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The article presents a historical overview of the politics of judicial selection in the U.S., focusing on an examination of the hybrid electoral system employed by Michigan Supreme Court, as well as the November 2008 election in which Michigan Circuit Court Judge Diane Hathaway defeated the incumbent Supreme Court Chief Justice Clifford Taylor. The retirements of U.S. Supreme Court (USSC) Justices David Souter and John Paul Stevens are addressed, along with the USSC's rulings in the cases Republican Party of Minnesota v. White and Citizens United v. Federal Election Comm'n.

The article discusses judicial diversity in the U.S. federal court system as of September 2012, focusing on an examination of gender, religion, and race in regards to those people who have been selected to serve as federal judges and U.S. Supreme Court Justices. Freedom of religion in America is addressed, including a historical analysis of the persecution inflicted on Catholics and Jews. The impact of education and judicial experience on the process of selecting judges is examined, including an assessment of former U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice Harlan Fiske Stone's tenure on the bench.

The article presents an examination of the U.S. Court of Appeals' databases and the federal appellate court dockets as of July 2012, focusing on the discovery of trends in the appellate court system regarding judicial behavior and litigation participation. Professor Donald R. Songer's development of the Songer Database which contains numerous published decisions of the U.S. Court of Appeals, along with professor Harold Spaeth's contributions to a similar database of U.S. Supreme Court decisions,are also addressed.