Document Type
Article
Publication Title
Stanford Law Review
Publication Date
2008
ISSN
0038-9765
Page Number
519
Keywords
judges, expertise, opinion specialization
Disciplines
Courts | Judges | Law
Abstract
Conventional judicial wisdom assumes and indeed celebrates the ideal of the generalist judge, but do judges really believe in it? This Article empirically tests this question by examining opinion assignments in the federal courts of appeals from 1995-2005. It reveals that opinion specialization is a regular part of circuit court practice, and that a significant number of judges specialize in specific subject areas. The Article then assesses the desirability of opinion specialization. Far from being a mere loophole, opinion specialization turns out to be an important development in judicial practice that promises to increase judicial expertise without incurring many of the costs commonly associated with specialized courts.
Recommended Citation
Edward K. Cheng,
The Myth of the Generalist Judge, 61 Stanford Law Review. 519
(2008)
Available at: https://scholarship.law.vanderbilt.edu/faculty-publications/158