Herbert M. Kritzer – författare

Commissioned by the US Department of Justice, this is the first comprehensive national study of the US civil justice system. Kritzer examines the background, experiences, day-to-day activities, and outlook of civil lawyers, and argues that lawyers' behaviour must be understood in part as a form of brokerage, or mediation, between the client and the legal system. He suggests that brokers and professional lawyers fulfil complementary, rather than alternative, roles, and recommends that lawyers' monopoly on advocacy in civil litigation be restricted.

In law, as elsewhere, the ordinary is overshadowed in the popular and academic literature by the dramatic and sensational. While the role and behavior of lawyers in the operation of our criminal justice system has been closely scrutinized, comparatively little research has been devoted to the manner in which lawyers litigate the day-to-day civil (non-criminal) cases that comprise the vast bulk of the workload in state and federal courts. Originally commissioned by the U.S. Department of Justice, this is the first comprehensive national study of the U.S. civil justice system. Kritzer analyzes 1600 cases involving 1400 attorneys in five federal judicial districts. Examining the background, experiences, day-to-day activities, and outlook of civil lawyers, Kritzer finds that the work of lawyers combines the roles of the professional and the broker in many aeas of ordinary litigation. Arguing that lawyers'' behavior must be understood in part as a form of brokerage between the client and the legal system, he suggests that the roles of professionals and brokers be considered as complements rather than alternatives in the justice system, and concludes by recommending that lawyers'' monopoly on advocacy in civil litigation be restricted. An engaging, lucidly written study, The Justice Broker will be of special interest to practicing lawyers and legal scholars.

How do states choose—and keep—the judges who sit on their highest courts? Selecting and Retaining State Supreme Court Justices offers the most comprehensive analysis to date of the political processes shaping judicial selection and retention across all fifty states. From partisan and nonpartisan elections to legislative votes and gubernatorial appointments, this book explores the full spectrum of methods used to fill state supreme court seats—and the political forces behind them. It examines how these processes have evolved over the fifty years, from 1976 to 2025, against a backdrop of growing polarization and landmark U.S. Supreme Court decisions on issues such as gerrymandering and abortion. Two closely related questions drive the study: How have the politics of judicial selection and retention changed over the fifty-year period covered by the book? And have recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings, which removed federal courts from most issues related to gerrymandering and abortion, produced some of those changes in the short time since those decisions? Drawing on extensive data and original research, the author reveals that the answers are complex—and deeply intertwined with broader political trends. Unlike any other study, this book delves into less common practices, including selection by appointment, legislative elections, and retention methods beyond popular vote. Whether you are a scholar, student, or policymaker, this volume is an essential resource for understanding the dynamic interplay between law and politics in America's state courts.

This comprehensive book compares the intersection of political forces and legal practices in five industrial nations—the United States, England, France, Germany, and Japan. The authors, eminent political scientists and legal scholars, investigate how constitutional courts function in each country, how the adjudication of criminal justice and the processing of civil disputes connect legal systems to politics, and how both ordinary citizens and large corporations use the courts.For each of the five countries, the authors discuss the structure of courts and access to them, the manner in which politics and law are differentiated or amalgamated, whether judicial posts are political prizes or bureaucratic positions, the ways in which courts are perceived as legitimate forms for addressing political conflicts, the degree of legal consciousness among citizens, the kinds of work lawyers do, and the manner in which law and courts are used as social control mechanisms. The authors find that although the extent to which courts participate in policymaking varies dramatically from country to country, judicial responsiveness to perceived public problems is not a uniquely American phenomenon.

Marc Galanter's seminal work, "Why the 'Haves' Come Out Ahead," is among the most well-cited law review articles of all time. With his distinction between experienced "repeat players" and inexperienced "one shotters" in the U.S. judicial system, Galanter established a clear and predictable model of how the structure of our legal system and one's frequency of interaction with it influence the outcomes of cases. This book collects the original paper and ten contemporary articles about Galanter's theory in a single volume. The articles, which present new research results and synthesize work done over the past few decades, examine the lasting influence and continued importance of this groundbreaking work. In Litigation provides a thorough presentation of the most durable theory explaining litigation and legal participation that sociolegal scholarship has produced.

Marc Galanter's seminal work, "Why the 'Haves' Come Out Ahead," is among the most well-cited law review articles of all time. With his distinction between experienced "repeat players" and inexperienced "one shotters" in the U.S. judicial system, Galanter established a clear and predictable model of how the structure of our legal system and one's frequency of interaction with it influence the outcomes of cases. This book collects the original paper and ten contemporary articles about Galanter's theory in a single volume. The articles, which present new research results and synthesize work done over the past few decades, examine the lasting influence and continued importance of this groundbreaking work. In Litigation provides a thorough presentation of the most durable theory explaining litigation and legal participation that sociolegal scholarship has produced.

Risks, Reputations, and Rewards looks at a variety of interrelated questions about contingency fee legal practice: What is the nature of the contingency fees that lawyers charge? How do lawyers get and screen potential cases? How do contingency fee lawyers interact with their clients and opponents? What is involved in settling these cases? What types of returns do contingency fee cases produce? And what role does reputation play in contingency fee practice? The author argues that to be successful, contingency fee lawyers must generate a portfolio of cases, similar to an investment portfolio with its associated risk. This has a significant impact on how contingency fee lawyers obtain and select cases, manage their work, and deal with the pressures that arise in settling cases. More important, understanding the work of contingency fee lawyers in terms of an ongoing practice rather than in terms of individual cases mitigates some of the significant conflicts that may exist between lawyers and clients.

In the United States and elsewhere, the questions of who should serve as a judge and how these judges should be chosen are increasingly contested. In Litigating Judicial Selection, Herbert Kritzer examines these questions with a comprehensive analysis of judicial-selection litigation over time and place. With a data set of over 2,000 cases from around the world, Kritzer offers new insight into the judicial selection by way of in-depth statistical analysis and an extensive narrative description of several important case studies. This book should be read by anyone seeking insight into the way judges are selected in the twenty-first century.

Justices on the Ballot addresses two central questions in the study of judicial elections: how have state supreme court elections changed since World War II? And, what effects have those changes had on election outcomes, state supreme court decisions, and the public's view of the courts? To answer these questions, Herbert M. Kritzer takes the broadest scope of any study to date, investigating every state supreme court election between 1946 and 2013. Through an analysis of voting returns, campaign contributions and expenditures, television advertising, and illustrative case studies, he shows that elections have become less politicized than commonly believed. Rather, the changes that have occurred reflect broader trends in American politics, as well as increased involvement of state supreme courts in hot-button issues.

Justices on the Ballot addresses two central questions in the study of judicial elections: how have state supreme court elections changed since World War II? And, what effects have those changes had on election outcomes, state supreme court decisions, and the public's view of the courts? To answer these questions, Herbert M. Kritzer takes the broadest scope of any study to date, investigating every state supreme court election between 1946 and 2013. Through an analysis of voting returns, campaign contributions and expenditures, television advertising, and illustrative case studies, he shows that elections have become less politicized than commonly believed. Rather, the changes that have occurred reflect broader trends in American politics, as well as increased involvement of state supreme courts in hot-button issues.

Using detailed case studies of the relevant US states, Herbert Kritzer provides an unprecedented examination of the process and politics of how states select and retain judges. The book is organized around the competing goals of politics and professionalism, namely whether the focus in choosing judges should be on future judicial decisions (court outputs) or on the court processes by which those decisions are reached. Or, in considering who should be a judge, whether the emphasis should be on political credentials or on professional credentials. One important finding is that political concerns have surpassed professionalism concerns since 2000. Another is that voters have been more supportive of professionalism in selecting appellate judges than trial judges. Judicial Selection in the States should be read by anyone seeking a deep understanding of the complex interplay between politics and the judiciary at the state level in the United States.

Using detailed case studies of the relevant US states, Herbert Kritzer provides an unprecedented examination of the process and politics of how states select and retain judges. The book is organized around the competing goals of politics and professionalism, namely whether the focus in choosing judges should be on future judicial decisions (court outputs) or on the court processes by which those decisions are reached. Or, in considering who should be a judge, whether the emphasis should be on political credentials or on professional credentials. One important finding is that political concerns have surpassed professionalism concerns since 2000. Another is that voters have been more supportive of professionalism in selecting appellate judges than trial judges. Judicial Selection in the States should be read by anyone seeking a deep understanding of the complex interplay between politics and the judiciary at the state level in the United States.

Using detailed case studies of the relevant US states, Herbert Kritzer provides an unprecedented examination of the process and politics of how states select and retain judges. The book is organized around the competing goals of politics and professionalism, namely whether the focus in choosing judges should be on future judicial decisions (court outputs) or on the court processes by which those decisions are reached. Or, in considering who should be a judge, whether the emphasis should be on political credentials or on professional credentials. One important finding is that political concerns have surpassed professionalism concerns since 2000. Another is that voters have been more supportive of professionalism in selecting appellate judges than trial judges. Judicial Selection in the States should be read by anyone seeking a deep understanding of the complex interplay between politics and the judiciary at the state level in the United States.

Using detailed case studies of the relevant US states, Herbert Kritzer provides an unprecedented examination of the process and politics of how states select and retain judges. The book is organized around the competing goals of politics and professionalism, namely whether the focus in choosing judges should be on future judicial decisions (court outputs) or on the court processes by which those decisions are reached. Or, in considering who should be a judge, whether the emphasis should be on political credentials or on professional credentials. One important finding is that political concerns have surpassed professionalism concerns since 2000. Another is that voters have been more supportive of professionalism in selecting appellate judges than trial judges. Judicial Selection in the States should be read by anyone seeking a deep understanding of the complex interplay between politics and the judiciary at the state level in the United States.

Elgar Advanced Introductions are stimulating and thoughtful introductions to major fields in the social sciences, business and law, expertly written by the world's leading scholars. Designed to be accessible yet rigorous, they offer concise and lucid surveys of the substantive and policy issues associated with discrete subject areas.Herbert Kritzer presents a clear introduction to the history, methods and substance of empirical legal research (ELR). Quantitative methods dominate in empirical legal research, but an important segment of the field draws on qualitative methods, such as semi-structured interviews and observation. In this book both methodologies are explored alongside systematic data analysis. Offering an overview of the broad ELR literature, the institutions of the law, the central actors of the law, and the subjects of the law are each addressed in this highly readable account that will be essential reading for legal researchers.Key features include:Summaries of the history of empirical legal researchA clear introduction to methods in empirical legal researchCoverage of both quantitative and qualitative methods and researchA readable guide to the impact and rationale of different methodologies.This relatively short book provides an invaluable quick introduction for students, scholars, legal professionals and policy professionals.

Elgar Advanced Introductions are stimulating and thoughtful introductions to major fields in the social sciences, business and law, expertly written by the world''s leading scholars. Designed to be accessible yet rigorous, they offer concise and lucid surveys of the substantive and policy issues associated with discrete subject areas.

Herbert Kritzer presents a clear introduction to the history, methods and substance of empirical legal research (ELR). Quantitative methods dominate in empirical legal research, but an important segment of the field draws on qualitative methods, such as semi-structured interviews and observation. In this book both methodologies are explored alongside systematic data analysis. Offering an overview of the broad ELR literature, the institutions of the law, the central actors of the law, and the subjects of the law are each addressed in this highly readable account that will be essential reading for legal researchers.

Key features include:

Summaries of the history of empirical legal researchA clear introduction to methods in empirical legal researchCoverage of both quantitative and qualitative methods and researchA readable guide to the impact and rationale of different methodologies.

This relatively short book provides an invaluable quick introduction for students, scholars, legal professionals and policy professionals.