Life tenure is a unique aspect to our federal judiciary: No other country affords that protection to its judges. The Framers justified life tenure as necessary to safeguard judicial independence and promote development of the law. My research, though, has challenged the first premise: the link between a lifetime appointment and judicial independence. In a study published earlier this year, I show that federal judges are increasingly making retirement decisions in a politically strategic manner.

Citation
Xiao Wang, It’s Time to Abandon (or Closely Monitor) Judicial Life Tenure, Bloomberg Law (April 17, 2023).
UVA Law Faculty Affiliations
Xiao Wang
Supreme Court and Appellate Litigation Program
Program in Constitutional Law
Center for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties
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