Judges Commons^™

Book Review: John Paul Stevens, The Making Of A Justice: Reflections On My First 94 Years, New York, Little, Brown And Co., 2019, Pp. 549, $35.00 (Hardback), Stephen Wermiel

Scholarly Articles in Law Reviews & Journals

The autobiography of Justice John Paul Stevens, published just a few months before he died, is an enticing travelogue for Supreme Court nerds. Other travelers may want to pick a different landscape.

Foreword: A Tribute To Chief Justice Max Baer And His Legacy, Ken Gormley

Duquesne Law Review

The Honorable Max Baer -- Chief Justice of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court and a proud alumnus of Duquesne University Law School (now the Thomas R. Kline School of Law)-passed away unexpectedly on September 30, 2022, at age 74.1 It was several months shy of his 75th birthday and his planned retirement.

A Tribute To Chief Justice Max Baer, Debra Todd

Duquesne Law Review

We were all extremely saddened by the loss of our friend and colleague Chief Justice Max Baer. Max unexpectedly passed away at age seventy-four, three months before his scheduled retirement as Chief Justice of Pennsylvania. It was a tremendous loss for the Court and the entire Commonwealth.

My Reflections On Former Chief Justice Max Baer, Christine Donohue

Duquesne Law Review

Former Chief Justice Max Baer was a relative stranger to me when I joined the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania in January 2016. Although we were both members of the Pittsburgh legal community, our paths never crossed in the practice, and not being a family law lawyer, I never had occasion to appear before him while he served on the bench in Allegheny County. While we engaged with each other on occasion at various bar association and Supreme Court functions, those encounters only gave me the superficial impression that he was approachable and had strong views on matters that were important …

Reflections On The Legacy Of Chief Justice Max Baer, Kevin M. Dougherty

Duquesne Law Review

The sky carried a light-greenish hue. The thunder let out a gentle growl. Suddenly the lightning slammed, and harsh winds pounded the patio furniture into the pool. The host bellowed for all to seek shelter inside. Paralyzed with uncertainty, I instinctively reached for then-Justice Max Baer's arm to direct him to safety. He calmly responded in his monotone voice: "It's only a tornado, Kevin. If you're frightened, run into the house with the others. I'm drinking my wine. We don't get enough of them in Pittsburgh, and I would like to see one."

Wrestling With The Baer, David Wecht

Duquesne Law Review

Max Baer was one of a kind. A man of irrepressible energy, of great devotion to family, state, and country, of unstinting dedication to the law and the courts. I met Max not long after I moved back home to Pittsburgh in 1993, after I had practiced law in Washington, D.C., for several years. He was around fifteen years older than me, and he was already a greatly respected jurist, having been elected to the Court of Common Pleas in 1989. Max had been assigned to the family division, as was the general custom for new judges, and he had …

Chief Justice Baer -- "The Fighting Baer Judge", Sallie Updyke Mundy

Duquesne Law Review

I first met Max Baer and his lovely wife Beth in January 2004 while attending a Pennsylvania Bar Association meeting in Florida. The event was dinner at a car themed restaurant, and the venue included several authentic vintage cars. Then, Max was a newly elected Justice to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, and I was there as a practicing attorney with my three young sons, ages six, four, and two. I recall Max's genuine interest in learning who I was and being introduced to my children. Max delighted in interfacing with my young sons, showing them the cars and telling them …

Baer On Election Law, P. Kevin Brobson

Duquesne Law Review

When I attended my first appellate judges conference in June 2010 as a newly seated Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court Judge, my wife Lauren and I had the pleasure of dining with then-Justice Max Baer and his wife Beth. Prior to that, Max and I had just one, brief conversation by telephone. We had never previously met in person. Wonderful friendships were formed during that dinner.

Chief Justice Max Baer And The Legitimacy Of Policy Courts, Thomas G. Saylor

Duquesne Law Review

It was with great pleasure that I watched my friend, Chief Justice Max Baer, orchestrate and preside over the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania's 300th Anniversary Symposium conducted at the Constitution Center in Philadelphia in May 2022. And now, going on a year after his untimely passing, it is a source of comfort to know that Max was able to relish this milestone event in the sunset of his life.

To Go Boldly, Betsy Ceraso

Duquesne Law Review

It was an honor and a privilege working for Chief Justice Max Baer, whom I and most others in our chambers referred to as "the Judge." As a jurist, the Judge came to the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania from the family court, and he brought with him an immediate and heartfelt sense of how the judicial system affects the vulnerable, particularly children. The Judge was the ever-dedicated public servant who thought it important not only to serve the people, but to give back by engaging with students and young lawyers to help shape the next generation of litigants and judges. …

Remembering Chief Justice Max Baer, Kim Berkeley Clark

Duquesne Law Review

When Max Baer was elected to the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas in 1989, the Family Division was thought of as a place for new judges to be assigned and then leave as soon as possible. Judges and lawyers alike often characterized the work of the Family Division as less important than the work in other divisions because there are no jury trials, because of the high number of selfrepresented and unrepresented parties struggling to be heard, and due to the mistaken belief that rules were not followed.

Just Call Me Max, Maureen Lally-Green

Duquesne Law Review

Soon after Justice Max Baer was elected to the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania in 2003, he met my husband, Stephen Ross Green, Esq. Ross greeted him with the traditional title lawyers use in professional gatherings: "Justice." Max would have none of that and collegially said, "With you, I'm not Justice Baer. Just call me Max." From that day on whenever Ross and I were with him, he was careful to "call" him "Max."

The Practical Jurisprudence Of Max Baer, Thomas R. Kline, Andra Laidacker, Charles Becker

Duquesne Law Review

The late Chief Justice Max Baer was a friend. We met through Duquesne Law School. Max graduated in 1975 and I (Tom Kline) graduated three years later. We did not attend law school at the same time, but we became friends through the Duquesne community. We shared the same birthday. We grew up Jewish in small-town Pennsylvania. Following graduation, Max stayed in Pittsburgh and built his career in the Attorney General's Office. I moved to Philadelphia to work for Jim Beasley. We sometimes were on the opposite sides of cases. But every year, we texted or called each other on …

Chief Justice Baer And The Supreme Court's Tricentennial Anniversary, John Hare

Duquesne Law Review

The debate about whether great people or great events primarily shape history is as old as the study of history itself. The truth seems to be somewhere in the middle: the right people presented with the right circumstances can achieve exceptional success. Such is the story of Chief Justice Baer's leadership in commemorating the tricentennial anniversary of his beloved Supreme Court. Fortuity made him the Chief Justice when the Court reached its three hundredth year in 2022, but he seized the opportunity and orchestrated a remarkable tribute to the Court's even more remarkable history.

The Judicial Opinions Of Chief Justice Max Baer Of The Supreme Court Of Pennsylvania (2004-2022), Joel Fishman

Duquesne Law Review

Chief Justice David Max Baer (December 24, 1947-October 1, 2022) was born in Pittsburgh, graduated from the University of Pittsburgh, B.A., with honors, 1971, and from Duquesne University School of Law, J.D. with honors, 1975. He was admitted to the Allegheny County Bar and federal courts in 1975. He served as a Deputy Attorney-General (1975-79), practiced law in Sherrard, German and Kelly, PC, (1980-89), and elected a Judge of the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County in November 1989 and retained in November 1999, serving then from January 1990 to January 2004. Baer served as a member of the …

Epilogue: Chief Justice Max Baer's Enduring Legacy, April Barton

Duquesne Law Review

The pages of this special issue of our Duquesne Law Review of the Thomas R. Kline School of Law have been dedicated to our beloved friend, distinguished alumnus, and prominent jurist, Chief Justice Max Baer. We have assembled this tribute to his life and service to our Commonwealth as an example of the best of our profession.

The Curious Case Of Justice Neil Gorsuch, Justin Burnworth

Pace Law Review

Justice Gorsuch has a propensity for unexpected decisions. His opinions in Bostock v. Clayton County, United States v. Vaello Madero, and McGirt v. Oklahoma confounded the legal community at large. Some argue that his Western upbringing played a role. Others argue that his time clerking for Justice Kennedy primed him for unpredictable decisions. These explanations do not get at the core of Justice Gorsuch’s legal reasoning. This article dives into the depths of these opinions to extract his “Enduring” theories of law. I argue that legal scholarship has incorrectly viewed these three decisions as isolated incidents when they are best …

Bibliography Of The Writings Of The Justices Of The Supreme Court Of Pennsylvania, Joel Fishman, Lori Hagen, Elizabeth Post

Law Faculty Publications

The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania is the oldest state appellate court in the country dating itself back to 1684 when William Penn introduced the Provincial Court as a court to hear appeals from the justices of the peace of the three counties that comprised Pennsylvania. The early court was not called a supreme court until an act 1712 that was disallowed by the Privy Council in England. It was not until 1722 that the legislation enacting a Supreme Court was overlooked by the Privy Council for several years that finally became the act establishing the court for the remaining period …

The Judicial Activism Of Justice Anthony Kennedy, Carlos A. Ball

American University Law Review

Few recent Supreme Court justices have had a greater impact on constitutional law than Anthony Kennedy. Although commentators have explored the substance of Justice Kennedy’s jurisprudence in some detail, legal scholars have not systematically analyzed the extent of his judicial activism. This Article uses the term “judicial activism” descriptively rather than normatively to help account for a judge’s willingness to strike down federal, state, and local laws on constitutional grounds. It finds that, under a descriptive definition, when compared to the justices with whom he served, Justice Kennedy was a singularly judicial activist judge.

This conclusion rests on three findings. …

Depoliticizing The Supreme Court: How To Rein In Those Answerable To No One?, Dana Ortiz-Tulla ,Esq

Journal of Race, Gender, and Ethnicity

This Note will discuss some of the Commission’s findings and other interesting suggestions to determine whether it is possible to rein in the modern-day Court. Part I will explain the inherently political nature of the Supreme Court. Part II will briefly present how the Supreme Court acquired its power. Part III will discuss several prominent proposals for Supreme Court reform. Finally, Part IV will examine whether any recommendations may depoliticize the Court.

Alito Versus Roe V. Wade: Dobbs As A Means Of Circumvention, Avoidance, Attenuation And Betrayal Of The Constitution, Antony Hilton

American University Journal of Gender, Social Policy & the Law

There can be no argument that Justice Alito is a learned justice of great knowledge and reason, and has a superb grasp of the law. As such, despite any opposition to or disagreement with his legal opinions, he is deserving of respect for his intellectual prowess, in general and as it relates to the Constitution. Notwithstanding all the aforementioned, wrong is wrong.

Gephi Output Files, Folder 3, Part 1: Citation Network Data Files, Joseph S. Miller

Faculty Datasets

This data subset created and collected by Joseph Miller and digitally preserved here is in support of his forthcoming article "A Judge Never Writes More Freely: A Separate-Opinions Citation-Network Approach to Assessing Judicial Ideology". From the article's abstract:

"This Article is the first to apply a novel empirical method—citation network analysis—to particular appellate jurists’ separate judicial opinions (e.g., concurrences, dissents) in an effort to provide a more detailed picture of a judge’s ideological preferences. It focuses on the separate opinions of Justices Scalia and Thomas through the end of October Term 2019: they served for a similar number …

Gephi Output Files, Folder 3, Part 2: Co-Citation Network Data Files, Joseph S. Miller

Faculty Datasets

This data subset created and collected by Joseph Miller and digitally preserved here is in support of his forthcoming article "A Judge Never Writes More Freely: A Separate-Opinions Citation-Network Approach to Assessing Judicial Ideology". From the article's abstract:

"This Article is the first to apply a novel empirical method—citation network analysis—to particular appellate jurists’ separate judicial opinions (e.g., concurrences, dissents) in an effort to provide a more detailed picture of a judge’s ideological preferences. It focuses on the separate opinions of Justices Scalia and Thomas through the end of October Term 2019: they served for a similar number …

Underlying Citation Data, Folder 4, Part 1: Census Of Scalia Cites, Joseph S. Miller

Faculty Datasets

This data subset created and collected by Joseph Miller and digitally preserved here is in support of his forthcoming article "A Judge Never Writes More Freely: A Separate-Opinions Citation-Network Approach to Assessing Judicial Ideology". From the article's abstract:

"This Article is the first to apply a novel empirical method—citation network analysis—to particular appellate jurists’ separate judicial opinions (e.g., concurrences, dissents) in an effort to provide a more detailed picture of a judge’s ideological preferences. It focuses on the separate opinions of Justices Scalia and Thomas through the end of October Term 2019: they served for a similar number …

Underlying Citation Data, Folder 4, Part 2: Census Of Thomas Cites, Joseph S. Miller

Faculty Datasets

This data subset created and collected by Joseph Miller and digitally preserved here is in support of his forthcoming article "A Judge Never Writes More Freely: A Separate-Opinions Citation-Network Approach to Assessing Judicial Ideology". From the article's abstract:

"This Article is the first to apply a novel empirical method—citation network analysis—to particular appellate jurists’ separate judicial opinions (e.g., concurrences, dissents) in an effort to provide a more detailed picture of a judge’s ideological preferences. It focuses on the separate opinions of Justices Scalia and Thomas through the end of October Term 2019: they served for a similar number …

Gephi Force Directed Map Files, Folder 1, Part 1: Scalia Maps, Joseph S. Miller

Faculty Datasets

This data subset created and collected by Joseph Miller and digitally preserved here is in support of his forthcoming article "A Judge Never Writes More Freely: A Separate-Opinions Citation-Network Approach to Assessing Judicial Ideology". From the article's abstract:

"This Article is the first to apply a novel empirical method—citation network analysis—to particular appellate jurists’ separate judicial opinions (e.g., concurrences, dissents) in an effort to provide a more detailed picture of a judge’s ideological preferences. It focuses on the separate opinions of Justices Scalia and Thomas through the end of October Term 2019: they served for a similar number …

Gephi Force Directed Map Files, Folder 1, Part 2: Thomas Maps, Joseph S. Miller

Faculty Datasets

This data subset created and collected by Joseph Miller and digitally preserved here is in support of his forthcoming article "A Judge Never Writes More Freely: A Separate-Opinions Citation-Network Approach to Assessing Judicial Ideology". From the article's abstract:

"This Article is the first to apply a novel empirical method—citation network analysis—to particular appellate jurists’ separate judicial opinions (e.g., concurrences, dissents) in an effort to provide a more detailed picture of a judge’s ideological preferences. It focuses on the separate opinions of Justices Scalia and Thomas through the end of October Term 2019: they served for a similar number …

Gephi Network Files, Folder 2, Part 2: Co-Citation Network Files, Joseph S. Miller

Faculty Datasets

This data subset created and collected by Joseph Miller and digitally preserved here is in support of his forthcoming article "A Judge Never Writes More Freely: A Separate-Opinions Citation-Network Approach to Assessing Judicial Ideology". From the article's abstract:

"This Article is the first to apply a novel empirical method—citation network analysis—to particular appellate jurists’ separate judicial opinions (e.g., concurrences, dissents) in an effort to provide a more detailed picture of a judge’s ideological preferences. It focuses on the separate opinions of Justices Scalia and Thomas through the end of October Term 2019: they served for a similar number …

Gephi Network Files, Folder 2, Part 1: Citation Network Files, Joseph S. Miller

Faculty Datasets

This data subset created and collected by Joseph Miller and digitally preserved here is in support of his forthcoming article "A Judge Never Writes More Freely: A Separate-Opinions Citation-Network Approach to Assessing Judicial Ideology". From the article's abstract:

"This Article is the first to apply a novel empirical method—citation network analysis—to particular appellate jurists’ separate judicial opinions (e.g., concurrences, dissents) in an effort to provide a more detailed picture of a judge’s ideological preferences. It focuses on the separate opinions of Justices Scalia and Thomas through the end of October Term 2019: they served for a similar number …

Dean's Desk: Students Find Clerkships In Smaller Counties Rewarding, Austen L. Parrish

Austen Parrish (2014-2022)

The students at the Indiana University Maurer School of Law come to Bloomington from all over the nation. During their summers, the temptation is for them to work in the country’s largest cities, often with the majority working in Indianapolis, Chicago, Washington, D.C., and New York. Many others work in our innovative Stewart Fellows global internship program, where students are placed in countries throughout the world.

Fewer students, however, choose to work in Indiana’s smaller towns, and the hundreds of trial court judges working there often need help. Many trial courts have crowded dockets and limited staffing, particularly those in …