Friends of the Supreme Court: Interest Groups and Judicial Decision Making

Paul Collins is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of North Texas. In 2006, he was awarded the Council of Graduate Schools/University Microfilms International Award for the Most Distinguished Dissertation in the Social Sciences defended between July 2004 and June 2006.

• Author Biography ; Dedication ; Acknowledgements ; I. Introduction ; II. Interest Group Litigation ; III. Amicus Curiae Participation in the Supreme Court ; IV. Amici Curiae and Judicial Decision Making ; V. Amici Curiae and the Consistency of Judicial Decision Making ; VI. Amici Curiae and Dissensus on the Supreme Court ; VII. Conclusions and Implications ; Appendix: Data and Data Reliability ; References ; Table of Cases ; Index

We have a well-documented and thorough examination of amicus participation and the influence of these briefs on the justices and their votes. The data are excellent and the work thorough. For scholars interested in an eclectic approach to the study of the decision making of the justices, it is a book worth reading.