82 in spite of having always claimed "I was appointed to a life term, and I intend to serve it." Many observers felt he should have left much earlier. Life appointments make Supreme Court justices among the most powerful officials in government and allow even dysfunctional judges to stay on long after they should have departed. For that reason, when a justice leaves the bench is often as controversial as when he's appointed. This first comprehensive historical treatment of their deaths, resignations, and retirements explains when and why justices do step down. It considers the diverse circumstances under which they leave office and clarifies why they often are reluctant to, showing how factors like pensions, party loyalty, or personal pride come into play. It also relates physical ailments to mental faculties, offering examples of how a justice's disability sometimes affects Court decisions. David Atkinson examines each of the nearly 100 men who have left the bench and provides anecdotal glimpses into the lives of famous and obscure justices alike. He reveals how men like Salmon Chase and William O. Douglas determinedly continued to serve after suffering strokes, how Joseph McKenna persevered despite knowing he was professionally unqualified, and how, long before Thurgood Marshall, the ailing octogenarian Gabriel Duvall finally retired after struggling to protect another ideological position on the Court. Ultimately, Atkinson shows just how human these people are and enhances our understanding of how the Court conducts its business. He also suggests specific ways to improve the present situation, weighing the pros and cons of mandatory retirement and calling for reform in the delegation of duties to law clerks-who in recent years have dominated the actual writing of many justices' decisions. As the current Court ages, how long might we expect justices to remain on the bench? Because our next president will likely make several appointments, now is the time to consider what shape the Supreme Court will take in the next century. Offering a wealth of information never before collected, Leaving the Bench provides substantial grist for that debate and will serve as an unimpeachable reference on the Court.