“Democracy and the Courts”

presented by

Professor Jack Knight

Frederic Cleaveland Distinguished Professor of Law and Political Science
Duke University

WHEN:

Friday, April 17, 2026
3:00-4:00 pm
A reception will immediately follow the lecture.

WHERE:

Richard B. Russell Special Collections Libraries
Auditorium (271)
300 S. Hull Street
Athens, GA 30605

ACCESSIBILITY:

Access can be provided for people with disabilities. Contact Lauren Ledbetter at lledbetter@uga.edu by Wednesday, April 8, 2026  for specific requests.

A renowned political scientist and legal theorist, Professor Jack Knight’s scholarly work focuses on modern social and political theory, law and legal theory, and political economy. He holds a joint appointment with Duke Law School and Duke’s Trinity College of Arts and Sciences, where he teaches in the Politics, Philosophy and Economics Program. At the Law School, he teaches courses on social scientific approaches to law and courts, as well as courses on the political economy of social institutions. He is co-director of the Duke Law Center for Judicial Studies.

Professor Knight’s research focuses on the rules and norms that organize human activities in nations. In addition to study of the motivations and decisions of judges, he has examined the effects of the norm of extensive prior judicial experience as a prerequisite for service on the U.S. Supreme Court, as well as several other aspects of how courts make decisions and how judges choose their positions in opinions.

Professor Knight is the author of several books: Institutions and Social Conflict (Cambridge University Press, 1992), Explaining Social Institutions (with Itai Sened) (The University of Michigan Press, 1995), and The Choices Justices Make (with Lee Epstein) (Congressional Quarterly Press, 1997), which won the American Political Science Association’s C. Herman Prichett Award for the best book published on law and courts. He co-edited Courts, Judges and Politics (McGraw-Hill, 6th Edition, 2005) and has published numerous articles in journals and edited volumes on such topics as democratic theory, the rule of law, judicial decision-making, and theories of institutional emergence and change.

SPONSORED BY:
The Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research & Studies

This lecture series is named after George S. Parthemos, who served the ¿ìè¶ÌÊÓƵ with great distinction for over 30 years until his death in 1984. During that time he served as Head of the Department of Political Science and Vice President for Instruction. He was also an extraordinary teacher. This series, sponsored by the Department of Political Science, honors his commitment to education. Each year, the Parthemos Scholar not only delivers this lecture, but teaches classes and interacts with students and faculty over two to three days.

This lecture is part of the University’s 2026 Spring Signature Lecture Series.

The content and opinions expressed during events hosted by the School of Public & International events do not necessarily reflect the views of nor are they endorsed by the ¿ìè¶ÌÊÓƵ or the University System of Georgia.

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Students may submit research projects completed or currently in progress, as part of course work, CURO, internships, or independent research. We invite paper and poster presentation submissions on research drawing from all academic concentrations within ¿ìè¶ÌÊÓƵ including American Politics, International Relations, Comparative Politics, Political Theory, Criminal Justice, and Public Administration.

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Questions? Contact us at spia.urc@gmail.com.

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For more information about this event and other ways the School is celebrating this milestone year, visit our 25th Anniversary page.

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Visit the ¿ìè¶ÌÊÓƵ Convocation Webpage

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Friday, May 29, 12:00 pm EST – discussion on the MPA and careers in Public Budgeting & Financial Management with Dr. Katherine Willoughby.

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Monday, June 15, 12:00 pm EST – discussion on the MPA and careers in Local Government Administration with Dr. Eric Zeemering.

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