Dr. Jennifer Bowie
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Profile
Jennifer Bowie is an associate professor of political science at the University of Richmond, the former editor of the Law and Politics Book Review, and has been named a 2022-2023 Provost Office Faculty Fellow. Her research and scholarly work focus on judicial decision-making in federal, state, and comparative courts. Dr. Bowie is the recipient of a collaborative multi-year National Science Foundation grant totaling more than $300,000. The funded project titled “Dynamic Learning in Comparative Courts: A Cross-National Analysis of Judicial Decision Making in Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom” develops, assesses, and advances a new and innovative theoretical framework on the dynamic transmission of information between two tiers of courts across the judiciaries of Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom. The project represents the first comprehensive assessment of hierarchical influences on judicial decision-making within a comparative context.
Dr. Bowie is the co-author of A View from the Bench and Chambers: Examining Judicial Process and Decision Making on the U.S. Court of Appeals (University of Virginia Press, 2014). A View from the Bench and Chambers provides a comprehensive examination of the processes and politics on the U.S. Courts of Appeals seen from the judges’ perspective and complemented by empirical analyses. Dr. Bowie’s scholarship has been published in several peer-reviewed journals and edited book volumes, including the Journal of Politics, Political Research Quarterly, Justice System Journal, and TheJournal of Law and Courts.
Dr. Bowie teaches the following courses: Civil Rights and Liberties, Constitutional Law, The American Legal System, SCOTUS and Criminal Procedure, a First Year Seminar on The Rights of the Criminally Accused, and three senior seminars: Judicial Politics and Decision Making, The Notorious RBG: Gender Discrimination and the Courts, and Judicial Behavior.
In 2020, Dr. Bowie received the University of Richmond Distinguished Educator Award and the American Political Science Association Law and Courts Section Teaching and Mentoring Award.
In 2022, Dr. Bowie was named a Provost Fellow for the 2022-2023 academic year.
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Grants and Fellowships
National Science Foundation, Law and Science Program “Collaborative Research: RUI: Dynamic Learning in Comparative Courts: A Cross-National Analysis of Judicial Decision Making in Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom”: Supplement. Principal Investigator. [SES 1921268]. August 1, 2021 – July 31, 2024. $54,798* ($28,218 at University of Richmond) with Co-Principal Investigator Ali S. Masood, Assistant Professor, Oberlin College).
*Funds provided by this award include support for "Research Experiences for Undergraduates" in accordance with the NSF program solicitation NSF 19-582.
National Science Foundation, Law and Social Science Program “Collaborative Research: RUI: Dynamic Learning in Comparative Courts: A Cross-National Analysis of Judicial Decision Making in Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom,” Principal Investigator [SES 1921268]. August 1, 2019 – July 31, 2024 $278,369. ($144,651 at University of Richmond) with Co-Principal Investigator Ali S. Masood, Assistant Professor, Oberlin College).
University of Richmond Faculty Research Summer Fellowship, 2012 – 2023.
University of Richmond Summer Research Grant, 2018 – 2019.
George Mason University, Fenwick Fellow, 2009 – 2010.
National Science Foundation Travel Fellowship to Present Research at Society of Political Methodology Annual Summer, Pennsylvania State University, Summer 2007.
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Awards
School of Arts & Sciences Outstanding Mentor Award, 2023
Provost Office Faculty Fellow, 2022-2023.
American Political Science Association Law and Courts Section Teaching and Mentoring Award, 2020.
University of Richmond Distinguished Educator Award, 2020.
Omicron Delta Kappa Teaching Award, Spring 2013.
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Grants and Fellowships
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Publications
Books
2014. The View from the Bench and Chambers: Examining Judicial Process and Decision Making on the U.S. Courts of Appeals. University of Virginia Press. (with Donald R. Songer and John Szmer)
Journal Articles*Denotes University of Richmond student coauthor.
Forthcoming. “A Bottom-up Approach to Lower Court Influence on the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom.” In Research Handbook on Law and Courts, eds. Michael Fix and Matthew Montgomery. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing. (with Ali Masood, Elisha Carol Savchak, Susan Johnson, Lauren Oligino*, and Adam Webster*)
2023. “Lower Court Influence on High Courts: Evidence from the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom.” Journal of Law and Courts 1-22. Advanced online publication. (with Ali S. Masood, Elisha Carol Savchak, Natalie Smith, Bianca Wieck*, Cameron Abrams, and Meghna Melkote*.
2023. “Hierarchical Interactions and Compliance in Comparative Courts.” Political Research Quarterly 76(4): 1906 – 1919. (with Ali S. Masood).
2022. “State Court Influence on U.S. Supreme Court Opinions.” Journal of Law and Courts. 10(1): 139-165. (with Elisha Carol Savchak).
2019 “Understanding the Determinants of Opinion Language Borrowing in the States Courts.” In Research Handbook on Law and Courts, edited by Lee Walker and Susan Sterett. Edward Elgar Publishing: 267-279. (with Elisha Carol Savchak).
2016. “A Bottom-Up Account of State Supreme Court Opinion Writing.” Justice System Journal 37(2): 94-114. (with Elisha Carol Savchak).
2016. “Party Capability and the U.S. Courts of Appeals: Understanding Why the ‘Haves’ Win.” Journal of Law and Courts. 4(1): 65-102. (with John Szmer and Donald R. Songer).
2013. “Do Bills of Rights Matter? An Examination of Court Change, Judicial Ideology and the Support Structure for Rights in Canada.” Osgoode Hall Law Journal 51(1): 297-328. (with Donald R. Songer and Susan W. Johnson).
2010. "An Empirical Analysis of Hierarchy Effects in Judicial Decision Making." The Journal of Politics. 72 (4): 1212-1221 (with Christopher Zorn).
2009. "Assessing the Applicability of Strategic Theory to Explain Decision Making on the Courts of Appeals." Political Research Quarterly 62: 393-407 (with Donald R. Songer).
Book Chapters2022. "Jones v. Mississippi on Life Without Parole for Youth Offenders" in SCOTUS 2021 Major Decisions and Developments of the US Supreme Court, by Morgan Marietta (ed). Palgrave: 83-91. (with *Alexis Cobbs).
2021.“Kelly v. US on Public Fraud and the Bridgegate Controversy.”In SCOTUS 2020 Major Decisions and Developments of the US Supreme Court. by Morgan Marietta (eds). Palgrave: 101-109.
2020. “Flowers v. Mississippi on Race in Jury Selection.” In SCOTUS 2019 Major Decisions and Developments of the US Supreme Court.” edited by David Klein and Morgan Marietta. Palgrave: 39-48.
2019. “Understanding the Determinants of Opinion Language Borrowing in the States Courts.” In Research Handbook on Law and Courts, edited by Lee Walker and Susan Sterett. Edward Elgar Publishing: 267-279. (with Elisha Carol Savchak).
Reviews2022. Review of A Court Of Specialists Judicial Behavior on the UK Supreme Court by Chris Hanretty. Law and Politics Book Review. 32(6): 72-75. (with Alexis Cobbs.*)
*Denotes University of Richmond student coauthor.