Revisiting the Business of State Supreme Courts in the 21st Century

Abstract

In this research note, we extend four decades of research mapping the work of state supreme courts since the 1870s employing newly available data to map the work of state high courts into the 21st century. Comparing these recent data with the historical patterns illustrated in past studies, our analysis reveals both stable trends as well as notable changes. Criminal and contract appeals continued to increase, debt and real property appeals continued to decrease, tort appeals stabilized, and public law and family and estates appeals declined markedly in the most recent period after exhibiting stability previously. Combined with these past studies, this research note illustrates both significant stability as well as notable change in the work of state supreme court dockets spanning almost 150 years.