The federal courts : challenge and reform

The federal courts : challenge and reform /

The federal courts are the world's most powerful judiciary and a vital element of the American political system. In recent decades, these courts have experienced unprecedented growth in caseload and personnel. Many judges and lawyers believe that a "crisis in quantity" is imperiling t...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Posner, Richard A.
Format: Electronic eBook
Language:English
Published: Cambridge, Mass. : Harvard University Press, 1996.
Subjects:
Courts > United States.
Judicial process > United States.
Judges > United States.
Court congestion and delay > United States.
Online Access: Full text (Emmanuel users only)
Table of Contents:
  • Contents
  • Preface
  • I The Institution
  • 1 The Organization of the Federal Courts
  • The basic structure
  • The judges
  • The state courts compared
  • 2 The Jurisdiction of the Federal Courts
  • II The Challenge
  • 3 The Growth of the Caseload
  • Caseload â€?
  • Versus Workload
  • Caseload and workload in the Supreme Court
  • The Chicken Little question
  • 4 Why the Caseload Has Grown So
  • Models of caseload growth
  • The district courts
  • The courts of appeals
  • The Supreme Court
  • 5 Consequences: The System Expands â€?
  • More judges, working harderThe rise of the law clerk
  • 6 â€? And Is Streamlined
  • Curtailment of oral argument
  • Nonpublication of opinions
  • The standard of review, the trend toward “rulednessâ€?, summariness
  • Sanctions
  • III Incremental Reform
  • 7 Palliatives
  • Upping the ante
  • Limiting or abolishing diversity jurisdiction
  • Better management
  • Alternative dispute resolution
  • The reform of the bar
  • 8 Specialized Courts
  • Specialized Article III courts
  • Rethinking administrative review
  • IV Fundamental Reform
  • 9 The Role of Federal Courts in a Federal SystemThe optimal scope of federal jurisdiction
  • Specific caseload implications
  • 10 Federal Judicial Self-Restraint
  • Principled adjudication
  • The meaning and consequences of judicial activism and self-restraint
  • The restraint ratchet and other extensions
  • 11 The Federal Judicial Craft
  • District judges
  • The institutional responsibilities of federal appellate judges
  • Rule versus standard again
  • Stare decisis
  • Appendix: Supplementary
  • Index

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