Purpose. This seminar has two basic purposes: to introduce students to the state of the art in social-scientific studies of the Supreme Court and to cover a series of particular topics, with emphasis on the major controversies within the broader field of law and courts.

Readings. Please purchase:

1. Epstein, Lee and Jack Knight. 1998. The Choices Justices Make. Washington, D.C.: CQ Press.
2. Segal, Jeffrey A. and Harold J. Spaeth. 2002. The Supreme Court and the Attitudinal Model Revisited. Cambridge University Press.
3. Epstein, Lee and Jeffrey A. Segal. 2005. Advice and Consent: The Politics of Judicial Appointments. Oxford University Press.

Grades. I base your grades on class participation (about 50%) and a research paper (about 50%).

Click here for the course outline.
Click here for information about the research paper.