Chapter 7
1. In what ways are courts “hallowed” and unique in our society in terms of their decor and required decorum?
2. How is the adversarial system of justice related to the truth-seeking function of the courts?
3. What are some of the perceived benefits of unifying the state court systems, and how would a unified state court system be organized?
4. What is the organization of our dual court system, and what are the primary functions of each of the major types of courts that exist within the federal and state court systems?
Chapter 8
1. What is meant by “good judging?”
2. Why is civility so important for the appearance of justice and propriety in our courts?
3. How have court clerks traditionally assumed and performed the role of court administrator?
4. What is the conventional wisdom concerning whether or not judges can and should use social networking sites for their personal and professional purposes?
5. What criteria may be employed by judges to evaluate the effectiveness of their administrators?
Chapter 9
- Explain the “CSI effect,” and how it does and does not affect court operations and court actors.
- What are the characteristics of courthouse shootings, and what are the differences between courthouse violence that is targeted and nontargeted?
- What are the possible consequences of delay in the courts, and what are some possible solutions to this problem?
- Should plea bargaining and courtroom cameras be kept or barred from our legal system? Why or why not?
- In what ways does Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) hold promise for reducing the current avalanche of lawsuits?
