Rationalizing Justice

Wolf Heydebrand is Professor of Sociology at New York University and Senior Research Associate, Institute of Judicial Administration and Center for Policy Research. Carroll Seron is Associate Professor of Public Administration, Baruch College and former Judicial Fellow and Research Associate, Federal Judicial Center, Washington, D.C.

"This is exceptionally competent scholarship about a topic of current interest and enduring importance. The evidence is presented in a compelling manner. The topic is very significant for the sociology of law, organizations, and work. I believe that this can be a landmark study in each of these large areas of the field." — Richard H. Hall, State University of New York, Albany"This is a significant topic. The post-industrial nature of American society in the 1980s, replete with its emphasis on professionalization and bureaucratization, has had an impact on American courts that has been insufficiently examined. The authors make a significant contribution to the discipline." — John Kenneth White, The Catholic University of America

• Figures Tables Foreword Acknowledgments Introduction 1. The Organization and Rationalization of the Judiciary 2. The Rising Demand for Court Services: A Historical View 3. The Ecological Environment of Courts: Political Economy and Demography 4. Rising Demand and Declining Resources: A Double Bind 5. The Effect of Environment and Demand on Judicial Decision-Making 6. The Organizational Structure of Courts and Judicial Decision-Making 7. The Growing Shadow of the Federal Government 8. Conclusion: From Adjudication to Administration, or Is the Third Branch Wilting? Appendix A. The Empirical Study of Courts: A Methodological Note Appendix B. Data Sources Court Cases Cited Notes References Index