How Diversity On The Supreme Court Got So Partisan with Nancy Scherer - Episode 148

Kathryn interviews Nancy Scherer who highlights the importance of diversity in courts, covering aspects like race, gender, and minority representation. The discussion also reveals the challenges faced in increasing diversity due to opposition regarding judges' qualifications and education. However, research shows no significant difference in the quality of judges from top-ranked or lower-ranked law schools. Nancy emphasizes that a diverse judiciary better serves all Americans and should be a priority in future appointments. Who is The Guest? Nancy Scherer has research and teaching interests in American politics with a primary emphasis on judicial politics and public law. She is the author of the book Scoring Points: Politicians, Activists and the Lower Federal Court Appointment Process. The book explores why the federal court appointment process has become such a divisive political issue in the modern political era. Professor Scherer has also published articles in the journals Political Science Quarterly, Law and Society Review and Judicature on topics such as judicial decision-making behavior and judicial appointment politics. Currently, her research is focused on efforts to diversify the racial and gender make-up of the federal judiciary, and its potential impact on citizens' views of the justice system. She was the 2002 recipient of the Edwin S. Corwin Award, given by the American Political Science Association, for best dissertation on public law. Episode Resources https://www.wellesley.edu/politicalscience/faculty/scherer   Episode Highlights Why diversifying the courts is important The relationship between legitimacy and diversity on the court, according to research findings Effect of increased court diversification on different demographic groups The challenges of balancing court legitimacy with diversification The increased importance of the Federalist Society in the court nomination process The potential impact of diversity on court decisions, notably on affirmative action in higher education The importance of diversity in cases related to various legal issues, particularly those involving personal experiences Discussing the focus on race, gender, and other identity-based diversity in studies instead of viewpoints or academic backgrounds The aspiration to achieve different types of diversity in the judiciary system Challenges Democrats face in promoting diversity within the judiciary and the potential criticism from Republicans Episode Sponsored By https://www.lexisnexis.com/lexisplus  Subscribe, Share and Review To get the next episode subscribe with your favorite podcast player. Subscribe with Apple Podcasts Follow on Spotify Leave a review on Apple Podcasts