Amanda L. Hollis-Brusky

  • Expertise

    Expertise

    Professor Hollis-Brusky is professor of politics, where she teaches courses on American politics, constitutional law, and legal institutions. A go-to expert on Supreme Court politics, Hollis-Brusky has written and spoken about the Supreme Court and the conservative legal movement in various media outlets, including NPR鈥檚 , BBC World 麻豆传媒, the , the , , , , , with Larry Mantel, KCRW鈥檚 and . She is currently featured in the critically acclaimed Showtime Docuseries 鈥溾 by filmmaker Dawn Porter. An advocate for public-facing political science, from 2020-2022 Hollis-Brusky served as an editor at blog at The Washington Post, where she worked with academics to translate their scholarship into research-informed analyses for the newspaper鈥檚 audience.

    Her research examines the dynamics of constitutional change and the role 鈥渟upport structures鈥 play in that process 鈥 i.e., networks of lawyers and academics, non-governmental institutions, and ideas. Her first book (Oxford 2015; 2019) won the American Political Science Association鈥檚 for the best book published on Law and Courts by a Political Scientist. Drawing on her award-winning research, Hollis-Brusky provided expert testimony on before the Judiciary Committee of the United States House of Representatives in September of 2020.

    Hollis-Brusky鈥檚 second book, examines the rise and efficacy of the conservative Christian legal movement. Hollis-Brusky and her co-author Professor Wilson were awarded a three-year grant for this project in 2016 from the Law and Social Sciences division of the . In addition to her two books, Hollis-Brusky has also published articles on the conservative legal movement, Originalism, the unitary executive theory, the impeachment power and the Christian Right. She is currently working on a book project examining the role government lawyers have played in the expansion of presidential power in the United States over time.

    In 2014 and 2022, Hollis-Brusky was awarded the Wig Distinguished Teaching Award at 麻豆传媒, which is the college鈥檚 highest teaching honor. She is the Vice President of the local chapter of the League of Women Voters, a Girl Scout Troop leader, and mom to two incredible daughters.

    Research Interests

    • Constitutional law and constitutional theory (Originalism, constitutional interpretation)
    • Law and social movements, legal mobilization, the conservative legal movement
    • Executive power and the separation of powers (unitary executive theory, War Powers)
    • The role of "support structures" in constitutional development

    Areas of Expertise

    • American Politics
    • Constitutional Theory and Law
    • Supreme Court Politics
    • Federalism
    • Separation of powers
    • Executive power
    • Conservative and Progressive legal movements
    • State and Federal contraceptive mandates
  • Work

    Work

    Books

    (Oxford University Press, 2020)

     (Oxford University Press, 2015)

    Peer-Reviewed Journals

    鈥淚mpeachment as a 鈥楳adisonian Device鈥 Reconsidered.鈥&苍产蝉辫;Chicago Kent Law Review.  Vol 96(1): 101-121 (2020).

    (with Joshua C. Wilson). Law and Society Review, 52(4) (2018).

    Kansas University Press (2018).

    (with Joshua C Wilson). Law and Policy 39(2) (2017).

     (with Joshua C Wilson) Law and Social Inquiry Vol 39 (2): 416-448 (2014).

    鈥淎n [Un]clear Conscience Clause: The Causes and Consequences of Statutory Ambiguity in State Contraceptive Mandates.鈥 (with Rachel VanSickle-Ward, Pitzer College). Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law Vol. 38, No. 4 (2013)

     in Law, Politics, and Society, Vol 61: 137-178 (2013).

     Denver University Law Review, 89 (1) (2011).

     Law and Social Inquiry 36 (2): 551-74 (2011).

    Book Chapters

    鈥淎n Activist鈥檚 Court: Political Polarization and the Roberts Court.鈥 in Parchment Barriers: Political Polarization and the Limits of Constitutional Order. Eds. Zachary Courser, Eric Helland, Kenneth P. MillerUniversity Press of Kansas (2018).

    Book Reviews

    Review of Rebecca Sanders, Plausible Legality: Legal Culture and Political Imperative in the Global War on Terror. International Affairs. 95(3): May 2019.

    Review of Daniel Bennett, Defending Faith: The Politics of the Christian Conservative Legal Movement. Great Plains Research. Vol 29(1): Spring 2019

    Review of Laura Kalman, The Long Reach of the Sixties: LBJ, Nixon, and the Making of the Contemporary Supreme Court. The Chronicle of Higher Education. 2017.

    Review of Jefferson Decker, The Other Rights Revolution: Conservative Lawyers and the Remaking of American Government. Law and Politics Book Review. Vol 27 (3): 49-52 (2017).

    Review of William Howell and Terry Moe, Relic: How our Constitution Undermines Effective Government and Why We Need a More Powerful Presidency. The Forum. Spring 2017.

    鈥淭he Constrained Court.鈥 Review of Ian Millhiser, Injustices: The Supreme Court鈥檚 History of Comforting the Comfortable and Afflicting the Afflicted. Democracy: A Journal of Ideas, Issue 37 (Summer 2015).

    Review of Pamela Karlan, A Constitution for All Times. Law and Politics Book Review, 24 (6): 283-286 (June 2014).

    Review of Michael Avery and Danielle McLaughlin, The Federalist Society: How Conservatives Took the Law Back from Liberals. Political Science Quarterly, 129 (1): 177 (Spring 2014)

    Professional Presentations/Invited Talks

    鈥淪eparate but Faithful.鈥 Book launch talk. Center for Empirical Research on the Legal Profession. UC Irvine Law School. Oct. 1, 2020

    鈥淟egal Societies and Outside Actors.鈥 Featured panelist at 鈥淧olitics of Judicial Nominations in an Age of Mistrust.鈥 Princeton University. March 6, 2020.

    鈥淭he Supreme Court: What鈥檚 at Stake.鈥 California Women鈥檚 Law Center. Aug. 21, 2018.

    鈥淗ow the Constitution Changes: Lawyers, Legal Institutions and the 鈥楽upport Structure鈥 for Constitutional Development.鈥 Taking the Constitution Seriously Speaker Series. Claremont Graduate University. May 2, 2017.

    鈥淛ustice Confirmed.鈥 Supreme Court Panel Discussion. Foley Institute. Washington State University. March 20, 2017.

    鈥淏lack-Robed Policymakers or Defenders of the Constitution? When the Supreme Court Should and Should not Govern Us.鈥 Constitution Day Lecture. Northwestern University, Department of Legal Studies. Oct. 1, 2015

    鈥淐ulture Warrior, Esquire: Will Christian Law Schools and Training Programs Reshape Law and Politics?鈥 Boston University Political Science Department. May 1, 2015.

    鈥淚deas with Consequences: The Federalist Society and the Conservative Counterrevolution.鈥 University of Pennsylvania Law School (sponsored by the American Constitution Society). Mar. 18, 2015.

    鈥淚deas with Consequences: The Federalist Society and the Conservative Counterrevolution.鈥 University of California, Berkeley (co-sponsored by Center for Right Wing Studies, Center for the Study of Law and Society, and Travers Department of Political Science). Feb.. 19, 2015.

    鈥淚deas with Consequences: The Federalist Society and the Conservative Counterrevolution.鈥 Marsico Visiting Scholar, University of Denver Political Science Department. Feb. 3-6, 2015.

    鈥淲restling with Conscience Clauses鈥 (with Rachel Van Sickle-Ward, Pitzer College). Southwestern Law School Faculty Speaker SeriesApril 5, 2013.

    Conference Presentations

    (Past Five Years Only)

    鈥溾楽erviceable Instruments of His Authority鈥: How Lawyers Built the Imperial Presidency.鈥&苍产蝉辫;Presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association. Virtual/Zoom. September 11, 2020.

    鈥溾楢 Generation of Christian Attorneys鈥欌: How Newly Formed Christian Right Law Schools are Outfitting the Culture Wars.鈥 (with Joshua C. Wilson). Presented at the annual meeting of the Law and Society Association. May 31, 2019.

    鈥淪eparate but Faithful: Can the Christian Right Reshape Law Through Legal Education?鈥 (with Joshua C. Wilson). Presented at Inaugural Conference on Right Wing Studies. Center for the Study of Right Wing Studies, UC Berkeley. April 27, 2019.

    鈥淐ulture Warrior, Esquire.鈥&苍产蝉辫;Presented at the 鈥淩ole of Lawyers in Constitutional Change鈥 conference. Center for Empirical Research on the Legal Profession, UC Irvine School of Law. March 15, 2019.

    鈥淐ulture Warrior, Esquire.鈥&苍产蝉辫;Presented at the annual meeting of the American Political Science Association, Boston, MA. Sept. 1, 2018

    鈥淪upport Structures and Legal Mobilization: Lessons in Movement Building and Efficacy from New Christian Right Law Schools and Training Programs.鈥 (with Joshua C Wilson). Presented at the Law and Society Association Annual Meeting, Mexico City, MX. June 20, 2017.

    鈥淔reedom and Constraints in Building a Movement: Lessons from New Christian Law Schools and Training Programs.鈥 (with Joshua C Wilson). Presented at the Western Political Science Association Annual Meeting, Vancouver, B.C. Apr 15, 2017.

    鈥淭hickening Support: The Conservative Christian Legal Movement and the Development of Support Structure Models.鈥 (with Joshua C Wilson). Presented at the Law and Society Association Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA. June 3, 2016.

    鈥淪upport Structures: Just Seventeen, You Know What I Mean.鈥 (with Joshua C Wilson). Presented at the Law and Society Association Annual Meeting, Seattle, WA May 30. 2015.

    鈥淲hen the Public Interest is God鈥檚 Interest: The Strategies, Successes and Failures of New Christian Right Public Interest Law.鈥 (with Joshua C Wilson). Presented at the Annual Meeting of American Political Science Association, Washington, D.C. Aug 28, 2014

    鈥淲hen the Public Interest is God鈥檚 Interest: The Strategies, Successes and Failures of New Christian Right Public Interest Law.鈥 (with Joshua C Wilson). Presented at the Law and Society Association Annual Meeting. Minneapolis, MN. May 29, 2014.

    鈥淛udicial Activism, Inc. How the Federalist Society Network Shaped Citizens United.鈥&苍产蝉辫;Presented at the Second Annual Meeting of the Southern California Law and Social Science (SoCLASS) Forum. Whittier Law School. Mar. 28, 2014.

    Other Conference Participation

    Panelist, 鈥淭he Cycles of Constitutional Time鈥 by Jack Balkin. Author Meets Reader. Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association. Virtual/Zoom. Sept. 13, 2020.

    Chair and Discussant, 鈥淧erspectives on Constitutional Interpretation.鈥&苍产蝉辫;Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association. Virtual/Zoom. Sept. 10, 2020.

    Panelist, 鈥淩aised Right: Fatherhood in Modern American Conservatism鈥 by Jeffrey Dudas. Author Meets Reader. Annual Meeting of the Law and Society Association. Mexico City. June 20, 2017.

    Welcoming Remarks. 鈥淟aw and Legitimacy.鈥&苍产蝉辫;Fifth Annual Meeting of the Southern California Law and Social Science Forum. Claremont McKenna. April 28, 2017.

    Discussant. 鈥淧olitics in an age of Societal Division.鈥&苍产蝉辫;Fourth Annual Meeting of the Southern California Law and Social Science Forum. UC San Diego. March 18, 2016.

    Panelist, 鈥淧olarization and the Supreme Court.鈥 David Dreier Roundtable, Claremont McKenna College, Oct. 9, 2015.

    Organizer, 鈥淟awyers, Networks and Institutions: Examining the 鈥楽upport Structure鈥 for Legal Development.鈥&苍产蝉辫;Presented at the Law and Society Association Annual Meeting, Seattle, WA May 30. 2015

    Chair, 鈥淩egulation in Uncharted Territory.鈥&苍产蝉辫;Third Annual Meeting of the Southern California Law and Social Science Forum. USC Law School. March 27, 2015.

    Co-Organizer, Law, Politics, and Democracy, Second Annual Meeting of the Southern California Law and Social Science Forum. Whittier Law School. March 28, 2014.

    Chair, Empirical Inquiries in Constitutional Law, APSA Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL, Aug. 29-Sept. 1, 2013

    Chair, Constitutional Law and the Political Theory of Rights, APSA Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL, Aug. 29-Sept. 1, 2013

    Co-Organizer, Host, and Opening Remarks, Law at the Fault Lines Conference, The First Annual Meeting of the Southern California Law and Social Science Forum. 麻豆传媒, March 1, 2013

    Discussant, 鈥淧olarization in the Judiciary,鈥 Politics to the Extreme. CSU Channel Islands, Oct. 8-9, 2012

    Professional Service

    Courts and American Politics Editor, 鈥淭he Monkey Cage鈥 at The Washington Post (Jan. 1, 2020-present)

    Editorial Board, Journal of Law and Courts (2019-2020)

    Referee/ Reviewer for: Studies in American Political Development, Law and Social Inquiry, Law and Society Review; Journal of Law and Courts, National Science Foundation Law and Social Sciences Division

    Co-Founder & Chair, Steering Committee, Southern California Law and Social Science Forum (2012 鈥 present)

    Member, Law and Society Association (2010 鈥 present)

    Member, American Political Science Association (2007 鈥 present)

    2019-2020: Division Co-Chair (w/ Corey Brettschneider), Constitutional Law & Jurisprudence (Division 27)

    2018-2019: Served on C. Herman Pritchett Award Committee for Best Book on Law and Courts

    2017-2018: Served as Chair of APSA Distinguished Teaching Award Committee

    2014-2015: Served as Chair, Law & Courts Section Best Graduate Student Paper Award

    2012-2013: Served on the Law & Courts Section Best Paper Award Committee

    College Service

    Work-Family Committee (2019-2021)

    Faculty Chair, Task Force on Public Dialogue (2017-2018)

    Faculty Executive Committee (鈥淐ommittee on Committees鈥) (2017-2018)

    Chair, Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) (Spring 2017)

    Mentor, Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship (2016-present)

    Curriculum Committee (2016-2017)

    Analyzing Difference Committee (2016-2017)

    Dean of the College Search Committee (2015 鈥 2016)

    Critical Writing and Thinking Committee (2015- 2016)

    Faculty Advisor, The Claremont Journal of Law and Public Policy (2015 鈥 present)

    麻豆传媒 Emergency Building Coordinator, Carnegie Building (2013-2014)

    麻豆传媒 Ad Hoc for Arts and Humanities (AHAH) (2013 鈥 2014)

    麻豆传媒 ID-1 Steering Committee (2012 鈥 2013)

    PPE Steering Committee (2012 鈥 2014)

    Faculty Host, Downing College Visiting Scholar (2012-2013)

    Co-Organizer, 麻豆传媒 Social Science Research Confab (2012-2013, 2016-2017)

    Select Public Engagement and Policy Impact

    Testimony before the Judiciary Committee of the United States House of Representatives. 鈥淢aintaining Judicial Independence and the Rule of Law: The Causes and Consequences of Court Capture.鈥 September 22, 2020.

    Senators Debbie Stabenow, Chuck Shumer and Sheldon Whitehouse, 鈥.鈥 May 2020 (featuring research from Ideas With Consequences and 鈥淗elping Ideas Have Consequences鈥 pp. 33, 34, 48, 49, 52.)

    Seila Law v. CFPB, 鈥.鈥 January 22, 2020. (featuring research from 鈥淗elping Ideas Have Consequences鈥 pp. 13, 14, 28, 30.)

    Media & Multimedia Appearances

    鈥.鈥&苍产蝉辫;麻豆传媒week Magazine. w/ Joshua C. Wilson. July 9, 2020.

    鈥.鈥 Monkey Cage at The Washington Post. w/ Isaac Cui. June 30, 2020.

    鈥.鈥 Monkey Cage at The Washington Post. June 16, 2020.

     Monkey Cage at The Washington Post. November 18, 2019.

     Politico Magazine. August 31, 2019. (w/ Calvin TerBeek)

     Q&A w/ Vox. June 3, 2019.

    Professor Hollis-Brusky featured in Washington Post鈥檚 documentary 鈥.鈥 May 21, 2019

     Opinion. Los Angeles Times. October 6, 2018.

     Airtalk with Larry Mantel.  KPCC. July 10, 2018.

     Press Play with Madeleine Brand. KCRW. July 9, 2018.

     All Things Considered with Mary Louise Kelly. NPR. June 28, 2018.

     Op Ed, 麻豆传媒week. Jun 29, 2017.

     Op Ed, CQ researcher27, 533-556. June 23, 2017. 

     Q&A with Henry Farrell. The Monkey Cage at the Washington Post. May 17, 2017.

     Op Ed, The Monkey Cage at the Washington Post. May 1, 2017.

     Op Ed, RealClear Politics. Feb. 10, 2017.

     Op ed, Monkey Cage at The Washington Post. July 3, 2016.

      Op ed, Monkey Cage at The Washington Post. Feb 22, 2016.

    鈥淛ustice Scalia鈥檚 Jurisprudential Legacy.鈥&苍产蝉辫;POTUSCast. Feb 17, 2016

     James Piereson. Commentary Magazine (review of Ideas with Consequences). April 21, 2015.

    . KPFA, 鈥淟etters and Politics鈥 with Mitch Jeserich.  March 30, 2015.

     John McGinnis. Wall Street Journal (review of Ideas with Consequences). March 26, 2015.

    鈥淭he Irresistible Rise of the Federalist Society.鈥&苍产蝉辫;Andrew Buttaro. The Weekly Standard. (review of Ideas with Consequences). March 23, 2015.

     on Ideas with Consequences. ACSblog, the American Constitution Society blog. March 16, 2015.

    Excerpt of Ideas with Consequences on SALON,  March 5, 2015.

    Radio conversation on Ideas with Consequences with Jeff Schectman of Napa Broadcasting,  March 4, 2015

    Q&A with Nina Martin of ProPublica.  ProPublica. March 3, 2015.

    Podcast on Ideas with Consequences with John J Miller of National Review Online and Ricochet Magazine, Feb 3, 2015

    鈥淲hy did you choose to write a book on the Federalist Society?鈥 Promo spot for Ideas with Consequences: The Federalist Society and the Conservative Counterrevolution, Jan 2015

     Appearance on AirTalk with Larry Mantel, KPCC (NPR LA), January 21, 2015.

     Op Ed, Los Angeles Times, January 8, 2015.

     Oxford University Press Blog. December 18, 2014.

     Op Ed, The Monkey Cage, Washington Post, July 1, 2014.

     Op Ed, The Life of the Law, June 30, 2014.

     Larry Gordon. Los Angeles Times, June 15, 2014. Feature in the LA Times  on my Intro American Politics Course and my Wikipedia Group Research project.

    鈥淓ight Pomona Professors Receive Wig Excellence in Teaching Award.鈥 May 18, 2014.

    鈥淚nstead of Forbidding Wikipedia, This Professor Has Students Work to Improve It.鈥&苍产蝉辫;April 16, 2014.  麻豆传媒 Website Feature on my Intro American Wikipedia Assignment. 

    鈥淪upreme Court Round-Up,鈥 Sarah Kranser and Emma Brillhart. Claremont Port Side. October 24, 2013.

    鈥淭he Supreme Court and the Future of the Constitution鈥 麻豆传媒 Alumni Phonecast, Sept 16, 2013:

     Interview with KSPC about the Inaugural Conference of the Southern California Law and Social Science Forum, Feb 24, 2013

     Interview with KSPC about the potential impact of the Nov 2012 Elections on the Supreme Court

    Featured Work

  • Education

    Education

    2010, Ph.D. in Political Science
    University of California, Berkeley
    Berkeley, California
    Dissertation: The Federalist Society and the Structural Constitution: An Epistemic Community at Work
    Committee: Robert A. Kagan (Co-Chair), Shannon Stimson (Co-Chair), Gordon Silverstein, Daniel A. Farber

    2005, M.A. in Political Science
    University of California, Berkeley
    Berkeley, California

    2003, B.A. in Philosophy and Political Science
    Boston University
    Boston, Massachusetts

    Recent Courses Taught

    • American Constitutionalism I
    • American Constitutionalism II
    • Freshman Critical Inquiry Seminar ID-1: Law & Lawyers in America
    • Freshman Critical Inquiry Seminar ID-1: Running for Office
    • Introduction to American Politics
    • Law & Politics
    • Senior Seminar in Politics: Contemporary Topics in American Law and Politics
  • Awards & Honors

    Awards & Honors

    National Science Foundation, Law and Social Sciences Division, 鈥淪tudying Variance Within and Evaluating the Efficacy of Support Structures for Legal Mobilization,鈥 award number  $157,000 (2016-2019)

    Hirsch Research Initiation Grant. 麻豆传媒 Internal Grant (2015-2017)

    Wig Distinguished Professorship Award for Excellence in Teaching 2014, 麻豆传媒