Professional background of US Supreme Court Justices

[Sean Wilson]

... what ever you do, make sure you are sensitive to changes in intellectual culture across time. In Hamilton's day, for example, what you are calling "strong political background" might be regarded as picking elite statesmen, which today might be something different (highly educated plus professional experience of some sort?). You would also pay attention to the change in legal culture from natural law to positivistic. A natural law judge begins as a cleric, graduates to philosopher, and might become sociologist or historian along the way. In the positivistic regime, the judge devolves from master of the syllogism to something of a librarian. 

As to who to pick, one needs to know "what for."

Regards.
 
Dr. Sean Wilson, Esq. 
Assistant Professor
Wright State University
New Website: http://seanwilson.org
Daily Visitors: http://seanwilson.org/homepagelucy.html
SSRN papers: http://ssrn.com/author=596860




________________________________
From: Jonathan Miller <jmiller at swlaw.edu>
To: conlawprof at lists.ucla.edu
Sent: Friday, March 13, 2009 7:26:48 PM
Subject: Professional background of US Supreme Court Justices


In my work on the Argentine Supreme Court I am finding a shift in the background of Argentine Supreme Court justices between the 1860's to the 1920's from individuals with strong political backgrounds and some judicial experience to individuals with either lots of judicial experience or judicial and academic experience.  Just glancing at descriptions of the backgrounds of U.S. Supreme Court justices seems to indicate a similar phenomenon over the 19th century.  Can anyone point me to any studies on this looking at the make-up of the U.S. Supreme Court?  Thanks,
 
Jonathan Miller
Southwestern Law School


      
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