Dr. Jennifer Bowie
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Profile
Jennifer Bowie is a professor of political science at the University of Richmond whose research examines judicial decision making in United States and comparative courts. Her work, supported by funding from the National Science Foundation, seeks to understand how judges shape legal outcomes across different institutional contexts.
Bowie has published two books: Judicial Process in America (CQ Press, 2025, with Robert Carp, Kenneth Manning, and Lisa Holmes) and 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, with Donald Songer and John Szmer). Her research has also appeared in various journals and edited volumes, including The Journal of Politics, Political Research Quarterly, Justice System Journal, and the Journal of Law and Courts.
Bowie teaches the following courses: Constitutional Law (PLSC 331), Civil Rights and Liberties (PLSC 333), SCOTUS and Criminal Procedure (PLSC 336), and The American Legal System (PLSC 337). She also teaches a First-Year Seminar (FYS 100) Rights of the Criminally Accused as well as senior seminars (PLSC 400) Judicial Politics and Decision Making, Gender Discrimination and the Courts, and Judicial Behavior.
Her teaching, mentoring, and research have been recognized with several awards, including the University of Richmond Distinguished Educator Award (2020), the American Political Science Association Law and Courts Section Teaching and Mentoring Award (2020), the School of Arts & Sciences Outstanding Mentoring Award (2023), and a Provost Fellowship (2022-2023).
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Grants and Fellowships
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, 2026, $278,369 (with Co-Principal Investigator Ali S. Masood, Associate Professor, Oberlin College).
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, 2026, $54,798* (with Co-Principal Investigator Ali S. Masood, Associate 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.
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
2025. Judicial Process in America, 13th edition. Washington, DC: Sage/CQ Press (with Robert Carp, Kenneth Manning, and Lisa Holmes).
2014. The View from the Bench and Chambers: Examining Judicial Process and Decision Making on the U.S. Courts of Appeals. Charlottesville, VA: University of Virginia Press. (with Donald R. Songer and John Szmer).
Journal Articles2024. “Lower Court Influence on High Courts: Evidence from the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom.” Journal of Law and Courts 12(1): 217 – 238. (with Ali S. Masood, Elisha Carol Savchak, Natalie Smith, Bianca Wieck*, Cameron Abrams, and Meghna Melkote*).
2024. “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, pp. 223 - 236. Edward Elgar Publishing. (with Ali Masood, Elisha Carol Savchak, Susan Johnson, Lauren Oligino*, and Adam Webster*).
2024. “An Analysis of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s Use of Emotive Language in Her Authored Dissenting Opinions.” In Open Judicial Politics: Decision Making, Public Opinion, Media, Policymaking, eds. Rorie Solberg and Eric Waltenburg. Corvallis, OR: Oregon State University Press, pp. 23-44. (with Nicolas Ellis*).
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 Chapters2024. “Jones v. Hendrix on Habeas Corpus.” In SCOTUS 2023 Major Decisions and Developments of the US Supreme Court, eds. Morgan Marietta and Howard Schweber. Palgrave: 181 - 188. (with Kaitlyn O’Leary*).
2022. "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.