University of Virginia Law Professor Michael Livermore [1] ’06 and two Dartmouth College computer scientists will publish an article in the 2016 Washington University Law Review asserting that over time Supreme Court opinions have become longer, more layperson-friendly, and increasingly grumpy.
Using computer analysis of negative and positive language in Supreme Court opinions from 1791 to 2008, the authors gave 107 justices a “friendliness score” and determined that five current justices are among the 10 most cross: Samuel Alito, Stephen Breyer, Anthony Kennedy, Antonin Scalia, and Clarence Thomas.
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Related Link
“Justices’ Opinions Grow in Size, Accessibility and Testiness, Study Finds” [2]
New York Times, 5/5/15
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