Law and Courts Section Award Recipients
More information on the Law and Courts section
Best Conference Paper Award
Best Graduate Student Paper Award
Best Journal Article Award
C. Herman Pritchett Award
Lifetime Achievement Award
Lasting Contribution Award
McGraw Hill Award
Service Award
Teaching and Mentoring Award
Law and Courts Best Conference Paper Award
The Law and Courts Best Conference Paper Award (formerly the American Judicature Society Award) is given annually for the best paper on law and courts presented at the previous year’s annual meetings of the American, International, or regional political science associations. Single- and co-authored papers, written by political scientists, are eligible. Papers may be nominated by any member of the Section.
| 2024 | Christina Bambrick, University of Georgia and Maureen Stobb, Georgia Southern University “Meeting of the Minds: Reshaping Citizens’ Rights and Duties.” Presented at the American Political Science Association 2023 Annual Meeting. |
| 2023 | Elise Blasingame, University of Georgia “How the Trump Administration’s Quota Policy Transformed Immigration Judging.” Presented at the 2022 Conference of the Midwest Political Science Association, Chicago, IL, April 7-10. |
| 2023 | Christina Boyd, University of Georgia “How the Trump Administration’s Quota Policy Transformed Immigration Judging.” Presented at the 2022 Conference of the Midwest Political Science Association, Chicago, IL, April 7-10. |
| 2023 | Roberto Carlos, University of Texas at Austin “How the Trump Administration’s Quota Policy Transformed Immigration Judging.” Presented at the 2022 Conference of the Midwest Political Science Association, Chicago, IL, April 7-10. |
| 2023 | Joseph Ornstein, University of Georgia “How the Trump Administration’s Quota Policy Transformed Immigration Judging.” Presented at the 2022 Conference of the Midwest Political Science Association, Chicago, IL, April 7-10. |
| 2022 | Christine Bailey, University of Massachusetts “The Effect of Judicial Decisions on Issue Salience and Legal Consciousness n the LGBTQ+ Community” |
| 2022 | Paul M. Collins, Jr., University of Massachusetts “The Effect of Judicial Decisions on Issue Salience and Legal Consciousness n the LGBTQ+ Community” |
| 2022 | Jesse H. Rhods, University of Massachusetts “The Effect of Judicial Decisions on Issue Salience and Legal Consciousness n the LGBTQ+ Community” |
| 2022 | Douglas Rice, University of Massachusetts “The Effect of Judicial Decisions on Issue Salience and Legal Consciousness n the LGBTQ+ Community” |
| 2021 | Amanda Driscoll, Florida State University |
| 2021 | Michael Nelson, Pennsylvania State University “The Minimal Costs of Court Curbing: Experimental Evidence from the United States.” |
| 2020 | Ben Johnson, Pennsylvania State University Law School “The Supreme Court’s (Surprising?) Indifference to Public Opinion.” |
| 2020 | Logan Strother, Purdue University “The Supreme Court’s (Surprising?) Indifference to Public Opinion.” |
| 2019 | Allison P. Harris, Pennsylvania State University “Can Racial Diversity Among Judges Affect Sentencing Outcomes?” Unpublished manuscript, presented at the State Politics and Policy Conference. |
| 2018 | Morgan L.W. Hazelton, St. Louis University “The Elevator Effect: How Collegiality Fosters Public Consensus.” |
| 2018 | Racheal K. Hinkle, State University of New York at Buffalo “The Elevator Effect: How Collegiality Fosters Public Consensus.” |
| 2018 | Michael Nelson, Penn State University “The Elevator Effect: How Collegiality Fosters Public Consensus.” |
| 2018 | Honorable Mention Nancy Arrington, Emory University “Appointment Rules and Gender Divresity on High Courts.” |
| 2018 | Honorable Mention Leeann Bass, Emory University “Appointment Rules and Gender Divresity on High Courts.” |
| 2018 | Honorable Mention Adam Glynn, Emory University “Appointment Rules and Gender Divresity on High Courts.” |
| 2018 | Honorable Mention Jeffrey K. Staton, Emory University “Appointment Rules and Gender Divresity on High Courts.” |
| 2018 | Honorable Mention Brian Delgado, Emory University “Appointment Rules and Gender Divresity on High Courts.” |
| 2018 | Honorable Mention Staffan Lindberg, University of Guttenberg “Appointment Rules and Gender Divresity on High Courts.” |
| 2017 | Jonathan P. Kastellec, Princeton University “Judicial Federalism and Representation.” |
| 2017 | Honorable Mention Deborah Beim, Yale University “Sequential Adjudication.” |
| 2017 | Honorable Mention Tom S. Clark, Emory University “Sequential Adjudication.” |
| 2017 | Honorable Mention John W. Patty, University of Chicago “Sequential Adjudication.” |
| 2016 | Jonathan P. Kastellec, Princeton University “Empirically Evaluating the Counter-Majoritarian Difficulty: Public Opinion, State Policy, and Judicial Review Before Roe v. Wade” |
| 2015 | Matthew Incantalupo, Princeton University “Opinion Backlash and Public Attitudes: Are Political Advances in Gay Rights Counterproductive?” Presented at the annual meeting of the Midwest Political Science Association |
| 2015 | Thomas Hayes, University of Connecticut “Opinion Backlash and Public Attitudes: Are Political Advances in Gay Rights Counterproductive?” Presented at the annual meeting of the Midwest Political Science Association |
| 2015 | Benjamin Bishin, University of California, Riverside “Opinion Backlash and Public Attitudes: Are Political Advances in Gay Rights Counterproductive?” Presented at the annual meeting of the Midwest Political Science Association |
| 2015 | Rebecca Hamlin, Grinnell College “The Human Rights Act and the New Immigration Politics in the United Kingdom.” Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association |
| 2014 | Katerina Linos, University of California, Berkeley “The Supreme Court, the Media and Public Opinion: Comparing Experimental and Observational Methods.” Paper Presented at the 2013 Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association |
| 2014 | Kimberly Twist, University of California, Berkeley “The Supreme Court, the Media and Public Opinion: Comparing Experimental and Observational Methods.” Paper Presented at the 2013 Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association |
| 2013 | Deborah Beim, Princeton University “Whistleblowing and Compliance in the Federal Judiciary” paper presented at the 2012 Annual Meeting of the Midwest Political Science Association |
| 2013 | Alexander Hirsch, Princeton University “Whistleblowing and Compliance in the Federal Judiciary” paper presented at the 2012 Annual Meeting of the Midwest Political Science Association |
| 2013 | Jonathan Kastellec, Princeton University “Whistleblowing and Compliance in the Federal Judiciary” paper presented at the 2012 Annual Meeting of the Midwest Political Science Association |
| 2012 | Quinn Mulroy, Syracuse University Enforcing Rights Protections: The Regulatory Power of Private Litigation and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission |
| 2011 | Stefanie Lindquist, University of Texas, Austin State Courts, State Legislatures, and United States Supreme Court Review |
| 2011 | Pamela Corley, Vanderbilt University State Courts, State Legislatures, and United States Supreme Court Review |
| 2011 | Honorable Mention Cliff Carrubba, Emory University “Rule Creation in a Political Hierarchy” |
| 2011 | Honorable Mention Tom Clark, Emory University “Rule Creation in a Political Hierarchy” |
| 2010 | Sarah Staszak, Princeton University “Institutions, Rulemaking and the Politics of Judicial Retrenchment” |
| 2010 | Honorable Mention Michael McCann, University of Washington, Seattle “Criminalizing Big Tobacco: Legal Mobilization, Mass Media, and the Politics of Responsibility for Health Risks in the United States” |
| 2010 | Honorable Mention William Haltom, University of Puget Sound “Criminalizing Big Tobacco: Legal Mobilization, Mass Media, and the Politics of Responsibility for Health Risks in the United States” |
| 2010 | Honorable Mention Shauna Fisher, University of Washington, Seattle “Criminalizing Big Tobacco: Legal Mobilization, Mass Media, and the Politics of Responsibility for Health Risks in the United States” |
| 2009 | Tom Clark, Emory University “Locating Supreme Court Opinions in Doctrine Space” |
| 2009 | Benjamin Lauderdale, Princeton University “Locating Supreme Court Opinions in Doctrine Space” |
| 2008 | Jeffrey Lax, Columbia University “Tactical Opinion Assignment and Voting in the Supreme Court” |
| 2008 | Kelly Rader, Columbia University “Tactical Opinion Assignment and Voting in the Supreme Court” |
| 2008 | Honorable Mention Tom Clark, Emory University “The Separation of Powers, Court-Curbing, and Judicial Legitimacy” |
| 2007 | J. Pickerill, Washington State University The Supreme Court and the Political Regime: The New Right Regime and Religious Freedom |
| 2007 | Cornell Clayton, Washington State University The Supreme Court and the Political Regime: The New Right Regime and Religious Freedom |
| 2006 | Kevin McGuire, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill “Mapping the Policies of the U.S. Supreme Court: Data, Opinions, and Constitutional Law” |
| 2006 | Georg Vanberg, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill “Mapping the Policies of the U.S. Supreme Court: Data, Opinions, and Constitutional Law” |
| 2005 | David Glick, Princeton University “Strategic Retreat and the 1935 Gold Clause Cases: Upholding the New Deal to Challenge the New Deal” |
| 2005 | Gregory Caldeira, Ohio State University “A Spatial Model of Supreme Court Voting” |
| 2005 | Kevin McGuire, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill “A Spatial Model of Supreme Court Voting” |
| 2005 | Charles Smith Jr., University of Mississippi “A Spatial Model of Supreme Court Voting” |
| 2004 | J. Pickerill, Washington State University Co-Authored with Cornell Clayton, “The Rehnquist Court and the Political Dynamics of Federalism,” presented at the 2003 Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association |
| 2004 | Cornell Clayton, Washington State University Co-Authored with J. Mitchell Pickerill, “The Rehnquist Court and the Political Dynamics of Federalism,” presented at the 2003 Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association |
| 2003 | Scott Comparato, Southern Illinois University Carbondale Co-Authored with Scott D. McClurg, Souther Illinois University”State Supreme Court Compliance with the Supreme Court's Search and Seizure Decisions” |
| 2003 | Scott McClurg, Southern Illinois University Co-Authored with Scott A. Comparato, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale “State Supreme Court Compliance with the Supreme Court's Search and Seizure Decisions” |
| 2002 | Timothy Johnson, University of Minnesota Co-Authored with James F. Spriggs, II, University of California at Davis and Paul J. Wahlbeck, George Washington University “Passing and Sophisticated Voting on the U.S. Supreme Court,” (APSA, 2001) |
| 2002 | James Spriggs II, University of California at Davis Co-Authored with Timothy R. Johnson, University of Minnesota and Paul J. Wahlbeck, George Washington University “Passing and Sophisticated Voting on the U.S. Supreme Court,” (APSA, 2001) |
| 2002 | Paul Wahlbeck, George Washington University Co-Authored with James F. Spriggs, II, University of California at Davis and Timothy R. Johnson, University of Minnesota “Passing and Sophisticated Voting on the U.S. Supreme Court,” (APSA, 2001) |
| 2001 | Howard Gillman, University of Southern California “The Political Construction of Federal Power in Late Nineteenth-Century America.” |
| 2000 | Laura Langer, University of Arizona “Does the Chief Justice on State Courts of Last Resort Shape Judicial Review? The Case of Workers' Compensation” |
| 1999 | Melinda Gann Hall, Michigan State University “Competition in Judicial Elections, 1980-1985” |
| 1998 | Gregory Caldeira, Ohio State University Co-Authored with Jack Wright, Ohio State University and Christopher Zorn, Emory University “Sophisticated Judicial Behavior: Agenda Setting Via the Discuss List” |
| 1998 | Jack Wright, Ohio State University Co-Authored with Gregory A. Caldeira, Ohio State University and Christopher Zorn, Emory University “Sophisticated Judicial Behavior: Agenda Setting Via the Discuss List” |
| 1998 | Christopher Zorn, Emory University Co-Authored with Gregory A. Caldeira, Ohio State University and Jack Wright, Ohio State University “Sophisticated Judicial Behavior: Agenda Setting Via the Discuss List” |
| 1997 | Gregory Caldeira, Ohio State University Co-Authored with Jack Wright, Ohio State University and Christopher Zorn, Emory University “Strategic Voting and Gate Keeping in the Supreme Court” |
| 1997 | Christopher Zorn, Emory University Co-Authored with Gregory A. Caldeira, Ohio State University and Jack Wright, Ohio State University “Strategic Voting and Gate Keeping in the Supreme Court” |
| 1997 | Jack Wright, George Washington University Co-Authored with Gregory A. Caldeira, Ohio State University and Christopher Zorn, Emory University “Strategic Voting and Gate Keeping in the Supreme Court” |
| 1996 | Jeffrey Segal, Stony Brook University “Marxist (and Neo-Marxist) Models of Supreme Court Decision Making: Separation of Powers Games in the Positive Theory of Law and Courts” |
| 1994 | Christine Harrington, New York University “Rethinking Litigation: The Role of Courts in Producing Litigation” |
| 1994 | Daniel Ward, Rice University “Rethinking Litigation: The Role of Courts in Producing Litigation” |
| 1994 | Honorable Mention Kevin McGuire, University of Minnesota “The Supreme Court Bar: Legal Elites in the Washington Community” (Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1993) |
| 1993 | Mark Graber, University of Maryland “The Non-Majoritarian Difficulty: Legislative Deference to the Judiciary” |
| 1993 | Honorable Mention Elliot Slotnick, Ohio State University “Television News and the Supreme Court” |
| 1993 | Honorable Mention Jennifer Segal Diascro, Ohio State University “Television News and the Supreme Court” |
Law and Courts Best Graduate Student Paper Award
Formerly the CQ Press Award, the Best Graduate Student Paper Award is given annually for the best paper in the field of law and courts written by a graduate student. To be eligible, the nominated paper must have been written by a full-time graduate student. Both single- and co-authored papers are eligible. In the case of co-authored papers, each author must have been a full-time graduate student at the time the paper was written. Submitted papers may have been written for any purpose (including papers written for seminar, scholarly meetings, and for potential publication in academic journals). This is NOT, however, a dissertation or thesis prize.
| 2024 | Sara J. Heridia, Emory University “Finding Echoes: Judicial Empathy Among Judges with Family Immigration Histories. |