The Evolution of State Supreme Courts

Authors

Robert A. Kagan, University of California, Berkeley
Bliss Cartwright, University of Virginia
Lawrence M. Friedman, Stanford University
Stanton Wheeler, Yale UniversityFollow

Abstract

Part I of this Article describes in broad quantitative terms the changing relationship between the caseload of supreme courts and the population of the states in which these courts sit. Part II examines the various means states used to control supreme court caseloads, the political problems involved, and the types of courts that have resulted. Part III presents evidence that changes in court organization in response to caseload pressure are accompanied by changes in the kinds of cases state supreme courts hear, the style of their opinions, and the results of the cases.

Recommended Citation

Robert A. Kagan, Bliss Cartwright, Lawrence M. Friedman & Stanton Wheeler, The Evolution of State Supreme Courts, 76 Mich. L. Rev. 961 (1978).
Available at: https://repository.law.umich.edu/mlr/vol76/iss6/3