Ramsey County Law Library Blog

The term “judicial activism” is often used when assessing judges, and phrases like “activist judges”  are haphazardly bandied about with little analysis.   It is a phrase most use subjectively , and many judicial critics say they know it when they see it.  What  does judicial activism actually mean and how do we measure it?

In Measuring Judicial Activism, authors Stefanie A. Lindquist and Frank B, Cross attempt to apply non-ideological terms to identify specific empirical dimensions to the concept, and measure those dimensions using systematic tools.  After getting past the detailed, yet interesting definition and quantitative measures that make up judicial activism, the authors apply their analysis to recent justices on the Court.   I suspect that you will be surprised which justices end up at the top and bottom of the activism scale.

This book can be viewed and borrowed at the Ramsey County Law Library.  Come visit us on the 18th floor of the Ramsey County Courthouse.

On May 4, 2010, the Ramsey County Law Library was gifted a new book published by the Minnesota Supreme Court Historical Society.  The book is entitled “Testimony: Remembering Minnesota’s Supreme Court Justices.”    The Honorable Edward C. Stringer awarded the book to John Trojack, Ramsey County Law Library Board Chair.  Other law library board members attending the ceremony were Judge Margaret Marrinan, Commissioner Janice Rettman (who facilitated the event which took place before the Ramsey County Board of Commissioners), and Tom Boyd, who is a member of the law library board and the Minnesota Supreme Court Historical Society.  Law library director Sara Galligan also participated in the event. 

The book is a collection of memorials of all deceased supreme court justices to date.  It covers a wealth of biographical and institutional history.  Some of the past justices included in the book were former judges for the District Court of Ramsey County.  The event was part of the law library’s celebration of “Law Day,” with it theme “Law in the 21^st Century:  Enduring Traditions, emerging Challenges.”