First Among Friends: Interest Groups, the U.S. Supreme Court, and the Right to Privacy »

SUZANNE U. SAMUELS is Associate Professor of Political Science at Seton Hall University. She has written widely in the area of law, politics and society, and is keenly interested in the interplay of law and social and political institutions.

To explore the role of social movements and pressure politics in judicial lawmaking, Samuels (Seton Hall U.) studies amici curiae in Supreme Court decisions about privacy rights. She reviews 11 cases heard by the Court involving abortion, aid in dying, family relationships and anti-sodomy statutes, looking at briefs and the Justices' opinions. She also examines the Justices' personal papers, conference memoranda and votes, draft opinions and correspondence. Samuels' research highlights the importance of certain amici, especially government agencies, civil rights organizations and groups with scientific or medical expertise, in shaping the Justices' decisions. She concludes that the Court's reliance on and preference for particular amici will continue to grow and that friends of the Court with significant resources will have an increasing influence. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR