Note: This outline correlates to the class lecture sequence, which follow the Murphy and Epstein texts only partially. Material in the lectures is derived from multiple sources in addition to the required texts.

PART ONE: INTRODUCTION

The Nature of the Judiciary
Political Jurisprudence (Murphy 3-7; 17-19)
Cardozo "Nature of Judicial Process" (Murphy 29-32)
The Roles of the Courts (Murphy 42-54)

PART TWO: JUDICIAL DECISION MAKING

Judicial Decision Making Processes
Processes (Murphy 603-628)
Strategic Decision Making
Strategic Account (Epstein Chapter One)
Policy Seekers (Epstein Chapter Two)
Strategic Interaction
Interaction (Epstein Chapter Three)
Institutional Context (Epstein Chapter Four & Five

PART THREE: JUDICIAL POWER

Getting Your Day in Court
Access to the Courts (Murphy 239-275)
Reading: Vose "Litigation as Pressure" (Murphy 272-276)
Reading: Caldera/Wright "Organized…" (Murphy 276-279)

Instruments of Judicial Power
Judicial Powers (Murphy 280-290)
Legal Powers
Opinions
Orders
Historical
Tradition, Charisma, and Prestige
Limits on Judicial Power
Checks on the Courts (Murphy 310-321)
Internal Checks (Self-Imposed Checks by Judges)
Reading: Webster v. Reproductive Health Services (Murphy 327-330).
Legal/Technical Checks On Judicial Power
Institutional Checks
Courts and the Separation Of Powers (Checks and Relationships)
Checks On The Courts By The Public
Lower Court Actions May Limit Supreme Court Decisions
Avoidance Of Technical Checks By The Supreme Court
Reading: Roosevelt "Reorganizing.." (Murphy 341-343)
Reading: Ex Parte McCardle (Murphy 345-348)
Precedents and Legal Reasoning
Precedents and Stare Decisis (Murphy 419-430)
Circumventing Precedent
Reading: Segal and Spaeth, "Influences… (Murphy 462-3)
Reading: Powell, "Stare Decisis…." (Murphy 470-473)

PART FOUR: TEXTUAL INTERPRETATION
Statutory Interpretation
Interpretation (Murphy 477-488)
Canons of Statutory Interpretation
Reading: Frankfurter "Reflections" (Murphy 489-493)
Reading: Smith v. US (Murphy 493-496)
Reading: United Steelworks v. Weber (Murphy 497-509)
Reading: Conroy v. Aniskoff (Murphy 516-517)

Constitutional Interpretation
Interpreting the Constitution (Murphy 526-543)
Questions To Consider
How Do Judges Go About Interpreting The Constitution?
Interpretivism & Originalism vs. Noninterpretivism & Nonoriginalism
Reading: United States v. Nixon (Murphy 547-553)
Reading: Scalia "Originalism" (Murphy 553-558)
Reading: United States v. Leon (Murphy 573-578)

PART FOUR: THE SELECTION OF FEDERAL JUDGES
Readings to be assigned.