Julio Ríos-Figueroa, Paloma Aguilar, “Justice Institutions in Autocracies: A Framework for Analysis.” Democratization, vol. 25, no. 1 (2017): 1–18. Summary: What role do justice institutions play in autocracies? The authors bring together the literatures on …
Global Comparison
Randazzo, Gibler, Reid (2016), “Examining the Development of Judicial Independence.”
Kirk A. Randazzo., Douglas M. Gibler., & Rebecca Reid, “Examining the Development of Judicial Independence.” Political Research Quarterly, vol. 69, no. 3 (2016): pp. 583-593. Summary: Scholars who examine judicial independence offer various theories regarding …
Melton, Ginsburg (2014), “Does De Jure Judicial Independence Really Matter?: A Reevaluation of Explanations for Judicial Independence.”
James Melton, Tom Ginsburg, “Does De Jure Judicial Independence Really Matter?: A Reevaluation of Explanations for Judicial Independence.” Journal of Law and Courts, vol. 2, no. 2 (2014): 187–217. Summary: The relationship between de jure and …
Epperly (2013), “The Provision of Insurance?: Judicial Independence and the Post-Tenure Fate of Leaders.”
Brad Epperly, “The Provision of Insurance?: Judicial Independence and the Post-Tenure Fate of Leaders.” Journal of Law and Courts, vol. 1, no. 2 (2013): 247–78. Summary: Leading explanations of judicial independence argue political competition incentivizes …
Staton, Reenock, Holsinger (2022), “Can Courts be Bulwarks of Democracy?: Judges and the Politics of Prudence.”
Jeffrey K. Staton, Christopher Reenock, and Jordan Holsinger, Can Courts be Bulwarks of Democracy?: Judges and the Politics of Prudence. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2022. Summary: Liberal concepts of democracy envision courts as key institutions for …
Sadurski (2025), “Judicial Review Versus Populist Authoritarianism.”
Wojciech Sadurski, “Judicial Review Versus Populist Authoritarianism.” Comparative Political Studies, vol. 3, no. 1 (2025): 81-105. Summary: Populist authoritarianism is a common form of democratic backsliding these days. Can courts do anything to prevent or …
Sari (2025), “Guarding the Constitution in Silence: How Judges Experience Independence Under Executive Pressure.”
Retno Dewi Pulung Sari, “Guarding the Constitution in Silence: How Judges Experience Independence Under Executive Pressure.” Hukmuna: Journal of Law and Policy, vol. 1, no. 6 (2025): 234-241 Summary: Judicial independence is a cornerstone of constitutional …
Berenson (2000), “Public Lawyers, Private Values: Can, Should, and Will Government Lawyers Serve the Public Interest?”
This article defends the notion that government lawyers have heightened responsibilities to serve the public interest, especially within the unique context of government litigation.
Sampford (2003), “Get New Lawyers!”
This article explores the ethical dilemmas faced by legal advisors and political actors in high-stakes international conflicts, using the Kosovo war as a case study.
Kim (2023), “Reimagining the Lawyer’s Duty to Uphold the Rule of Law”
This article critiques the prevailing view within the legal profession that lawyers fulfill their duty to uphold the rule of law simply by complying with formal legality.