Most Americans think that judges should be, and are, generalists who decide a wide array of cases. Nonetheless, we now have specialized courts in many key policy areas, and the degree of specialization has grown over time. Specializing the Courts provides the first comprehensive analysis of specialization in the federal and state court systems.

Focuses on the Court of International Trade to illuminate the important role of specialized courts in critical areas of law

Courts and their judges are typically thought of as generalist in orientation. Yet we continue to witness in recent years a growing trend toward the creation of specialized courts that rely on judges with technical and subject-matter expertise. It is a trend increasingly found in the United States and around the world. In this chapter, we examine the nature of specialized courts and their growing popularity. We bring out the “special” in specialized courts by analyzing the power of their structural characteristics and current state of research and theoretical developments on specialized courts. We analyze the therapeutic jurisprudence movement in federal and state courts as one of the most exciting developments in judicial politics in recent years. Finally, we discuss concerns about whether specialized courts pose a threat to traditional courts. We end by discussing the possible direction of future work on judicial specialization.

This highly respected text by leading scholar Lawrence Baum provides thorough descriptions of the courts and their activities; explanations of what courts do, how people within them behave, and how they relate to the rest of the political system; and an evaluation of the courts' work. The best-seller for political science or pre-law courses in the judicial process or judicial politics, American Courts is the most comprehensive, current, and accessible text in its market.

Community Courts are designed to handle a city’s low-level offenses and quality-of-life crimes, such as littering, loitering, or public drunkenness. Court advocates maintain that these largely victimless crimes jeopardize the well-being of residents, businesses, and visitors. Whereas traditional courts might dismiss such cases or administer a small fine, community courts aim to meaningfully punish offenders to avoid disorder escalating to apocalyptic decline. Courting the Community is a fascinating ethnography that goes behind the scenes to explore how quality-of-life discourses are translated into court practices that marry therapeutic and rehabilitative ideas. Christine Zozula shows how residents and businesses participate in meting out justice—such as through community service, treatment, or other sanctions—making it more emotional, less detached, and more legitimate in the eyes of stakeholders. She also examines both “impact panels,” in which offenders, residents, and business owners meet to discuss how quality-of-life crimes negatively impact the neighborhood, as well as strategic neighborhood outreach efforts to update residents on cases and gauge their concerns. Zozula’s nuanced investigation of community courts can lead us to a deeper understanding of punishment and rehabilitation and, by extension, the current state of the American court system.

In The Supreme Court, Lawrence Baum provides a brief yet comprehensive introduction to the U.S. Supreme Court, one that is balanced and illuminating. In successive chapters, the book examines each major aspect of the Court: the selection, backgrounds, and departures of justices; the creation of the Court′s agenda; the decision-making process and the factors that shape the Court′s decisions; the substance of the Court′s policies; and the Court′s impact on government and American society. Describing the Court′s personalities and procedures, and delving deeply to explain the actions of the Court and the behavior of justices, Baum shows students the Court′s complexity and reach. Tables and figures, plus a lively photo program, make this one of the most engaging books available. It is simply the standard.

The new trend in problem-solving courts—specialized courts utilized to address crimes not adequately addressed by the standard criminal justice system—is examined in this thorough and insight-filled book. At least since the late 1980s, with the development of the first drug court in Dade County, Florida, the justice system has undergone what some believe is a revolution—the movement toward problem-solving courts. Problem-Solving Courts: Justice for the Twenty-First Century? provides a concise, thorough, well-documented, and balanced foundation for anyone interested in understanding this phenomenon. Detailing the "promise and potential perils" of problem-solving courts, the authors represented here examine the development of the problem-solving court movement, the rationale for the courts, the approaches they take, and their anticipated benefits and potential pitfalls. Using case examples and looking at various types of problem-solving courts, the book offers "foundational" information about the specific types of problem-solving courts, their goals and philosophies, their organization and operation, their variation in structure and procedures, and the extensiveness of the court. It draws conclusions about the relative merits or disadvantages of such courts and considers prospects for the future.

International courts and tribunals are key actors in international law, both because of their primary dispute resolution function and for their role in developing international law in a more general sense. Their growing number and complexity makes a detailed study of their practice particularly relevant. The Rules, Practice, and Jurisprudence of International Courts and Tribunals examines existing international dispute resolution institutions, including those of general jurisdiction (ICJ, PCA), specialised jurisdiction (ITLOS, ICSID, WTO), as well as human rights courts, international criminal courts and tribunals, courts of regional integration agreements, claims commissions and tribunals, and administrative tribunals of international organizations. Uniquely, it assesses both procedural rules and essential case-law, making it relevant for both academics and practitioners in international law.

In the more than 30 years since the drug court model transformed the criminal justice landscape, problem-solving courts have expanded their reach beyond criminogenic needs. They now address demographic similarities (e.g., veterans courts, tribal wellness courts, community courts) and offense characteristics (e.g., prostitution courts, sex offender courts). The rapid expansion of problem-solving courts to meet many different individuals suggests this template is appropriate and adaptable to just about any categorical characteristic. This book calls on problem-solving court experts to offer a fresh perspective on the evolving discourse on these courts' proliferation. Contributors describe diverse applications of the problem-solving court model while critically appraising these niche courts' evidence. This book provides a comprehensive account to date of how problem-solving courts are continuing to revolutionize justice. This collective body of work strengthens our understanding of their placement in the throes of a call for meaningful criminal justice reform.Taking Problem-Solving Courts to Scale is presented in three sections to address specialty courts focused on criminogenic needs, individual characteristics, and offense characteristics. At the outset of each section, the editors describe the courts' purpose falling under these broad categories and highlight key elements from the chapters falling within.

Specialized Justice addresses the question of the desirability of specialization in the administration of justice. Should there be more, rather than less, sub-division of the judiciary into specialized tribunals? What is most desirable in terms of efficiency, speed, true justice, and cost? Theauthor attempts to answer these questions both by examining theoretical paradigms and also by describing the results of an empirical study which he has undertaken. He concludes by examining variables that apply in different jurisdictions and which should, if accounted for properly, allow generalizedlessons to be extracted from the individual studies.