McLauchlan 1-59332-088-4


	Edited by Eric Rise, University of Delaware

		Congressional Participation as Amicus Curiae before the U.S. Supreme Court
		Judithanne Scourfield McLauchlan

			Scourfield McLauchlan studies how Members of Congress participate in cases before the Supreme Court. Members have filed amicus curiae briefs every Term since 1977. The frequency of Congressional participation before the Court continues to rise, and it is now a fixture in Supreme Court litigation. McLauchlan examines how often Members of Congress participate as "friend of the court," what types of cases attract Congressional attention, what motivates Congressmen to file amicus briefs, and whether Congressional "friends of the court" influence Supreme Court decision-making. She explores the implications of this trend for the principles of separation of powers and judicial independence.

		Judithanne Scourfield McLauchlanis Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg. She earned her Ph.D. in Political Science at Rutgers University in 2003. In addition to her academic pursuits, Scourfield McLauchlan has worked at the US Supreme Court, the Senate Judiciary Committee, the Department of Justice, and the White House, and she has managed election campaigns across the US.

		xii, 266 pages. Index, bibliography. ISBN 1-59332-088-4. $70. Published.