On the politics of judicial selection: Lawyers and state campaigns for themerit plan

This article investigates the support of lawyers' groups for the merit plan , a form of selecting and retaining state judges. Although that support is justified on the grounds of improved administration of justice, this analys is links it to the self-interest of lawyers. First, merit plan procedures i nvolve lawyers and bar associations prominently in the selection process. S econd, by reducing a judge's susceptibility to political pressure, the proc edures increase the amount of litigation in the state. This article finds t hat merit plan procedures are associated with between eighteen and thirty-t wo percent more filings in state supreme courts between 1985 and 1994.