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| Journal of Law and Courts | |
|---|---|
| Title | Journal of Law and Courts |
| Discipline | Law, Political Science |
| Abbreviation | J. Law Courts |
| Publisher | University of Chicago Press |
| Country | United States |
| History | 2013–present |
| Frequency | Quarterly |
| Issn | 2164-8023 |
Journal of Law and Courts is a peer-reviewed academic journal focusing on empirical and theoretical studies at the intersection of law and judicial institutions. The journal publishes research on courts, judicial decision-making, legal procedures, and the effects of adjudication on public policy, featuring contributions from scholars affiliated with universities, think tanks, and research institutes. It attracts work that engages with comparative studies, quantitative methods, historical analysis, and interdisciplinary approaches.
The journal was founded in 2013 amid scholarly conversations at institutions such as University of Chicago, Harvard University, Yale University, Stanford University, and Princeton University, reflecting intellectual currents traced to debates involving figures from Alexander Hamilton-era jurisprudence through twentieth-century developments associated with the Warren Court, Marbury v. Madison, and scholars linked to Legal Realism and Law and Economics. Early editorial efforts drew on networks including faculty from Columbia University, New York University, University of Michigan, University of California, Berkeley, and Cornell University. Its launch corresponded with broader publication trends exemplified by journals like American Political Science Review, Law and Society Review, and Journal of Legal Studies.
The journal covers empirical analyses of litigation patterns, comparative assessments of constitutional adjudication, and studies of judicial behavior pertinent to cases such as Brown v. Board of Education, Roe v. Wade, and Citizens United v. FEC. Topics include judicial appointment processes visible in contexts like the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee and the Supreme Court of the United States, statutory interpretation debates reminiscent of those involving the Chevron U.S.A., Inc. v. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc. doctrine, and administrative law interactions with entities such as the Administrative Procedure Act and the Federal Communications Commission. Methodological approaches range from quantitative analysis using datasets comparable to those in studies of the European Court of Human Rights and the International Criminal Court to historical case studies invoking archives like the National Archives and Records Administration and comparative law work referencing courts in United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, France, Japan, and India.
The journal is published quarterly by University of Chicago Press with editorial leadership drawn from scholars associated with institutions including University of California, Los Angeles, Duke University, Northwestern University, Vanderbilt University, Georgetown University Law Center, and Boston University. Peer review is double-blind and submissions undergo editorial triage paralleling procedures used by journals such as The Journal of Politics and Political Analysis. The editorial board has featured members who have held fellowships at organizations like the National Science Foundation, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Brookings Institution, and the Hoover Institution. Special issues have been organized around themes related to constitutional crises like the Watergate scandal and landmark reforms comparable to the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
The journal is abstracted and indexed in major services utilized by scholars affiliated with repositories like JSTOR, Scopus, Web of Science, EBSCOhost, and ProQuest. Its articles appear in citation databases consulted by scholars engaged with metrics used by Google Scholar, CrossRef, and SSRN. Libraries cataloging the journal include holdings at the Library of Congress, British Library, Harvard Law School Library, and the Bodleian Libraries.
Scholars writing in venues such as American Journal of Political Science, Journal of Empirical Legal Studies, Perspectives on Politics, and Political Science Quarterly have cited the journal's contributions to debates on judicial independence, polarization, and accountability exemplified by controversies involving the Federalist Society, the American Bar Association, and high-profile confirmations before the U.S. Senate. Its influence is visible in policy discussions at institutions including the U.S. Department of Justice, the European Commission, International Monetary Fund policy papers, and briefs submitted to courts including the Supreme Court of the United States and the European Court of Human Rights. Citation analyses place the journal among specialized outlets shaping literature on judicial politics alongside titles such as Law & Society Review.
Notable contributions have examined judicial decision-making using methods akin to those in studies of Elections, Voting Behavior, and Political Polarization; assessed rulemaking and agency oversight comparable to analyses of the Congressional Review Act; and provided comparative case studies involving institutions like the Constitutional Court of South Africa and the Bundesverfassungsgericht. Influential articles have engaged topics related to landmark litigation including United States v. Nixon-style executive privilege disputes, procedural reforms reminiscent of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, sentencing studies related to reforms like the First Step Act, and empirical work on public opinion responses to decisions similar to those in Bush v. Gore. Authors publishing in the journal have included scholars linked to research centers such as the Center for American Progress, Cato Institute, Hoover Institution, and academic prizes associated with the American Political Science Association and the Law and Society Association.
Category:Legal journals