A Well-Traveled Lot: A Research Note on Judicial Travel by U.S. Supreme Court Justices

Abstract

Today’s Supreme Court justices are said to be a “well-traveled lot,” with some scholars and policymakers wondering whether to curtail judicial travel. Absent from much of this debate, however, are data. Relying on justices’ financial disclosure statements from 2002–2012, we examine which justices travel, how often, and for what purpose. We discover that justices are indeed well traveled and that their travel patterns are not random. Certain justices have a greater propensity to travel. What is more, personal, legal, and political factors predict travel. These findings assist the normative discussion about the role of judicial travel and aim to raise broader questions about judicial motivations.

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