Litigation Strategies in US Social Movements

美国世纪后半叶的社会运动越来越多地利用诉讼来扩大法律的权利。然而，我们对他们如何在法庭上提起诉讼知之甚少，特别是他们何时以及如何进行战略性诉讼，以及诉讼策略是否成功以及哪些成功。本研究将探讨从1970年至今，美国妇女运动在联邦法院提起的诉讼，询问a）她们是否以及如何制定和部署诉讼战略，以及B）战略诉讼是否成功地赢得了法庭案件并影响了更广泛的社会政策。这项研究将利用关键法律的倡导组织的定性案例研究和联邦法院案件的定量数据集。这项工作将使我们进一步了解社会群体如何在司法竞技场中获得更大的法律的平等。 该项目将通过与诉讼律师的访谈和组织档案数据，“进入”运动倡导组织，以评估诉讼战略的制定和部署，以及此类诉讼是否成功地赢得法律的案件并影响更广泛的政策，从而为行为体提供更大的代理权。 该项目将以两种方式使更广泛的受众更广泛地了解社会科学研究和宣传、律师和诉讼。首先，通过范德比尔特大学的科学推广中心，该项目将招募四名高中生进行暑期实习，指导他们进行社会科学调查和辩护诉讼研究。其次，PI将与两个更广泛的受众分享研究结果，a）纳什维尔和范德比尔特大学的高中生、大学生和法律学生，以及B）国家和地方法律的专业团体和诉讼倡导团体。

U.S. social movements in the latter half of the 20th century have increasingly used litigation as they worked to broaden legal rights. Yet we know little about how they pursue cases in the courts, particularly when and how they litigate strategically and whether and which litigation strategies are successful. This study will examine litigation in the federal courts by the U.S. women's movement from 1970 until the present, asking a) whether and how they develop and deploy litigation strategies and b) whether strategic litigation is successful in winning court cases and influencing broader social policy. The research will draw on qualitative case studies of key legal advocacy organizations and a quantitative data set of federal court cases. The work will further our understanding of how social groups gain greater legal equality in the judicial arena. The project will give greater agency to actors by moving "inside" movement advocacy organizations, through interviews with litigators and organizational archival data, to assess the development and deployment of litigation strategy and whether such litigation succeeds in winning legal cases and influencing broader policy. The project will bring wider understanding of social science research and advocacy lawyering and litigation to broader audiences in two ways. First, through Vanderbilt University's Center for Science Outreach, the project will recruit four high-school students for summer internships, mentoring them in social science inquiry and study of advocacy litigation. Second, the PI will share research findings with two broader audiences, a) high school, college, and law students in Nashville and at Vanderbilt University, and b) national and local legal professional groups and litigation advocacy groups.