Faculty Profile

Ryan W. Scott

Associate Professor of Law

Biography

Professor Scott joined the Indiana University Maurer School of Law faculty in summer 2009. He teaches and writes on criminal law and procedure, statutory interpretation, and federal courts. Professor Scott's research examines structural and procedural interactions between the judicial branch and other branches of government, particularly in the criminal context. Previously he has written on efforts to control the composition of the judiciary, including the judicial appointments process, legislative strategies for encouraging judicial retirements, and the semi-retirement program of senior judges. Scott also studies efforts to influence judicial decision making directly by placing constraints on judicial discretion. His current project examines changes in inter-judge sentencing disparity under the United States Sentencing Guidelines, one of Congress's most ambitious efforts to restrict judges in the performance of a historically discretionary function.

After graduating from law school, Professor Scott clerked for Judge Michael W. McConnell of the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit. He then served as a Bristow Fellow in the Office of the Solicitor General of the United States. Before joining the faculty, he worked for two years as an associate in the Supreme Court and appellate practice at O'Melveny & Myers LLP in Washington, D.C.

Selected Works

• In Search of the Booker Revolution, Indiana Legal Studies Research Paper No. 140 (2009)
• Navigating the New Politics of Judicial Appointments, 102 NW. L. REV. 1869 (2008) (review essay) (with David R. Stras)
• Are Senior Judges Unconstitutional?, 92 CORNELL L. REV. 453 (2007) (with David R. Stras)
• Retaining Life Tenure: The Case for a "Golden Parachute," 83 WASH. U.L.Q. 1397 (2006) (with David R. Stras)

Related Links

• SSRN
• Publications