Teaching and Research Activities for John Szmer, Professor

CLAS Department Diversity Liaison POLS representative (John Szmer) Research Projects- book that examines how institutions and contexts, broadly, affect how diversity influences processes on a variety of collegial courts (i.e., courts that collectively make decisions in task groups). Stemming from a research completed NSF grant, professor has an ongoing set of projects that specifically focuses on the increased gender and racial diversity of the U.S. Courts of Appeals under President Obama. It includes a new article (and Monkey Page post) that finds women and racial minority judges tend to write opinions that spend more time justifying their decisions, and they provide more thorough analyses of precedent. Other research through the same project--a variety of papers that are in production. One paper looks at differences in communication styles in the written opinions. Another paper looks at the concept of nested diversity (each Court of Appeals circuit varies in diversity, and then cases are usually decided by 3 judge panels drawn from that larger circuit). Still another paper examines the oral arguments, looking at the word choices AND the audio tone of the questions asked by the judges, as well as interruptions, to determine whether they communicate differently with judges with differing demographic backgrounds, including perceived race and gender. Another looks at diversity more broadly, including both demographic and experiential characteristics. Finally, in that project, we are also examining the effects that diversity has on the deliberations of the small groups. I have other current research projects, including a book project examining the influence of attorney gender in a variety of ways. For example, how do gender stereotypes influence the way Supreme Court justices communicate with, and treat, attorneys. Similarly, the attorneys submit written arguments (briefs) to the justices. We are examining how the gender diversity of the team writing the briefs influences both the quality of the brief, and how it influences the Supreme Court justices. We want to determine for example, whether, consistent with prior literature, diverse litigation teams write briefs that are more creative and influential. I am also working on projects that look at diversity and leadership. For example, in collegial courts, typically the chief justice/chief judge/presiding judge assigns the task of writing the opinion of the court (the justification of the decision that serves as precedent). How does the race/gender of the assigner and the potential assignees affect task assignments in this context? Also, does the diversity of the chief judge/justice influence the degree of conflict on the court, linguistically and substantively. Teaching Dr. Szmer teaches one class--POLS 3117 Gender & the Law--that almost entirely focuses on DEI-related questions. POLS 3115 Civil Rights and Civil Liberties-- spends about 50% of the course focusing on DEI-related questions. While only one unit of my American Politics (Civil Rights) directly focuses on DEI-related questions, I integrate those questions into many other questions throughout the course, from the founding, to descriptive and substantive representation in the federal institutions (e.g., Congress, Presidency, Judiciary), to differences in political behavior. Senior Seminar POLS 4600 Civil Rights & Liberties --focuses entirely on civil rights, broadly, including race, ethnicity, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, and ability. We examine a broad variety of contexts, including education, employment, voting, and the treatment by governmental entities. The course also examines these questions from a variety of facets, including history, social movements, legal mobilization, and policy changes. Professor Szmer is presently supervising two honors theses and one independent study project in mentoring students--all with students drawn from traditionally underrepresented groups.