Oral Argument and Amicus Curiae

Download or read book Oral Argument and Amicus Curiae written by Matthew M.C. Roberts and published by LFB Scholarly Publishing. This book was released on 2014-05-14 with total page 184 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Members of the Supreme Court are supposed to base decisions on the law, but often their choices are better explained by political ideology and party loyalty. Roberts sheds light on this problem by looking at a part of the CourtOCOs life that has never been systematically studied. Most cases feature extra briefs written by third parties known as amici curiae. He examines the rare occasions on which the Court allows these extra groups to participate not just by filing briefs but by appearing before the Court during oral arguments. By tracing how these groups influence the justicesOCO behavior, Roberts presents a strong case that the Court is driven by more than politics."