Lawyers in Congress:What Difference Does It Make?

Roger Davidson and Nelson Polsby have both argued that social scientists have missed some of the very important effects that legislators' legal training has on the legislative process. Although lawyer members dominate the U.S. Congress, there has been little study about how their legal training affects Congress as an institution. Contrary to the conventional wisdom, this study finds that lawyers have more positive attitudes toward the courts, are less likely to see the courts as politically motivated, are less willing to strip the courts of jurisdiction, and see congressional reaction to the courts as non-routine. Various scholars have claimed that the federal courts are protected from congressional attacks because of their prestige and because of their special role in our governmental system. These arguments capture how the lawyers in this study view the courts. Thus the behavior of many legislators is affected by their legal training and socialization.