PS 3150 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Amicus Curiae

• School: App State
• Department: Political Science
• Course: PS 3150
• Professor: Ellen Meredith Key

Document Summary

Solicitor general briefs court on important cases. Amici curiae means friend of court, interest groups pay. Justice ideology is that justices are more likely to hear a case that they want to overturn. Defensive denials- justices deny case because they know their argument would lose. Aggressive grants- pushing others to grant the case as well. Who won or lost v how the outcome applies to future cases. Types of opinions (made up of the opinion coalition) Majority- at least 5 people agree on one decision. Special concurrent- written by justices who agree with dispositional outcome but not the doctrinal. Regular concurrence- written by justices who agree with both the dispositional and doctrinal outcomes. Written by justices who disagree with dispositional outcome. What are the legal holdings? yes/no answer to the legal question.